Podcast appearances and mentions of Melissa Ludtke

Author Elise Hart Kipness joins Sarah to talk about her transition from journalism to writing fiction, what it’s like to live vicariously through her book’s main character, and the story behind her latest thriller, Dangerous Play, in which reporter Kate Green discovers a dead body in the locker room while covering the USWNT at the Olympics. Plus, Caitlin Clark adds another honor to her resume, a game for the corn farmers among us, and some great books to cozy up by the fire with. Pick up a copy of Dangerous Play at your local bookstore or via this Bookshop.org link And make sure to check out our other Good Game book club books, too! Hail Mary: The Rise and Fall of the National Women's Football League by Frankie de la Cretaz and Lyndsey D'Arcangelo can be purchased here Locker Room Talk by Melissa Ludtke can be purchased here Standing Tall: A Memoir of Tragedy and Triumph by C. Vivian Stringer with Laura Tucker can be purchased here The National Team: The Inside Story of the Women Who Changed Soccer by Caitlin Murray can be purchased here Leave us a voicemail at 872-204-5070 or send us a note at goodgame@wondermedianetwork.com Follow Sarah on social! Bluesky: @sarahspain.bsky.social Instagram: @Spain2323 Follow producer Misha Jones! Bluesky: @mishthejrnalist.bsky.social Instagram: @mishthejrnalist TikTok: @mishthejrnalist Follow producer Alex Azzi! Bluesky: @byalexazzi.bsky.social See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode, we're joined by North Carolina State University student journalist Erin Ferrare. Erin is a junior majoring in science, technology, and society with a specialization in science and technical writing.She's also a sports writer for Technician, the school newspaper at NC State. She recently wrote a piece 'The Invisible Girl on Press Row' about the contrast in experiences between male and female writers in covering college sports and the Carolina Hurricanes.And she's also written about how men's sports at her school have been more highlighted at her school than on social media.Erin has also worked in science communication both at her school and at Yale.I learned of Erin through Melissa Ludtke's newsletter, Let's Row Together – Melissa is a pioneer among women in sports journalism.We talked to Erin about both her sportswriting and science writing experiences (an example of the latter, here), how she views her purpose as a journalist, and more.Erin's salutes: Any woman pushing boundaries in women's sports and also research communication lead Matt Shipman.Thank you as always for listening. Please send us feedback to journalismsalute@gmail.com Visit our website: thejournalismsalute.org Mark's website (MarkSimonmedia.com)Tweet us at @journalismpod and Bluesky at @marksimon.bsky.socialSubscribe to our newsletter– journalismsalute.substack.com

Author and journalist Melissa Ludtke joins Daniel Ford on the show to discuss her book Locker Room Talk: A Woman's Struggle to Get Inside. To learn more about Melissa Ludtke, visit her official website. Photo credit: Stan Grossfeld Writer's Bone is proudly sponsored by Libro.fm, Authors for Voices of Color Auction, The Stacks Podcast, As Told To: The Ghostwriting Podcast, and The Shit No One Tells You About Writing. 

Introducing The Toy Department with Elise Hart Kipness from Good Game with Sarah Spain.Follow the show: Good Game with Sarah SpainAuthor Elise Hart Kipness joins Sarah to talk about her transition from journalism to writing fiction, what it’s like to live vicariously through her book’s main character, and the story behind her latest thriller, Dangerous Play, in which reporter Kate Green discovers a dead body in the locker room while covering the USWNT at the Olympics. Plus, Caitlin Clark adds another honor to her resume, a game for the corn farmers among us, and some great books to cozy up by the fire with. Pick up a copy of Dangerous Play at your local bookstore or via this Bookshop.org link And make sure to check out our other Good Game book club books, too! Hail Mary: The Rise and Fall of the National Women's Football League by Frankie de la Cretaz and Lyndsey D'Arcangelo can be purchased here Locker Room Talk by Melissa Ludtke can be purchased here Standing Tall: A Memoir of Tragedy and Triumph by C. Vivian Stringer with Laura Tucker can be purchased here The National Team: The Inside Story of the Women Who Changed Soccer by Caitlin Murray can be purchased here Leave us a voicemail at 872-204-5070 or send us a note at goodgame@wondermedianetwork.com Follow Sarah on social! Bluesky: @sarahspain.bsky.social Instagram: @Spain2323 Follow producer Misha Jones! Bluesky: @mishthejrnalist.bsky.social Instagram: @mishthejrnalist TikTok: @mishthejrnalist Follow producer Alex Azzi! Bluesky: @byalexazzi.bsky.social See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to team@podroll.fm.

