HOME | Womeninsports

Timeline

Women before Title IX

1800s—mid 1900s

Women had little to no opportunities within the sportscasting field prior to Title IX. Because sportscasting was a field dominated by males, having a woman's input was rare and the times there was a woman within that realm, she suffered through criticism, harassment and defamation.

After decades of struggling to have the voices of their supporters and selves heard, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who pioneered the first wave of the Women's Rights Movement drafted a Declaration of Sentiments mimicking the Declaration of Independence that was focused on women's rights. They felt the Declaration of Independence seemed to be reserved for the expression of liberty and birthrights of men (Clifton, 2012).

They rallied in 1920, when they were able to get women the right to vote in elections, attend universities, and seek professional careers (particularly in teaching and nursing. in 1923 there had been the implementation of the Equal Rights Amendment, proposed by Alice Paul.

The first woman in history recorded as a sportscaster (1930s-1940s) was the wife of Harry Johnson who was the sports announcer for Central States Broadcasting in Omaha, Nebraska. His wife provided color commentary during his live broadcasts. Although she isn't regarded as the first female sportscaster, she did set a milestone in history and sports commentating. Before and after this milestone, women in history had to achieve successes unmatched.

In the 1960s, a second wave focused on issues that placed emphasis on women in the workplace and equality. The ideologies of women in the workplace, culturally speaking, revolved around them raising children and doing domestic work at home. Esther Peterson, the director of the Women's Bureau of the Department of Labor "issued a report that documented every act of discrimination against women in almost all areas of American life" in 1963 then "later that year Betty Friedan published a landmark book, The Feminine Mystique, which documented the emotional and intellectual oppression that continued to shackle educated middle-class women to low expectation" (Clifton, 2012). These measures were taken to obligate the government to aggressively pursue action on the discrimination women had still been receiving.

Title IX of the 1964 Civil Rights Act "prohibited employment discrimination based on sex as well as race, religion, and national origin (Eisenberg and Ruthsdotter n/page.)" (Clifton, 2012). This was able to be passed because of the the monuments triumphs these women gained. Women still were combatting issues after the passing of this law.

Alice Paul makes a toast to Tennessee's ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, giving women the right to vote. The banner beside her shows stars of the states which had ratified the amendment. Bettmann Archive/Getty Images

8 of 23. Fortune magazine online. 7, March 2018. Retrieved 12, April 2020.

Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, 1899

Universal History Archive—UIG via Getty Images. TIME magazine online. 10, November 2015. Retrieved 12, April 2020.

Women's Strike for Peace and Equality, New York City, Aug. 26, 1970. Eugene Gordon—The New York Historical Society / Getty Images. TIME magazine online. 26, Aug. 2016. Retrieved 12, April 2020.

Esther Peterson, center, on Oct. 20, 1966. Lowell Georgia—Post Archive / Getty Images. TIME magazine online. 10, June 2015. Retrieved 12, April 2020.

Notable women in Sportscasting

1960s—1970s

Prior to the implementation of Title IX of the Equal Rights Amendment, there were very few women acknowledged in the sports media industry, specifically those in the locker room, sportscasters, and even women in the field that were color analysts. Fortunately, there were several women who made their mark and created a path in the industry to open the doors for women to come.

Charles Kanarian, “Promotional photo for "Pauline Frederick Reports," ABC, circa 1940,” Smith Libraries Exhibits, accessed April 21, 2020.

Xs and Os: Jane Chastain (early 1960s) talks strategy with Dolphins' Norm Evans (l) and Larry Csonka. Photo: Miami Herald. The Village Voice. 16, Jan. 2001. Retrieved 12, April 2020.

Donna de Varona for Life Magazine (9, October 1964). Old LIFE magazine. Retrieved 12, April 2020.

Johnny and Jeannie Morris were a formidable media couple in Chicago. (Courtesy of Jeannie Morris). The Athletic. 2, June 2019. Retrieved 12, April 2020.

Implementation of Title IX

1972

"Title IX." Sports Illustrated. 23, June 1972 cover, Ed. Sports illustrated Vault. 7, May 2012. Retrieved 12, April 2020.

Title IX of the Educational Rights Amendment of 1972, signed by Richard Nixon (who was president at the time) was expected to make history and change for women not only in sports, but sports media. The law "proclaimed: No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation, or be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance '(Title IX 5)'" (Clifton, 2012). This statute essentially demonstrated that women could not be stopped from taking on the same responsibilities men did in any educational or workforce area. Because of this, many women were able to advance in a variety of careers, including the field of sports and sports media, due to the equal opportunity that was afforded to them.

