With all due respects to Rex Harrison in “My Fair Lady” , when it comes to sports journalism , why would she want to be?…Women offer a unique perspective and are just as qualified…
But it certainly hasn’t always been a smooth road…Ask Barbara Borin, Alice Cook and Lisa Olson, to name a few, about working in a male dominated business…And there’s a fine line that men never have to worry about…”There are going to be positives and negatives to being a woman in this business, stated Louise Cornetta of ESPN Radio recently at a Boston University sports journalism seminar, and I’m just going to have to forget about the negatives because I’m always going to be a woman and just be happy with the positives and if some times that means David Ortiz is going to talk to me over someone else, then great, but once we start talking, I have to prove my worth” …And prove it she does…Having started as a freelancer and radio producer, Cornetta now serves as a Program Director for ESPN Radio and contributes to ESPN, The Magazine and ESPNBoston.com…
The key is equality…Women in the locker room don’t want to be singled out, don’t want to be treated any differently and don’t want special consideration….Kat Hasenhauer writes numerous blogs in and around the city and has a very simple approach for men working alongside women at the games, “If they’re in the press box next to you, or at a paper or at a website, don’t treat them any differently then you would anybody else. They’re there for the same reason you are. Treat them like you’d want to be treated if you were in their shoes.”
It all sounds so simple but rarely is…Women stand out in a locker room, a news conference, a press box….but they are every bit as talented, dedicated to what they do and every bit as entitled to be there…Sorry Rex, this isn’t 1956 any more…thank goodness…Perhaps, as Rex does in Act two, you too will break out in song “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face”…without the Damn! Damn! Damn!…
18 Comments
Tyler Murray posted on October 17, 2011 at 7:33 pm
Full disclosure: a younger me would definitely have rolled his eyes at the prospect of a seminar on women in sports media. But over the past few years, and especially after last week’s class, I’m starting to gain a better appreciation for women in the business. In fact, other than when Louise said something along the lines of, “Oh my gosh, you should totally make friends with [females in the press box]!”, I viewed our guests with about as much reverence as I did Chris Price and Peter Abraham (I certainly had more respect for those two women than I did for the media critics).
I wasn’t thinking, “Wow, it’s so impressive that these two ladies are making their way in sports media. I was thinking, “Alright, what can I learn from Kat and Louise? How can they help me in my career?”
Women have come a long way in the sports world. I remember thinking Linda Cohn was an outlier on Sportscenter back in the day, but now I don’t think twice about it. The only time I’m thrown off is when I see a misinformed blonde on TV who seems like she got hired just for her “on-air presence,” which I do understand in certain cases. Sex sells, as they say.
It admittedly took me a while to come around to the idea of female sportswriters commenting on football and baseball, because they probably haven’t played the sport nearly as often as men. I’ve recently become more open to the idea, because I’ve realized if any female journalist puts in enough work and dedication to get to the professional level, they obviously care enough about sports writing and have enough experience to be every bit as good as a male writer.
If it says anything, Jackie MacMullan has become one of my favorite writers, both from her work in print and on “Around the Horn.” She sounds a lot more sophisticated than the rest of those yahoos, but that’s not hard to do when matched up against the likes of Woody Paige.
Josh posted on October 18, 2011 at 10:44 am
What I expected from this seminar and what I got were two very different things. I expected to have a discussion about women in the media and the difficulties they face. This is not due to any bias but because of a combination of things. First, is what I read in ESPN: the uncensored history. Second, was due to the type of questions the females in our class always ask of our guests and the stories they share of their own experiences.
However, the difficulty of women in a male dominated environment never became the focal point. Any time Prof Shorr asked a question that lead down this path, both guests graciously answered in an honest manner and did not harp on the subject at all, preferring instead to impart knowledge about the sports reporting business. So in the end what I got was another seminar on sports reporting, locker room etiquette and relationships, just from a different point of view.