Things have been changing for women in and around sports. Today, women can coach, manage and report on both men's and women's teams — but that wasn't always the case. And for women taking on the role of reporter, getting in was a struggle. Journalist and author Melissa Ludtke is one of the women who paved the way and knows what the fight was like.

Sports and politics don't mix. In truth, that has never been the case. Sports, in fact, reflect every issue, every conflict in society from civil rights to equal justice. Melissa Ludtke knows this from experience. In the 1970's, when she was trying to cover Major League Baseball for Sports Illustrated, her path to doing the job – which required equal access to the players – was blocked by a powerful and inflexible commissioner. The battle mirrored America's burgeoning women's movement, and ultimately ended up in federal court, presided over by a judge with her own civil rights experience. Ludtke tells the story in “Locker Room Talk: A Woman's Struggle to Get Inside,” and on this episode of Equal Time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sports and politics don't mix. In truth, that has never been the case. Sports, in fact, reflect every issue, every conflict in society from civil rights to equal justice. Melissa Ludtke knows this from experience. In the 1970's, when she was trying to cover Major League Baseball for Sports Illustrated, her path to doing the job – which required equal access to the players – was blocked by a powerful and inflexible commissioner. The battle mirrored America's burgeoning women's movement, and ultimately ended up in federal court, presided over by a judge with her own civil rights experience. Ludtke tells the story in “Locker Room Talk: A Woman's Struggle to Get Inside,” and on this episode of Equal Time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a break from our usual focus, Melissa Ludtke joins the show to discuss her book "Locker Room Talk: A Woman's Struggle To Get Inside," her landmark case that won equal rights for female reporters and how she has seen the shape of women in sports media change over the years. Olivia Reiner, who covers the Eagles for the Philadelphia Inquirer, joins the discussion as the echoes of Ludtke's fight in 1977 are still reverberating today.

In her new book, “Locker Room: A Woman's Struggle To Get Inside,” Melissa Ludtke recounts the story of her groundbreaking legal case against officials in Major League Baseball, who denied women access to teams' locker rooms. She won her case, and the ruling opened doors for the hundreds of female sports journalists who came after her. 

Melissa Ludtke, award-winning journalist and author of the recently released book, Locker Room Talk: A Woman's Struggle to Get Inside, joins Sarah to discuss a serendipitous meeting that helped her realize sports media was her calling, being the only woman assigned to cover Major League Baseball full-time for Sports Illustrated in the mid-70s, and filing – and WINNING – a lawsuit against the MLB. Plus, some folks really don't understand the concept of personal space. Grab your copy of Melissa's book here We love to hear from our slices! Leave us a voicemail at 872-204-5070 or send us a note at goodgame@wondermedianetwork.com  Follow Sarah on social! X: @SarahSpain Instagram: @Spain2323 Follow producer Misha Jones! X: @mishthejrnalist Instagram: @mishthejrnalist TikTok: @mishthejrnalist Follow producer Alex Azzi! X: @ByAlexAzzi See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Things have been changing for women in and around sports. Today, women can coach, manage, and report on both men's and women's teams — but that wasn't always the case. And for women taking on the role of reporter, getting in was a struggle. Journalist and author Melissa Ludtke is one of the women who paved the way and knows what the fight was like.

Today: Comedian Lewis Black is in town for two shows at The Wilbur this weekend. He Zooms in to tell us all about his final comedy tour: “Goodbye Yeller Brick Road”And, trailblazing sports journalist Melissa Ludtke joins us ahead of two events in Massachusetts promoting her book “Locker Room Talk: A Woman's Struggle to Get Inside” – all about her fight for equal access in Major League Baseball.

9/24/24: Political expert Josh Silver: the polls today. MHC Physics Prof Kerstin Nordstrom & Amherst Geology Prof Nick Holschuh -- the shrinking Antarctic Ice Sheet & rising sea levels. Duke Goldman w/ Melissa Ludtke: "Locker Room Talk— A Woman's Struggle to Get Inside." Dr. John Berger: politics & the climate crisis.

9/24/24: Political expert Josh Silver: the polls today. MHC Physics Prof Kerstin Nordstrom & Amherst Geology Prof Nick Holschuh -- the shrinking Antarctic Ice Sheet & rising sea levels. Duke Goldman w/ Melissa Ludtke: "Locker Room Talk— A Woman's Struggle to Get Inside." Dr. John Berger: politics & the climate crisis.

