Every Day Gets Better : The Rise of Women in Sports Media

 As a 26-year-old correspondent for ESPN The Magazine, I was dispatched to four National Football League training camps in 2006 to conduct player interviews for our yearly NFL preview issue.

After practice, during the team's lunch break, I waited in the Jaguars locker room in Jacksonville to speak with a few players one-on-one. Each player was being pulled away by the Jaguars' media relations team, who then led them into a room where they would be speaking with a reporter.

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I was dressed in a knee-length green skirt and a high-necked black top. Even as a young, inexperienced reporter, I had mastered the art of dressing comfortably but modestly to maintain a sense of my completely professional presence. Along the rear wall, I had positioned two folding chairs for each interviewee and myself.

Upon entering, my first interviewee—a 300-plus pound lineman—saw me seated in a chair with a recorder in my hand. I said hi and waved. Then he moved to a massage table, removed his shirt, lay down, pressed his face into the table's donut-shaped opening, and exclaimed, "Let's do this!"

For a time, I was perplexed. It dawned on me then that he believed me to be a massage therapist. There was nothing about my appearance or my attitude that would have suggested it to him. It was just that I was a female.

Yes, that incident occurred sixteen years ago, and the lineman obviously had no malicious intent.In fact, he sat up, turned hot in the face, and apologized as soon as I told him I worked for ESPN The Magazine. Still, I pondered: would a male reporter have experienced this?

Sports journalism, a field traditionally dominated by White men, has come a long way in the past 20 years toward greater ethnic diversity, gender equality, and a break from its past of misogyny and sexism. But development rarely proceeds in a straight line, and it's difficult to contest the notion that the media has attained a state of accurate portrayal. Statistics tell the tale of the current state of the media:

  • In sports talk radio, however, the same cannot be said: of the top 100 personalities in 2021, according to Talkers via the Women's Media Center's The Status of Women in Media 2021 report, zero were women. This is in contrast to sports television, where there are greater than ever before female actors.
  • The University of Central Florida-based Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport awarded the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE) their sixth consecutive "F" for gender hiring practices in their 2021 Sports Media Racial and Gender Report Card. Dr. Richard Lapchick, the Institute's director and the report's main author, observed that "although women saw slight improvements in 2021, the sports media's overall record for having women in prominent positions remains terrible."
  • As the WMC Report also pointed out, more women than men completed college and graduate journalism programs in 2021; however, after four years in the field, women leave the field at a faster rate—a trend that applies to all media, not just sports.
  • Although the focus of this story is on domestic media, a 2020 research from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation made clear that gender disparity in media, both in coverage and in the media itself, is a global issue.

In light of the aforementioned, it is reasonable to inquire as to what changes have occurred for women in sports media over the past 20 years in terms of sexism, discrimination, and gendered impediments to career advancement. What hasn't changed, though?

First, let's address the obvious: working in sports media is not a uniform experience. It is impossible to use one story to sum up every profession or experience. Furthermore, some people prefer not to talk openly while they are still employed in the field. However, getting feedback from people—whether they are still employed in the sports media or have gone on—gives insight into what it may be like and what needs to improve.

After reading and hearing harsh criticism of her 2003 sideline reporting work, Lisa Guerrero, an accomplished sportscaster who later joined Inside Edition as an investigative correspondent, told the New York Post in 2021 that she was having suicidal thoughts (she left MNF after one season). Guerrero, a veteran actor and sportscaster, kept her feelings to herself at the time. Guerrero, a Latina, chose to give up athletics entirely instead.

Cari Champion, a broadcast journalist for CNN and a former anchor for ESPN SportsCenter, recently talked about how she was hired to host First Take from 2012 to 2015, making her one of the first Black women to moderate a popular weekly sports discussion show. In the I Am Athlete podcast, Champion—who departed ESPN in 2020—spoke about how network officials informed her, regarding her participation on the show with Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith, "You don't matter, just be happy that you're here."