It was a good point of view to get as well because it was interesting to hear Louise talk about other women in the industry who would try to use looks or other such things to their advantage. As a male you would never be able to get away with saying something like that for fear of repercussions. I will admit to a bias in the “she’s only a sideline reporter because she’s attractive” camp, but it was even more satisfying to hear Louise explain how women who got jobs on looks and flirting are the types of women who rarely made it because it was clear they weren’t good at what they were doing. On the other hand, it was very clear that Louise was good at what she does and that she is successful for a reason.
It was also an interesting dynamic between the two guests. They appeared to be complete opposites. Louise was successful and established and Kat was struggling to get into the business and refuses to give up. Speaking of which, Kat’s optimism and never say die attitude was admirable. Just goes to show that there will always be someone hungry waiting to step up if you are not ready to handle the job. Louise was very confident in her answers and Kat seemed timid at times even though both had something important to add to the discussion.
Both guests also cemented a few of the ideas that we’ve covered several times in class. Kat touched on the ever popular topic of how important relationships are and Louise talked about how your conduct and how you carry yourself is the bottom line. Doesn’t matter if you are male or female if you have an air of confidence and professionalism about you, then people will respect you. Oh yea, and you have to know what you are talking about.
On top of these consistently covered tenants of sports reporting, Louise added a couple extra points. She consistently stressed proactivity. “Look for opportunities don’t wait for them to come to you,” she said. Good advice no doubt, but I’m assuming is also a subtle glimpse into the extra drive she needed as a woman breaking into the business.
Rick Sobey posted on October 18, 2011 at 2:01 pm
The seminar with Kat Hasenhauer and Louise Cornetta showed me how far women have come in the sports journalism industry in the past 15 years. If we had this seminar back in the 1990s, I feel like the talk would have had a much different feel to it. Back then, Kat and Louise would have probably focused solely on all the difficulties of being a woman in a male dominated field. However, as Josh mentioned in his post, the guests stayed away from the women aspect, and it became a more general discussion on reporting, which is a testament to how far women have come in the sports journalism industry.
It was great to hear the leaps that women have made in this business. The story from Louise in the Angels locker room was all I needed to know how women journalists had a very tough time back when there weren’t many female sports reporters. Louise said it was one of those frustrating days when nobody would give her an interview, and she had to scream at the baseball players to get a quote or two. Now compare that situation in the Angels clubhouse with today, as Louise mentioned how athletes have definitely changed and respect female reporters more today. As long as you prove you know the sport, you will be respected.
Another interesting part of the seminar was when Kat discussed her scrutinized blog post on SB Nation about the Boston University hockey team. This didn’t have to do with her being a woman reporter, but it showed how tricky the sports journalism industry can be sometimes. I found it absolutely ridiculous that she got so much backlash because she wasn’t even writing for any university publication. I guess it’s just one of those situations where you have to be careful. It reminded me of the sports talk radio seminar when Adam Jones talked about the Patriots conflict on interest. It has got to be tough when there are people always breathing down your neck.
In addition, it was comforting to know that Kat has faced the same difficult situations as me when covering high school sports. It was nice to know that I wasn’t the only journalist to have a tough time with high school interviews after a loss. Again, it didn’t have to do with her being a woman reporter, but it went over another tricky area of sports journalism that I was interested in. The interview questions that Kat gave me will definitely go into my interview notebook for the future games I cover.
Margot posted on October 18, 2011 at 4:09 pm
When I first looked at the schedule of seminars for the semester, I was really looking forward to this one. The narrative of sports journalism is dictated mainly by males that it was nice to hear from some women for a change.
