*Women athletes should not have to worry about how television cameras frame their bodies while they compete. New European broadcasting standards aim to remove that concern by changing how women’s athletics events are filmed and edited, Dexerto reports.
The European Broadcasting Union and European Athletics developed the recommendations for networks and production teams. Their guidance asks broadcasters to make athletic skill, competition and technique the center of every shot.
The new standards appear in “Raising the Bar,” a 23-page guide that reviews footage from actual competitions. It addresses coverage of high jump, pole vault, long jump and running events.
Production teams are encouraged to show the full movement behind a performance, including an athlete’s approach, takeoff and execution. Wider views can give audiences a clearer understanding of technique and competitive difficulty.
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By contrast, the document discourages close shots from behind competitors and cameras placed beneath them. It also questions slow-motion sequences that reveal little about the athlete’s form, result or the larger story of the event.
“The sexualization of women athletes through selective camera angles and editing choices continues to be a significant concern across many sports broadcasts,” said Glen Killane, Executive Director of EBU Sports.
The guidelines identify several recurring practices that the organizations want broadcasters to reconsider.
“Lingering shots on bodies, low-angle cameras that capture revealing views, and excessive slow-motion replays that serve no technical or storytelling purpose are among the issues observed in the media coverage of women’s athletics competitions today.”
Organizers hope the recommendations will produce coverage built around athletes’ “technical ability and compelling storytelling.”
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