I was disappointed by the University of Michigan men’s basketball loss March 23, but was thrilled by the women’s basketball win! Title IX has only leveled certain aspects of women’s athletics on campus. Unfortunately, The Michigan Daily continually sells women’s athletics short in how it features stories. Yes, it offers the same quantity of coverage story for story, but look at the feature.
Look at the front page, look at the total word count and look at the color versus black-and-white photos. The Daily’s front page on March 24 was about the men’s loss in full color and featured a full piece on page eight — in full color. The women’s win is covered in detail, but only in black and white on page seven. The front page today should have read: Women’s basketball moves on to Women’s National Invitation Tournament semifinals! Everyone in the student body should show up to support them at home games. The front page could have had a smaller tease stating the men came home with a tough loss and have more coverage in black and white on page seven.
I have two daughters and two foster daughters — we attend many women’s athletic events and rarely see them treated equally in coverage or hype. The Michigan Daily needs to encourage all our students to attend and support our women’s sporting events as much as we do our men’s. The WNIT games on March 18 and March 25 were very poorly attended. There were far more students in the band, cheer and dance teams than students in the crowd. Please work to correct this imbalance. Take an active stance on supporting the women — at least to the level to which the paper highlights the men. It will have a positive effect across our community. I hope to see you and many other students at the women’s game.
Joe Trumpey is an associate professor of art at the School of Art & Design and of natural resources at the School of Natural Resources and Environment.