Sportscasting Success: Varying Standards May Apply

Though women have been included in sport-related broadcasts, structural barriers regularly make it difficult for them to fully exhibit credibility. This challenge is rooted in industry sexism, as sport media remains a male-dominated entity. The present study used a televised basketball debate to examine viewers' evaluative differences between a male and female sportscasters and the impact of such differences on source credibility. A content analysis was conducted using 1,239 comments made by 544 individuals watching the debate. While the female broadcaster was lauded for trustworthiness, the male broadcaster was perceived to have greater sport-related expertise. The male broadcaster received positive feedback for using authoritative tactics to garner favorability, confirming traditionally accepted behaviors associated with men in power. Ultimately, the male broadcaster was considered more persuasive. Such findings provide evidence of the continued perceptual obstacles that hinder women from being seen as credible in the sport-media network.