Black Journalists vs. the Status Quo: The Fight for Fairness, Access, and Representation in Sports Media

Are athletes taking journalistic jobs away from qualified Black journalists?

Black journalists have tirelessly fought for respect in the business, especially in sports journalism. While that fight seems to have no end in sight, it is often surprising the most significant battle is with the athletes they cover. 

Being a Black journalist is already a challenging task, especially when it comes to finding a job in a top market. TNon-Black prospects, often less qualified and less talented, typically receive opportunities over these journalists.

But that is not the only obstacle. The recent trend shows more and more athletes who have dedicated their lives to the game they love are being hired over the journalists who have studied, earned a degree, and spent countless hours networking and honing their craft. 

Athletes can attack their new jobs with personal experience and expertise. Even with these advantages, their lack of true journalistic experience is often displayed. 

Athletes who often share personal connections with fellow athletes cannot typically offer objective critiques or ask hard questions during an interview. This lack of journalism training robs viewers and readers of engaging and informative content. 

 They’ve never had the opportunity to study the craft, become an intern, and know how it feels to get a harsh reaction after giving a brutal critique or asking a question that puts the athlete on the spot. 

Given the daily challenges Black sports journalists encounter, I wonder if they can truly compete with athlete-turned-journalists despite having more substantial qualifications.

Don’t get me wrong—athletes can make great analysts. However, the fact that they often take positions from trained journalists who have the skills and experience to do the job effectively feels unfair. Is this the future of the industry, or will change come? Either way, Black journalists remain significantly underrepresented.

Black Ink: The threat to the status quo

By: Eric Lambkins II

Sports is a kaleidoscope of human existence, a theater where tales of triumph and adversity play out. The cheers echo life’s vibrancy. But beyond the crowds’ roar and victory’s glory, sports is a realm where politics, society, and the human spirit collide—a nexus where escapism dances with the power to spark change.

It’s fascinating, isn’t it? Within the arenas and stands, you can see snapshots of society and humanity—a mosaic of stories woven together by sweat, passion, and the unspoken language of competition. Sports aren’t just about the games; they’re microcosms that reflect our society’s fabric, interwoven with ideologies, socioeconomics, gender, race, and beliefs.

There’s a tug-of-war between the glamor of sports and the harsh realities they mirror. Those wielding power, whether in politics or business, often prefer the spotlight to stay on the fields, shielding their enterprises from the ugly truths. The joy of sports can cloak corruption and human rights violations to preserve the allure of the games and their financial coffers. The Black journalist threatens the status quo.

Black journalists peel back this facade, exposing the underbelly of society and the mighty tremble at the power of their pens. As they reveal the injustices the games attempt to gloss over, the oppressed find a swelling chorus of support, and the grip of the powerful begins to loosen. Global events like the Super Bowl, Olympics, and World Cup are stage-managed to gloss over social issues, a well-choreographed show that deflects from the raw realities beneath.

And here’s where the crux lies for Black journalists. We’re the torchbearers of truth, tasked with unearthing corruption and injustice, even when it lurks in the shadows of sports arenas. Yet, our access hangs by a thread woven from relationships and alliances. Asking the tough questions and challenging authority can cost us dearly in this realm built on camaraderie and access.

It makes me ponder the role of sports journalists in tumultuous times like the rise of the Third Reich. Were they silent spectators or vocal challengers? Could they have lifted the veil on nationalism’s dark underbelly, shedding light on the horrors of the holocaust? It’s a haunting reminder of the journalist’s tightrope between speaking truth and preserving access.

Sports are a reflection—a mirror that captures the best and worst of our world. And as journalists, our duty isn’t just to celebrate victories. We must illuminate the shadows.

The Plight of Black Journalists: Fighting for a Seat at the Table in Sports Media

By Jackie Rae

“To whom much is given, much is required.” Luke 12:48, President John F. Kennedy, and Uncle Ben from Spiderman. No matter the source you know best for this quote, this is the plight of every Black Journalist. 

I started my career as a sports journalist who also wanted to do news. Eventually, I became a news journalist who occasionally covered sports. But that coverage was always done in secret out of fear of upsetting my employer.  

Why? Because sports and news don’t mix. At least, that is what the status quo would want you to believe. So when you ask the question, why is it in the world of the NFL and NBA, which are both predominantly Black leagues, that Black journalists are scarce? Both of my colleagues have provided the answer.

I think the rabbit hole goes much deeper than robbing journalists of jobs and giving them to athletes. The truth is, the athlete has spent much of their career not rocking the boat. Not airing out the team’s dirty laundry. And most certainly not launching an investigative campaign to find out if unethical behavior is happening within the organization. 

To some extent, I get that. Hiring an athlete who doesn’t have a nose for news means you can hide in plain sight. But, when you have teams like the Washington Commanders that had decades of racism and sexual harassment cases that went unchecked — that means several individuals were culpable. Not to say that a journalist who is not Black couldn’t have seen the writing on the wall and started their own independent investigation much sooner. But, for most Black people, racism and discrimination do not go unnoticed. I understand teams who operate within those unethical bounds, steering clear of those who would be hypersensitive to it. 

Sports owners, coaches, and players know that no sports journalist is there simply to hype up the team or a star player. We are here to tell the story. We are always looking for the scoop, and we want to share with the world an angle no other journalist has. More importantly, we know that our jobs can create accountability. No more than ever, we have proven that, as a nation, we have leaders who would rather keep accountability out of politics and sports. 

Whether it is true or not (and I certainly hope that it is), Black journalists are seen as the ones who will look at everything with the understanding that racism and sexism are still running rampant in the world of sports. This causes us to be viewed as a problem, making it harder to build trust, network, and create relationships that will provide us with longevity. 

The truth is that when a white journalist breaks a story about unethical behavior, people see them as simply doing their job. Black journalists will be viewed as the problem. There is a workaround for this — continue to build our own tables. 

There will always be plenty of room at tables we build together.