November 30, 2024 - United States, New York

Sports reporter Ashley Wenskoski called out Miami's mascot, Sebastian the Ibis, for inappropriate behavior toward her while covering a college football game in Syracuse, New York. The mascot knelt in front of her mid-game to ask for her number during Syracuse’s upset win.

While some fans dismissed it as harmless, this behavior crosses a line. Journalists like Wenskoski are at work, not there to endure unprofessional or inappropriate advances—even from someone in a mascot costume.

Women journalists constantly face such behavior in male-dominated spaces. Women Press Freedom calls for respect and professionalism to be upheld everywhere, including on sports fields.