There is no doubt that sports journalism is an area dominated by men. News outlets spend between two-to-three per cent of their airtime on women’s athletics, according to a 25-year long study which examined the quality of sports coverage in basketball, football, and baseball.
This disparity exists in studios as well as on the field. Men still greatly outnumber women working in sports journalism newsrooms, a reality also reflected in the journalism industry in general, according to research out of the U.K.
The onus falls partially on journalism schools to address gender inequality in sports journalism—including sexual harassment, working in locker rooms, and unequal opportunities—so journalists entering the field are prepared to deal with these issues and can begin to work against them.
Incidents of sexual harassment by fans and athletes of female reporters are not uncommon. Several female reporters broadcasting at the men’s World Cup in 2018 were sexually harassed by fans while doing their jobs. Sexual harassment of female professionals is not a problem isolated to female sports journalists.
However, the reality is that sports journalism and coverage are still a boy’s club. Journalism programs across Canada, including the one at Carleton, must begin to incorporate this issue into their sports journalism course curricula.
This is one way universities can contribute to helping make the sports broadcasting dream a reality for aspiring female sports journalists.
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File photo.
