Social media erupts over new broadcasting guidelines that discourage ‘sexualized’ shots of female athletes
The European Broadcasting Union came under scrutiny on social media on Tuesday over new guidelines it released in June which discourage photographers and videographers from capturing photos and videos of female track and field athletes that may appear “sexualized.”
The guidelines, that were released in June and titled “Raising the Bar: Guidelines for respectful media coverage in women’s athletics”, include a list of detailed illustrations on what shots are encouraged vs. discouraged.
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Keely Hodgkinson of Team Great Britain reacts after competing in the women’s 800 meters semifinals at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan. (Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
“This is not a list of restrictions. Across high jump, pole vault, horizontal jumps and running events, the report demonstrates how the most compromising shots can be avoided with no loss of storytelling or visual quality,” the guidelines state.
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Athletes compete in the women’s 1500m competition at the Gyulai Istvan Memorial Athletics Grand Prix in Budapest, Hungary, on July 14, 2026. (Attila KISBENEDEK/AFP)
The guidelines then surfaced on social media and became the subject of heated debate and mockery on Tuesday.
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Shelby Houlihan, of the United States, competes in the women’s 3000 meters final at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China, Saturday, March 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
The issue of “sexualized” shots of female athletes emerged during the 2024 Paris Olympics when CEO of Olympic Broadcasting Services Yiannis Exarchos specifically called on camera operators to film both male and female athletes the same way to avoid “stereotypes and sexism” creeping into television coverage of the sporting event.
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