By Marie Hardin
Many newspaper stories about Title IX in recent years have reinforced the myth that Title IX had led to losses to men's college sports. The reason for such skewed coverage may be that many reporters who have written about the law believe that myth – and some also believe the law should be changed.
A survey of almost 400 sports reporters from major U.S. papers, conducted by the John Curley Center for Sports Journalism at Penn State in May and June, found that most sports reporters said they were familiar with Title IX. About half said they had written stories about it, and most also believed their newspapers had fairly covered the law. But an analysis of newspaper coverage between 2002 and 2005 – key years for coverage because of Title IX's 30th anniversary and the formation of a federal commission to study it – found that many key stories treated the law unfairly. For instance, four of every 10 articles about the commission's work included the myth that Title IX has led to cuts in men's sports but did not include any data or sources to counter that charge. The recent Penn State survey found that about five of every 10 sports reporters believe that Title IX is bad for men's sports. Further, three of every 10 said they thought the law should be changed.
These attitudes could explain why stories about Title IX may sometimes offer fiction in place of fact: If a reporter believes the law should be changed because it's unfair to men, the reporter may not recognize a bias toward that point of view in a story that should be objective. Editors may not see it, either, especially since more than half also believe the law has hurt men's sports, according to Penn State research.
The good news is that female sports reporters, which made up about eight percent of those who responded to the survey, had more positive views of Title IX and its impact. For instance, only one in 10 women thought the law should be changed.
The number of women in sports journalism remains low, but it is growing. As more women move into the field, unfair coverage of Title IX could be challenged, allowing more accurate stories to make it into the sports pages.
Meanwhile, women's sports advocates will need to continue their efforts to educate everyone – including journalists who cover it – about Title IX.
For more information, email Marie Hardin, associate director for research in the John Curley Center.