European athletics broadcasts will adopt new guidelines aimed at preventing camera angles and editing choices that sexualise female competitors during sporting events.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) introduced the “Raising the Bar” guidelines to encourage more respectful coverage of women’s athletics. The rules discourage the use of unnecessary slow-motion replays, lingering shots of athletes’ bodies and camera angles that may compromise athletes’ dignity.
EBU Sports Executive Director Glen Killane said the move was necessary as some broadcast practices continue to create concerns around the portrayal of women in sport. He said coverage should focus on athletes’ performances rather than images that have no sporting or storytelling value.
The guidelines were developed with input from athletes including Olympic medallists Holly Bradshaw, Ivana Spanovic and Blanka Vlasic. Bradshaw said inappropriate broadcasts and edited clips had contributed to online abuse, stressing that sports coverage has the power to influence how female athletes are viewed by audiences.
The EBU has 113 member organisations in 56 countries, as well as 31 associates in Asia, Africa, Australasia and the Americas. The body identifies as the “world leading alliance of public service media”.
