Female sports reporters sexually harassed? The case of Ines Sainz and the New York Jets
Sports journalism is an interesting field to be in. It has excitement and is usually done by die-hard sports fans. However, it is a totally unique experience for the female journalists and they have a strange time while doing their jobs. There is a double-edged sword in this matter; on one hand female reporters want to be taken seriously when they are doing their jobs, and on the other hand because they are usually very good looking women, they can become the victims of sexual harassment at times. This aspect of the sports world was brought to light recently the case of female reporter Ines Sainz and sexual harassment by the New York Jets. It seems female reporters have a tough job to do, and it does not look like it is getting any easier as time goes by.
Last Saturday, a reporter named Ines Sainz, who works for the channel TV Azteca and frequently interviews American football players, says she was the subject of sexual harassment. She claimed that during a training session while she was trying to do her job players kept ogling her, passing lewd comments and were being inappropriate. There are two aspects of this story; on one side we have testosterone-fuelled young men acting in a manner not befitting professional sports stars and on the other we have a flirtatious and very good looking reporter who flaunts her sexuality at every turn. Who is right and who is wrong in this situation? Well some people say everyone is to blame.
Ines Sainz is no saint in this matter. She is a very good looking woman who is constantly featured in men’s magazines with very little clothing on. She knows that in order to get close to the players, it helps if you flaunt your sexuality and so she does. She has been known to flirt with players and once famously she took a tape measure out onto the field and measured players’ biceps. This is really not the behaviour that one would except from a professional journalist. It does not excuse the sexual harassment because that can be felt by women reporters no matter what they wear, but she is not helping the situation and not really doing any favours to the serious female sports journalists out there. She said she felt very embarrassed by the whole affair, and she lodged a complaint with the Jets management. The owner of the Jets apologised to her and she accepted and the matter is now closed.
The problem now moves to the inappropriate behaviour from the Jets players. A few of them were accused of behaviour that was very inappropriate when dealing with a member of the press. Young players, before they turn pro, are given training and are taught how to deal with the press. Maybe it is time to give the same training the players turned pro, a sort of refresher course. The coaching staff has a responsibility to monitor what their players are saying and how they are saying it. Players tend to forget that female journalists who are interviewing them are doing their jobs and are not sexual playthings sent by the media companies for them, and they should behave accordingly.
Another problem that takes place is the fact that female sports journalists are allowed into male locker rooms. This is so strange because male journalists are not allowed into female athlete’s changing rooms so why are women. This whole environment starts to encourage sexual harassment from all sides and should really be fixed. Women can easily interview players out in the corridors, outside locker rooms. It would lead to a lot less problems in the future.
Hopefully with this recent incident past the Jets players and Sainz, the focus will be on reducing the level of sexual harassment in American football and letting football players get on with their jobs and female journalists get on with theirs. Hopefully both Ines Sainz and the Jets will start to act more professionally in the future.
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