When the founders of Siren came together to create this platform, we realised that we were not only connected through a passion to contribute more coverage of women’s sports and share more stories, but to also ensure that we continued to highlight the stark reality that is the current media landscape for women’s sports.
There have been so many amazing things that have advanced women’s sport recently, from record attendances to huge growth in participation, particularly at the grassroots level. But so far, these advancements, as wonderful as they are, have not dramatically changed how women’s sport is covered in the mainstream media and subsequently how women’s sport is valued, especially by those with the power to make real change.
We usually publish weekly statistics on how women’s sport has been covered by the mainstream media. In the last couple of weeks, we’ve pulled back as the world of sport came to a grinding halt.
We’re in an uncertain time now and it’s scary for so many reasons and we don’t mean to diminish any of that for anyone. But over the past few weeks, we’ve seen a significant impact on women’s sport. Numbers that were once not great are now even worse.
But there is some good news! Siren has partnered with Swinburne University of Technology’s Sport Innovation Research Group to increase our monitoring of the coverage of women’s sport in mainstream media during this time.
We know it’s a tough time. There’s no live sport. Journalists are being stood down. Media is hurting. But sport is still being covered, and women are still being excluded.
While we continue to monitor and record the coverage of women’s sport in the mainstream media, we’re also working hard to bring you the kinds of stories that we know you want to read including interviews with women in sport, be they coaches or administrators or (!!) Olympians. There may not be any live sport to cover right now there are still plenty of stories to tell and we’re determined to continue doing just that.
In this issue
In what has ended up the interview issue, Kirby Fenwick spoke to Melbourne Rebels Super W coach Alana Thomas, Kasey Symons had her mum put her in touch with basketball legend Rachael Sporn and Gemma Bastiani bothered Sydney Swans social media manager Michelle Cooling enough on twitter to earn an audio interview.
Backing all this up, we go into more depth regarding the statistics of women’s sport coverage, looking back at the numbers we’ve seen this year and a tight little list of women in sport podcasts we recommend!
For the love of the game: Melbourne Rebels coach Alana Thomas on Super W, coaching, and playing for Australia.
By Kirby Fenwick
Alana Thomas loves the camaraderie of rugby.
The former Wallaroo and inaugural coach of the Melbourne Rebels Super W team spoke with Siren about her love for the sport, her own playing days and how she got into coaching, as well as why professional development opportunities for women in sport are so crucial and why it’s so important to know where you’ve come from.
“Could you message Rachael Sporn for me?”
By Kasey Symons
We’re all treating being in lock-down differently. Some of us are baking bread, some of us are trawling the internet for tips to keep the kids entertained. Some of us are watching Tiger King. But I’ve spent this period of isolation so far in Mildura in the north-west of Victoria at my parent’s house, taking frequent long walks with my mother and convincing her to reach out to an Olympian she knows.
Feature Interview: Michelle Cooling (Sydney Swans)
By Gemma Bastiani
I’ve always wanted to speak to Michelle Cooling, who is the Social Media Manager of the Sydney Swans. It’s a role that is now considered the ‘front line’ of a sporting organisation, most vulnerable to the online response to results each week. Not only this, but the pathway to actually land a job like this isn’t straightforward. So it was great to speak to Michelle about her pathway through sport, how she earned her role and what her day-to-day work life looks like.
By the numbers
Ever since COVID-19 has caused the mass cancellations and postponements of sports, we’ve become increasingly concerned about how this situation can impact women’s sport in very different ways from their male counterparts. Here’s a look at the numbers for 2020, and more specifically how they look since the world went into lockdown.
Five Women in Sport podcasts* you should subscribe to
*not hosted by Siren co-founders
We love listening to podcasts. We love listening to podcasts about sport. We love listening to podcasts about sport by women.
Here are five of our favourites.
This is where you can join the women in sport community on twitter and still have that live game experience, with live tweets coming from different women in sport on the Siren twitter account.
All you have to do is head to the provided link at the time scheduled and join in on the chat with hashtag #sirenrewatch.
This weekend’s schedule
Friday April 17 @ 7PM AEST
2015 ANZ Championship Grand Final, live tweets from Netball expert Erin Delahunty.
Saturday April 18 @ 6:30PM AEST
AWIHL 19-20 Finals: Semi Final 2 - Adelaide Rush Vs Melbourne Ice, live tweets from Ice Hockey expert Mikhalia Holmes.
Sunday April 19 @ 1PM AEST
AFLW 2019 Round One: Melbourne Demons v Fremantle Dockers, live tweets from Siren co-founder Gemma Bastiani
Congratulations to Sara Blicavs and Olivia Epoupa who signed training camp contracts to the Phoenix Mercury during the week. And congrats to Leah Poulton who has been appointed Head of Female Cricket at NSW.
Anna Harrington spoke to Richmond’s Grace Campbell, who has returned to Bendigo to work as a nurse amid the coronavirus crisis. Anna also wrote this great piece on Caitlin Foord and her finding her love of football again at Arsenal.
There was some live sport on the weekend, if you want to call it that? The NBA televised a HORSE competition which might not have quite filled the void of live sport but at least we got to see Alexandria Quigley beat Chris Paul. And great to see that it gave young girls some women in sport to watch:
Thanks to our friend Kelsey Trainor who is keeping us updated with the USWNT Equal Pay trial where the date has been continued from May 5, 2020 until June 16, 2020.
Emily Collin writes on Karen Rolton's unbeaten century that 15 years ago led Australia to a fifth World Cup triumph.
Need some new women in sport isolation reads? Marion Stell and Heather Reid’s new book, ‘Women in Boots: Football and Feminism in the 1970s’ is out now.
Anne Rollo has some tips for you to work on your golf swing in isolation.
Congratulations to ABC’s Shannon Byrne on the launch of her new women in sport radio show, The Sunday Session. If you missed it, you can listen here.
We loved seeing the Director for the Office for Women in Sport and Recreation in Victoria, Dr Bridie O’Donnell representing the interests of women and diverse groups on ABC’s Offsiders on Sunday. Well said Dr O’Donnell.
We’ve seen more pieces on this from around the world like this one from Laura McAllister in Wales on how Covid-19 is an opportunity to radically overhaul sport. We hope to see leagues and clubs work together to make sport more inclusive and welcoming to everyone.
Molly McElwee writes on how the coronavirus is impacting birthing experiences and motherhood across the world, including that of sportswomen.
Samantha Lewis looks back at her favourite game, the Japan v USA, 2011 Women's World Cup final.
PSA – ‘Bend it Like Beckham’ is on SBS World Movies this Friday night! We’ll be tuning in for sure!
And be sure to register for this football webinar coming up on 20 April from the team at Women Onside.
We love basketball legend Lauren Jackson not letting her killer instincts go and letting anyone get by her—not even her own son!
Runner up
Simone Biles… Is there anything you can’t do??
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