This research explores the experiences of women journalists working in sports, focusing on four areas of potential problems: condescension in the workplace, equal opportunity in the workplace, perceived performance, and job satisfaction. The results of the study indicate that although females are appearing in sports newsrooms across the nation in increasing numbers, women feel they are, in many ways, invisible to their colleagues, expected to know less and accept more menial assignments, while being the target of sexist language. In spite of the dism'mination, approximately three-fourths of the respondents said that they are satisfied with their jobs.Research suggests that women are appearing in sports newsrooms across the nation in increasing numbers. However, even though their numbers are growing, once they are on the payroll, female sports reporters say that they are, for all practical purposes, ignored.Little has been documented in scholarly journals about the women who are moving into this traditionally male-dominated field. One 1990 regional study that focused on sportswriters' attitudes about their profession did not identify race or gender.' Studies that have focused on female journalists working as sports reporters are now dated2 or were regional in scope? While some publications have examined problems of women journalistsin general: most targeted research during the past decade has focused on females working in a particular mediumS or, more recently, of a specific race.6 Very little research has paralleled the experiences of females working as sports journalists.The assumption has been made that since their numbers are increasing, women are steadily gaining acceptance in the sports journalism arena.' However, despite their increasing numbers, some women are still running into road blocks as they attempt to do their jobs and move up the career ladder? As recently as 1989, when equal access to locker rooms was supposedly no longer an issue, Houston Post sports reporter Melanie Hauser, who covered Southwest Conference football, said, "Sometimes their idea of equal access is women standing outside while men go in."In that 1990 study, the six female respondents, all of whom worked in sports departments of major daily newspapers in the Southwestern United States, reported that they were given less desirable assignments, that they often had trouble being taken seriously, and that they were continuing to fight battles for equal access to locker room interviews. lo The results of that Phyllis Miller is an associate professor in the Department of 1ournalism at the U n h m i t y of Arkansas, and Randy Miller is an assistant professor in the School of Mass Communication at the University ofSouth Florida. I&MCQuar&rIy Val. %No. 4 Winter 1995 811u189 S199SWC THE 1 N v l S l~ WOMAN F W SFORTS]OWwAus7r; LN THE WORKPlACE 883
Rothrock, C. S., Winters, S. A., Miller, P K., Gbur, E., Verhalen, L. M.,
From the theoretical perspective of activation theory and using an on-line, real-time, computerized response system, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the pattern af viewer reactions to local television newscasts. Of specific concern was the overall interest pattern for the entire newscast, as well as compamtive interest levels for the various component segments and the chamcteristics of high interest segments. The results suggest that significanf audience adaptation does not occur during a 30-minute newscast. No relationship was found between segment placement and level of viewer interest. Explained from an activation theory perspective, these findings suggest that the audience rebound phenomenon overcomes the audience adaptation phenomenon during a standard length and format television news progrum. In general, news stories received the highest ratings, followed by sports, with weather and commercials competing for lust place. Negative stories of occidents, violence and dmmatic action, as well as commercials with strong visual and musical support, received the highest interest ratings. Implications of the findings and suggestions for fufiher research are provided.Since the time of t h e classic radio research studies1 when innovative efforts to measure the quality of the audience experience first appeared in the literature, considerable progress has been made in the development of approaches to qualitative audience research.2 Recently, a resurgence of interest in real-time audience studies has occurred in the television industry. According to Mark R. Levy, director of the Center for Research in Public Communication at the University of Maryland, qualitative measiirements are now in common use by television networks and major advertisers. Levy3 states: Ralpli R . Behnke is a professor in the Communication in Human Relations Program nt Texas Cliristian University and Pliyllis Miller is an assisfont professor of journnlism nt the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. Iournalism Quarterly Vol. 69, No. 3 659-665 Fall 2992 Q2992 AEJMC VlEWOI RMCllONS TO CONTENT AM1 PRESENT.lllCJML FURMAT OF ElfVlSlON N E W S 659
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.