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| Erin Andrews, #1 ranked female sideline reporter (any guess why...?) |
For my final project I am hoping to combine two of the
things I am most passionate about- journalism and sports. I am a writer for the Hunter Envoy’s sports section,
and the only female writer. I think that is very typical of the sports
journalism industry as a whole- there is no such this as a woman broadcaster
for sports, and the overwhelming majority of sports writers are male. Women are
sidelined when it comes to sports journalism, literally. Erin Andrews, Pam
Oliver and other female reporters who take to the sidelines at football games
are not necessarily chosen because they are the best reporters- they are
beautiful women whom men goggle at, at television networks are well aware of
this.
I’ve always
known that this is an industry that is difficult to break into as a woman.
Women and sports are two worlds that only collide under cheerleading,
objectified sideline reporters, and issues of domestic abuse. But that is not
true. There are plenty of female athletes and teams that deserve our attention
but don’t receive it, just as there are many female sports writers and
reporters who fall into the shadows of men who run the industry.
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| These percentages are ABYSMAL! 6-10% of women are sports reporters or columnists. That number is terrifyingly low. |
For my
final project, I want to write a column for the Envoy. Its focus: where are the women in the sports industry? I
want to use my own opinions on this matter, and personal experiences, which is
why it’s technically a column, not an article, and hopefully the first of many.
I will talk about the portrayal of women on television as reporters, and more
specifically the lack of women sports journalists. Less than 10% of the sports journalists are women. Yet, women make up 51% of the fan base of the National
Football League. And how does the NFL repay its female fans? By mishandling
domestic violence issues and condoning egregious behavior of its athletes. As a
fan of the NFL, but also an aspiring woman sports journalist, this is unacceptable
and insulting. Women need to strive for justice,
raise their voices, and realize that the status quo of sports journalism is not
necessarily the way it has to be. My piece will look to raise awareness to these
issues and hopefully will inspire women to seek dreams that seem unimaginable,
the way I am seeking mine.
I love the idea of adding a female to what is considered a male dominated area of the media. Being that I date a football player I am forced to watch ESPN all day and after reading your project proposal and thinking about the channel I have realized that there is completely no female representation highlighted in this area. Yet we contribute so much more than guys do overall to making their business thrive. Below is a link to a video that I think could be of use to your project:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nbcnews.com/video/nightly-news/52957434#52957434
Yay, another female writing about sports :) This is such a great and necessary issue to discuss. Women are so easily dismissed and discouraged when it comes to both, covering and participating. Something to address - for radio broadcasts (they still exist), are there female analysts or announcers? How do fan blogs and podcasts run by women (some who are looking to do this professionally) fare? You could talk about the double standard of the men who cover sports vs the women - from what types of stories they cover to how they're expected to look as well as how they're received in comments by fans. For example, if you look into Phyllis George's work with NFL Today, what was her role compared to other sports reporters?
ReplyDeleteThis proposal looks and sounds amazing! I look forward to seeing your presentation of the subject. I think that it's always a plus to see a woman engaging in things that is only "socially acceptable" to men. I personally love sports myself especially football not only have I watched but I played (the playing is really fun!) Great proposal!
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