Many of our writers are quick to stand on their soap box and smartly talk about the inequities in the sports we cover. It’s part of our role of being watchdogs. So, in a sense of transparency, we also like to shine the light back on ourselves.
And this is where you come in. APSE has once again commissioned the Institutute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports at the University of Central Florida to do a report card on the gender and racial makeup of our sports departments. This will be the third time and the results have been dismal, but it gives us the sense of measurement we need.
The project is headed by Richard Lapchick, who has long been the guardian of these kinds of studies. The data collection is being done by his Sport Management students under the direction of John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times, who also happens to still teach there. According to Lapchick, APSE is the only organization that has ever asked to have this study done.
"APSE can use Lapchick's work as a measuring stick," said APSE president Phil Kaplan. "We know we have to start moving a little faster, but also realize there is a problem. That's why APSE remains committed to SJI, NABJ, AWSM and the annual diversity day at Hampton University."
Some of you may have already been contacted. If you haven’t been, you will be. The information is pretty standard. It breaks it down by job description and it’s your job to then break it down by gender and ethnicity. The students are starting with an email and responding promptly to that will be the quickest way to be done with it. If there is no response, the phone calls will start and continue until the data is gathered. If your company does not allow you to give out this information — and there are a couple that do — just say so. But there has been a high participation rate in the past.
If you have questions about the project, you can call Cherwa at 213-237-3567 or drop him an email at john.cherwa@latimes.com
