Media Coverage of Domestic Women’s Football in Soccer Laduma and KickOff

Abstract

Women’s football tends to receive less media attention than men’s football, despite its growing popularity. When the media decides to cover women’s football the focus is often on non-sporting attributes such as the players’ private and social lives rather than their on-the-field successes. This study examines the coverage of South African domestic women’s football in Soccer Laduma and KickOff between 2019 and 2023, using content surveys and analysis, as well as interviewing former editors, journalists, and relevant stakeholders to understand the coverage of women’s football. The study finds that although the coverage of domestic women’s football in Soccer Laduma and KickOff increased on a year-to-year basis during the period of analysis, the focus on women footballers is still frequently on non-sporting attributes. This finding is consistent with previous studies that found the media tends to focus on non-sporting attributes when it covers women athletes.