Location: United States, Los Angeles
Date: February 17, 2021

Alanna Rizzo, after parting ways with SportsNet LA, opened up about the sexual harassment women sports reporters experience. Her statement shed light on the behaviour of players, as well as the ways newsrooms enable this culture.

Alanna Rizzo who was an intrinsic part of the broadcast team on SportsNet LA from 2014 through 2020, left the company for personal reasons. However, not being tied to SportsNet LA has allowed her to open up about the difficult parts of her job. She spoke about the difference in the treatment of male and female sports journalists.

Rizzo recalled that while she was sent an inappropriate picture by a player once, her presence in another player's hotel room for professional reasons raised eyebrows. It appears that even as women's personal space is repeatedly violated, their professional mobility is never taken seriously. Another player, for example, insisted that Rizzo joins him for dinner even after being denied several times. Newsrooms, who should extend support to their women employees, tend to balk under pressure and resolve such issues "in-house".

The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the prevalent sexist attitudes in newsrooms. Famous, powerful men should not have the right to violate the women around them. And newsrooms, whose sole purpose should be to speak truth to power, should not be covering up for them at the cost of the well being of their female employee.

The CFWIJ strongly condemns the police brutality against journalists. We demand the immediate return of the press cards seized from the security forces. Policies to intimidate journalists should be abandoned, and journalism should be practiced under the criteria of freedom of the press.

If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.