The terms ‘justice’ and ‘equality’ seem interchangeable for some people. Even though the two are not the same, many do not seem to know how they differentiate. To some, equality is justice and vice versa, but that’s not the case; especially when it comes to athletics in the media.

As sports being one of the most followed subjects in student media, it ultimately led to controversy. Many would argue that when sports are covered it should be completely equal; all teams getting the same amount of attention.

Though this is equality, it is not justice. If one team is doing better than the other, they deserve more coverage than one that is not. Teams should earn their spot in the media by doing well and giving students a reason to be interested in them.

A team’s popularity should not grant them a spot on the front page of the paper, but rather their performance and relevance. A victory deserves to be more celebrated rather than a loss.

Senior varsity soccer player Gina Bracamonte agrees student media should be just rather than equal. “I feel like more people would be interested in knowing how they won […] rather than how they lost,” she says.

If the media was completely equal, it would not do justice to the teams that were more successful. A winning team deserves to be rewarded for their accomplishments, rather than being treated the same as a losing team. With equality, many athletes would not get the recognition they rightfully earned.

Instead, the media must be just; as in everyone gets what they deserve. In which teams that perform better get a greater amount of attention than a team that did not.

Justice in the media would not completely wipe out reports of less successful teams, but rather limit it.  While all teams could still be reported on, the extent of their coverage would be diverse.

Principal Dan Serrano believes this is the fitting way to report on athletics, “I think if a team is successful, then they probably would get more media coverage than a team that’s not.” He thinks this concept can be applied to more than just sports, “I think that’s just life in general.”

The level, gender or type of sport do not matter; it’s their performance that people care about. All teams would still get attention, but their relevance and achievements would determine their amount of attention. Though it may make some angry, complete equality is unrealistic and inefficient in sports media.

The media’s job is not to make sure everyone’s happy; it is to report on what deserves to be reported on.

One of the central elements in the ever-controversial world of athletics is the power struggle between justice and equality. From unrecognized, agitated teams to star-studded players who are on top of the world as a result of excessive and often unfair spotlight, this discrepancy that the media and athletic directors hold against certain sports and teams must not go unnoticed. Every team, ranging from football to baseball, must be treated and written about in popular media equally.

On July 4, 1776, a document was adopted by the Continental Congress: The Declaration of Independence. One of the single most important written articles in modern history, the purpose of The Declaration of Independence was to instill in the governing force of another nation that people must be free. “We hold these truths to be self-evident,” the document states. “That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.”

As the important document mandates, everyone in this country should be treated as equal. Whether you hail from the green grass of a football field and are having the best season in history, or if you are struggling to shine on the dirt of a baseball field, all men must be credited the same. Like the colonies of a new country who strived to claim their independence in 1776, high school sports programs and professional teams alike deserve to be given the same liberation.

“Both men’s and women’s teams regardless of the sport, should be equally recognized,” junior Daniel Estrada commented. “It’s only fair that both genders receive credit. They both put in the hard work it takes to succeed as an athlete.”

But, where one conflict is resolved, another remains, and this issue of  unfair athletic recognition also exists in the media, ranging from high school news articles to covers of intensely popular magazines.

If you were given a student athlete, one who has worked so hard to get where they are at, one who just wants to see recognition in the student paper, would it be fair to give them a significantly smaller story just because another sport is popular? Sports are about hard work; they’re about achieving the ultimate level of determination in order to receive a personal and public sense of recognition. When that is taken away, where does all the hard work go?

Principal Dan Serrano commented on this topic, saying that “every sport wants to see a story about their sport. It’s important.” He continued, “we have a lot of good teams. Our badminton team is good, our cross country team is good.”

The universe that exists within the realm of athletics is ever-changing. With one controversy solved, another may surface to the cover pages of media outlets, the minds of athletes across the nation, and the interests of sports fans globally. From gender inequality to unfair recognition in the spotlight of the media, the injustices of discrimination in athletics must not go unnoticed.

So, whether you’re a passionate onlooker, a staff reporter, or an athlete yourself, the idea of equality should be racing through your mind; it’s what everyone deserves.