By Rachael Cataldo, Asst. sports editor
Although women are slowly but surelygaining power in the sports industry, it doesn’t mean that their jobs are easy. Female reporters face different forms of sexual harassment nearly every day on the job, whether it’s receiving a silly tweet from an irrelevant fan or dealing with a physical sexual advance from a major league team manager.
Most people know about the devastating sexual harassment Fox NFL sideline reporter Erin Andrews faced. Andrews was awarded $55 million in her lawsuit accusing the Nashville Marriott, West End Hotel Partners and Windsor Capital Group “of negligence leading to emotional distress and invasion of privacy,” according to The New York Times. The hotels were responsible for about $27 million.
Her stalker, Michael David Barrett, followed her to a few different hotels in 2008, and filmed her through peepholes while she was undressing in her hotel room. Barrett then released the videos online in the summer of 2009. This traumatizing experience haunts Andrews everyday of her life.
Erin Andrews is an extremely brave and courageous woman. Unfortunately, many women in the industry are afraid to speak up because they fear that they will lose their jobs and their careers will be over. In a Sports Illustrated article from November 2017, Richard Deitsch revisits sexual harassment to ignite a nationwide conversation about the issues female reporters face when they’re simply just trying to do their job.
Many different female reporters, who chose to remain anonymous, discuss their experiences on the job. These range from inappropriate touches and photos to the men in the locker rooms flashing the reporters purposely. Women in the field are asked about their appearance and personal dating life, instead of their opinions of the game.
Relationships between the reporters and their colleagues sometimes remain professional, but often turn into the men trying to date the reporters, knocking on their hotel door at four in the morning, obsessive behavior over the phone, etc.
A lot of people probably ask, “Why don’t they just sue them?” A simple answer is who would hire reporters that sued their own team or employer? Both men and women in the industry consider themselves lucky to have a job; they wouldn’t go out of their way to jeopardize that.
Let’s not forget about Cam Newton’s recent sexist comments. The Charlotte Observer sportswriter, Jourdan Rodrigue, asked Newton about the team’s routes during a press conference in October of 2017. Newton laughed at her and commented that it was funny to hear a girl talk about routes. Newton did eventually release what appeared to be a sincere apology, but I don’t necessarily buy it. Rodrigue tweeted after the issue saying she didn’t think it was funny to ask about routes; she thinks its her job.
As an aspiring sports reporter, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think about these things on a daily basis. It’s very concerning to know there’s a huge chance I’ll encounter something similar on the job. I often wonder what could happen if I walk in the locker room to do a post-game interview, or if I connect with an athlete on twitter to make professional connections.
Although I’ve thankfully never had any experiences with sexual assault, I can sympathize with Erin Andrews. She said she wanted to be “the girls next door who loved sports,” and now she’s “the girl with a hotel scandal.” Am I going to end up with a similar story all because I’m a female who loves sports and is trying to do her job? These are not the things young women should have to worry about when we’re already concerned with getting our lives together—graduating college, relocating and finding a job, starting a family, bringing in an income, etc.
I don’t think there is a simple solution to this ongoing problem. I do know that we need to talk about the issue and do things to solve it. The sports industry needs more females. Females need to stand up and share their experiences, not hide them. Together as women, we are a powerful force. Sharing stories and spreading awareness through the media would take it to a whole new level.
The editorials of The Quill reflect the views of individual members of the editorial board. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the entire editorial board or of the university. The content of the Forum page is the responsibility of the editor in chief and the Forum editor.
