Female Sports Journalists: CUA Alumni Changing Trends
Image Courtesy of Emily Messina
By Tess Rempel
Sports journalism is one of the many industries in which gender disparity is apparent. The Catholic University of America Media Studies Alumni are contributing to the growing trend of making the field a more equitable and inclusive job market.
Phyllis George was the first female sportscaster to work at a major TV network when she was named a co-host for “The NFL Today” fifty years ago. Since then, it has been an uphill battle for women to make the sports journalism industry an equal playing field in which females are offered the same opportunities and salaries as their male counterparts.
CUA Media Studies alumni—particularly Sarah Campbell, Emily Messina, and Meredith Hamm—have become involved in this fight.
Messina now works in broadcasting and media relations for the University of Scranton, providing play-by-play and commentary for the baseball season, co-hosting pregame and postgame shows, and producing daily game notes that include the season’s statistics and history.
“The industry is flooded with men, there are very few women, “Messina said. “I have always looked up to Yankees color commentator Suzyn Waldman. We finally met after I graduated and she has been so helpful with advice and support.”
Campbell also works in sports media in higher education, particularly for the Vanderbilt University. She shoots, edits, and produces content for the football program and has provided media coverage for the National Football League (NFL).
“I believe that more women are looking to make an impact in the sports media world, which means more jobs are being created,” Campbell said.
Hamm is the most recent alum, having graduated in May 2023. Upon receiving her Bachelor’s degree, she pursued a Documentary Storytelling Program at Wake Forest University. She currently works with the Video Department for the football team, continuing her work as an undergraduate with the CUA Athletics Department for two years.
“I like working in sports broadcasting because so much of the process is hidden. I appreciate the opportunity to share stories and insight,” Messina said. “It’s important to show people what the experience is truly like outside of fame and fortune.”
Current female undergraduate students are also invested in pursuing sports journalism. Kathryn Phillips, a junior media studies major, looks up to sports journalists such as Brayden Figueroa, Andrew Formale, Kait Devir at University of Southern California, and CUA Alum Sarah Campbell.
“I definitely want to make it to a professional league at some point in my career,” Phillips said. “I think basketball is a really interesting sport to be able to capture. I’m a big Philly sports fan, so if I ever got the chance to work with them, that’d be pretty awesome.”
These students often first look to CUA media studies faculty for guidance. Glenn Osten Anderson worked for CBS College Sports, Runner’s World and also contributed to an HBO Real sports short documentary. He is currently working on a documentary about mental health in college athletes.
“I really want to see that community grow here at Catholic,” Anderson said. “I think we’re pretty effectively raising our profile as a sports media school.”