Louise, being more experienced than Kat in the field, had more insight about being in professional locker rooms, which is something that both excites me and intimidates me. I’ve been in a professional locker room once, and I got a taste of both sides of what Louise was talking about when she said there are athletes who are professional and courteous and some who just are not. Ray Allen, one the one hand, was polite and even remembered my name later. Glenn Davis accidentally-on-purpose bumped into me wearing just a towel. Some guys will try and test you when your a woman. I don’t know why, but some athletes (and other journalists) still think that women have no place in sports journalism. Fortunately, this belief seems to be less and less common, but it still exists, to an extent. Louise came up in an era when this was more common, and was faced with some challenges. Her anecdote about the Angels clubhouse and how she handled it seems like the best way to handle situations like that. At the end of the day, you both have jobs to do, and professionalism needs to be there on both ends.
When Louise was talking about women conducting themselves the wrong way and there sort of being a revolving door for them in the sports industry, it seemed like, well duh, of course as a woman you don’t cross that line. After the seminar ended and some of us were talking about the Heidi Watney/Jason Varitek debacle, it occurred to me how prevalent things like that really are. Some women think they can use their looks to get ahead in their careers, in life in general really. But, like Louise said, looks fade, and then what are you left with? If you compromise your integrity, and have no clue what your talking about, what do you have left? In journalism, you are only as good as your reputation, and if your reputation is that you are a floozy who is consistently unprepared, you probably won’t have a very lengthy or respectable career.
To quote Annie Oakley, “anything you can do I can do better, I can do anything better than you.” Not necessarily, but there is no reason why women can’t do the job of a sports reporter with any less success than men.
Lacey posted on October 19, 2011 at 10:06 am
I was looking forward to this seminar to see if the two female speakers were going to say something extraordinary or, if they were simply going to add onto the same concept that: “Women need to work hard to be taken seriously in this industry.” Unfortunately, that is what I feel like our class was left with. Not a new perspective or any sound advice beyond what has been said repetitively by countless people in and out of sports journalism.
Maybe I set a precedence that was unobtainable, perhaps I was looking for something that was refreshing. Their advice was predictable and underwhelming. I nodded, agreed and listened. Waiting for something profound, I was left with stagnant remarks ranging from, “Know more than the men,” “Act appropriately,” “Be responsible for your actions,” “Do not flirt with the players,” etc. I felt like I was being spoken to by my father before going off to Senior Prom.
It was as if, should a female reporter blink at a player unconsciously, she would be labeled some sort of derogatory name. The seminar became more of a “how-to-behave-around-men” chat than an empowering conversation that these two women should have been conducting.
I understand that there are certain suggested guidelines a woman should follow while being a reporter, but this shouldn’t be dictated to her like she is some promiscuous gold digger. That is how I felt by the time the seminar was over; it was like a cautionary talk of how to get ahead while still maintaining your integrity if you are a woman in this field. I’m curious what and if there are any rules and regulations for men in this industry?
The difficulty with women entering the sports journalism profession is that they have to break the social constructs that have defined the industry since it’s inception. Slowly but surely there has been a surge of women’s voices being heard, but is there ever going to be room for a woman in a “man’s” role on t.v? The question that ought to be posed is this: How many people would accept a female announcer in the NCAA Final Four or calling a Monday Night Football game? Are we so structured societal as to think of men as “play-by-play” personalities and women as pretty faces, relegated to the sidelines tossing up softball questions to coaches and players?
All in all, the seminar was fine. Nothing explosive or exciting. The ideas that Louise said about “looks fading,” and “working harder then men to get ahead,” were relevant and expected. She is, however, an extremely powerful and confident woman which has no doubt helped elevate her career, but doesn’t self-assuredness bode well for any reporter’s career, male or female? I assume so.
I do appreciate her ability to establish herself as a credible reporter, and to continue rising up the corporate ladder at ESPN. That is one aspect of the seminar that was comforting…knowing that women are becoming more ingratiated in the sports journalism world in positions typically headed by men.
Hopefully, in the near future, men and women will be treated with equality, and provided similar opportunities so long as their talents merit such rewards.
Joe Parello posted on October 19, 2011 at 10:37 am
When I first heard we were having a conference on women in sports journalism, I thought the main issue would be dealing with the “old boys club” and climbing through a perceived “invisible ceiling.” While those two issues were certainly addressed, I thought Louise and Kat did a great job of bringing up issues I had never fully considered.
