SI's Selena Roberts Chats About Journalism, Blogs In Q&A
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Roberts Discusses Blogs,
Journalism In Q&A |
In a Q&A with The Big Lead, SI's Selena Roberts said she left the N.Y. Times in '07 for SI "as a bit of an adventure to find out more about myself as a writer and to discover if a woman’s voice could carry on the back page at SI." Roberts said SI's culture "has never been confused with a melting pot, but I like [SI Group Editor Terry McDonell] because he expressed a desire to add diverse voices." When asked whether she thought "coaches, players, and fans have slowly evolved into accepting women covering men’s sports," Roberts said, "In some ways, players in particular have progressed quicker than society (including readers). Male athletes today have grown up with Title IX, sharing the same fields, equipment and weight rooms with girls. A lot of mutual respect has developed between genders. Add that to the increased number of women covering sports -- and you have to give ESPN credit for putting lots of women behind the mic -- and we’ve seen the resistance dissipate over the years." Roberts noted that her column on Duke lacrosse was the one she had "taken the most heat for." Roberts: "Basically, I wrote that a crime didn't have to occur for us to inspect the irrefutable evidence of misogyny and race baiting that went on that night. Not a popular stand. ... Some segments of the Duke lacrosse crowd did not enjoy the scrutiny of their world." When asked why blogs were "such a polarizing medium," Roberts replied, "Some bloggers are very entertaining. I think of blog posts as cathartic letters to the editor. ... I’d prefer the veil of anonymity lifted. ... The media institutions add to the polarization by not knowing what to do with bloggers." Roberts: "Once roles become more defined in-house by the mainstream media and by bloggers themselves, the world order will shake itself out in some John Lennon 'Imagine' way" (THEBIGLEAD.com, 3/17).
TRAIL BLAZING: In New Jersey, Steve Edelson wrote ESPN sideline reporter and color analyst Doris Burke over the past decade has "moved way beyond being looked at as some kind of novelty act, or a rare crossover from the women's game who was comfortable behind the microphone or in front of the camera on the men's side." Burke now is "regarded as one of the finest, best prepared, most respected basketball broadcasters in the industry period." Burke: "There were many women in broadcasting long before me. I feel there's been a cultural shift over the years, though, and that's been important for all female athletes. When I was playing, things weren't celebrated like they are today on ESPN, and these games draw quality ratings" (ASBURY PARK PRESS, 3/16).
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