Gender bias in sport media: a critical analysis of Twitter content and the National Football League’s Carolina Panthers

The National Football League (NFL) is the most popular sport in the United States. Of the NFL’s passionate fan base, 46 percent are women. Despite the substantial attraction and following by women, communication to this audience has been compromised through gender discriminated sport media content. We examined Twitter posts from the NFL’s Carolina Panthers, over a two-month test period. The posts confirm a bias toward men. On the rare occasion woman were noted, it was framed in a stereotypical context, for example, promoting team cheerleaders. We conclude by making recommendations on future social media strategy for the NFL and its related teams. There is an opportunity to embrace womanhood and build trust among this viable stakeholder.