It is evident to any sports fan that male reporters vastly outnumber female reporters. Not only are their less women in the field, they also get treated much differently than their male counterparts. We’ve talked in class about how different people are treated differently, albeit unfair. Women in the field of sports reporting are one of the groups most affected by this unfair treatment.
A recent diversity report card put out by the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport confirmed the lack of diversity in the sports field. The study found that just 15 percent of people holding key sports reporting positions are women. (Bradley)
There could be many reasons as to why there is such a gap between the men and women in this field, but the most common reason I find in my life is that people don’t trust women in sports media. Even my own grandmother has told me she wants to hear men talk about sports because she believes they are more knowledgeable. Even though there are females that have a very substantial amount of knowledge in their sport, the fact they are a woman makes people think they don’t know what they’re talking about. The amount of black and Hispanic people in this field are steadily on the rise, however women are the demographic that can’t seem to make the jump closer to equality.
Jackie McMullen has stated that “Women don’t get a second chance like some do in this profession.” I believe that is because of the stereotype of women not knowing sports. One mess up leads people to believe they don’t know the field while if a man messes up it is deemed an honest mistake.
This is one example of female reporters being treated differently than men, but it far from the only example. If you google, “women sports reporters” the top two results are, “Hottest Sports Reporters: Photo List of Sexy Female Sideline Reporters” and “The Hottest Female Sports Reporters.”
This proves that women in the sports media field are judged more on their looks than their talent and knowledge. One study also found that, “the audience could perceive that women sportscasters high in physical attractiveness are perhaps valued for their physical appearance instead of their journalistic acumen.” (Mudrick)
I believe that this is a reason why Erin Andrews is a fan favorite in the sports reporting field while Doris Burke is often attacked on social media. Even though both of the women are very qualified to do their job, Andrews, who is young and attractive, receives a lot of love throughout the sports world. Burke on the other hand, is older and has a deeper voice, which leads people to find her less attractive, and leads to her receiving harsh criticism.
This is one of the most confusing issues in the sports world in my opinion. It seems like everybody is aware there is a lack of representation from women in the reporting field, but it hasn’t changed. Everybody seemingly understands women are judged more on their looks than their performance, yet nothing has changed.
What I have concluded from this research is that women are misrepresented almost on purpose. These facts are clearly visible and the high-ranking men are doing nothing to help fix the issue. Like all diversity issues, people think that it will be fixed as time goes on. The only problem is someone needs to take action and start working on a solution, which evidently hasn’t been done yet.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bradley Geiser — sports@theaggie.org. (2018, May 25). Study highlights lack of diversity in sports media. University Wire Retrieved from http://ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/docview/2043924101?accountid=13158
Mudrick, M. & Lin, C. A. (2017). Looking On From the Sideline: Perceived Role Congruity of Women Sports Journalists. Journal of Sports Media 12(2), 79-101. University of Nebraska Press. Retrieved November 9, 2018, from Project MUSE database.