Media and sports journalism have the power to present and represent the prism through which we digest sports content. This is a huge responsibility and given the billion-dollar industry that sport constitutes, power, money and influence abound. For this reason, the joint European Union - Council of Europe project “All In Plus” has a key focus on media sensitisation. Why? Because stereotypical portrayals of women in sport, under-representation of women’s sports in the media, and the silencing of the voices of women working in sports media can all lead to a diminishing of the achievements of women in sport and beyond.
As part of the All In Plus project, the Council of Europe brought together leading sports media professionals for two informative sessions. The first session took place on 2 November 2023 in hybrid format – at Olympic House in Lausanne, Switzerland, and online – and involved sports media professionals from 27 countries. The second session took place on 22 November 2024 in hybrid format – at the headquarters of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) in Geneva, Switzerland, and online – with around 30 participants from 20 countries.
The second session allowed participants to review how their media work had been informed by the first session and had changed in the intervening period. It also included discussions on examples of best practice in sports media, how to combat harassment and (self-)censorship of women in sport, the future of equality in sports media, and the portrayal of safeguarding and human rights in sport amongst other topics.
Both sessions were organised in co-operation with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the EBU, who not only hosted the sessions, but shared know-how and provided key contributions by experts in the field. Both organisations have generously ensured that the journalists and sports media professionals attending the sessions will have access to a wide range of resources to inform their work going forwards.
