It’s one thing to be a reporter. It’s another to be a sports reporter.
And it’s a whole different ball game for a female sports reporter, pun intended.
The last part of yesterday’s presentation by The Alligator’s sports journalists came via PowerPoint from the lone female sports reporter, Jenna Marina, because she was still in New York from covering the Gators loss in the NIT.
She wrote about the opportunities of being a sports reporter, like traveling to the big games and even appearing on the ESPN show “Cold Pizza.” However she also presented the following slide about the downside of being a female in this position:
“Lisa Olson, 26, a Boston Herald reporter in 1990, was harassed by New England Patriots players in their locker room. One player, Zeke Mowatt, fondled himself at an arm’s length from Olson and asked her: ‘Is this what you want?’ An investigation of the incident was ordered, and after the news spread, Patriots fans sent her 250 pieces of hate mail. Her car’s tires were slashed and a note was left that read, ‘The next time it will be your neck.’ Her apartment was burglarized, and another note ordered her to ‘leave Boston or die.’ She didn’t receive much support from the Patriots, either. Owner Victor Kiam publicly labeled Olson ‘a classic b****.’”
Fortunately, Jenna wrote that things have changed since then, as her time has been “relatively incident-free.” Although she does receive some degree of discrimination, she wrote about the advantages of being a female sports reporter:
“As a woman, I definitely get away with more. I could ask, ‘When was the last time you cried’ to a male athlete without a problem. I think male reporters would get a different reaction.”
In my opinion, that applies to all types of interviews, not just athletes.
I suppose my ethics professor’s statement yesterday is true: women are biologically superior than men. It’s science.
April 5, 2008 at 7:29 pm
Yes. You are correct.
April 21, 2008 at 7:35 pm
Foolishness! A woman’s place is in the home. We’ve been ignoring family long enough and it shows. Get the old man off his duff and out to work and the ladies off to school with the kids.
The strength of our country depends upon the women and men doing the right thing. The right thing is family. Family needs a mother and father. Get to it America or we’ll lose it all. We’re dangerously close already.
October 17, 2008 at 3:49 pm
no its not biological, its legal, as women reached for equality the system went to far correct past offenses in some area’s. Women can say things, and do things, that men can’t for fear of being labeled a sexist. If someone commented negatively about a female in the locker room they are automatically labeled sexist. Female reporters want to be treated like one of the guys…unless they can get treated better than the guys….it isn’t about equal rights its about womens rights and females are taking advantage of it
September 2, 2009 at 11:02 pm
Reporting Sports is one thing, going into the opposite genders locker room while men are showering and walking around naked is another. No…its not right, its not moral, the judge that made the ruling to let the females in was a female. This makes it legal, but far from right. Did it occur to anyone to ASK each individual player if it bothers them? As in fourth amendment rights to physical privacy and modesty? Its one of those things that doesn’t take a brain surgeon to know, ITS WRONG. Do these same women walk into the men’s room when out shopping to watch men at the urinals, they might as well. Feminism has gone way to far, there’s nothing wrong with equal rights, there’s nothing wrong with these females getting equal access for journalism purposes. AFTER ALL THESE MEN ARE DRESSED AND THERE PRIVACY PROTECTED. Strip these female journalists down and put them on display, let’s see how comfortable they are being asked questions. I don’t see any male reporters in the female locker rooms interviewing naked women, is this equal access? You want things to be equal, let the men in the females locker room and interview naked female athletes, equal rights my A**. Its immoral, there’s been a few of these female journalists that have written articles of the perks of seeing naked men, its nothing more than a license to a peep show. No, your not professionals, not when your not protecting these men’s privacy and modesty. You want your privacy in these situations, your as much as saying its right for us, but wrong for men to want their privacy and modesty protected. You sicken me, you all should be ashamed of yourselves. Its not just men that object to this, a lot of women do also. Look at some of the polls that have been run asking this question, most of society objects, were separated by gender when it comes to nudity in all segments of our society. I think all these female journalists should be placed naked in a locker room and interviewed by male reporters so they understand how the players feel. All you talk about is YOUR RIGHTS, how about the men’s rights to physical bodily privacy. To be able to dress without a female reporter ogling him. Some example for your family, “I interview naked men honey, I’m a sports journalist, I’m a professional.”
September 4, 2009 at 9:23 am
Laurie,
I thought you were a professional journalist, I guess not, you don’t post opposing views. I submitted a response to your article above yesterday I guess it went in the trash can. Thank you anyway for at least reading my viewpoint.
Lefteddie