Paris 2024: A Record-Breaking Media Presence

The Olympic Games Paris 2024 witnessed an unprecedented surge in media interest, with a staggering 24,171 media representatives securing accreditation. This marked a significant increase compared to previous editions, solidifying Paris 2024’s position as a global sporting spectacle.

The majority of the accredited media, 18,438 individuals, represented Media Rights-Holders (MRHs) and Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS). These entities played a pivotal role in capturing and delivering the Games to audiences worldwide.

The remaining 5,733 accreditations were granted to written and photographic press, representing 2,113 accredited press organizations from 146 National Olympic Committees (NOCs). This diverse representation ensured comprehensive coverage of the Games from various perspectives.

Gender Equality Initiatives

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) made significant strides in promoting gender equality at Paris 2024. While the overall gender balance in the press category remained predominantly male, there were notable improvements.

Increased Female Representation: The percentage of female journalists sent by media organizations rose to 23%, up from 20% at Tokyo 2020.
Sport-Specific Press Attachés: The sport-specific press attachés from NOCs exhibited the highest female participation, with 45% being women.
Positive Examples: Reuters, an IOC-recognized agency, achieved near-equal gender distribution among its photographers, with 51% male and 49% female representation.

Broadcast Category:

The broadcast category also saw a positive shift in gender representation. Female representation among MRHs and OBS increased to 26%, compared to previous Games.

OBS Initiatives:

Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) implemented several initiatives to enhance female representation within its team. These included:

Hiring More Women: OBS hired a greater number of women for key broadcast operational roles and increased female representation in venue production teams.
Leadership Roles: Two-thirds of the 42 OBS Broadcast Venue Managers and Deputy Broadcast Venue Managers were women.
Commentary Team: Female commentators constituted 37% of the total number of OBS commentators, a significant increase from Tokyo 2020.

Training and Development Programs:

OBS also launched several programs aimed at training and hiring women for key roles:

Olympic Commentary Training Program: This program equipped former Olympians and Paralympians with commentary skills and increased the number of female commentators.
Framing the Future: This initiative aimed to increase the number of women working as camera operators. OBS established a camera training program and offered freelance roles to top trainees.
OBS Broadcast Training Program (BTP): This program provided local students with hands-on experience and insight into the broadcast of Olympic Games.

Overall, Paris 2024 marked a significant step forward in promoting gender equality in the media coverage of the Olympic Games. The increased representation of women in various roles showcased the IOC’s commitment to creating a more inclusive and equitable sporting environment.