Unfortunately, Title IX had little impact in the sports industry at the time, and even to this day we can see minimal inclusion of women in roles taken on by men on a consistent basis. "Some studies like the work of Gunther, Kautz, and Roth point out that although industrialization and Title IX have empowered some women to narrow the gap a little in the disparity between the genders, only a few female reporters have landed jobs in sports broadcasting (74)" (Clifton, 2012). Not only that, but women were still working hard to get into locker rooms for scrums (interviews with athletes before or after a game), press junkets, etc., years after the implementation of Title IX of the Educational Rights Amendment of 1972. Women were not afforded this opportunity until 1978, a year after Melissa Ludtke went to court against MLB because she wasn't permitted to enter the locker room after the 1977 World Series (Grubb & Elliot, 2010).

Nonetheless, women still received sexual advancements and harassment after the title was signed into law. "In 1987 when Paola Boivin – the president of Women in Sports Media – went into the St. Louis Cardinals’ locker room, a player asked her whether she was there to actually do a report or just look at guys. Then, a jockstrap landed on her head (Druzin n.pag.). Just over 10 years later when Boivin entered the Arizona Diamondback locker room someone pulled on her jacket, and the son of a player, Steve Finley said, 'Miss, miss...you can’t be in here. This is a place only for boys' (Druzin n.pag.)." (Clifton, 2012). Thus, gender still remained a significant issue in the sports world.

Furthermore, very few women were seen in high position roles (e.g., play-by-play, analysts, etc.). In 2011 alone, only 11% of women were employees of the sports department (Book, Little et al., 149). Women were usually given the role of adding "fluff" to a show being aired because they were either hired for their sex appeal or how much they knew according to what they were questioned about. "Although the number of women employed as sportscasters has increased, according to Martze (2000) women sportscasters have been mostly hired as reporters and analysts for low-profile sports" (Grubb & Elliot, 2010). Although there are no specific numbers on how many women one can note working in the sports department, according to Hardin and Shain, "the Association for Women in Sports Media several years ago estimated it at 500" (22).

Fortunately, there were several women who followed in the footsteps of Jeannie Morris, Donna de Varona, Jane Chastain and Pauline Frederick, despite the obstacles they faced from executives and men in these positions. They were dedicated to the job and although underestimated, these women grew to become some of the most notable sports analyst in the history of sports broadcasting.

Title IX created opportunity for the future of women in sportscasting for years to come, although slight change has been seen, these women credit Title IX for their career opportunities.

Melissa Ludtke, a writer for Sports Illustrated, is shown on the job in her office in New York, Jan. 23, 1978, when she was involved in a court case to allow women reporters in sports locker rooms. Dave Pickoff—AP. TIME magazine online. 5, Oct. 2015. Retrieved 12, April 2020.

Lori Scott of Louisiana Tech University tried to sneak around and under Cheryl Miller of the University of Southern California during the championship game in April 1983.G.F. Bryant/Associated Press. New York Times archive. 16, June 2012. Retrieved 12, April 2020.

Photo by David Wallace | The State Press

Paola Boivin poses for a photo at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona on Monday, Feb. 9, 2015. 1, Jan. 2018. Retrieved 12, April 2020.

Women's Media Center. The Status of Women in the U.S. Media 2019. Retrieved 12, April 2020.

Notable Women in Sportscasting

1972—early 1990s

Several women attribute the implementation of Title IX in 1972 to not only helping their careers take off on television, but to providing a stepping stone for women in sports. These women struggled throughout the years to find companies that would hire them because of their knowledge, not just their looks. In fact, most major television companies such as CBS, NBC, ABC, etc., hired women as art. Many fans and even the men these women worked with had little to no respect for their opinion on sports, or what they knew about them.

Leslie Visser (1974) via Bleacher Report. Mead, D. "Twelve Women Who Pioneered the Era of Female Sportscasters." Bleacher Report. 21, August 2010. Retrieved 12, April 2020.

"Visser stated that women have gone from a half dozen opportunities for sportscasters in the 1980s to between 50 and 100 today (Martze 2000)" (Grubb & Elliot, 2010).

NFL Today crew in 1976, from left: host Brent Musburger, reporter Phyllis George, Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder, analyst Irv Cross. (CBS). 27, Jan. 2017. Retrieved 12, April 2020.

LOS ANGELES - SEPTEMBER 12: THE NFL TODAY sports show featuring Jayne Kennedy. Image dated September 12, 1978. (Photo by CBS via Getty Images). Retrieved 12, April 2020.

Gayle Gardner (circa 19823) for ESPN via Bleacher Report. 21, Aug. 2010. Retrieved 12, April 2020.

Gayle Sierens is one of Tampa Bay's most prominent and enduring news anchors, working at WFLA-TV. Credit...Charity Beck for The New York Times. Retrieved 12, April 2020.

BOSTON, MA - MAY 16: NBC Olympic Correspondent and Tennis Analyst Mary Carillo hosts the WICT Signature Luncheon at Boston Convention and Exhibition Center on May 16, 2016 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Paul Marotta/Getty Images for WICT). Retrieved 12, April 2020.

