Form or Function? An Examination of ESPN Magazine's “Body Issue”

Abstract

This study compared coverage differences in gender of athletes in the photographs over the five years of publication of ESPN The Magazine's annual “Body Issue.” Grounded in the theoretical basis of framing, gender, photograph motion and context, and amount of clothing worn in photographs were examined for incidence of gender bias. Though males and females were represented and framed in relatively equal amounts, the manner in which the athletes were framed was troubling. Overall passive in nature in their framing, the photographs of the athletes seem to do anything but highlight the athleticism in the vast majority of the photographs. The findings suggest that gender bias is still present in mainstream sports media.