This is a video interview that I conducted with Gabby Logan at London's BBC Television Centre. I interviewed her as she has enjoyed a successful career in the world of sports presenting and sports journalism.
Monday, 21 April 2008
Saturday, 19 April 2008
Interact With Me
The above slideshow shows examples of women that broken through into the world of sport journalism. It is an interactive element that reflects the mood of my feature article well.
My feature article (second article)
Football has evolved dramatically over the years. It is more of a business than ever and is regarded as the nation's favourite sport. The wages that footballers earn these days provide their 'bling-tastic' lifestyle and programmes like Dream Team and Footballers' Wives only highlight the image and perception that football has never been so glamorous and provocative.
The likes of Victoria Beckham, Coleen McLoughlin and Danielle Lloyd have attracted the female generation to the beautiful game albeit for the wrong reasons. We are in the day and age of easy fame and these young and easily-influenced women who grace glossy magazine covers seem to view footballers as an easy route to notoriety.
But it is the WAG wannabes who drape themselves over Premier League stars all for the sake of designer handbags and column inches that make it all the more harder for females who have a genuine passion and knowledge of football to be taken seriously. It is an automatic assumption from the majority of males that if you are a woman watching football, you are merely there to peruse through the 'talent' on show; to ogle the players in shorts, making it all the more harder to be respected and to prove that you are serious about the sport.
Football has always been a sport dominated by men. It grew in popularity in the Industrial Revolution when working-class men began to fill their mundane Saturdays watching at local football matches. During this time it was viewed that a woman's role was in the kitchen and looking after the children.
It has only been in the past couple of decades that the number of females at football has steadily increased. The violence and thuggery in the late 1970's and 1980's and its hooligan culture made football terraces a dangerous place to be.Ironically, it was a woman at the time, Margaret Thatcher, who enforced Acts like the 1989 Football Spectators Act in an attempt to clamp down on the widespread disorder. The Hillsborough disaster and the following Taylor Report made most terraces in England a thing of the past making football a safer place to be and attracting families to visit (whether that be wrong or right).
The role of women in football was on the increase too. Karen Brady became the managing director of Birmingham City and was in fact the first female managing director of a PLC. Although a WAG herself (she is married to Paul Peschisolado), Brady took over the reins at St Andrews in March 1993 at the age of 23 and remains at the helm now. She is the epitome of a modern-day businesswoman, managing her job with raising a family.
Helen Chamberlain is another female who has set a great example of how women can love football just as much as men. Her role on Soccer AM began in 1995 and has since made her a dream wife for the majority of men, as well as a role model for women who are trying to break into the industry. She can discuss the game and is fully knowledgeable of the sport. Helen is a true ladette who men seem to accept as 'one of them'.
After Chamberlain, a flurry of female presenters graced the sporting schedules, most famously Kirsty Gallagher, Clare Tomlinson, Georgie Thompson and of course, Gabby Logan. Logan recently achieved a milestone for women in the field- the first woman to ever front Match of the Day. A small step for man, a giant leap for woman kind, indeed.
Inevitably, with this kind of achievement comes a downside. Jacqui Oatley became the first female commentator to feature on the same show, in the 2006/07 season. Her appearance was greeted with a tirade of abuse and negative feedback from viewers who seemed shocked and appalled to hear a feminine voice talking about off-sides and tackling. Dozens of anti-Oatley groups were set up on the social networking site Facebook and petitions were raised for the BBC in an attempt to get Oatley off the show.
Why? What is wrong with a woman commentating on a football match? Why is it acceptable for Gabby Logan to front the show (albeit occasionally) but not acceptable for Jacqui Oatley to commentate? I am not judging her on her abilities, merely on the fact that she is female and the reaction that has come from her gender.
The Facebook groups are bombarded with comments like 'get back to the kitchen' and 'it is just not right, a woman commentating isn't right', but there is no legitimate reason why Oatley shouldn't feature in the show. She no longer does, but is a regular on BBC Radio Five Live.
Football is a sport that is male-dominated, but in 2008 it is unacceptable that sexism should have any place in sport. I have never heard any complaints from men regarding Georgie Thompson presenting...that wouldn't have anything to do with her looks now, would it?
It remains to be seen whether women will ever be accepted and have their rightful place within the football world and whether men will actually ever open their mind to that possibility.
My headline article (first article)
STORM IN A B-CUP
Match of the Day’s first female commentator causes controversy
Match of the Day’s first female commentator causes controversy
On 21st April 2007, Jacqui Oatley became the first female commentator to appear on Match of the Day in its 43 year history.
Oatley, 33, commentated on the Fulham versus Blackburn Rovers match highlights and immediately prompted controversy from hundreds of disgruntled fans, mainly male, who were extremely unhappy about Oatley’s appearance.
Social networking site Facebook have since been inundated with groups dedicated to people who wish to express their disgust at the BBC appointing her as a commentator. Groups like ‘MOTD commentator- go back to the kitchen’ and ‘I press mute when the female commentator is on Match of the Day’ have attracted a great deal of interest in what many males see as an unwelcome attempt for women to make into a male-dominated world.
