From Gold to Gaze: The Gendered Lens of Body Shaming in Online Media Coverage of Female Athletes

Abstrak

This study examines the construction of gender identity in online media
coverage, focusing on the issue of body shaming directed at female athletes.
The case of Indonesian weightlifter Nurul Akmal, who experienced body
shaming after her participation in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, is analysed
using Alan McKee’s text analysis method, a descriptive qualitative approach,
and a constructivist paradigm. News articles from eight prominent
Indonesian online media outlets — CNNIndonesia.com, Kompas.com,
Tempo.co, Detik.com, Republika.co.id, Liputan6.com, and Okezone.com —
were selected as the primary data sources. The findings reveal that online
media frequently frame negative commentary on female athletes' physical
appearance as innocuous humour or mere jest. Furthermore, the portrayal of
female athletes as passive or powerless reinforces their subordinate status
within the patriarchal structure, limiting their ability to resist or challenge
such derogatory narratives. This media construction not only perpetuates
gender stereotypes but also undermines efforts to promote gender equality
within the realm of sports. The study highlights the need for more critical and
gender-sensitive reporting practices to counteract these harmful
representations.