Flipping the Script: Reimagining Media Coverage of Female Athletes in America is an undergraduate honors thesis that aims to examine the media representation of female and male athletes, and how these portrayals relate to public perception. 

To explore this, a qualitative content analysis was conducted on both male and female athletes, including Caitlin Clark, Jayden Daniels, A’ja Wilson, and Patrick Mahomes. This analysis was accompanied by a survey to understand the current perception of these athletes. 

This investigation aims to deepen our understanding of how collegiate and professional female athletes in the U.S. are portrayed in the media and public perceptions of them, and this study seeks to establish guidelines for achieving more equitable media coverage. Studying the portrayal and perceptions of female athletes will benefit organizations as well as athletes because, hopefully, strategic communications efforts within the sporting industry will be seen as more trustworthy and reliable with more equitable coverage, and women everywhere will see themselves reflected positively in the media.