If you've read any of the "Twitter reacts" stories that we have done over the last few years—see here for an example—then you know that people who use social media can be the worst. Social media is an amazing thing and, at this point, we have no idea how people live without it. But it's also filled with folks who are willing to say and do just about anything to get under the skin of other people.
This is especially true when it comes to female sports reporters. Now, in general, female sports reporters don't get anywhere near the credit they deserve to begin with. They operate in a space where they're under constant criticism—whether on social media or not—and they can't afford to make the simplest of mistakes without getting crucified for doing it. But if you've spent any time on Twitter following a female who covers sports for a living, then you've probably noticed just how poorly most of them are treated when it comes to social media in particular.
If for whatever reason you haven't noticed, please go read the piece that Julie DiCarojust penned for Sports Illustrated. It starts off with her talking about the first time someone ever called her a "cunt" online—good times!—and goes from there. There are also quotes from a bunch of other female sports reporters as well as graphic tweets that they have been subjected to, and it's especially disheartening to see some of messages DiCaro has received while reporting on the recent Patrick Kane rape allegations. Oh, and there's also a pretty shocking story from ESPN's Jen Lada, who talks about the time a father and his middle school-aged son harassed her online because, well, because she's a woman covering sports and how dare she do that!
Hopefully, nothing in DiCaro's piece is too shocking, as we'd imagine most of you have seen some of the crap female sports reporters are forced to put up with. But we hope that, if you've ever attacked a female sports reporter online, you think twice before you do it again. Although, we should point out that it already appears as though DiCaro's piece is falling on some deaf ears:
Sigh. These women's jobs are difficult enough without you attempting to make them worse.
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[via Sports Illustrated]
