By Kyla Morris

As a woman in a predominately male industry, I am always keen on the saturation of content with a male subject. Most of these reports are being produced by men and for men, and thus there is not as much of an awareness or an active push to change this one-sided messaging. Having the opportunity to create a story myself, selecting the direction of the story, and writing the script, I wanted to amplify these female voices. The story I was reporting on was the upcoming World Athletics Championship in Budapest. A story on track and field has the possibility of going in a variety of directions, but I wanted to focus on the female runners that may have been otherwise overshadowed by some of the great male performances.

I don’t think Joy Sports is trying not to include women athletes in their coverage, but because of the minimal gender diversity in the workspace, there are fewer people who make it a conscious reminder to bring women into the conversation and on the screen. I think it begins with people behind the camera and writing stories. When more women are going out to find stories, we will have more stories that go beyond what is always on screen and what we know viewers already see.

My story on the track and field event focused on the great women’s performances at the US and Jamaican National Championships. These qualifying athletes would move onto the competition in Budapest. Athletes I highlighted first were Sha’Carri Richardson, US 100m and 200m sprinter, and Jamaican sprinters, Shericka Jackson and Shelly Ann Fraser Price. All three women will be competing against each other for the world title. It is the first time they will do so after Sha’Carri missed competing in the Tokyo Olympics and in Oregon World Athletics Championship in 2022. This will be her first opportunity to claim a world title.

In Oregon 2022, both the Jamaican women and US men swept their 100m sprint, and in Budapest they will attempt to do so again. However, I wanted the women’s story to be the highlight in effort to bring more women to the Joy Sports headlines. This year’s event will also be iconic because Sha’Carri Richardson will be in the mix. I finished the piece recognizing the US and Jamaican men’s performances, and Ghana’s own 100m national record holder who will be in Budapest.

I think just being a woman myself, reporting about sports for an audience that does not hear many women will help change people’s perspectives and encourage them to be open to hearing about more than just male athletes. However, also reporting about more women will show they
are just as exceptional at their athletic events.