fshorr's blog

As much as we want to believe that women and men are equal in the workplace, that just isn’t the case. The same is true in the world of sports broadcasting. Though we’ve come a long way from reporters like Melissa Ludtke being banned from a World Series locker room, there’s still room for improvement.

Today, the discrimination is harder to see. A woman might be called a b**** or even worse, a c*** for her articles. Rarely do we hear the male name calling equivalents for a sports piece. Just last May, Jennifer Gish, columnist for the Albany Times-Union, received over 800 emails and calls from angry Bills fans after an article. Most of the comments were “crass, offensive, and overwhelmingly sexist” and some even called for her to get plastic surgery (http://www.thedailybeast.com/witw/articles/2013/05/24/for-women-in-sports-media-beauty-still-the-strongest-currency.html). At the same paper normally, the response rate is a few dozen emails for a hot button column like Gish’s.

And it’s not just the reporters getting attacked. After Gabby Douglas won a gold medal in the Olympics last summer, the conversation wasn’t always about her skill or talent. Instead, we had to listen to the ongoing debate about her “unfashionable” hairdo during the Games. When would that ever happen with a male athlete? Sure, Tom Brady has had his fair share of hair critiques, too, but after games, that’s not what reporters are there to ask about.

There’s even reverse sexism that women have to face. Sometimes, a woman is hired for ratings or to fill a diversity quota as a sideline reporter even when she has no background in sports journalism. That only helps to perpetuate the stereotype that women know less about sports and shouldn’t be covering the field. In hiring women, there’s often a balance between looks and qualifications, and sometimes, looks win.

Men are not always the enemy though. Lesley Visser and Carolyn Thornton both credited their male editors, bosses and coworkers for helping pave their career paths. Without them, they wouldn’t have such successful careers. It helps to have allies – male and female – especially if you’re a journalist making your way through unchartered territory.

Though women in sports was a very deserving topic in our seminar series, it should be noted that the most successful women working in the industry are doing the same things as successful men. By this, I mean that the Vissers and Thorntons working in sports are doing their research, working hard, putting in hours that aren’t usually 9-5, and climbing the job ladder by starting in small markets and working their way up. Above all, the best reporters– not just the best female journalists – are passionate about the sport. If you aren’t, as Visser said, “the fans can see through it.”

Thankfully, Kerry White reports that “the majority of women on air do prove their knowledge and understanding of sports” but unfortunately, the cases where women do a terrible job receive more publicity (womenssportsfoundation.org). For women working in sports, there is an added pressure since those individuals wind up representing all women. We’d never come to the conclusion that an Al Michaels or Cris Collinsworth represent all men, but if a female sports broadcaster made a mistake, that is often seen as a setback for all women in the industry. For that reason, it’s important to be aware of the added challenges a female journalist faces, especially if you’re one planning to go into the industry. Female reporters have made great strides – especially compared to the 1970s sexist era described in Offensive Interference (http://www.ajr.org/article.asp?id=3788) – but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t still a minority in the field.

When I saw this seminar on my schedule for the semester, I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. I had never really thought of a world where women could not be in the sports world. I guess because I am used to the Doris Burkes, the Linda Cohns and even the Erin Andrews of the recent sports world, it is hard to see it as a whole separate part of journalism.

Women in sports (journalism) have been a part of my experience with covering games, watching Sportscenter, even reading the Providence Journal with Carolyn. I told my mom we were talking about women in sports in class and she was happy and thought it was a good idea but I still questioned why we needed to talk about it. Why does it need to be a topic, why does there need to be a difference between a man or a woman covering sports?

After listening to Carolyn and Lesley and having our conversation as a class last week, I can understand why we needed to talk about it. The conversation went from women playing sports, to women in general, to what we wanted to do, and all the way to their own experiences and stories. It showed me that even 20-25 years ago, it was a big deal. Women weren’t noticed as equals in the fields that we hope to get jobs in and it was even weird for women to be interested in it.

The conversation we had proved what I already thought about the women in sports, they know their stuff. Most of them can battle it up with the best in the profession in any way. One example is Jackie MacMullan duking it out with some of the nation’s top male journalists on ESPN’s show Around the Horn.

