New guidelines issued for more respectful TV camera coverage of female athletes

The EBU has developed ‘do’s and don’ts’ on camera angles following discussions with athletes.

This includes avoiding low camera angles below athletes in events such as the high jump or pole vault, which have a high chance of creating compromising images.

“Sexualization of female athletes through selective camera angles and editing choices has become a significant concern in many sports broadcasts,” said Glenn Killen, executive director of EBU Sport.

“Extended body shots, low-angle cameras that capture revealing scenes, and excessively slow-motion replays that do not serve technical or storytelling purposes are among the problems observed in media coverage of women’s athletics competition today.”

The BBC is a partner of the EBU, which provides coverage of sporting events in 57 countries, reaching an audience of over one billion people.

The new guidelines could be implemented at the European Athletics Championships, which start in Birmingham on August 10 and will be broadcast by BBC Sport.

However, the Diamond League, which is also broadcast on the BBC, does not go through the EBU, so does not have to comply with the guidelines.