It is no coincidence that, since her debut on Match of the Day, Oatley made one more appearance on the popular football show. She now commentates on BBC Radio Five, but still attracts a lot of interest and controversy.
In stark contrast, Gabby Logan has been successful as a sports presenter and sports writer for the Times. Despite working in an industry saturated with men, she has progressed steadily and now fronts her own television show, Inside Sport. She said:
“I think that in my career there have been certain opportunities that didn’t come up for me that may have come up for male colleagues.
Women should never let a man use their gender as an excuse. They should always produce the best they possibly can because nobody can argue with it. If their best argument is that you are a woman, they are the ones that look really stupid.”
Oatley, 33, commentated on the Fulham versus Blackburn Rovers match highlights and immediately prompted controversy from hundreds of disgruntled fans, mainly male, who were extremely unhappy about Oatley’s appearance.
Social networking site Facebook have since been inundated with groups dedicated to people who wish to express their disgust at the BBC appointing her as a commentator. Groups like ‘MOTD commentator- go back to the kitchen’ and ‘I press mute when the female commentator is on Match of the Day’ have attracted a great deal of interest in what many males see as an unwelcome attempt for women to make into a male-dominated world.
It is no coincidence that, since her debut on Match of the Day, Oatley made one more appearance on the popular football show. She now commentates on BBC Radio Five, but still attracts a lot of interest and controversy.
In stark contrast, Gabby Logan has been successful as a sports presenter and sports writer for the Times. Despite working in an industry saturated with men, she has progressed steadily and now fronts her own television show, Inside Sport. She said:
“I think that in my career there have been certain opportunities that didn’t come up for me that may have come up for male colleagues.
Women should never let a man use their gender as an excuse. They should always produce the best they possibly can because nobody can argue with it. If their best argument is that you are a woman, they are the ones that look really stupid.”
The Digital Newsroom Assignment 2- Introduction
For my assignment I have looked at a news story and then written a relevant feature article that corresponds with it. I have also conducted an interview with a person relevant to the piece.
- My news story idea is about Jacqui Oatley becoming the first female commentator on Match of the Day.
- My headline article (first article) is about Jacqui Oatley and her introduction on Match of the Day and how she was received.
- My feature article (second article) is looking at the role of women in football and if men will ever accept women into that area.
- My interactive features are going to be a slideshow of women in sport journalism and a video interview that I conducted at the BBC with Gabby Logan.
Wednesday, 9 April 2008
This example is taken from the blog www.aroundtheatp.blogspot.com , a blogsite that offers regular updates with links and photos of tennis tournaments and general tennis news.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Davydenko Takes Miami and Challenger Roundup
The fact that Nikolay Davydenko was even in the final of Miami was surprising in itself. After saving a match point in his first match and getting through some other tough matches, he finally got a win over nemesis Andy Roddick in the semifinals. Later we would find out that he had started using a new Prince racquet in the tournament and only had ONE. Yes, one racquet for the whole tournament. If he broke a string during a match, he was in real trouble.
Anyway, the final on Sunday started out pretty evenly. The players traded early breaks, and Davydenko saved break points serving at 2-3, but then Davydenko started to find his form. Attacking Nadal's short balls with apparent ease and barely missing, Davydenko raised his level notches above even that he showed against Roddick. Davydenko steadied his nerves to serve out the first set.
In the second set, Davydenko didn't let up and got out to an early lead and didn't let up. Although Davydenko has been plagued by nerves in the past, he closed out the match confidently for his first win over Nadal, his second Masters Series title, and 12th singles title overall. After the match, Nadal explained how he and Roger Federer and Roddick might get all the attention but that in the locker room, everyone knows how good Davydenko can be.
Challenger Circuit Roundup
In Naples, Italy, local favorite and #1 seed Potito Starace claimed the title over Marcos Daniel, and Tomas Cibulec and Jaroslav Levinsky took the doubles title. In St. Brieuc, France, Christophe Rochus found a little career resuscitation by taking the title over #1 seed Marcel Granollers-Pujol and Adrian Cruciat and Daniel Munoz-de La Nava took the doubles.
