Macalester College hosts annual women in journalism panel
A documentary followed by three experienced women sports journalists on what it’s like to be told how they can or can not do their jobs.
By Sierra Smith | Design Editor
Chatter hummed around the room as anticipation built. The air was a mix of smells with more than 30 people piled into the small night class at Macalester College 7:30 p.m. Nov. 26. The lights dimmed and the 2013 ESPN documentary “Nine for IX: Let Them Wear Towels” — a documentary on the first women in American sports journalism — came onto the screen. As the documentary played, a mix of emotions flooded the face of each viewer. Feelings arose like anger, shock and empathy for these women. Even hints of sorrow for the way things were.
Iconic women like Jane Gross, the first woman ever to be in an NBA locker room, suffered at the hands of men who made assumptions. But none of these women gave up despite the limitations.
Sports journalist at the Star Tribune, Rachel Blount, watched the documentary with journalists from Macalester and Bethel University. In the 1980s she was shoved out of locker rooms. She was forced to wait outside for hours for a quote from an Alabama football player. Blount followed the Minnesota North Stars when they were still the NHL team in the state. The owner of the team harassed Blount both verbally and physically. She never told anyone because she wanted to keep her job on the beat.
“Everyone was convinced the only reason you became a sports reporter was to look at naked men,” Blount said. Her response was that of a warrior, “You think you can run me out? It made me dig my heels in.”
“This is the work that we love, the same as any man that does it.” — sports journalist Rachel Blount
The night was frustrating but inspiring young reporters. Though these issues may be conquered legally, the stigma and attitude still remains, according to panelists Blount, Duluth sports director Kelly Hinseth and Twin Cities sports reporter Sloane Martin. The battle is ongoing, but these women in the field are advocates who want to make things better.
“This is the work that we love, the same as any man that does it,” Blount said.