One thing that was really brought up to me during the class that clearly aggravated both Lesley and Carolyn was the aspect of looks over brains. They brought up the point of some of the side line “reporters” being hired for their face and to stand up and look pretty. Lesley even seemed offended by the idea that they were considered on the same professional level as her, both football reporters.

I can see where this would come in as being aggravating and sad, and why this conversation was necessary for us to have even now. Because there is a clear difference between the hard work and the dedication that a good professional needs to do from the get go. Taking on the lower level assignments, covering high school football or track, listening to the veteran reporters all is part of growing up in the job. Lesley and Carolyn clearly explained how nothing makes them angrier than when a young reporter thinks they are above certain assignments. Whether you’re a man or a woman hard work and dedication, taking pride in your work and taking on all and every assignment that is asked of you as a learning experience and doing your best, that is what being a good journalist is about.

When I first decided to pursue a career in sports journalism, I received a mixed response. While some were fascinated by the idea, others raised an eye brow or two. Either way, the prospect of females covering sports, even in this 21st century, seemed like an alien concept. Nonetheless that didn’t stop me from going ahead with it. And after listening to Lesley and Carolyn speak last week, my decision seems more than justified.

One would think that with the way our society has evolved and after the passing of the Title IX, sex discrimination in any field would cease to be a factor. But the sheer need to dedicate last week’s seminar to women in sports journalism is proof enough that it still remains an issue that needs our attention. Sherry Ricchiardi wrote this very revealing piece for the American Journalism Review (http://www.ajr.org/article.asp?id=3788), taking us back to the 70’s, when blatant sexism and harassment from male athletes towards female reporters was at its peak. It was the sheer perseverance of these pioneer women such as Paola Boivin, Joan Ryan and Tracy Dodds, to name a few, in those early days, which paved the path for women in sports journalism.

The doors of the locker room were finally opened for women in 1978 and the Association for Women in Sports Media founded in 1987. Moves like these gave women the much needed uplift in the world of sports journalism. And while women have come a long way in terms of making their presence felt in this field, there is still a lot of inequality and prejudice. Despite getting acclaim as beat reporters, not enough women are tapped for top management positions or for the coveted role of sports columnist. This is an area of concern.

Women bring something new and unique to the table. They offer a fresh view, diversity and a richer mix to the overall coverage of sports. Most have the ability to work the sources better and, more importantly, they bring the human aspect into their stories. Having said that, there are issues with regard to the credibility of women, especially in today’s world of sports journalism. There is criticism over women with limited knowledge being hired for their looks, as Kerry White writes in her article for Women’ Sports Foundation Career Centre.

Nevertheless, there is no denying the obstacles women face in this field. With the pressures of running a family, looking after children and maintaining a healthy marriage, the travel-intensive beat can take its toll. Then there are the pressures to look good on T.V. All of these can add up to either discourage women from pursuing this career or force them to take a different path. But we have seen countless examples of those women who are able to juggle their responsibilities both at home and at work. They are making headway with the support of their husbands and male colleagues. Lesley and Carolyn are amongst them.

These two remarkable women have not let the issue of gender discrimination get in the way of their work. Their glittering careers are living proof of the fact that if you are professional and passionate about sports, people will respect you and there’s no stopping you in this field. And I want to thank them for that inspiration!

As a woman, when I say that my ambition is to be a sports journalist, the reaction is always the same: “Really?”. Yes really. And I don’t plan on being on the sideline.

In a class on sports theory and social systems, we had to read an article called ‘Ritual-based Behavior that Reinforces Hegemonic Masculinity in Golf: Variations in Women Golfers’ Responses’ by McGinnis, Lee Phillip, Gentry, James W and McQuillan. They studied the behavior of women golfers towards the masculine codes of golf. They classified them into three categories. Some were accommodating of the masculine codes, tolerating them and not challenging them. The second group were unapologetic, fighting to feminize golf and against these masculine standards. The last group was unaware, not even acknowledging that there were masculine codes in golf, simply playing for their own pleasure.

I feel that women in sports journalism also have to chose their position towards masculine codes. You either accept them, and probably not have a great career because you are stuck behind men that will take advantage of your fear. I do not think fighting them straight on is the right way to go either, because you differentiate yourself even more, and you antagonize many professionals sports journalists by doing that. You obviously can’t be unaware, but you can choose to ignore that and fight to be judge on your work and not as a woman. That is why, as Lesley Visser said, your emphasis should be on knowledge and professionalism. If you show that you know what you are talking about, and that you are a hard worker, you will be taken seriously as a woman. The key to sports journalism that always come up in every seminar is preparation.

