The phrase “greatest of all time” has become a popular way to describe athletes. However, when referring to a female athlete, the phrase is qualified and becomes “greatest female athlete of all time.” “Athlete” was never officially defined to be a term exclusive to men, but women have been ostracized nonetheless. Because of this, women have to work harder than men to be recognized in the sport’s world. Simone Biles and Serena Williams are two of this generation’s most recognizable female athletes. Some of this is due to their skill, but much is due to their portrayal in the media. As Biles was making history as the most decorated American Olympic gymnast ever, the media was commenting on her family life. Williams has faced criticism throughout her career for her muscular body.  

“Too muscly and too masculine, and then a week later too racy and too sexy,” said professional tennis player Serena Williams.

Women off the field are subject to similar gender disparities. Female announcers have pushed their way to the top, but it hasn’t been easy. ESPNW contributor Shana Renee Stephenson publicized her struggles in the industry and the barriers she has faced as a woman in the male-dominated industry. She recalled an interview in which a potential employer expressed concerns about her reporting in male locker rooms.

“That was often a question that was raised in the interview process about my comfortability level as a woman reporting for a professional male team and being the only woman or being one of few,” said Stephenson.

While the majority of sports broadcasters are men, the women in these roles are just as qualified and should not be disregarded based on their biology. Beth Mowins recently became the first woman to announce an ESPN Monday Night Football game. She was only the second woman to announce an NFL game play-by-play during the regular season. Despite this, she was quickly criticized when Twitter users mocked her voice.

“‘It has nothing to do with you being a woman,’ they tell me, ‘I just can’t stand the sound of your voice,’” said Mowins.

Mowins was just doing her job. So was Jourdan Rodrigue, reporter for The Charlotte Observer, who was publically called out by Carolina Panther’s quarterback Cam Newton. In a postgame press conference, Rodrigue asked Newton about wide receiver Devin Funchess and routes. It was a legitimate question which Newton proceeded to answer, but not before a laugh and a sexist remark.

“It’s funny to hear a female talk about routes. It’s funny,” said Newton.

Immediately following the press conference, Newton did not apologize and Rodrigue tweeted her response.

“I don’t think it’s ‘funny’ to be a female and talk about routes. I think it’s my job,” said Rodrigue.

Newton issued an apology 24 hours later through a video on social media. The apology came after Panther’s head coach condemned the action and Dannon Oikos Yogurt began pulling their advertisements featuring Newton as a spokesperson.  

Women have come a long way in sports, but there is still room for progress. Recent events have shown that this is still a prevalent problem requiring a solution. For now, I will continue to support these strong, beautiful, empowering women as they pave the way for future generations.

This bill was brought into discussion after six high school student journalists in Kansas exposed the false credentials of their school’s newly hired principal. Kansas passed its version of this bill in 1997.

The current law, as it stands in Missouri, gives administrators the right to censor “sensitive material” in student publications. The 1988 Hazelwood decision set the precedent for these restrictions. The administration at East Hazelwood High School instructed their student publication to not publish two articles regarding divorce and teen pregnancy. Despite changing the names of the students in the article, the principal still did not allow for their publication. After going to the Supreme Court, Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier ultimately decided that students’ First Amendment rights are not violated by administrative censorship.

Missouri House Bill 441, colloquially called the Cronkite New Voices Act, strives to eliminate some of the vagueness that is in the current bill. It will apply only to content available to the entire student body in public high schools and higher institutions.

The bill lays out specific guidelines for when an administrator can and cannot censor content. Under this law, the school administration can refuse to publish content if they believe it to be libel or slander, an invasion of privacy, a violation of federal or state law or if it could incite students to violate school policy. The bill also states that the review of content by administrators before publication does not infringe on students’ first amendment rights, and the administrator can provide suggestions to present the material in a more professional way. It does not allow for the censorship of material based on the inclusion of sensitive or controversial topics.

HB 441 also provides instructions for administrative involvement beyond the content of the publication. Administrators can control how often the publication is produced, the format it will be produced in and how the publication will be structured. Student journalists will still maintain control of the news content and editorials published.

If this bill is passed, schools would not be able to discipline either the students or the advisors for publishing content that is deemed acceptable under the standards proposed in HB 441. The school district and the administration would not be held liable for the publication if lawsuits arise. Instead, this burden would be placed on the student journalists if they are over 18.

Ultimately, this bill calls for each school district to establish a written policy to define their own regulations and specifications for what is considered reasonable and appropriate.