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Women In Sports Reporting

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Athletes aren’t the only ones who suffer from the major disparities: female sports reporters face unique and difficult challenges that their male counterparts don’t face, even when covering similar stories. Female reporters can end up dealing with regular harassment when covering teams and travelling across the country with them, not limited to phone calls, texts, and even physical advances. “Then there’s the female sports reporter based in a major market who has been asked out repeatedly by coaches, agents, and players of various sports. Once, an National Football League player told her it was cool she was married, because so was he. There was also the time a source offered to let her sleep in his hotel room during a championship game. Then …show more content…

Women covering the whole spectrum and levels of sports face similar challenges despite their best efforts. According to Matolli, “I am not saying you should never meet or talk with a source outside of the workplace...But you have got to constantly demonstrate that you are there to do a job.” The boundaries of professionalism are easily stretched. This too has led to court appearances. Players inappropriately contacting reporters after hours or making crude remarks during interviews, or after, about the reporter, show that there is still a long ways to go when it comes to sports reporting. This behavior isn’t limited to players or coaches; it can also be found on social media. Comment sections (while generally rough, no matter who is involved) on pieces published by women tend to degrade their opinion simply because of who wrote the articles. These women are also mocked on various social medias simply for having an opinion on simple things such as the Bears 3-4 defense or the Cubs starting line-up. Women face hatred in person and online because of who they are and the profession they have …show more content…

The first woman referee in the National Football League officiated her first game on April 2nd, 2015, after years of reffing at lower levels and working her way up. “I think her approach from the very beginning was that all she wants to be is known as an official, but she will always be a trailblazer." While her intention was not to make history, Sarah Thomas did just that when she officiated her first game nearly a year ago. In the NBA, there have only been three female referees, two of which are still active, with the third now in charge of the WNBA officials’

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