Posted by Murilo at 9:40 AM 0 comments
Labels: ATP Masters Series, Challenger Circuit, Miami, Nikolay Davydenko, Rafael Nadal, Tournament Updates
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Tournament Update: Semifinal Play in Miami and Bryans Take the Doybles Title
On Friday, the first semifinal pitted Rafael Nadal (pictured right, click for larger) against Tomas Berdych, who came into the match with a 3-0 record on hardcourts against Nadal. Nadal broke at 4-3 in the first set, served for it at 5-3 but couldn't close out the set. He had a set point at 5-4* but didn't convert it. Berdych lost the first set in a tie break with a double fault. What more is there to say about the second set except that it was really easy, and it seemed as if Berdych just gave up.In the second semifinal, Nikolay Davydenko didn't look like he had a 0-5 record against Andy Roddick (both players pictured left, click for larger). Looking like a different player than 24 hours before when he upset Roger Federer, Roddick was back to the passive meters-behind-the-baseline play that has lost him so many matches over the past few years. Untroubled by nerves, Davydenko took full advantage of Roddick's paceless short balls and served exceptionally well. Roddick was up 3-1 in the tiebreak but Davydenko won it in the end. At 1all in the second, Roddick played the only exceptional game of the match, pulling off an excellent backhand pass and return to break for 2-1. Just when it looked like he was getting some energy and getting the crowd to work for him, he went on to lose five games in a row and the match.In the doubles final, Bob and Mike Bryan (pictured right, click for larger) played, according to them, one of their best matches in some time with a 6-2 6-2 win over Mark Knowles and Mahesh Bhupathi. It is the Bryans' 11th Masters title and good news that they finally won a final after four losses already this year.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Davydenko Takes Miami and Challenger Roundup
The fact that Nikolay Davydenko was even in the final of Miami was surprising in itself. After saving a match point in his first match and getting through some other tough matches, he finally got a win over nemesis Andy Roddick in the semifinals. Later we would find out that he had started using a new Prince racquet in the tournament and only had ONE. Yes, one racquet for the whole tournament. If he broke a string during a match, he was in real trouble.
Anyway, the final on Sunday started out pretty evenly. The players traded early breaks, and Davydenko saved break points serving at 2-3, but then Davydenko started to find his form. Attacking Nadal's short balls with apparent ease and barely missing, Davydenko raised his level notches above even that he showed against Roddick. Davydenko steadied his nerves to serve out the first set.
In the second set, Davydenko didn't let up and got out to an early lead and didn't let up. Although Davydenko has been plagued by nerves in the past, he closed out the match confidently for his first win over Nadal, his second Masters Series title, and 12th singles title overall. After the match, Nadal explained how he and Roger Federer and Roddick might get all the attention but that in the locker room, everyone knows how good Davydenko can be.
Challenger Circuit Roundup
In Naples, Italy, local favorite and #1 seed Potito Starace claimed the title over Marcos Daniel, and Tomas Cibulec and Jaroslav Levinsky took the doubles title. In St. Brieuc, France, Christophe Rochus found a little career resuscitation by taking the title over #1 seed Marcel Granollers-Pujol and Adrian Cruciat and Daniel Munoz-de La Nava took the doubles.
Posted by Murilo at 9:40 AM 0 comments
Labels: ATP Masters Series, Challenger Circuit, Miami, Nikolay Davydenko, Rafael Nadal, Tournament Updates
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Tournament Update: Semifinal Play in Miami and Bryans Take the Doybles Title
On Friday, the first semifinal pitted Rafael Nadal (pictured right, click for larger) against Tomas Berdych, who came into the match with a 3-0 record on hardcourts against Nadal. Nadal broke at 4-3 in the first set, served for it at 5-3 but couldn't close out the set. He had a set point at 5-4* but didn't convert it. Berdych lost the first set in a tie break with a double fault. What more is there to say about the second set except that it was really easy, and it seemed as if Berdych just gave up.In the second semifinal, Nikolay Davydenko didn't look like he had a 0-5 record against Andy Roddick (both players pictured left, click for larger). Looking like a different player than 24 hours before when he upset Roger Federer, Roddick was back to the passive meters-behind-the-baseline play that has lost him so many matches over the past few years. Untroubled by nerves, Davydenko took full advantage of Roddick's paceless short balls and served exceptionally well. Roddick was up 3-1 in the tiebreak but Davydenko won it in the end. At 1all in the second, Roddick played the only exceptional game of the match, pulling off an excellent backhand pass and return to break for 2-1. Just when it looked like he was getting some energy and getting the crowd to work for him, he went on to lose five games in a row and the match.In the doubles final, Bob and Mike Bryan (pictured right, click for larger) played, according to them, one of their best matches in some time with a 6-2 6-2 win over Mark Knowles and Mahesh Bhupathi. It is the Bryans' 11th Masters title and good news that they finally won a final after four losses already this year.
This is an example taken from Craig Hickman's blog, www.craighickmanontennis.blogspot.com, of how he updates news in a fun, quirky way. The news in particular is about Andy Roddick upsetting world number one Roger Federer with a 7-6 4-6 6-3 win in the Sony Ericsson Open quarter-finals.
Today, I buried my horse and my dog cried. Today, Serena Williams overcame herself and a valiant opponent in Svetlana Kuznetsova and won a brilliant and thrilling three-set match to put herself in a position to tie Steffi Graf's record of five Sony Ericsson Open titles. Today, Andy Roddick defeated world No. 1 and perennial monkey-on-his-back Roger Federer in a brilliant and thrilling three-set match to give himself a shot at two. He f**king did it. He beat Raja. And I saw him do it. It was a phenomenal effort. So now the newly engaged Andy has victories over the No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 players in the world in a matter of weeks.Love is a beautiful thing.I'm verklempt.More later.Maybe.
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