Female Basketball Players Work Twice as Hard, So Why Are They Paid Less? Does a more disparate and diverse media ecosystem inspire hope for a better future in sport, or could old pitfalls arise again in an era defined by digitization and immediacy? Beyond Bylines 2023. She's also been asked repeatedly, "Why would you want to invest in women's sports anyway?". In 1984, she became the first female producer at NFL Films. Kirsten Watson loves a challenge. Black female sports writers can relate to this emotion more than anybody else. It feels like we invented the idea of making a way out of no way. Readers couldnt reach her on a public forum at any moment. Later that year, in 1970, she was . Global Sport Matters is the media enterprise brought to you by the Global Sport Institute at Arizona State University. Statistics help share the story of the medias landscape today: Given the above, its fair to ask: when it comes to sexism, discrimination, and gendered barriers to career advancement, what has changed for women in sports media over the last two decades? The spotlight they face is a literal one, with much higher wattage. She recalled an anecdote from the 2018 WNBA All-Star game with Maya Moore, who played for the Lynx at the time. "To be a Black sports journalist, it's the responsibility to keep pushing society forward. Jemele Hill. window._linkedin_data_partner_ids.push(_linkedin_partner_id); Claire Smith, Lisa Salters and Pam Oliver, as always, are respected still. If I have high standards, whats wrong with that?, Related: Taking Charge in Women's Basketball. She inherited a resilience that she carries with her wherever she goes. Im in the position that I know Ill be audaciously myself regardless, and I have a nice group of people that back me in that., Chambers has continued to push for more coverage of not only womens sports, but also the stories of the individual athletes particularly the underdogs. And being intentional about wanting to include leagues like the WNBA. Absolutely. He then walked over to a massage table, took his shirt off, laid down, put his face in the donut hole of the table, and said, Lets do this!. "I had to tell myself that I belong, and I'm supposed to be exactly where I'm supposed to be.". I hope that there will be NO DOUBT in a Black childs mind that they can make it in sports journalism, Chambers added. And now its at the point where I cant count because there are too many. It doesnt mean when Im in these spaces that Im not beating down a wall to get people to care about womens sports.. Okmin was the only woman in the room; Scott was the only Black man. When Kremer joined ESPN, she already had five years of experience working as a producer. She knew she was being watched. It was neither, but rather a decision that Hill came to on her own. "I didn't work for a station. It is not our responsibility to carry that burden. We all can relate to a level of struggle. Over time, however, she began to find her groove, refusing to let her environment dictate her integrity. the phrase "THE WNBA IS SO IMPORTANT," which subsequently went viral. That said, here. Like Watson, Chambers was a multihyphenate athlete from a young age, juggling gymnastics, swimming, Taekwondo (she's a first-degree black belt), and cheerleading. The 29-year-old reporter has covered some of the biggest sports teams in Los Angeles (at the same time), including the Lakers, the Sparks, the Dodgers, and the Rams. Black women journalists are often subjected to a double marginalization because of both - their race and gender. As far as Hills future goes, she will continue to shine her light brightly as she navigates the ever-changing path in life, finding new milestones to discover and conquer. Far from feeling intimidated by the pressure of the crowd, "I'd always want to go out on the field with him," Watson says. 3 Many sports departments still have no women. The story of African Americans in journalism is no different from the time when Black storytellers and African American communities were only represented in the Black press to days of a greater presence in major newsrooms and on broadcasts heard or watched by millions across the nation. So George Solomon, her sports editor at the Post, enlisted a few other editors to meet with then-league commissioner Pete Rozelle. More than three decades later, she hasnt stopped, building one of the most respected careers in all of sports media. I was always drawn to journalism. 12.6% of Sports Journalists are Hispanic or Latino, 9.7% of Sports Journalists are Asian, 6.4% of Sports Journalists are Black or African American, 4.4% of Sports Journalists are Unknown, and 0.2% of Sports Journalists are American Indian and Alaska Native. Their stories are, of course, unique; however, our conversations showed me that these trailblazers tend to fall into one of two camps. I never want to position myself as if Im higher than anybody. For us to make true, sustainable, meaningful change in this industry, we have to have more women and people of Color at the top.. "When I get to the ballpark, I do look around, and more often than not, I am the only Black woman in my space covering a team," Watson tells POPSUGAR. (function(){var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; It requires one to master a delicate balance of who they are, and who they are perceived to represent, each time they speak. "I felt like I had to make myself digestible to a white male," she says. (2 min) The Arena Group has a 100-year license from Authentic Brands Group to publish Sports Illustrated. Having their trading cards on my walls, and posters each season, and actually being able to interact with them at 7, 8 years oldit stuck with me.. In the era before social media, Brennan says, it was easier to focus on work and ignore sexist insults and attacks. It's all about intertwining each other's gifts, not using each other, but utilizing each other's strengths, and having that support system to say, No, this is what you're born to do. Throughout her formative childhood and teen years, powerful, smart women and sports were synonymous