The Association for Women in Sports Media (AWSM) is an American volunteer-managed, 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1987 as a support network and

advocacy group Advocacy groups, also known as interest groups, special interest groups, lobbying groups or pressure groups use various forms of advocacy in order to influence public opinion and ultimately policy. They play an important role in the developm ...

for women who work in

sports writing Sports journalism is a form of writing that reports on matters pertaining to sporting topics and competitions. Sports journalism started in the early 1800s when it was targeted to the social elite and transitioned into an integral part of the ...

, editing,

broadcast Broadcasting is the distribution of audio or video content to a dispersed audience via any electronic mass communications medium, but typically one using the electromagnetic spectrum ( radio waves), in a one-to-many model. Broadcasting began ...

and production, and

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichkei ...

and media relations. The membership of more than 700 men and women includes professionals in the industry and students aspiring to

sports media Sports journalism is a form of writing that reports on matters pertaining to sporting topics and competitions. Sports journalism started in the early 1800s when it was targeted to the social elite and transitioned into an integral part of the n ...

careers. AWSM was formed in 1987 by four California sportswriters, Nancy Cooney, Susan Fornoff, Michele Himmelberg and Kristin Huckshorn—to create a strong network and advocacy group for the few women who were working at the time in sports media. Forty people attended AWSM's first annual convention in 1988 in

Oakland, California Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...

. 15 years prior to the creation of the Association for Women in Sports Media, the Title XI law was put into place. This law stated that discrimination would not be tolerated when it came to access and how women were treated whether playing a sport, or reporting on a sport.

Studies involving members of the Association for Women in Sports Media

Several studies were conducted, involving members of the Association for Women in Sports Media, such as one conducted by Indiana University students. That study found that majority of the women within the sports field, that were also members of the association felt as though they were treated fairly. The study also concluded that some women still felt as though they were given the short end of the stick when it came to the amount of assignments they received working with male athletes. (Hardin, Marie; Shain, Stacie (2005-12-01). Another survey of 200 women, also members of the Association for Women in Sports Media was conducted. This survey found that more women working in the sports media field, resulted in women’s sports being broadcast more frequently. The study also concluded that women have grown accustom to males dominating the field, which has helped women accept their role, and strive to do the same work as men. (Smucker, Michael K.; Whisenant, Warren A.; Pedersen, Paul M. (2003-10-01)) 70 additional members of the Association for Women in Sports Media was also conducted, finding the women felt as though the pay, assignments given, and treatment by the administration was fair, and they were unable to identify any gaps within the companies they worked for, primarily newspapers. (Miloch, Kimberly S.; Pedersen, Paul M.; Smucker, Michael K.; Whisenant, Warren A. (2005-09-01).

References

{{Reflist

External links

Association for Women in Sports Media
official website
An Organization of Their Own

Sports professional associations based in the United States American sports journalism organizations Professional associations for women Women's sports organizations in the United States 501(c)(3) organizations Sports organizations established in 1987 1987 establishments in California Women's sports in California