By: Kourtney Meldrum
Sports journalism is a field that has traditionally been dominated by men and an industry where it is difficult for women to be taken seriously. While there are successful female sports journalists, many have yet to break the glass ceiling, but it’s not because of their lack of skill.
Men’s Fitness posted an article about “The hottest female sports reporters”, which included the statement “let’s hear it for some of the most talented women working in the sports industry.”
Let’s be clear: this article does not showcase the talent of these women, but rather their physical appearance.
Sports journalists Sarah Spain and Julie DiCaro are two women in the field who all shined a light on the harassment they experience. In 2015, they published a video in which men read back to them the comments they got online, and honestly, the results were not shocking.
The harassment of females in this field is a common narrative which is troubling both because of its actions and also because it is so often covered up.
“While a number of us have shared stories on social media and under the #MeToo movement, sports and sports media are unscathed by this scandal. In my opinion that’s not because harassment doesn’t exist, it’s because women who work in this business are terrified to talk” said a journalist Richard Dietsch in an article from Sports Illustrated.
Females in the sports journalism field have made progress– in 2016 ESPN’s Around the Horn had its first all-female panel. Although this is an incredible milestone that should be celebrated, we still need to be critical of the fact that this isn’t the norm
It’s 2018, and we shouldn’t have to celebrate the fact that sports networks are stepping it up to diversify their journalists. This should be what they’re already doing. By now, diversity should be a given.
Maybe the question is why consumers aren’t demanding more more from these networks. Have they come to expect nothing more than a male dominated world in sports journalism? Everyone has failed female sports journalists, and it’s time to make a major pivot in the field.
Poynter came out with an article proving that journalism is failing women in the sports sector specifically. ESPN is one of the only networks that has made a push to diversify its journalists. The article shows that without ESPN, 90 per cent of sports journalists would be male.
These numbers are unacceptable.
As a female entering into the field it worries me to think about the misogynistic misrepresentation and the unnecessary sexualization of my body in relation to my job performance. Despite that, it makes me more excited to go and showcase my skills as a talented, passionate journalist and sports fan; someone who is willing to stand up for women in sports. Someone who can make a dent in the field because of my gender, not despite it.