During the 2024-25 school year, 52% of Park City High School athletes participated in female-designated sports compared with 48% in male-designated sports. Moreover, U.S. women won more medals and more golds than men in the 2026 Winter Olympics. And yet, we must ask, why does The Park Record give f emale achievements less attention? We should expect better from our local Park Record. A 2025 analysis shows the Park Record devoted 61% of sports articles and 68% total word count to boys’ sports, while girls’ sports comprised just 34% of articles and 29% of total words. That amounts to more than one million additional words devoted to boys’ sports. Boys’ athletics are not only covered more often, they are given significantly more space. This imbalance reflects a broad media pattern. In 2025, The Salt Lake Tribune devoted roughly 4,150 words to women’s sports, compared with approximately 1.1 million words to men’s sports — about 260 times more coverage. Importantly, we have examples of more balanced approaches. The Richfield Reaper and The Salina Sun regularly feature a girl and a boy prep athlete of the week, ensuring coverage reflects the full range of athletic achievement. Visibility matters. Media coverage does more than report outcomes — it helps shape what communities notice and value. When girls and women see females in sports, they see themselves. Visibility builds confidence, strengthens participation, and normalizes women in athletic roles. When coverage consistently features men, it sends a covert, powerful message that men’s achievements matter more. Many argue this disparity reflects reader interest. But that argument misses the point. Media coverage helps shape interest. When women’s sports receive less visibility, they generate less attention. People like me stop even looking at the sports’ section.  Coverage and interest reinforce each other. If we want more equitable coverage, we should say so. Lauren Barros Park City The post Coverage disparity appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less