Levelling the field? The English Football Association's promotion of their men's and women's national teams through Twitter
A summary of the article:
The article "Levelling the Field? The English Football Association's Promotion of Their Men's and Women's National Teams Through Twitter" explores how the English Football Association (FA) uses Twitter to promote the men's and women's national football teams during their respective 2020 and 2022 European Championships. The research analyzes the FA's official accounts, revealing that the women's team (the Lionesses) received substantial coverage during their tournament. However, most of this promotion occurred through a separate, smaller Twitter account (@Lionesses), while the men's team was predominantly promoted through the general @England account, which has a much larger following. This separation suggests a continued gendered divide in sports promotion, despite increased efforts to support women's football.
The findings highlight that although the FA has made strides in promoting the Lionesses, significant inequalities remain in how men's and women's football are represented. For example, the @England account only focused on the Lionesses during key moments, and much of the detailed coverage was left to the smaller @Lionesses account. This reflects a missed opportunity to promote women's football to a broader audience. The study calls for more equitable use of social media platforms by governing bodies to better represent women athletes alongside their male counterparts.
Key Takeaways:
Separate accounts perpetuate inequality: The Lionesses were promoted primarily through a smaller, dedicated account, limiting their exposure compared to the men's team.
Increased promotion during key moments: While the women's team did receive more coverage during important matches, overall consistency in promotion was lacking.
Social media's potential as an equalizer: The study suggests that if used effectively, social media could help close the gender gap in sports promotion, but current strategies fall short of true equality
Author: Steph Doehler
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