Minority sports reporters

To be honest, with that small number I'm not surprised.

Our dept is about 30 or so...Has three women. That would be the same ratio your former place had before the lay-off.

 

Joining this thread very late...and just skimmed most of it.

But I agree with the poster who said more women need to support women's sports. It needs to happen, but it likely won't.

As for females in the newsroom...sports staff of 22 at a 100k+ circ paper. Two women, three "minorities." (one of which is a woman). Then we have a minority intern for the summer, who is probably thinking "WTF? I thought this would be at least a *touch* more diverse."

 

I'm not sure what your point is but mine was that we are not immune to the cutbacks. In this situation, the woman was the low-man on the totem pole and was treated thusly. No special treatment whatsoever.

And as far as the women reporters have to support women's sports? What absolute cockamamie bullshit. Talk about the ghettoization of your department. So I guess all black reporters should support basketball, all Spanish reporters should support baseball and all white reporters should support hockey?
If women's sports need to be supported, then they should be embraced by the entire sports department. Not just the reporters who share a gender.

 

Actually, I believe the point was that women in general need to support women's sports, not so much women reporters. Not that I believe that. Nobody needs to support any sport. Not as an individual fan or as a sports writers. We're not in public relations, no matter what the people we cover think.

 

This inadvertently brings up a point I've wondered about for a long time. Why aren't Jews considered minorities in all this? I don't think it's any more lawful to discriminate against Jews than against blacks or Hispanics, but I never hear of papers recruiting Jewish writers as ``diversity'' hires.

 

you think that will help me move up? I'll work christmas!

On a more serious note, I agree with your statement. But then again, I hate labels as it is.

 

As my father used to say, from your lips to G-d's ears (we're not supposed to write his name out, if I remember my days when I actually went to Synagogue correctly)

Seriously, you don't hear about it because it doesn't happen. A Jewish white guy is just another white guy at hiring time.

 

Alma, you are off on separating Glass and Blair,
and I am writing as someone who used to work in the
same shop with the latter.
Both guys were considered eccentric, funny, hip, high-energy,
incredibly talented writers who wowed editors, kissed up to management,
and could turn phrases with the best of them.
That is why their indiscretions were not immediately brought to light and/or
dealt with immediately. Ask anyone who knew these guys before their
falls from grace and before their lies were brought to light. They
were thought to be two of the best in the BUSINESS, not just in their
own shops.
Did Glass's preppy, East Coast vibe earn him comfort and a long leash
at a magazine known for preppy, East Coast types? I'd say yes. Did the fact that Blair was
a talented minority in a business lacking them give him some latitude with the Times brass? Howell Raines
said so himself.
But neither Glass nor Blair is a representative of his race, upbringing, or station in life. There are
preppy East Coast writers, there are minority writers, and there are preppy East Coast minority writers
doing our business justice.
Separating Glass and Blair is simply wrong. They were cut from the exact same cloth.

 

My two cents are this:

A minority or woman is more likely to be hired off of a posted job ad. Usually those seem to be fishing expeditions to find minority candidates.

White males, who still fill most of the seats in this orchestra, are more likely to be sought after for jobs that never hit the job boards, or to be promoted from within.

 

excellent summation

 

OK, but why is that?

 

For all of you who debated this issue, the baseline for our numbers in the biz will be released:
Embargoed: 6:30 p.m. EST, Thursday, June 22, 2006
The 2006 Racial and Gender Report Card of the
Associated Press Sports Editors
By Richard Lapchick
with Jenny Brenden
and Brian Wright

From I read, it is not a surprise. It is real bad. So I hope these numbers open some your eyes.