Even while it is impossible and inappropriate to draw broad conclusions about the business as a whole, it is nonetheless valuable to hear from people who feel comfortable sharing their experiences, especially when analyzing how the sector has changed over time. In order to learn more about the difficulties they've encountered, the changes they've seen, and the persistent problems they still see, I spoke with five well-known experienced sports journalists (whose combined work covers the last five decades) and one sports executive, who is made up of five women and one guy. What they said was as follows:

Christine Brennan

Few sportswriters—male or female—have amassed as much experience across multiple platforms as Christine Brennan has. The veteran sports writer for USA Today also appears as a TV analyst on ABC News, CNN, PBS Newshour, and NPR. She is also a best-selling author and dedicates a large portion of her time to coaching young women who want to work in sports journalism.

As the first female sports writer for the Miami Herald, Brennan started her career there in 1981. She wasn't scared since she had gained a lot of confidence from her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, as well as from her friendships with classmates like Michael Wilbon, the co-host of Pardon the Interruption, who she still keeps in touch with.

In 1984, Brennan relocated to the Washington Post, where she was appointed to a second "first" position as the first female sports reporter covering the Washington Redskins NFL team. But not until several NFL players and coaches expressed some trepidation.

The NFL did not have a policy of equal access for female reporters at the time. In order to meet with Pete Rozelle, the league commissioner at the time, George Solomon, her sports editor at the Post, invited a few other editors. Rozelle was instructed by Solomon, "I'm putting a woman on the beat."

Following that, the commissioner delivered a directive to every NFL franchise stating that female reporters should have equal access to cover their individual teams and players. All teams were required to open their locker rooms, and all of them did, with the exception of the Dallas Cowboys, who chose to use a special interview room. Brennan and the few other female reporters she saw were not always welcomed, even though the door was open.

"She got the job because she's a woman, I'm sure there were people saying that in the corner," Brennan claims. But will I be bothered by a person in the corner? Not in a manner. Naturally, there will be some who doubt your ability to succeed; ignore them.

According to Brennan, it was simpler to concentrate on work and disregard sexist remarks and attacks in the days before social media. She was never reachable by readers on a public forum. They needed to take the time and make the effort to compose and mail actual letters that could be thrown away.

Brennan claims that during the late 1980s and early 1990s, she noticed a slow shift in the number of women working as sports reporters. A kind of tipping moment occurred during the 1999 Women's World Cup. As the U.S. Women's National Team was ready to play China, Brennan noticed more than a dozen women in the press box at a packed Rose Bowl, which was a lot more than she usually saw in the locker rooms or clubhouses.

"There are so many women I've never heard of [in sports media], but that is because there are so many that you can't keep up," adds Brennan, who is heartened by the fact that the number has continued to rise. "And that's just fantastic."

Brennan is still heavily connected with the Association of Women in Sports Media, having served as its first president in 1988. She awards scholarships to young women who aspire to work in the sports media. Is there a chance for improvement? Regarding gender diversity in the field, she responds, "Of course." "Until tomorrow, now is the best day to be a woman in sports journalism. Every day improves. It's been an incredible change.

Arielle (Ari) Chambers

Thirty-year-old Arielle (Ari) Chambers grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she was exposed to strong female role models in athletics on a daily basis. Two such role models were longtime women's basketball coaches at North Carolina State University and University of North Carolina, Kay Yow and Sylvia Hatchell. For her during her early years and adolescence, athletics and strong, intelligent women were synonymous; today, she is one of them.

In addition to being a cheerleader and volleyball player in high school, Chambers managed the women's basketball team, which is how she first developed a passion for athletics.

Following his undergraduate and graduate degrees from North Carolina State and the University of Oxford, Chambers relocated to New York City, where he was employed by the Knicks, Rangers, and Liberty entertainment teams. Her director urged her to work a season for the Knicks even though at first she only wanted to concentrate on the Liberty.

She witnessed sold-out Madison Square Garden events during this time, as well as a deluge of media attention to the men's professional teams. However, she only saw four or five media representatives at the Liberty games. According to Chambers, there were so few journalists that she knew each one by name. She believed that many athletes' tales were being left untold as a result. Upon observing the disparity, she resolved to rectify it and provide her own coverage of women's sports.