I feel that there are more openings for women in sports journalism now, but you still have to be careful of what you accept. Be recognized for your work and not for your looks.
I feel that even if we have come a long way, gender equality is far to have been reached in sports journalism, and that is why having this seminar was important. These women can be seen as role models as they build their own careers and went through every obstacle.

By being a young woman myself, I have seen the difference, even unconsciously, in how people treated me in a professional environment. During my internship in London during the Olympics, there was three women including me in a team of ten people. While inside the team I did not feel any difference of treatment as I could prove that I was professional and that I could work effectively, my position when interacting with people from the outside was ambivalent. On one hand I felt that being a woman helped me in some ways to get what I wanted, but on the other hand some people still treated me as if I was a nice assistant here to deliver messages. But by working closely with other women journalists, I have seen that they have gained their place in the sports world by showing their strength and professionalism, and therefore gaining the respect of their peers and athletes.

I did not feel offended by seeing that there was going to be a seminar exclusively on women in sports. It is still an issue today and we can’t bury our heads in the sand. As a woman, I was eager to get the point of view of women that have succeeded in sports journalism.

You said it yourself before our guests arrived at COM that when compiling seminar topics you wondered if dedicating a night to women in sports was just further perpetuating the stereotype, as some of my classmates have previously mentioned. While that might be true in some sense, I think that it proved to be an important seminar to have because like Nick said, the gap is still not closed and it is unclear if it’ll ever be fully closed.

Jeanna brought up a good example with the Erin Andrews ALCS coverage that I think is relevant in a few different ways. I think part of that example raises the issue that she just wasn’t prepared, which goes back to what Visser was saying about knowing your stuff. It’s hard to believe that if someone was fully prepared to cover such a significant event that they would call a manager by the wrong name multiple times. Once is understandable; everybody makes mistakes, but more than that emphasizes how unprepared you are. Now I’m not saying that to discredit Erin Andrews in what she does. This is just an instance where she wasn’t at her best.

Like Jeanna also brought up, Andrews almost called Justin Verlander, Justin Bieber. I consider this more of a silly slip-up that Andrews took a lot of heat for. It’s hard for me not to question whether if she was a man if the situation would stir up the same kind of controversy. My gut tells me no, which just reinforces why a seminar about women in sports is still relevant.

Going back to what we actually discussed in class, Thornton gave us a piece of advice that really stuck with me and is something that even among students I notice. She said that you are not above doing anything. Everyone starts somewhere and if you think that you are better than covering a specific story or beat, you won’t be successful. Thornton said that her favorite stories are some of her high school ones, a beat that is not ideal to most.

I think all of us can benefit from that bit of advice: nothing is beneath us. If we take a mindset in which we consider ourselves lucky to be covering anything at all, I think that’s setting us on the right track to success.

Regardless of women being the main topic of this seminar, I think we all walked out with sound advice that will prove to be helpful in whatever the future holds.

I want Tim to be correct when he says that in 2013 women are not “at a distinct or explicit disadvantage,” but I know that his statement is false and, unfortunately, naïve.

Tim might have a different opinion if he had ever been told (on deadline) that he couldn’t go into a clubhouse to do interviews specifically because of his gender or if he had ever had an online commenter say that the only reason he had a job was because he had slept with his married boss. Both of these things, and more, have happened to me in the past 18 months.

(And say all you want for ignoring online commenters, but when you work for an online platform that requires you to interact with those very people, you lose credibility every time someone decides your gender is the reason why your opinion is inherently wrong).

My guess is that when the majority of the men in our class decided on sports, the main concern that they faced from outside sources was the long hours or the amount of money they would make. But were they questioned about how they would deal with athletes sexually harassing them? Because I know quite a few women studying sports journalism who had to answer that question before they could start to study the trade. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why you don’t see more women entering the field.

Lesley Visser remarked that women needed to be knowledgeable, competent and have a passion for what they’re doing. Now this is clearly something that every sports journalist needs to have, but the reason why it was specifically directed at women in the class is because, as Visser also mentioned in the seminar, a chunk of the women in our field are there to get on camera and not because they know what they’re talking about. Women have to separate themselves from their female peers because, in the end, women are still lumped together in this industry.