Things like being a woman in a locker room full of young, naked, athletic, testosterone driven men, or just having to establish credibility with an athlete. I had always thought the biggest struggle would be to gain standing with an employer, but I never really thought about how the athletes themselves might try to break you just for the heck of it.
As everyone else said, I appreciated Louise’s perspective on what women have to do to be taken seriously when they are new to the business. Still, I really enjoyed where Kat was coming from because she was still working her way up. Her attitude, as both a woman and a lesser established journalist was incredibly refreshing. She was not out there looking to be a famous columnist or TV personality, she just loved covering sports, and was looking for anyway she could do her passion for a living.
Men or women, I think we can all gain a bit from her attitude as we work our way up. Yes, have your career goals, but never forget how lucky you are to be covering sports for a living. I know that wasn’t the focus of the seminar, but that was just a little something else that popped out to me as important.
David posted on October 19, 2011 at 1:13 pm
My “internship coordinator” while writing for insidehockey.com last year was a reporter named Elizabeth “Biz” Jacobs. We would watch Bruins games from the press box, take extensive notes and then go into the locker room to gather post game sound. Her interaction with the other journalists was always professional, and it was always “Biz” who dominated the locker room.
After listening to Louise Cornetta last Thursday I couldn’t help but think about the similarities between the two women and my experience at insidehockey.com. Both women are outgoing, knowledgeable and skilled which makes them both successful at what they do. They both have sassiness and swagger to their personality that sets a tone of professionalism.
I never really thought about it at the time but I am curious what the other journalists thought when they saw a male intern working under a woman reporter in a locker room setting. I truly believe that it made no difference to anyone given the amount of respect Jacob’s colleagues had for her.
As I prepared to write my comment for this week I wanted to make sure I read a comment or two written by the girls in our class because last weeks seminar was mainly focused on women. Sure enough, the first two comments posted by girls in the class had two significantly different tones and featured two completely different reactions.
It was interesting to read both Margot’s and Lacey’s comments back to back because of the considerable dissimilarity of their reactions. Margot seemed to enjoy the seminar more than Lacey, relating Cornetta’s experiences to her own life. Margot seemed to identify more with Cornetta than Lacey did. Having said that and as far as the seminar is concerned, I would have to agree more with Lacey’s analysis of the discussion.
All of these seminars have at some point made there way back to the central themes of relationships and sports media. Having studied journalism and followed news outlets such as ESPN I am cognizant of the types of experience women sometimes have in male locker rooms and it would have been nice to have gotten a little something extra out of this seminar.
As far as the future of sports journalism is concerned:
The women today, especially the women in our class, are lucky to have a seminar that features both women and there experience in the business as well as seminars that emphasize all of the other aspects of sports journalism. The female presence in the field of sports journalism is surely growing. The difference is the women heading into the industry today will be more knowledgeable and will have significantly more support, evidenced by the Cornetta anecdote about forming both a group for women at ESPN and alliances with her female colleagues.
Side Note: it will be interesting to hear the play-by-play seminar from the viewpoints of both a man and a woman
Craig Meyer posted on October 19, 2011 at 1:51 pm
Though historically underrepresented in the field, the number of women in sports journalism has increased significantly over the last several decades. We even see it in our own class as we have several women in the class who are looking to start a career in sports journalism, women who have the same skills and aspirations that I, as a man, have.
However, the idea of female sports journalists is still a somewhat contentious topic and is usually open for debate among the general public. Admittedly, I wasn’t able to attend the seminar on Thursday night, but I think we’re all familiar with the idea of sports journalism, historically, being a male-dominated field, a ‘boys club’ of sorts. After having read some of the articles in the course documents folder and having heard stories from female reporters, it was once very difficult for a female to not only make a living, but even get a job as a sports writer several years ago. Through misconceptions, stereotypes and blatant sexism, there is still a question of whether women should be able to work in the field. As examples, Margot posted some locker room stories in an earlier comment and in the past, there have been several prominent athletes who have questioned the role of women in locker rooms trying to do their jobs.
