Making strides: Athletes’ perception of female sports journalists’ work

Based on 12 semi-structured interviews with professional Czech male and female athletes with international experience, this study explores how athletes perceive the work and presence of female journalists in the male-dominated field of sports journalism. The analysis shows that both female and male athletes believe that having a higher number of women could bring more diversity and a more empathetic approach to sports journalism. While respondents from sports traditionally perceived as masculine did express having less trust regarding female sports journalists’ knowledge, and shared the perspective that sports are considered a man’s rather than a woman’s world, in general, the athletes emphasized that the gender of journalists is not relevant as they considered the individual abilities and experiences of particular journalists more important. However, some athletes were aware of the obstacles female journalists face and found them problematic. These results may indicate a gradual (generational) shift, already trackable in some previous studies.