Paige Bueckers memorably used her ESPY-award winning moment to call attention to racial disparities in sports media. And she cited new research as proof: during the 2020 WNBA season, Black players won 80% of the post-season awards — yet received half the coverage as their white teammates. Bias in sport is not new, but that doesn’t make it inevitable. To create equity in media for women’s sport athletes, this session turns focus from awareness to action. We’ll examine how implicit bias and white privilege manifest throughout media coverage — and share tangible ways that sports leaders, storytellers, media decision-makers, brands, fans, and athletes can be part of innovation for change. WNBA champion Aerial Powers famously tweeted for the world to "Put some respect on [her] name." It's time.
Programming descriptions are generated by participants and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SXSW.
Amira Rose Davis
Penn State University/University Of Texas-Austin
Risa Isard
Laboratory on Inclusion and Diversity in Sport, UMass Amherst
Maxwell Kelley
ESPN/The Walt Disney Company
Monica McNutt
ESPN/MSG Networks