UI professor Julie Scott, along with Jessica Holmes and Whitney Ogden, shares her experience as a female sports writer and broadcaster during the Women in Sports Media Pannel Thursday afternoon in the Administration building.
Women reporters are not a new sight in the journalism field, yet many still face challenges regarding sports media.
On Thursday, the University of Idaho chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) hosted a panel titled “Women in Sports Media.”
The panel consisted of women who have worked in sports media for varying years of experience: UI Lecturer in the School of Journalism and Mass Media, Julie Scott; Assistant Director for Washington State University Athletic Communications, Jessica Holmes; and sports reporter for the Spokesman Review, Whitney Ogden.
Topics discussed at the panel included common challenges with social media and its impact on sexism in sports media. Ogden said Twitter is the best platform for news, yet tries to stay away due to harsh comments and personal reasons. Scott said many of the comments on social media are made about how one looks or sounds.
“People can hide behind a Twitter handle or whatever and they can say whatever they want and never face the consequences,” Holmes said.
The women were asked how they deal with negative comments made about them on these platforms.
Ogden said she found players often assume she doesn’t know what she is talking about in regard to sports, so she will talk in the sports jargon to show she knows what she’s saying.
Continuing with her work and acting like the guys is another tactic Ogden said she uses.
Scott said female reporters need a thick skin and a sense of humor.
Scott said in broadcast, reporters could get complaints about how they look or sound, and that social media made it easier.
When asked why they remain sports journalists after facing problems involving gender, Ogden said she thought of it as a challenge and the number of women in the sports world is growing.
Scott said it was an exciting challenge for her because she knew she always had more pressure to ensure each single fact is accurate. Holmes said she knew she wanted to be in sports since she was young, while she didn’t go where she originally wanted she still is in sports.
When asked for advice for future women sports journalists, Scott said just do it — a common piece of advice from Ogden and Holmes, too.
Ogden recommended get involved, complete internships and work in unfamiliar places. Scott encouraged students to work for the school newspaper, and to write every day.
“There’s a lot of them (men in sports), but few of you,” Ogden said.
Another piece of advice given was to know the ins and outs of sports and how to understand statistics.
Holmes said having a knowledge of sports will help journalists in the future.
For women to complete the transition into the sports field and make it more of an equal field, Scott said women must support other women. Women cannot jump on the bandwagon of tearing down women and try to be supportive, she said.
Some of the worst comments Scott said she received where from women.
Ogden said being aggressive and pitching stories will also help female sports journalists work their way up into bigger and better jobs.
“If your minority group is not together in supporting each other, how do you expect the majority group to keep accepting you?” Ogden said.
Kali Nelson can be reached at [email protected]