Apply to be part of the AWSM Executive Board for the 2019-2020 school year! We have a variety of positions for those who are eager to lead and become further ingrained in the sports media space.
You can access the application here. Applications are due Monday of week 8, May 20.
Please print and slide completed form under Lori Shontz office door 309B.
By Linden Moore
On Friday, May 12, UO AWSM hosted its second celebrity speaker in two years, sports journalist Julie DiCaro. The Chicago-based journalist is known for openly speaking out about opportunities for women in sports and the equal treatment in a male-dominated industry. In addition, she shared her experiences with sexual violence and gave some insight as to how women deal with the life-changing trauma. We had an opportunity to sit down with Julie and here are ten takeaways from what we learned
1. You don’t have to major in journalism to have a successful career
“I was a journalism major in school and I wanted to be a sports reporter but at the time there weren’t women that I saw doing that,” she said. “I was practicing law when the Chicago Tribune asked if they could pick up my blog and distribute it then I let them know I wasn’t happy at my job and one day they said there was an opening for someone to run their blog network. I got an email from WGN radio and they wanted me on it so I backed into it but a lot later than I thought I would.”
2. There isn’t one definition for “sexism”
“It’s always jarring when you hear someone say something that can be interpreted as sexist,” she said. “There’s a difference between what men think is sexist and what women think as sexist guys they’ll say something and say, ‘I’m just joking around’ but for women that hits home.”
3. Sports has turned into a validation of opinions
“Sports radio is like the bastion of people who say things publically it’s okay,” she said. “When I go to colleges and see so many women interested in the sports industry I’m excited for that and I hope they’ll work in an industry the way that sports fan base looks then having it be all guys.”
4. We need strong male allies
“I’m glad I have those guys in my life who stick up for you on Twitter, who put women front and center to amplify their voices instead of trying to talk over them I wish all guys were like those guys,” she said.
5. The More than Mean campaign kick started a conversation, which means we can do something, too.
“For more than Mean, Sarah and I felt that we had our chance to have our say in an impactful way,” she said. “The backlash was formidable for a while but the support outweighed the it. Everything changed after that in terms of me being able to let a lot of it go. The awards aren’t the reason we did it but it’s validation that it mattered to people so that’s really rewarding. I also had trolls reach out and apologize to me after the video came out.”
6. Twitter is a large vortex that can be centered with gendered and sexual comments
“There’s a lot of women in Twitter screaming about what’s happening to them all the time,” she said. “But the way women are harassed online as very different is very gendered and sexualized and that’s what so alarming,” she said.
7. Domestic violence survivors don’t have one definition for rape
“It takes most women in those situations seven times of trying to leave if they get out at all it’s already a complex situation to get someone to leave and adding one more thing in there beyond what’s acceptable in civilized society,” she said. “Everything that’s listed, it’s like being a woman is a preexisting condition it seems so simple if you’re not in that situation but when you spend time with dv victims you realize how much damage has been done to people’s psyches and how they see the world.”
8. Screenshotting tweets can help you in protecting yourself against internet trolls
“I screenshot them because so many of them get deleted and when you talk about them people accuse you of exaggerating it,” she said.
9. Prosecutors drop domestic violence charges half the time
“Having worked with domestic violence victims, 50% of the times they drop the charges,” she said. “It’s hard to tell people to report it when I didn’t report my own rape, so I know that feeling of there’s no way in hell that I can do this.”
10. Rape is NEVER a woman’s fault, it’s not a punishment for making a mistake
“We convince ourselves that it was our fault,” she said. “Punishment for being an idiot college student isn’t rape. If a woman doesn’t give consent, it’s rape.”
KEZI sports reporter and anchor Hayley Lewis spoke to our AWSM chapter last Wednesday night about her career in sports broadcasting. Lewis, a previous winner of Miss Tennessee, shared how she gained the self-confidence that led her to her current job.
Hayley emphasized that being yourself is the best thing you can do when applying for jobs. There are people with some of the same skills as you, but there’s only one of you. Be yourself and things will fall in place.
Hayley didn’t start in broadcasting, and she mentioned that it’s OK to start your career in a different field. A former finance major, Lewis talked about how she shared a love of football with her dad, was a college football coach, and then became passionate about public speaking while in college. Trying new things can lead you to things you wouldn’t have imagined yourself doing.
#Adulting is difficult. Lewis shared how she’s still learning how to adjust to her new city and is learning to budget both time and money. She even admitted to going on Bumble BFF to find new friends that aren’t co-workers and that she’s taken comfort in being in new situations.
Finding the something that makes you stand out from other applicants isn’t always obvious. Lewis shared that her time at Miss Tennessee helped her find her niche in public speaking and then combined it with sports. However, she told us that we don’t have to know our unique skill set now, but to find it by trying new things.
Hayley talked about how she applied for 88 jobs, heard back from 12 and ended up getting three offers. She said, “Make sure you’re passionate about your field before applying for jobs, it’ll be easier to work harder.”
The UO AWSM chapter hosted another successful meeting on January 25 when they hosted a Skype session with USA Today college sports reporter Nicole Auerbach.
Attendees enjoyed listening to Nicole talk about her path to journalistic success in a variety of sports, and got to ask her questions in a conversation Q&A. From learning about her internship experience to tips on building effective relationships while networking, here’s what we took away from the meeting:
1. Take the time to build out your network with your colleagues. For example, players and coaches because they are some of the people that can help you later on in your career.
2. Remember to give yourself credit for the work you produce. Don’t be overwhelmed with any surrounding negativity.
3. Know it’s okay to take time for yourself, but don’t feel guilty about maintaining a healthy work/life balance.
4. Many experiences in the journalism industry happen by going out and practicing your craft.
5. Having a passion for what you do makes your job more enjoyable.
Thank you, Nicole!
UO AWSM hosted a successful meeting on November 9 during a Cover Letter Workshop led by UO AWSM’s advisor Lori Shontz. The meeting gave attendees a chance to read their cover letters and receive feedback from board members on what they did well and what improvements they can make to make their letters more effective.
Here are five things that we took away from the workshop:
