From glass ceilings to harassment: Women's experiences in Spanish sports newsrooms

Abstract

Since its origins, women have been underrepresented in all areas of sports journalism. They are “outsiders” according to their gender, but “insiders” according to their adherence to journalistic norms and values. In Spain, sports journalism has also historically been configured as a tough environment for women to develop professionally without being belittled and/or discriminated. This research aims to identify women journalists’ perceptions about their roles in sports newsrooms. This investigation looks for meanings instead of numbers, and it is interested in how women sports journalists perceive their experiences and how they understand and interpret these experiences. The study has a qualitative approach, with semi-structured interviews conducted with ten journalists from various Spanish media. The results reveal, among other issues, that (a) women journalists suffer harassment, (b) the “glass ceiling” limits access to leadership positions, and (c) the sports journalism field continues to be conditioned by stereotypical and discriminatory views.