For instance, after learning about Azteca TV reporter Ines Sainz being harassed in the New York Jets locker room, Clinton Portis shared the following thought:
“You put a woman and you give her a choice of 53 athletes, somebody got to be appealing to her. You know, somebody got to spark her interest, or she’s going to want somebody. I don’t know what kind of woman won’t, if you get to go and look at 53 men’s (bodies). … I know you’re doing a job, but at the same time, the same way I’m going to cut my eye if I see somebody worth talking to, I’m sure they do the same thing.”
Portis exemplifies a prevalent train of thought that still exists in the minds of many people who have trouble envisioning women managing to work professionally with athletes and understanding the sports/teams they cover. They simply feel that women cannot over men’s sports that they could never play and that, with the intimate nature of locker room reporting, women should be limited to frivolous sideline roles, a la Erin Andrews.
However, this is a belief that is increasingly declining year-after-year. Certainly our society is much more progressive than it was 20-30 years ago, but the attitude has also changed because people have seen so many women enter the field and do a remarkable job of reporting. In the article by the Women’s Sports Foundation Career Center, the author noted that in order to battle these crude stereotypes and obstacles they faced, women had to be THAT much better in the work they produced because they would be held to a different and harsher standard than their male counterparts. Because of that, we have seen a number of women like Jackie MacMullan become cornerstones of the industry. Whether or not that extra work and pressure has been the main reason for the greater prominence of women in sports media, it remains a topic for debate and discussion as women continue to break barriers and accomplish just as much in the field as any man could.
David posted on October 19, 2011 at 2:53 pm
I apologize if my use of the word “girls” in my comment above offended Lacey, Margot or any of the other women in our class.
Heidi posted on October 19, 2011 at 3:01 pm
I enjoyed this week’s seminar mainly because we heard insight from very drastic ends of the sports journalism spectrum. Louise waltzed in carrying her Louis Vuitton bag, obviously quite confident, and it took all of five minutes to realize she was very established in the business. Kat, however, was much more timid but just as passionate about the profession. She is still trying to make it in the sports journalism world while Louise is a program director at ESPN. Their advice was very much the same though. Be confident. Know your stuff.
I have to agree with Lacey that those really are not new concepts for us as women in sports journalism, but also that those ideas are universal, regardless of your gender. Both Kat and Louise were able to offer something to the guys in the class as well.
The one thing I walked away appreciating was Louise’s comment about women who flirt and use their looks to make it. It seems like so often those are the women that work their way up the ladder. I was happy to hear Louise say that people recognize that and that it is the easiest way to lose respect. I’m sure people think, “well, duh, Heidi. Of course that’s how it is.” But sometimes, as a woman, it doesn’t seem that way. There are a lot of pretty faces out there making a name for themselves, proposing to Tom Brady, whatever. There are also a lot of women out there working hard and still not getting very far. It is a tough business but I really believe it is worth every ounce of effort that goes in to it. I cannot wait to be out there in the middle of it all. After all, being part of the boy’s club is pretty fun sometimes.
Lacey posted on October 19, 2011 at 3:33 pm
Did not even think twice about it David! But thanks for the thought to all of us.
Lee posted on October 19, 2011 at 7:03 pm
I really enjoyed the dynamic of listening to two people at completely different ends of the professional spectrum, because I felt both contributed equally to the discussion.
When Tedy Bruschi and Kevin Paul Dupont spoke to us, I actually felt Kevin had far more insight than Tedy, but he was overshadowed by the presence of a former athlete.
I thought this had the potential to turn into a similar kind of one voice conversation with the other simply chiming in, but it was quite the opposite. In fact I was really inspired by how committed Kat Hasenhauer is to making her dream a reality. Louise Cornetta pushed the upper limit of confidence throughout the seminar, but her tone was never, ever the least bit condescending towards Kat or anybody else.
