Side-by-Side Sports Reporters: A Between-Subjects Experiment of the Effect of Gender in Reporting on the NFL

Women are more visible than ever in sports media. Yet, extant research has shown that females have endured an array of issues exclusive to their gender. Consistent research updates on gender in sports media is necessary in order to discover whether an increase in numbers has changed the assessment of women in sports media. This study’s objective was to understand how audiences now perceive women in television sports media, specifically as sports reporters covering the NFL. This quantitative experiment employed two current, veteran sports reporters (one female and one male) and pre-tested for the purpose of this study. It is the first known study that utilized professional television sports reporters. Each reporter recorded the same two “stand-ups” with identical backdrops. Survey participants randomly watched a video either of the male or female giving a fact or an opinion report and were then asked questions to measure their perception of the sports reporter’s knowledge and credibility. Intriguingly, this study did not replicate results from prior research, and therefore could contribute to literature on women in sports media moving forward.

#BlackGirlMagic

This chapter explores the relevance of Immanuel Kant's categorical imperative to critique the unintended, subliminal evil representations in Shonda Rhimes's work. Kant's moral theory is used to re-think evil in the way that Rhimes portrays Annalise Keating (Viola Davis) in How to Get Away with Murder (2014-) as an influential defense attorney and law professor who goes to extreme lengths to get what she wants, even if her behavior is considered bad or evil. This chapter argues that Rhimes's work challenges the systemic racism and stereotypical portrayals of Black women in television, as she not only focuses on the bad or evil doings of her Black characters but also on what makes them powerful, good and emblematic of #BlackGirlMagic.