One day after the seminar, the Association for Women in Sports Media at Boston University hosted a discussion with minor league baseball writer Jessica Quiroli. If you listened to her speak for just a few minutes you would know that a good amount of her career has involved ignoring the comments made by athletes and even her male colleagues about where she should actually be instead of in the clubhouse.

Women in sports have made great strides, and I think the point of this seminar was to show that this is the case. This also might be the reason why neither Visser nor Carolyn Thornton explicitly stated some of the problems they have dealt with in the past. Just because there are improvements, however, doesn’t mean that women aren’t at a disadvantage.

When I first looked at the topics we were going to discuss in this class, I think this one stood out to me the most in terms of digging deep into the world of sports journalism and the problems it faces in regards to diversity and gender equality. I had seen Lesley on television many times and I was very much looking forward to hearing what she had to say.

Women in sports journalism have certainly come a long way. We are seeing more and more of them on camera and reporting from the locker room. When I turn on any type of ESPN or FOX programming, I am accustomed to seeing a female as one of the lead anchors, and they perform just as well, if not better, than their male counterparts in what can be considered a male-dominated industry. One thing that Lesley mentioned was that there are two types of women in sports who want to do sports journalism: those who love sports and those who just want to be on television. This got me thinking about the personalities we see on television and I would say this is a pretty fair assessment. You have people such as Andrea Kramer, Doris Burke, Pam Ward and Visser who, in my opinion, do a fantastic job of reporting the news, ask strong questions, and give great opinions. Then there are people such as Erin Andrews and Michele Beadle who can be good at reporting, but also have the model persona that can be distracting from the overall news reporting.

Despite all of these, a lot of women are getting their own television shows on various networks, which is nice to see. There may always be a gap between men and women in sports journalism, and I’m not sure if it will ever be fully bridged together. But great strides are being made. I also appreciated how our speakers didn’t comment a whole lot on the issues they faced as they were building up their career and reputation. It goes for both men and women to work hard and focus on knowledge, and the success will come.

The energy that these two women brought to the seminar last Thursday night was unlike anything we have seen so far this semester. Perhaps that is due to the subject matter, the discussion of “Women in Sports”, or maybe it is just their personalities, either way the two hours that we got to spend with Lesley Visser and Carolyn Thornton were valuable and exciting.

As a man sitting in the room listening to these two women tell stories of the their early days, especially Visser, it made me very thankful that I am coming into the business in a time where we are so much more accepting of females in sports. Clearly the landscape isn’t completely even, in Visser’s opinion we may even be taking a small step backwards with all of the “beauty queen” sports anchors that we are seeing, but there is no question that sports media values the input and talent of women more in 2013 than in previous decades. The fact is that women and men are both consumers of sports. Both genders enjoy sitting down on a Sunday and watching a football game, or taking a trip to Fenway to see the Red Sox. So there is no reason that both men and women shouldn’t have the same ability and access to the jobs that help bring sports to the consumer.

One unifying theme that we have heard from all of our seminar guests has been preparation, or knowledge. The idea that if you flat out know your stuff, from soup to nuts, you will be able to succeed applies to the topic of “Women in Sports” perfectly. While we are further along today that in the past, there are still a large number of fans and athletes that will assume that a woman doesn’t know as much about sports as they do. Always being prepared and knowing as much as you can is the only way to prove these people wrong. They are looking for weakness. They want you to slip up, and vindicate the negative feeling that they have towards you. You can’t let them. This is advice that holds true for men as well, especially in 2013 where every fan has access to the same information that we have. You have to be nearly an expert on whatever it is that you are talking about, because the fans think they are experts.

I appreciated so much of the advice that Visser and Thornton offered to us last week, but for me as a male planning to go into sports media, the lesson I took most to heart was what women expect from us. And that is to be treated just like we would treat our male colleagues. They are journalists, just like we are journalists, and both Visser and Thornton made it very clear that they don’t want to be treated any differently just because they are women. If we are ever going to get to a point where a seminar on “Women in Sports” isn’t necessary, this is what needs to happen. We are getting closer, and I’d like to think that with the influence of successful women like Lesley Visser and Carolyn Thornton, it won’t be long until this seminar topic is not needed.