Media representation of women's football in the context of gendering of sports

Throughout history, women have been systematically excluded from the public sphere under various pretexts. While the private sphere, associated with home and family, has been attributed to women, the public sphere including politics and sports has been reserved for men. This situation has led to the perception of sports as a domain dominated by men and the exclusion of women from this sphere. In the context of football, this discrimination has been particularly pronounced. Men's football has been constructed as a sport based on characteristics associated with masculinity such as athletic skills, strength, and endurance. This has raised doubts about women's ability to participate and succeed in this sport, pushing them away from this domain. The media has played a significant role in reproducing and reinforcing this discriminatory perspective. Football news and commentaries in sports media often focus on men's football, while women's football is marginalized and trivialized. This has led to a decrease in interest in women's football and hindered the development of women's potential in this field. This research aims to focus on the representation of women's football in the media within the context of the gendering of sports, by examining the news articles from Yeni Şafak Gazetesi, Milliyet Gazetesi, and Cumhuriyet Gazetesi published between July 1, 2019, and March 15, 2024. Using a qualitative content analysis method, this analysis seeks to understand how the media's representation of women's football contributes to societal gender perceptions and shapes the concept of the gendering of sports.