Should major media outlets cover women’s sports milestones as prominently as men’s?

Women are roughly half the population, according to the Census Bureau, yet flagship sports coverage treats their milestones as a specialty interest. That would be a defensible business call for a purely private outlet, but much of the sports media ecosystem runs on public goods: broadcast spectrum, public stadiums, public universities supplying the athletes. according to the Census Bureau, yet flagship sports coverage treats their milestones as a specialty interest. That would be a defensible business call for a purely private outlet, but much of the sports media ecosystem runs on public goods: broadcast spectrum, public stadiums, public universities supplying the athletes. When a publicly resourced industry covers the achievements of half its public as an afterthought, that is a failure of the bargain, not just an editorial preference. Milestones are also the cheapest coverage to get right: they are scheduled, verifiable, and brief. Giving a record-breaking performance the same slot regardless of who set it costs nothing and signals that the audience includes everyone. Census