In 2014, Chambers interviewed with Howard Megdal during halftime of a Liberty game (when she was still on the spirit squad), and Megdal offered her her first job in journalism. She was producing WNBA content soon after.

Initially, Chambers wrote news articles. However, she quickly produced written and video features and profiles after seeing how effortlessly she could build relationships with the athletes she covered. In addition to covering the WNBA, she worked on NCAA content, which led to the development of other positions. These include in-arena coverage for the Connecticut Sun, reporting from WNBA and NBA All-Star games, and the WNBA's Her Time to Play series.

If Twitter Sports' 25th anniversary ad slogan, "THE WNBA IS SO IMPORTANT," seems familiar, it's because Chambers came up with it.

She persisted in using social media to expand her presence and profession. Chambers established Bleacher Report's HighlightHer in 2019, a multimedia platform that shares the experiences of female teams and athletes and has amassed over 200K Instagram followers. Throughout the WNBA season, she also anchors a weekly program called Don't Sleep on NBA TV.

Chambers has stayed true to who she is at every turn. "What's up, y'all, it's Ari here," she frequently says to her audience. She also opens up on the relationships she develops with the sportsmen she covers. Regarding remaining loyal to herself, Chambers says, "I've always been pretty much universally digestible, but at the end of the day, I'm a Black woman with curly hair who likes to wear bamboo earrings."

"I understand that my role is a little different because I brought something to the table that worked, and I didn't have to change much about who I am," Chambers says. "Being in these places doesn't mean I'm not trying to convince people to care about women's sports by tearing down barriers."

When it came to breaking news, she has encountered difficulties when people questioned the accuracy of her reporting or her sources. Agents who are upset that Chambers broke the story rather than another reporter have also burnt her. You wouldn't necessarily feel the same way about a White equivalent, particularly a White male counterpart, which is why I find that interesting, adds Chambers.

She turns to her close industry peers and mentors—also referred to as her tribe—in trying times. "Having people who look like you and can relate to you by saying, 'I understand what you're going through,' is really comforting," Chambers says. "In this situation, I know that I will be boldly myself no matter what, and I have a wonderful group of people who support me in that."

Chambers has persisted in advocating for increased coverage of individual athlete tales, especially those of the underdogs, in addition to women's sports. It's difficult to persuade people to intentionally cover Black women who play in women's sports, especially in a league where the majority of players are queer and 80 percent Black, according to Chambers. "As well as having a deliberate desire to incorporate leagues such as the WNBA. Sometimes it feels like an uphill battle, but I know there's a reason behind it.

Chambers claims she has always loved the limelight. In 2021, she was included in Forbes' 30 Under 30 in Sports list, The Athletic's 40 Under 40: Rising Stars in Women's Basketball list, Footlocker's Sole List, and Yahoo's Changemakers. Even on the NBA side, there are guys who resemble and can relate to me, adds Chambers. "For the last five years, LeBron has basically said, 'No, [call on] her,' whenever I go to NBA All-Star. My enthusiasm and appearance make me a relatable person, and my regularity and dedication to the game put people at ease.

However, Chambers noted, that situation would occur in the press conference, locker room, or interview setup. Beyond interviewing athletes, the sports media sector must do more than just add more women and people of color to the C-suite. According to Chambers, "it's letting people know that these jobs exist and are available." Due to the White boys club mentality of sports media historically, many opportunities are unknown to us. I think it's ridiculous that no Black person applies, but do we really think these positions even exist or are available to us?

Chambers actively seeks to empower young women by acting as a mentor and role model and by inspiring them to take charge of their own and one another's lives. She claims that because the sports media landscape of today is heavily reliant on individual brands, practitioners must take advantage of these distinctions and then speak up.

When women are welcomed to the table and they remain silent, that is the worst thing Chambers has seen over the years. "Ensure that you have something to say when you finally sit down at the table."

Andrea Kremer

For many years, Andrea Kremer paved the way for others in the sports media. She was NFL Films' first female producer in 1984. She was hired as ESPN's first female journalist five years later. She hasn't stopped more than thirty years later, becoming one of the most prestigious careers in sports journalism worldwide. Similar to Brennan, she has had success working on a variety of platforms, including ESPN.com, ESPN radio, NFL sideline reporting, studio shows, NBC's coverage of the Olympics, and HBO's Real Sports, where she is currently a reporter.

