Is sports journalism failing women?

There are Seattle Storm fans whining that their WNBA championship isn't being treated as equal to the Seahawks Super Bowl championship:

http://tracking.si.com/2014/02/04/seattle-storm-upset-with-fox-super-bowl-coverage/

 

Sports journalism, in general, is failing everyone. But that's because the industry, itself, is failing.

Any lack of diversity doesn't mean anything. It's just happening more than might be ideally preferred. Circumstances are far from ideal in sports journalism right now, and diversity just isn't the priority. That's all there is to it.

 

Fat, slob-like men are being discriminated against when it comes to positions as hot sideline reporters.

 

I was thinking something along those lines.

 

Point of clarification: AWSM is the Association for Women in Sports Media, and there are male members -- including many sports editors -- because they support diversity in the industry, and, hopefully on their staffs.

http://awsmonline.org/

I agree with keeping all the coverage of an event together, but not everyone writing for or behind the scenes at ESPNW is female. That site also doesn't solely focus on women's sports, or women in sports.

 

Come again?

 

That's what she said.

 

I get it.

I'd just say it's easy to pat ESPN/SI on the back for hiring women. They're not actually developing any writers. They cherry pick. It's easy for them to diverse. Harder, say, for a mid-major.

 

That is not what anyone said.

 

I agree with your first point, but not your second.

There are female sports journalists (reporters and desk) at college papers. There are female sports journalists at small papers too. The only difference is the percentages, which is what the studies measure.

What's stopping "a mid-major" from cherry picking one or more of those women? I'm sure there will be plenty of applications from qualified women with minimal effort on the part of the hiring paper.

 

Any college newspaper reporter -- female or male -- needs development. I don't care how good they are or what they've been told, they need it. Newspapers typically serve in that role. So I'd argue mid-majors don't "cherry pick." They "draft." ESPN/SI do the free agent signings.

Now, Grantland and whatever it is Jason Whitlock's doing could be an exception to that rule. But Grantland doesn't develop writers so much as indulge their wish dreams. Perhaps Whitlock will expect more brevity and purpose.

Does every woman who wants to get hired...get hired? Of course not. And we wouldn't know what percentage it is without knowing the % of apps vs. % of hires, etc.

 

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!! That's a good one!