Dunja Antunovic, PhD, assistant professor of sport sociology in the School of Kinesiology, recently spoke at a virtual webinar panel, Sports Media Coverage of Elite Female Athletes with Disabilities, organized by WomenSport International, a research-based advocacy organization for girls and women in sport.

Antunovic’s portion of the panel, The Relationship between the Media and the Paralympics, addressed patterns of women’s sports coverage during the Paralympic Games and shared recommendations for improving journalism practice. As part of her work, Antunovic synthesized research findings that illustrate the ways in which coverage of the Paralympics reinforces problematic gender patterns and stereotypical representations that undermine the athletic accomplishments of women with disabilities. 

Panelists also included Becky Clark, PhD, a three-time Deaflympics medalist and global deaf and disability sport consultant, and Toni Bruce, PhD, professor of sports media and sport sociology at the University of Auckland, New Zealand.  

Empirical data indicates the volume of media coverage is increasing, but athletes are represented differently depending on nationality and gender. The panelists also discussed recommendations as to how language, visual imagery, and production decisions can improve coverage of elite sportswomen with disabilities.