for her and now, shes one of them. To give you an idea of how skewed representation is in sports media, 77.1 percent of reporters in the industry are white (66 percent male, 11.1 percent female), according to the 2021 Sports Media Racial and Gender Report Card from the Associated Press Sports Editors. There were also sexist slights: Stark remembers how, during interviews, Major League Baseball players would ask her if ESPN baseball expert Peter Gammons had written her interview questions for her. It is impossible to characterize all careers and experiences through individual stories. If I count the number of women and people of color who are decision makers and content creators, and people who are hiring, I can still count those, she says. I remember as a child in the 90s, we would take field trips to NC State womens basketball games, Chambers says. Her grandfather was former president at HBCU Florida A&M University, and she regularly watched him walk out into a stadium of 25,000 people, surrounded by the excitement of the crowd, the players, and the band leading the school in their fight song. "Being a Black woman in itself is a rebellion. When hiring for The Magazine, he asked his staff to look at the top 50 newspapers in the country, as well as the major sports magazines, and compile a list of the women and people of Color who were writers or editors at each publication. But not without a bit of reluctance from a few NFL coaches and players. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. After high school, Chambers went back to cheerleading, joining the North Carolina State team. When I go to NBA All-Star, the past five years, LeBron will literally be like, No, [call on] her. Im a relatable person because of my energy and my aesthetic, and my frequency and my commitment to the game puts them at ease., Still, Chambers pointed out, that scenario is in the locker room, interview set-up, or press conference. Yes, there are womens [football] leagues, but you always fall under that, you didnt play the game., Theres a lot of people who commentate and dont play, but people are so inculcated to listening to broadcasts, particularly football, that have a certain rhythm and iambic pentameter that are delivered by men, Kremer says. "Because I'm a Black woman who works in women's sports, and particularly in a league that's 80 percent Black and predominantly queer, it's an uphill battle getting people to be intentional about coverage of that," Chambers says . I had set up two folding chairs along the back wall for myself and each interviewee. Correction: In a previous version of this story, GSM incorrectly characterized Lisa Guerrero as "a model who had little experience working in sports." I thought I wanted to be a teacher, but my calling was storytelling. The commissioner subsequently issued a ruling, sent to all NFL teams, that female reporters were to have equal access to cover the respective teams and players. Veteran NFL sideline reporter Laura Okmin began her career after taking a sports broadcasting class in college. 2023 Black Women In Hollywood. We were proud at the time that when you walked into our office, it looked different than any magazine Id ever walked into, Skipper says. We may earn a commission from links on this page. The act of walking into a room full of people who don't look like you will always be unsettling. 1. Progress is not linear and not often quick, but through interviews across multiple generations of sports journalists in the 21st century, we can see that women in sports media have more opportunities and face less prejudice than they did in previous eras. It was trying to find that balance striking a fine line of socializing with these guys but also not letting them think Im here for the wrong reasons, Stark says. We are a purpose driven publication that provides a platform for in-depth insights on a diverse range of sports topics informed by data and research. Two years later, long-time 60 Minutescommentator Andy Rooney ranted about women commentating in football on The Boomer Esiason Show. She was young, successful, and Black, a woman holding her own in a male-dominated world as anchor of ESPNs highest-rated show, SportsCenter. Where Are All the Black Women in Sports Journalism? window._linkedin_data_partner_ids = window._linkedin_data_partner_ids || []; She'd long admired the careers of reporters like Claire Smith, Samantha Ponder, and Maria Taylor, and she used their success as a blueprint for her own life. One is oblong and one is round., Almost immediately, Okmin began doubting herself and whether she would be accepted. Heres what they had to say: Few sports journalists, male or female, have forged a multi-platform career like Christine Brennan. The media shapes how people view characters and issues in sport and society. You can put out what you want to put out., And, if anybody says they made it on their own online, I just firmly believe you cannot, she continues. On Jan. 1, 2012, he became president of ESPN. We spoke with Elaine Welteroth about her emotional conversation with sports journalists Cari Champion, MJ Acosta-Ruiz and Kelsey. Because Im a Black woman who works in womens sports, and particularly in a league thats 80 percent Black and predominantly queer, its an uphill battle getting people to be intentional about coverage of that, Chambers says. Senita Brooks is a contributor for Empower Onyx, a diverse multi-channel platform celebrating the stories and transformative power of sports for Black women and girls. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. Jayne Kennedy is a Washington D.C. native born on October 27, 1951. 27 Jun 2023 19:37:43 I'm thankful to [Lynx guard] Layshia Clarendon, to [Sparks guard] Brittany Sykes, to [Fever guard] Tiffany Mitchell, [Mystics guard] Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, [Storm forward] Cierra Burdick, who all are some of the first interviews that I've had on my phone. When it came time to choose between playing volleyball professionally or exploring other career opportunities, Watson says the choice was easy.