Activists or cowards? That’s a thought that often crosses my mind about journalists who suddenly go quiet on pressing issues.
Do they dodge hard questions because they worry that the responses might challenge a position they stand behind? Or perhaps they’re simply afraid of the backlash from their colleagues?
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Take a look at the last couple of weeks, where three significant stories have drawn public interest while mainstream news outlets either ignored them or treated them too lightly.
Story No. 1: The WNBA’s national anthem walk-outs.
Before the first two games of the WNBA Finals, both the Atlanta Dream and the Golden State Valkyries walked off the court before the national anthem, returning only after it concluded. Strangely, aside from OutKick, I couldn’t find any mainstream media reports on this incident. While the San Jose Mercury News praised Alanis Morissette’s performance before Game 2, it seemed indifferent to the players’ absence during it. And a writer from SF Gate lamented that “conservative media can’t stop complaining” about the players leaving the floor.
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This topic is significant, and yet traditional reporters appear uninterested in reaching out to players or coaches for their perspectives. Dan Zaksheske from OutKick has been prepared with questions during press conferences, but he hasn’t been called on. Maybe the WNBA’s PR team fears he might make those they cover feel uneasy, yet they don’t seem concerned that other journalists might ask tough questions.
Story No. 2: Valkyries fans showed hostility toward attendees wearing XX-XY shirts during Game 1.
Jennifer Sey, founder of XX-XY Athletics, shared troubling footage from the Chase Center where a woman verbally attacked her for wearing a shirt supporting female-only sports. The video amassed four million views on X, but mainstream media largely skipped the story—there was no significant coverage or condemnation. Although Yahoo! Sports published a piece on the incident, the tone suggested the author was more against Sey than supportive.
“What Sey should truly grasp is that if her intent is to advance women’s sports, why revive controversies that should be behind us?” he noted. “At this point, the focus should be on the performance of the Valkyries and Dream.”
But the reality is, the discussion around males in female sports is ongoing, not a relic of the past. If you need evidence, just look at…
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Story No. 3: A high school cross country runner transitioned from the boys’ team to the girls’ team halfway through the season.
I’ve been following this story for a couple of weeks. After placing 76th in a boys’ JV race in September, a sophomore from Camas High in Washington decided to race against the girls. Since the switch, he has won a varsity meet and finished second in another race. Back in September, two girls from Skyview High protested by walking off when the race began, and just last week, about a dozen of his teammates did the same.
This issue has attracted national media attention. Various Fox News Channel programs have addressed it, as have commentators like Clay Travis and Riley Gaines. Yet, ESPN and The Athletic seem totally silent. While some Washington State newspapers like the Seattle Times have referenced the protests, there’s been no critical commentary on the boy’s participation from established media.
Not too long ago, I pointed out a new category that The Associated Press Sports Editors created for their annual writing contest: Excellence in Transgender Sports Coverage. If you read the introduction, you’ll see it favors stories glorifying trans athletes rather than allowing for constructive critique. The space for opposition is virtually non-existent; it’s mostly about acceptance.
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I’ve mentioned before that the merit of journalists should be assessed based on their writing and what they choose not to write. There are too many sports reporters who seem to think certain stories are better left untold. I think the reason is rather simple—they prioritize the opinions of their peers over those of the public. Whether that stems from activism or fear, it ultimately leads to the same result: the audience is shortchanged.
