The coming age of women's football in the Dutch sports media, 1995-2013 (INTERN)

auteur(s):

Peeters, R., Elling, A.

plaats:

London

uitgever:

Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group

jaar:

2014

collatie:

Soccer & Society, 16 (5-6), 620-638, DOI: 10.1080/14660970.2014.963313

samenvatting:

Women’s football has been gaining popularity in the Netherlands over the last two decades and is currently the second-most practised team sport in the country. However, no systematic inquiries exist as to what extent and in what way the Dutch mass media have responded to this development. This study aims to addresses this gap. The researchers examine how two national newspapers (AD and the Volkskrant) and a television programme (Studio Sport) have covered women’s football in the timeframe 1995–2013. Their results show that the total amount of items devoted to women’s football has seen a serious increase, especially in the last decade. But, as their qualitative analysis of match reports in the newspaper the Volkskrant shows, football still remains closely associated with men and masculinity, and men’s football often functions as the (silent) norm. The authors discuss the implications of their results and note possible avenues for future research.