Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Black, and powerless?
Norm Chad's Monday column in the Washington Post takes a funny, satirical look at the APSE study that revealed a grand total of four black sports editors in sports departments around the country. Chad, who is white, pokes fun at sports staffs saying they are "whiter than Newt Gingrich's Fourth of July barbeque."Well since the numbers are so embarrassing--four black sports editors out of 305--I'm waiting to see what Chips Quinn, NABJ, APSE or SJI is going to do about it.
Do you help to really cultivate the careers of black students and young sports reporters, or just present the numbers as incentive to get people talking about the lack of diversity in newsrooms?
There are folks doing everything in their power to get minorities and women into sports journalism. As a black male who has been denied from the Sports Journalism Institute twice, I feel like I should be signing up young dudes in the streets for a sports journalism short course. Is there is anything I can do at all? I personally feel powerless, and I don't exactly feel the support pouring in, either.
And about the lack of editors: If a kid with average internships is struggling as a freelancer trying to get his or her clips up by covering a HS football game in Nov., where do they have room to be interested in management? continue...
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not only are women left out of sports writing and announcing, but we get stuck with having to listen to that cross dressing, biting pervert marv alberts announce for the nba.. how did he ever get his job back anyway.. carol
but was anyone really surprised by this? can we also talk abt the lack of blacks in power positions across the media? there are newsrooms w/o a single black person in a managerial position. and like you said, what are these news outlets going to do abt it?
The numbers are clearly discouraging. I wish I had an answer how to fix it.
As a sports reporter/columnist for a county section I can attest to the struggles of trying to make it. I happen to fall into a good situation. But I honestly believe that as our business begins to change, papers are going to have to start doing something different to appeal to non-traditional readers. So young bruh...I say if this is your passion, then continue to handle your business. A change has got to come.
maybe it's just me, but while i get his jokes I am not feeling Chad's column. the self-deprecating is intentionally dry, but just a bit too far off base for me to really appreciate its sincerity.