One of the reasons I started this website was for the sheer fact that there is not much advice out there for women seeking to join the sports media field. There may be a lot of advice on how to get into this industry in general, but nothing catered directly to women. I’ve always wanted to attend a conference held by the Association for Women in Sports Media, or something similar to the recent Women in Sports Media panel held at the Newseum.
During these panels, a group of women in the field are brought together to share their stories and advise aspiring reporters and journalists, among the many other positions within media. The goal of The 11 Percent is to share more frequent advice, as these panels only happen a few choice times each year. However when these events do happen, the inspiration that comes out of them is extremely valuable.
During the December 6 event in the Knight Studio at the Newseum, journalists Andrea Kremer, Lesley Visser, Rachel Nichols, Marcia Keegan, Monica McNutt, and Mary Byrne shared their views on the challenges women in the field face today.
Here are some of the highlights of the panel:
“The state of women in sports media is summarized by the fact that this panel, which features very distinguished journalists, also has an adjective next to it that they are women journalists.” – Mary Byrne, USA Today Sports Managing Editor
“We want to be better journalists and not necessarily female journalists, but at the end of the day I am a woman, and I celebrate that.” – Monica McNutt, News Channel 8 Reporter
“People aren’t born knowing what a linebacker does. If you have a passion for it, you will learn it. It is totally irrelevant what gender you are.” – Lesley Visser, CBS Sports
What stands out to me amongst this discussion, is the statement that women shouldn’t be called “female journalists,” but just journalists. We never say, “male journalists,” so why gender brand women? For those unfamiliar with gender branding, it doesn’t just happen in this instance. In women’s sports in general, gender branding is a typical phenomenon as television broadcasts always remind us we’re watching the Women’s NCAA Basketball Tournament or the Women’s World Cup.
Men’s events don’t have this title in front of them and everything from the TV graphics to the announcer’s reminders, tell the public they’re not watching just a game, they’re watching a women’s game. Although there is sometimes a need to distinguish what sporting event is taking place through the use of gender, for journalists, there should be no need to point out that someone is a female reporter. They’re just a reporter.
Hear more from the panelists at the Women in Sports Media event below:
The 11 Percent 