Breaking Barriers as a Women Sports Reporter: The Sarah Todd Story
By: Kyle Garrison
Detailed notes in hand, prepared questions for post-game, and laptop at the ready, Sarah Todd gazes over the Delta Center from the press box, awaiting tip-off at another Utah Jazz home game. With trust among sources throughout the NBA and the ability to captivate readers, the two-time Utah Sports Writer of the Year and Deseret News Jazz beat writer has earned her place among the state's most respected journalists.
Starting off her career, Todd attended San Francisco University to pursue her journalism degree and, since 2012, has covered the Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers, and now the Jazz. Whether it be game recaps, feature stories, or draft updates, Todd has established herself in a field where women remain underrepresented. According to a 2022 report from the Pew Research Center, women make up less than 15% of sports department personnel at major publications nationwide.
Her path to NBA reporting wasn't always clear, however. Todd said she chose to pursue a career in sports journalism despite initial doubts from those around her. Her parents have always been supportive, she said, but they were initially concerned about whether she would find success as a sports reporter.
“They were under the impression sports journalism was a man’s world, and they were worried about me being able to make it,” she said.
Her parents' early concerns marked the first of many doubts Todd said she would face throughout her career, which continue today despite her accolades. She’s developed strategies over the years, she said, to combat moments of disrespect by remaining focused on her goals.
“Early in my career, I felt like I really needed to act like I was unbothered because if I didn’t, that would somehow diminish my abilities and people wouldn’t think that I was up for the task… I just think you have to have really thick skin if you’re going to be a woman who’s going to be anywhere near the sports industry.”
Todd said her ability to fight off the stereotypes and pursue her dreams did not come easily, however.
“You have to prove that you know more and that you’re more dedicated because the people that are hiring are often conditioned to believe that men are more qualified or more ready to deal with these jobs,” she said. “You just have to work harder, be more ready, and know more than everyone else.”
Stevie Shaughnessy graduated from the University of Utah in 2024 and has worked in sports journalism for five years. Shaughnessey has worked with Utah Athletics and as a color analyst for ESPN+ from August to November of 2024. Early in her career, Shaughnessey said she recognized some of the same roadblocks that Todd illustrated.
“[Instead of] hiring me for my expertise, they hire me because they have been looking for a woman's voice,” she said. “It’s kind of degrading … What about my qualifications and the five internships I have done? It seems like they're only hiring me because of my gender and not the work I have put in.”
Todd said she often encounters this dismissive attitude during her media work.
“There have been times where I get off of a radio call, and I will hear the host say things like, ‘Wow, she really knows her stuff,’” she said. “They would never say that about a male reporter. Yeah, I know my stuff; I’m the expert, and you called me to come on your show.”
Although the media pushes the narrative that women are becoming more represented in sports journalism, according to a study done by Zippia, in 2010 women made up 19.87% of all sports reporters and in 2020 decreased to just 18.03%.
As illustrated by the research done by Zippia, representation for women in sports has been an ongoing issue for many years now, and despite the progress that has been made, many major publications such as ESPN still fail to hire an equal number of men to women. In another study done by Zippia, ESPN’s employment is made up of 67% men and just 33% women despite their commitment to equal opportunity.
At the collegiate level, however, publications such as the Daily Utah Chronicle hire based on qualifications and expertise rather than other factors such as gender. Abbey Thomas, Chronicle sports editor, said she found support from her male colleagues rather than skepticism when applying for leadership roles.
“I was convinced I wouldn’t get the [assistant editor] position because I’m the only woman, and I didn’t know if I had proved myself yet,” she said. “But they took me on and were really supportive when it came to reporting on bigger sports like football and women’s basketball.”
Thomas's experience at the Daily Utah Chronicle shows progress at some media organizations and highlights the fact that with the right leadership, the hiring process will always allow for the best candidates to come to the top, regardless of gender. In Thomas’s role as the sports desk editor for the Chronicle, she has facilitated an environment where everyone feels like their voices are being heard regardless of demographics.
As Todd has progressed through her career, she said the negatives have only motivated her more and allowed for the positives to push her to continue breaking barriers. Todd's recent recognition as Utah Sports Writer of the Year for the second time in three years highlights both her individual achievement and the changing landscape for women in sports media.
“As far as professional accomplishments go, this feels like the most substantial,” she said. “I think, personally, my biggest accomplishment has been how well-sourced I've become in the NBA and the number of people that I can call and know will pick up. "That feels probably like more of an accomplishment than an accolade does."