Jandoli Women in Sports Media members
Courtesy of: @jwsm_sbu on Instagram
BY: JESSICA WIKANDER, CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The Jandoli Women in Sports Media group made its debut this semester at St. Bonaventure. The group offers women looking to enter the sports media field after graduation a place to connect and receive support from fellow students as they prepare to enter the predominantly male-dominated workforce of sports communication.
Amy Mortiz, sports media professor, founded this group last year after connecting with a few of her female students, asking what they felt they needed on campus to help them succeed.
“While preparing for my new role as Professional in Residence in Sports Media in the Jandoli School, I reached out to several female students in the sports media program to ask about their experiences and gauge what, if any, extra support they felt they needed,” said Moritz.
Mortiz herself had been a professional sports reporter for the Buffalo News for 19 years, gaining first-hand experience of what it’s like for a woman in sports media. As a Professional in Residence in Sports Media at St. Bonaventure, Mortiz works as a professor while still contributing to her field outside of the university.
“As a former sports reporter, I know the challenges of being the only woman in the room and having my work scrutinized in ways that my male colleagues didn’t endure,” said Moritz.
In 2022, a study using the Federal Reserve Economic Data, a database of economic data used by the Federal Reserve, stated that for every two women employed in sports, on average seven men are employed.
The group was created to provide female students who want to work in sports media with a support group of other women on campus and an opportunity to network with professionals currently in the field.
Women interested in sports communication are encouraged to meet with like-minded peers in the group who hold similar goals.
The group holds weekly informal drop-in meetings from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. each Tuesday in Murphy 112. The meetings focus on conversations about the challenges women in the sports communication field face today and on celebrating their progress over the years, inspiring a sense of motivation and achievement.
Along with group discussions, multiple special events are being planned. The group hopes to host guest speaker panels with women currently in sports communication fields who can share their experiences with students in the group and help inspire a feeling of community and security within sports media. Bonding events, such as an upcoming WNBA playoffs watch party, are also in the works.
At the core of it all, however, is fostering a positive community for the future women of sports media on campus.
“The women I spoke with said that having a group to talk about their challenges would help them not feel so isolated,” said Moritz. “The goal of Jandoli Women in Sports Media is to provide support and encouragement to women in all fields of sports communication at St. Bonaventure.”
@wikandjm23@bonaventure.edu
