Europe is cracking down on ‘sexualised’ broadcasting in women’s athletics. Australia must catch up
- Written by: Weekend Times
European Athletics has partnered with the European Broadcasting Union – the world’s leading alliance of public service media – to launch a landmark publication that seeks to prevent women athletes from being
sexualised.
The guidelines encourage broadcasters to avoid voyeuristic body part shots, zoom-ins from behind or underneath competitors and certain slow-motion replays.
So, why is this needed and is something similar in place in Australia?
Women’s struggles in sport
For decades, women have been marginalised and excluded from professional sport due to its systemic patriarchy.
During the 1950s, television started bringing women athletes into our homes. This helped showcase their remarkable physical achievements, while powerfully dispelling the archaic frailty myth.
Despite finally breaking into elite arenas, women athletes face a double standard: broadcast coverage that remains both scant and sexualised.
Men’s sport is prioritised over women’s, implicitly telling viewers that men are superior: in Australia, women’s sports represent only 15% to 20% of overall sports news coverage. On average, there are 5.4 pieces of media created on men’s sport for every one piece on women’s sport.
This gender gap is compounded by the disproportionate objectification of elite sportswomen via ingrained and sexist media camera angles.
Due to these ongoing issues, the International Olympic Committee released related advice. Specifically, it reminded camera operators: “do not focus on crotch shots – common in gymnastics, beach volleyball and figure skating”.
This advice is highly relevant considering the gendered nature of camera operators – only 12% are women in Australia.
A long overdue change
The new European Broadcasting Union guidelines for respectful coverage in women’s athletics target specific, problematic broadcasting habits that add zero narrative value.
The guidelines identify three main culprits:
lingering close-ups on specific body parts
low-angle camera placements for high jump and pole vault events
excessive slow-motion replays with no storytelling purpose.
The strength of these new guidelines is they have been developed alongside Olympic athletes and television professionals.
The decision to involve women athletes in the technical framing of their bodies in motion is the first of its kind – and long overdue.
Elite athletes – including Ivana Španović (long and triple jumper), Blanka Vlašić (high jumper), and Holly Bradshaw (pole vaulter) – voiced how intrusive camera angles cause discomfort and distract them during competition.
British Olympic bronze medallist Bradshaw said:
I have received social media abuse and witnessed inappropriate videos online of myself and colleagues when slow-motion content of us competing is captured.
Many athletes, myself included, have been in competitive scenarios where they are more focused on the cameras instead of their own performance.
Our digital age has magnified the consequences of poor camera choices.
When a visual lingers unnecessarily on a body-revealing angle, that footage is instantly captured, decontextualised and circulated inappropriately across social media platforms.
This vulnerability is stark given nine out of ten elite sportswomen have experienced gendered online harm.
By cutting these images off at the broadcast source, the guidelines offer vital protection against online exploitation. The framework sets a new global benchmark, championing the acknowledgment of women’s skill and dedication to their sport.
Now, camerawork must modernise, with the focus belonging on athleticism, not appearances.
In practice, this means prioritising wider angles that capture the full scope of women athletes’ movements, or using innovative technology such as aerial views and educational graphics to explain the mechanics of a jump or throw.
The document, available for use by any broadcaster, states:
We hope these guidelines feel less like a set of restrictions and more like the beginning of a conversation between broadcasters, directors, camera operators and athletes, that we can continue together.
What’s happening in Australia?
Australia lacks a singular, comprehensive media alliance such as the European Broadcasting Union to enforce a coordinated approach that targets the sexualisation of women in sport across all networks.
Instead, the domestic landscape relies on a fragmented patchwork of generalised frameworks.
At a federal level, the broadcast environment is governed by the Broadcasting Services Act.
Under Part 9 of the act, peak industry bodies are required to develop their own operational codes – such as the Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice – in consultation with the Australian Communications and Media Authority.
While these codes spell out specific protections regarding gender-based hatred and ridicule, sports coverage remains only loosely bound by these broad societal standards.
A new lens for women athletes
The importance of the new guidelines extends far beyond on-screen etiquette. It is a courageous validation of the importance of women athletes’ safety and their psychological wellbeing.
Ultimately, the guidelines confront the media to shift its perspective from focusing on women athletes’ bodies to a respectful appreciation of their capabilities and grit.
It serves as a powerful reminder that if we want to change how society values women’s sports, we must first change the lens through which we see our women athletes in action.
Rachael Jefferson, PFHEA does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
