Lynn Faulds Wood, the doughty TV and newspaper consumer campaigner, is upset about the fact the only two women have put forward entries for the sports-writing category in this year’s regional press awards.
She is one of the judges on the panel, having put herself forward specifically because she felt women who write about sport were not advancing “as well as they should be.”
She said: “Over the years I’ve come to believe that women are not getting a fair crack of the whip on sports pages, whether at national or local level.
“Look at the pages devoted to sport. Despite the growth of womens’ sports, and their increasing achievements, there’s barely a mention of women amid the articles and pictures of men. I’m cheesed off about it.”
She was full of praise for the two women who have entered the regional contest: Suzanne Geldard of the Lancashire Telegraph and Carolyn Hitt, who writes for Wales Online, the Cardiff-based Trinity Mirror website.
Geldard, who writes about Burnley, has had the joy of reporting on a team that looks bound for promotion to the Premier League at the end of this season, as one of her recent articles noted.
Hitt concentrates on rugby (example here) and is the author of two books about the sport, Wales play in red and Welsh rugby in the 1970s. But she has an interest in other sports too, such as netball.
Of course, there is no guarantee that they will win. There are plenty of male entrants, after all, so it will be interesting to see the shortlists due out soon.
But the point made by Faulds Wood is surely valid. And she has support from one of the awards’ organisers, Bob Satchwell, the director of the Society of Editors. He said: “I agree with her. Of course, we can only judge on the basis of those who enter.”
Both will surely be lifted by the HoldTheFrontPage report that the Manchester Evening News has appointed a female as head of its football output.
Alice McKeegan will oversee coverage of the city’s two clubs, Manchester City and Manchester United. Her editor-in-chief, Rob Irvine, described her as “a hugely talented and inspirational leader” with “a great passion for, and a great understanding of, football.”
Her appointment comes a fortnight after the National Council for the Training of Journalists and Sky Sports News teamed up to produce a video encouraging more women to pursue a career in sports journalism.
It features contributions from female journalists working for Sky Sports, the BBC, the Daily Mail and the Irish Post.
Sky Sports News presenter Jo Wilson said: “Maybe 10, 20 years ago there was much more of a gender imbalance. I think that has changed dramatically so I’ve come into this environment where you don’t feel like you’re a minority.”