Both of them are working way more than the average person to achieve their goals. I think that’s why my major takeaway point from this seminar was that this is less about men versus women, and more about solid work habits and a passion for the trade.
Clearly there are obstacles that both women have faced in the sports work place, but because they are smart, dedicated, and talented people, they have overcome them.
Josh’s comment about Louise’s point that you have to be proactive to succeed was right on point, but I believe it has just as much importance with men trying to break into the business. We all face obstacles trying to achieve our dreams, and I would argue Kat has faced far more adversity trying to break into sports from her past as a blogger than from being a woman. She is being proactive working a full time job and spending her free time covering sports. She is being proactive by seeking out every possible contact she can, in hopes that one day she will call them colleagues. I was impressed by both of our speakers as people, and as professionals, and unless I really missed something here, I’m pretty sure that’s the point.
Nick posted on October 19, 2011 at 11:40 pm
Of all the seminars so far, this one produced some of the most uncomfortable moments, just surpassing the Gaspar-Rapoport tweet feud in the first week. I could really tell that Kat is still trying to get a foothold in an industry she may not even be interested in for the long run. The feeling of talking to and giving insight to open-minded students must have excited her because she opened right up and revealed some things most speakers wouldn’t consider sharing.
The mention of a college professor who forced his female students to sleep with him in exchange for A’s quickly put a somber mood over the room and threw me off to the point that I missed the next question or two. The situation was made even more uncomfortable by the snickers coming from the back of the room as Kat described the situation. To snicker and giggle as she was revealing such a personal moment was completely unprofessional and looked bad on the class as a whole.
Much less uncomfortable, but still questionable was when Kat brought up her Saponari and Glass articles and how they led to her demise on the BU hockey beat.
First of all, to hear about the university bullying a reporter and employee to write what they want sounds like blatant censorship. Such a move would be understandable for a PR-friendly production coming directly from BU, but Kat is a journalist who has a responsibility to report news to her readers – and two promising (and NHL-drafted) players getting kicked off the team without explanation is news that needs to be investigated by all parties covering the team.
Secondly, it was sad to see Kat not defend her work on that article more. She told us it was her favorite article of those she’s worked on, so why didn’t she stick up for it more? She said there were some things she could have done differently and she clearly wishes she was still on the hockey beat. As a journalist, I want to meet veterans who are proud of their work and don’t back down for the sake of rubbing someone the wrong way.
On the flip side of Kat, Louise may have the most useful guest we’ve had so far. She definitely seems happy with her career and she exudes confidence and intelligence. It’s apparent how she got to such an influential role at the Worldwide Leader.
Echoing Josh, Louise not only gave useful advice on women in the media, but she shared insight that’s useful to all of us as soon-to-be graduates and jobseekers. She clearly knows what she’s doing and could really help all us students in the immediate future. Hell, I felt like Kat could have asked Louise for a business card after the seminar.
So what did I take out of this past week? Women have had a difficult path to get legitimacy in an industry that’s dominated – and will continue to be ad infinitum – by testosterone-driven, sometimes immature, and always traditionalist men. The difficulty still exists and will take a very long time to disappear completely, but to hear firsthand that there are more and more women in the locker room and on the field, and there’s more equality than ever, is very encouraging. Things are getting better, and will only continue to do so.
Mallory posted on October 19, 2011 at 11:46 pm
This seminar featured two guests on different ends of the industry spectrum and focused on the broad topic of women in the sports industry. I have to say what I got from the seminar was definitely not what I was expecting to hear.