In 2018, Kremer and Hannah Storm called 11 games on Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime, making history as the first all-female booth to do so. Kremer co-hosts We Need to Talk, the only all-female sports program on the CBS Sports Network, in addition to her work for Real Sports and the NFL Network.

According to Kremer, the sports media environment was "bleak" for women at the time she was first employed by ESPN, particularly for female reporters. Women like Linda Cohn rarely went out to report stories and interview players, preferring to work behind the SportsCenter anchor desk. Furthermore, they were by no means serving as managers, chief executives, or the ones in charge of making decisions.

Kremer attributes her early career success, in part, to "fantastic mentors who were genuinely interested in" mentoring, coaching, and providing feedback. Additionally, Kremer claims that they behaved impeccably and professionally, not attempting to have a sexual relationship with her. "That was crucial."

She still encountered sexism occasionally. Kremer was an experienced producer with five years under her belt when she joined ESPN. One day, when she was out to lunch with her two male mentors, they informed her that the producers who worked under her had complained that she was "too tough" on them.

Kremer was furious as she sat there, wanting to cry but knew she couldn't in front of two men. Rather, she paid attention. She asked, "If I were a man, would we be having this discussion?" after they had completed speaking. They exchanged a look and said, "probably not."

As the second woman to ever receive the coveted Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award, Kremer, a two-time Emmy winner and inductee of the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame, was presented with the honor in 2018 at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton. As a result, she started getting voicemails, emails, and calls from former ESPN producers that she had managed and trained, telling her, "I wouldn't be where I am today if I hadn't learned from you."

Kremer remarks, "I always think back to that [lunch] conversation." "I've never requested from a producer anything that I wouldn't be willing to perform myself. What's wrong with having high standards if I have them?

Kremer has blended her personal values with her exacting standards. She made the decision that she would never interview a naked male, even in a locker room situation after a game, where athletes are frequently interviewed after showering. Kremer states, "I didn't feel like I needed to talk to him if he didn't have the respect for me or himself to put something on."

Kremer occasionally experienced the dissatisfaction and uncertainty that accompany being passed over for a job due to one's gender. She used her feelings to focus on thorough planning, thorough research, and professionalism—qualities that were helpful when she encountered misogyny and disrespect from male interview subjects.

In the 1990s, Kremer recalled speaking with Bobby Knight, the head basketball coach at Indiana University. She was certain that Knight would put her to the test, and sure enough, he did so early in the interview when he answered one of her questions with another. Kremer had done her homework and gave him a thorough, impartial response to his inquiry. According to Kremer, the tone of the interview completely altered. Knight was prepared to appreciate her as a reporter after realizing she was informed and well-prepared. Sincerely, I'd prefer for people to put me to the test and discover that I am knowledgeable about the subject than to believe I am there for some other purpose, she states.

Today, Kremer counsels young women she mentors to follow her lead: read up, get ready, and trust your expertise. Understanding that some viewers could be dubious of her just because she's a woman, Kremer adopted that strategy for Thursday Night Football. "Commentating on football is really difficult because, in contrast to basketball, baseball, and hockey, women don't play it, at least not as much at the elite level," the author claims. "Yeah, there are leagues for women to play football, but you always get caught saying you didn't play the game."

According to Kremer, "many people watch football games and don't play, but people are so accustomed to listening to broadcasts that have a certain rhythm and iambic pentameter that are delivered by men." "All I can do is show up prepared, bring something unique but worthwhile, and hopefully people will be interested in hearing it and employers will see it as a good alternative and option."

When evaluating the current state of sports media, Kremer warns that it is not as progressive as it seems. She claims, "We're not in a good place as a society when it comes to the respect that's accorded minorities, whether they be racial or gender." "Sports are often said to be a microcosm of society, and this statement demonstrates this point quite effectively. In American society, women are losing rights, and a sizable portion of the populace, in my opinion, still prefers not to receive their sports news and analysis from women. Sports will follow suit with society once that is resolved.

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