Dear Sportscaster,
Our industry lacks diversity. It’s especially evident at the highest levels of play-by-play and sports talk radio.
Regretfully, STAA has reflected the disparity.
The first 12 Instagram Lives STAA hosted this year featured 11 men, one woman, one Hispanic.
Our April Sportscasting Summit featured nine sportscasters.
Nine white people. Two women. No People of Color.
No good.
We didn’t intend to be un-inclusive. Instead, we lacked sufficient self-awareness to realize that’s what was happening.
The fault is mine.
Of this year’s nearly 250 Jim Nantz Award applicants, three were black broadcasters.
Three.
Perhaps more didn’t apply because we didn’t make them feel welcome.
These mistakes were unintentional but mistakes nevertheless.
Current events have prompted us to look at what STAA can do better to promote equality.
The first thing you’ll notice moving forward is the promotion of diversity in our Instagram Lives, Twitter and Facebook channels.
The change won’t be a superficial “look what we’re doing” attempt to trend.
It will be a consistent tidal flow versus a tidal wave.
We can’t change the world but we will improve our community.
Moving forward we will lead by example.
You are a sportscaster. We embrace you.
– STAA Owner Jon Chelesnik, Amy, Melodie, & Jordan