Beginning with Kat Hasenhauer, I was skeptical on the amount of insight she would be able to provide. These seminars are about talking to industry experts and Kat is having a hard time breaking into the industry. I questioned her relevance to the seminar other than the fact that she was female. However, I too was inspired by her endeavor to become a full time sports writer and her will to overcome the job conflicts she faces. But if sports writing is what she’s so dedicated to, why not pursue it completely? I understand it’s important to still have another job until she can write full time but why not apply for a job where she can still write freely on the side? And I think it’s because she does love her job working in Dean Ellmore’s office, and I’m sure that’s an incredible and rewarding experience to work with someone so inspirational. But because she’s kind of straddling the fence between her job and writing and is forced to edit herself, I have a hard time considering her a sports journalism professional. With that being said, I was still interested in learning about her experiences and even more interested with her plan to fully break into the industry. After all in a few short months, I will be in a similar position as her and it’s nice to hear from someone not at the top of ladder and get some ideas on where exactly to start when pursuing a career.
On the other hand, Louisa Cornetta was extremely insightful. I was surprised and actually relieved the seminar didn’t veer towards “women struggles in the sports industry.” I’m tired of women playing the victim and I think it’s a useless topic to discuss because any woman is just as capable and smart as any male so why even discuss. I understand there can be a bias against women, but any smart and driven female can easily overpower that bias and clearly establish themselves. And Louisa definitely proved she is that kind of woman. Her spunk and sassiness reminded me of myself and I really enjoyed her stories of how she took charge of certain situations. Louisa provided useful tricks and tactics to nailing interviews, networking, and defined appropriate locker room behavior. Each seminar has expanded on these topics and I’m happy that this past seminar continued with the trend.
Catie posted on October 20, 2011 at 9:58 am
I had been looking forward to this seminar because I haven’t been in contact with many females in the industry. It was certainly uplifting to see two females who are succeeding in the field, but I left with an, “it is what it is” attitude in regards to male dominance in the sports communication field.
This attitude developed as Louise consistently answered questions with an, “it is what it is” answer. Louise seems to have accepted that it is harder for females in the sports industry and she made sure to let the females in the class know that. I suppose I was too optimistic to think that Louise would reveal that things have changed and no one cares if you’re a female anymore.
What made Louise’s visit so memorable is that even though she admitted it’s harder for females, she also made a point to tell us that if we work hard enough, we can break that barrier and end up above the men in the industry. I believe that hard work can get you ahead, but after meeting Louise I also believe that it takes a certain type of female.
Louise exudes so much confidence, it’s no wonder she has done so well. The moment she walked in the room I was ready to follow anything she had to say. The most interesting story she shared was when she stood up on the table in the Red Sox locker room and told all the players that she wasn’t leaving until she got an interview. This story, in addition to her answer to Caroline’s question about how to stop athletes from engaging in inappropriate and unprofessional activity, left me feeling that it takes a certain female to survive in the industry.
Louise has a stereotypical male personality. She is confident, tough and made it very clear she was willing to do anything to get to the top. Many females go into the sports communication industry shy and insecure, leading to failure.
In comparing Louise and Kat, I thought there was a clear difference in personality. Kat did not have the dominant, “I won’t stop till I get there,” attitude that Louise had. She seemed unsure of herself and was often times hard to listen to. It’s not surprising that while Louise is dominating the sports industry at ESPN, Kat is working for BU and writing a blog on the side. Given their two personality types, I don’t see Kat ever reaching Louise.
The main lesson I left that seminar with is that in order for a female to really succeed and make a difference in the sports industry, they must have the tough, confident attitude that Louise has, otherwise you’ll be stuck blogging or sideline reporting. For some, those smaller sports jobs such as blogging and sideline reporting is enough, but I want to be on top at ESPN, just like Louise.
Caroline posted on October 20, 2011 at 12:43 pm
David, I am not sure what you mean when you said “the women today, especially the women in our class, are lucky to have a seminar that features both women and there experience in the business as well as seminars that emphasize all of the other aspects of sports journalism.” What do you mean lucky? I think this really exemplifies what I want to talk about in my response. Lucky, I hope you feel lucky too just to listen to these professionals, whether men or women. I expect to listen to these women’s experiences and learn how to become a professional through them, just as you should. Isn’t that why you are taking the class? I cannot believe you could say something like that. No one would ever say that a male should feel lucky to listen to another man speak at a seminar.
