Featured Image: Karen Sebesta, Senior Producer at CBC and Assistant Professor in Ryerson’s RTA Sport Media Program.

A recent article by The Eyeopener outlined the stories of three women working in sports media. Though all three women cited that the industry was including more women, they also commented on the male domination that still exists. This has been an ongoing issue due to male hegemony in sport. The lack of women in this profession can lead to a lack of advancement in the workplace that has negative consequences outside the workplace. The lack of advancement creates less women eager to enter the profession, and therefore creates a cycle that leads to an overall lack of women employed in sports media professions.

One of the women in the article, Karen Sebesta, has been working in the sports media industry for quite some time. She mentioned that with greater accessibility to technology and equipment there are more opportunities for women in the field. However, she also asserts that for a woman to be successful in a sports media industry they must put in a great deal of effort and have the drive required to be involved. This is interesting to note, as this would not likely be said about a man working in the same position. A great deal of sport is based off of historic and current masculine ideals, culminating in great difficulties for women to thrive within this field. Though we do see women finding their place in the world of sports media, there is still a long way to go before men and women have equal opportunities in this field.

hannahg2019