WFAN radio personality Suzyn Waldman in the radio booth prior to the game against the Orioles at Yankee Stadium on Saturday, March 30, 2019. Credit: Joseph D. Sullivan/Joseph D. Sullivan. Retrieved 12, April 2020.

SportsCenter anchors Karl Ravech and Linda Cohn are shown preparing for their show -- SportsCenter of the Decades: 1980's -- as part of ESPN's SportsCentury series on Aug. 27, 1999. Retrieved 12, April 2020.

Trailblazers: Present and Future

Late 1990's—

Equal access and opportunities for women were awarded throughout the years because of the blood, sweat and tears put into overcoming monuments obstacles. Entering into a domain that was systematically surrounded by men created a masculine hegemony women had to break down year after year, and even decades.

Sports were used by men to "transform boys into men and affirm their masculinity" (Grubb & Elliot, 2010). In women stepping into such a domain, objectification for them arose because many in this career field did not believe women had the knowledge that men had in regards to sports. Continuously having to prove their credibility, fight sexual advancements against them and climb their way to the top took work that no man could fathom. "Ninety-three per cent of female journalists surveyed by Hernandez (1996) claimed that the obstacles or frustrations they encounter are not the same obstacles or frustrations that their male counterparts experience and this study pursued women’s experience of these obstacles.

Women sportscasters stated that they felt pressure to maintain their appearance, constantly prove their credibility, confront inequitable treatment, work longer hours for promotions, and tolerate the network’s informal policy of hiring ‘beauty over intelligence’" (Grubb & Elliot, 2010).

Decades later, there were and still difficulties women have to surpass. Some men grow up with chauvinistic ideals, that stick with them throughout their careers thus leading to impending patronization of women in roles they don't deserve. This creates the belief that women are inferior to males and thus deserve no equal treatment. There are still instances of such ideals as stated by Grubb & Elliot, 2010): "CBS’s 60 Minutes anchor, Andy Rooney expressed his views on women journalists reporting football games during The Boomer Esiason Show on the Madison Square Garden (MSG) network: 'The only thing that really bugs me about television’s coverage is those damn women they have down on the sidelines who do not know what the hell they are talking about. I mean, I am not a sexist person, but a woman has no business being down there trying to make some comment about a football game. (Gross 2002, p. 1)' (89).

Fortunately, women have progressed regardless of the negative impact not only men have had against them within the sports media industry, or whether Title IX has created sufficient change in that climate. Breaking the glass-ceiling will always take more work than needed but it is important to pave the way and give more women the stepping stone to continuously face such systemic barriers such as sexism, male hegemony and negative connotations associated with a woman being a sportscaster. With more improvement and integration, sportscasting can come a longer way than it has thus far.

Hyre, T., Larson, M., Chen, S. "Perceptions Concerning Obstacles, Stereotypes and Discrimination Faced by Female Sports Reporters and Other Female Sports Professional." May 2017. Retrieved 12, April 2020.

Women's Media Center. The Status of Women in the U.S. Media 2019. Retrieved 12, April 2020.

"ESPN was the first national network to hire women to its anchor positions and CNN followed in hiring Hannah Storm as its sports anchor" (Grubb & Elliot, 2010).

Women of the Past, Present and Future

mid 1990s—

Women in the sports broadcasting field have expanded far beyond what misogynistic ideals within society could have expected. Opportunities given to women now have come at the hands of hard work and being knowledgable in an area that was considered to be male dominated (and still is) time ago. Although sports media and media in general is still mainly dominated by men, women continuously break boundaries, day by day and year by year.

Robin Roberts is shown posing for the camera on the "Sunday Sports Day" studio set in 1999. Retrieved 12, April 2020.

"The reason I got a college scholarship was because of Title IX. Title IX was enacted in72, and I graduated in ‘79, so without Title IX I would not have gotten a scholarship...I am always one to believe you should respect your history and know your history. And for those who don't get it, I ould say, how would you like to play – say you are on a basketball team, in a unitard, with your number taped on your back? Just close your eyes for five minutes, and think about those things, then I think you would understand and appreciate Title IX, 40 years later" (Clifton, 2012).

Doris Burke has alternated between game analyst and sideline reporter during the 2018 NBA playoffs. (Ethan Miller | Getty Images). Retrieved 12, April 2020.

ESPN anchor Hannah Storm is shown working on the SportsCenter studio set in Bristol, Connecticut on January 26, 2010. (Photo by John Atashian/Getty Images). Retrieved 12, April 2020.

ESPN anchor Bonnie Bernstein is shown working on the NFL studio set during the taping of a show in Bristol, Connecticut on June 26, 2008. (Photo by John Atashian/Getty Images). Retrieved 12, April 2020.

Pam Ward Image via Yahoo! Sports. Bleacher Report. 21, May 2012. Retrieved 12, April 2020.