To steal a hockey term, let’s call it a man-advantage.
At the Detroit Red Wings High School Journalist Day event, I learned that pursuing and maintaining career sports journalism as a female requires extra work and the ability to persevere through the difficulties that come with the job.“As a female, I will say to you female journalists and TV/radio hopefuls out there; you will have to do more to earn a little bit more respect,” said Fox 2 News sports reporter Jennifer Hammond.
As a female, and the sports editor of The Highlander, I couldn’t agree more. Hammond told student journalists that in journalism, as with any occupation, it is more difficult for women to get their start than for men.
She explained that her early mentors would tell her to not think so much about being a woman, and to focus more on the quality of her writing.
The advice offered by Hammond led me to think more about the challenges women in journalism face, and how to overcome them.
When there are so many other obstacles to overcome in journalism – including making deadline, cultivating sources and finding the truth – it is difficult to have to deal with people who will not take you seriously because you are a woman.
In sports journalism, however, the problem only seems to be magnified. Gender discriminatory comments are made without thinking by people who are under the spotlight of the media that show the real views on equality of some prominent sports figures.
In January of this year, just after the NFL Senior Bowl in Atlanta, Georgia, Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli brushed off the media with a quick “Goodbye, ladies,” and continued walking by the group of reporters looking for a comment about his then recent firing from the Detroit Lions.
The Association for Women in Sports Media expressed concern and Marinelli apologized.
Although the apology was necessary and Marinelli’s statement does not reflect all of the views of those employed by the NFL, a comment like this shows the elements of the NFL are not ‘gender blind’.
While what Marinelli said appeared to not have been given much thought, it showed his true feelings about women in sports journalism, and that their interviews or questions are not of any value.
This mindset makes it difficult for the women covering this sport to feel as though they will be treated seriously.
In sports that are dominated by men, such as football and hockey, it is difficult to get past the ‘boy’s club’ mentality. But even in sports that are very popular for women to participate in, comments are made that show that our society still isn’t ready for a woman to be treated as a man’s equal.
In women’s NCAA basketball, hurtful and ignorant comments are made, such as those made by Don Imus two years ago toward the Rutgers’ women’s basketball team. It just goes to show that anywhere, anytime, no matter how deserving, hurtful comments toward women are made, and you have to persevere through them.
While hurtful comments made to women in sports are difficult to receive, they can fuel the competitive fire within women to succeed in spite of all of the doubters.
In sports journalism, female reporters have a lot to keep in mind. You have to maintain a professional attitude and a strong will throughout all of the difficult challenges that come your way.
Hammond, the only female sports reporter present at the Red Wing’s High School Journalism day, offered wisdom to the aspiring sports journalist who happens to be female.
“There will always be people who will look at the outside rather than the inside,” said Hammond.
It is important to keep in mind that although female sports writers are not the norm in our society, the ideas and stories that they tell can be just as good, or just as bad as those written by male sports writers.
I know that there are stereotypes and stigmas out there that stand in the way of female sports journalists, but I believe that with hard work, determination, and a growing interest in this area shown by the female population, in the future, sports journalism will be one of the most popular areas of journalism for women.
