Gender and politics at the 2012 Olympics: media coverage and its implications

Abstract

As the world's premier multi-sport event, the Olympic Games present a propitious opportunity to explore the nexus of gender and politics. In this study, we zero in on the role of gender at the 2012 London Summer Games as transmitted through the mainstream mass media in the USA and the UK. We focus on the actions of Olympic athletes and how the media framed those actions. More precisely, we analyse three gender-centric episodes that were covered widely by the media during the 2012 Olympics: (1) the first-ever participation by women from Saudi Arabia, Brunei, and Qatar; (2) the participation of South African runner Caster Semenya and the issue of sex testing; and (3) women's beach volleyball competition and gender norms. Deploying frame analysis and feminist critical theory, we offer quantitative and qualitative analysis of these three episodes, and draw out wider political implications.