Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Miss Olympic Athlete? A Content Analysis Of Nbc’S Primetime Interviews During The 2016 Summer Olympic Games, Caroline Butts

Honors Projects in Communication

The 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro has further exposed the difference in sports reporting between sexes. Creating social media controversy, viewers called out the sexist commentary directed towards women athletes emphasizing their relationship status, how many children they have, and male athlete accomplishments over the female’s athletic ability. This content analysis will dive deeper into NBC’s prime-time coverage of the twenty-third Olympiad, examining the sport and non-sport questions brought up during interviews with the male and female athletes. With reporters possessing more control over what is discussed on-air, when compared to live commentators, the goal of this …