On that note, I really enjoyed listening to Louise and Kat last week. I definitely learned a lot on how to conduct myself, and better my chances in the industry. I am definitely going to take the advice of asking professionals to “spear 5 minutes of their time to give me some advice.” I will also take into account starting now to look for opportunities and not wait for them to come to me.
I learned through Louise and Kat that I really need to know my stuff as a woman in a mens locker room. I truly need to be on my game when dealing with locker room situations and stay confident and professional. Yes, that is an obvious statement but I know the players will test you, like Margot commented about Glen Davis.
Yet, I do think some women are ruining it for the rest of us. When Margot commented about the Heidi Watney/Jason Varitek debacle it really hit me, it is drama like that, that is hurting the rest of the females who are trying to break into this business the right way. So I guess my plead is to female reporters is please don’t give the men a reason to say, “well I told you so” to each other, have dignity, be knowledgeable, be confident, and do your job the right way.
Patrick Hazel posted on October 20, 2011 at 12:53 pm
I have always wondered why women are looked at or treated differently when it comes to their presence in the locker room. Women have come a long way. In the past, maybe only a couple decades ago, there would be between 0-1 at best women in a locker room reporting. Nowadays, women are common in a locker room.
I have always thought that there should not be discrimination for women, or if anyone should look at a female reporter any differently than a male. I also want to go back off what I said about the critics from the week before. If a female reporter has a good enough reputation (ex. Doris Burke or Jackie MacMullin) they should be treated with the respect they have earned off of their reputation. Those two females are two of the most respected female reporters, as well as reporters both male and female.
Now here comes the issue: so what is to be said of those without the reputation? I would like to go off the advise that Louisa gave during the presentation: “Don’t use your good looks or any other qualities besides your intelligence and work to get ahead. Don’t ever try to seem flirtatious with an athlete or superior either.”
I feel like stereotypes like these plague almost all women reporters. It is hard for a woman to get ahead with that shadow & misconception of them looming over, because not all female journalists are trying to use whatever assets they have to get ahead.
But as Mallory said, there is unfortunately going to be that bias against women, but any driven and intelligent female can rise above misconception and bias if they were to apply themselves. Once again, Louisa also went back to the importance of establishing relationships to gain information that she needed. Not just talking about sports, but getting to know athletes. She also spoke of how networking can make or break your career as well.
Overall, as I have stated, female reporters will in most cases be overshadowed by doubt and male bias. I always believed that female reporters are as capable as a male, and deserve to be in a locker room as much as a male does. It is hard for them, but Louisa is a great example of someone who has been driven and passionate enough to achieve success as a female journalist.
David Lombardi posted on October 20, 2011 at 3:44 pm
I wasn’t able to look at this seminar through the lens of “Women in Sports Media.” I viewed it as another seminar that offered me a wonderful opportunity to interact with two great contacts in the sports media world.
The fact that both guests were women was irrelevant to me, and I think this speaks volumes about how far the business and society as a whole has progressed the last couple of decades. I’m sure that I would not have the same gender-blind view of this seminar had I lived and experienced it back in the 1980s.
That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed the perspectives that both speakers brought to the discussion. Ms. Cornetta’s path, especially, was interesting to me because she also began in California (USC) and ended up on the East Coast.
Maybe if I was a female I would see this seminar differently, but for me it was just another valuable sports journalism learning experience from two respectable speakers.
Based on my time in the play-by-play booth, press box, and clubhouse, women are treated equally in the sports media scene. I haven’t seen any blatant sexism, and those working alongside me have always treated women with professionalism and respect. Maybe I am young and naive, but I have yet to witness anything that would convince me otherwise, and I think that’s why this lecture meshed nicely with our other sports journalism ones: gender wasn’t an issue, and that’s the way it should be.