The National Council for the Training of Journalists and Sky Sports News have produced a video encouraging more women to pursue a career in sports journalism.
The film features contributions from successful sports journalists working for Sky Sports News, BBC Radio 4, the Daily Mail and the Irish Post.
Sky Sports News presetner Jo Wilson (pictured) says on the video: "I think maybe ten, 20 years ago there was much more of a gender imbalance. I think that has changed dramatically so I’ve come into this environment where you don’t feel like you’re a minority.
“You just have to look around the Sky Sports newsroom to see that there are a lot of women who work here. So I think now more than ever there are opportunities no matter what gender you are and that’s because women before me have paved the path, so that people like me can now thrive in an environment like this.”
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Wilson, who completed her NCTJ training at Glasgow Caledonian University, added: “For any women thinking about getting involved in a career in sports journalism I would just say absolutely go for it.”
Daily Mail athletics correspondent Martha Kelner,a journalism student at the University of Sheffield, said: “I think the more women we can get in the entry level jobs, then the more chance there is for them to rise to the top.”
Sky Sports News executive editor Andy Cairns, who is also a trustee of the NCTJ and chairman of its accreditation board, said: “The accreditation board challenges courses to demonstrate that they are open to students from all classes and backgrounds in society.
"I’m especially keen to ensure training centres meet the target that 25 per cent of students on accredited sports journalism courses should be women by the end of this parliament.
“Currently over half of those on accredited journalism courses are female. But for accredited sports journalism courses, female students are too often greatly outnumbered by men.
“At Sky Sports News, we are proud that 30 per cent of Sky Sports News production staff are women and we now have a 50/50 gender split among our presenters. There is more work to be done and we need to build momentum by encouraging more women to think about sports journalism as a career.”
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