9/24/24: Political expert Josh Silver: the polls today. MHC Physics Prof Kerstin Nordstrom & Amherst Geology Prof Nick Holschuh -- the shrinking Antarctic Ice Sheet & rising sea levels. Duke Goldman w/ Melissa Ludtke: "Locker Room Talk— A Woman's Struggle to Get Inside." Dr. John Berger: politics & the climate crisis.

9/24/24: Political expert Josh Silver: the polls today. MHC Physics Prof Kerstin Nordstrom & Amherst Geology Prof Nick Holschuh -- the shrinking Antarctic Ice Sheet & rising sea levels. Duke Goldman w/ Melissa Ludtke: "Locker Room Talk— A Woman's Struggle to Get Inside." Dr. John Berger: politics & the climate crisis.

Sean throws a quality start with the story of baseball writer and journalist Melissa Ludtke. Her love of baseball lead her to write for Sports Illustrated but a confrontation with Bowie Kuhn during the 1977 World Series changed baseball for the better and set a precedent for women reporters everywhere. https://www.melissaludtke.com/locker-room-talk

Relying on a near half-century of deep research and reflection, Melissa Ludtke recounts her landmark federal case in “Locker Room Talk.” In 1977 and '78, as a Sports Illustrated reporter, Ludtke was the winning plaintiff in Ludtke v. Kuhn, a U.S. federal case that Time Inc. and lawyer Fritz Schwarz Jr. brought against Major League Baseball. In the courtroom, Justice Constance Baker Motley — a civil rights icon  — found that MLB commissioner Bowie Kuhn had violated Kuhn's constitutional rights by denying her the same access the male reporters had at Yankee Stadium during the '77 World Series. Neither the legal win nor the affray in the court of public opinion came easily. But within a decade, Ludtke notes, the ranks of female sports journalists had increased enough to start AWSM (Association of Women in Sports Media). Ludtke, a former TIME magazine correspondent, has also worked at Nieman Labs. She lives in Massachusetts and writes the Let's Row Together newsletter on Substack.

There are no reporters more integral to the actual history of how baseball is covered today than Melissa Ludtke (@MelissaLudtke on social media). Ludtke's brave fight against Bowie Kuhn and major league baseball opened clubhoouses to all reporters, regardless of gender, and made it possible for women to cover the game every day. Her new book, Locker Room Talk: A Woman's Struggle To Get Inside, chronicles how this crucial fight was won and its repercussions across sports, popular culture, and Ludtke's personal life. It's a great conversation with a true pioneer, whose heroism and sacrifice made today's media landscape possible. Plus, happy birthday to Ken Forsch and Roger Maris! And farewell to Nelson Chittum, Mel Held, Bob Chlupsa, and Jerry Walker.

Mike and Bobby reviewed the Saints' 30-27 loss to Tennessee in their preseason finale. The guys gave players that made a statement before the team's 53-man roster cut deadline on Tuesday. Bobby explained that he's not worried about New Orleans' linebacker corps and Mike criticized the Saints' inconsistent punters. Bobby said Taysom Hill is New Orleans' RB2 behind Alvin Kamara. Dave Hilbert, the marketing manager of The Silver Slipper, joined Bobby and Mike to recap the Saints' loss to Tennessee and preview LSU's season-opener vs. USC. The guys expressed concern with the Tigers' special teams unit, a weakness under head coach Brian Kelly. John Hendrix, the lead writer for Saints News Network, broke down the upcoming roster cut deadline around the NFL with Bobby and Mike. Ross Dellenger, a Yahoo Sports college football writer, previewed week one of the 2024 college football season with Bobby and Mike. Dellenger shared his thoughts on LSU's matchup with USC, Garrett Nussmeier's patience, and the Tigers' projected record for the 2024 season. Bobby and Mike celebrated Dylan Crews' MLB debut with the Washington Nationals. Melissa Ludtke, the author of "Locker Room Talk: A Woman's Struggle to Get Inside," promoted her new book about Ludtke v. Kuhn, a civil rights case against the MLB in the 1970s.

Melissa Ludtke, the author of "Locker Room Talk: A Woman's Struggle to Get Inside," joined Bobby and Mike to promote her new book about Ludtke v. Kuhn, a civil rights case against the MLB in the 1970s. Ludtke explained that the judge ordered Bowie Kuhn, a former MLB commissioner, to ensure women were given equal access to interview players in the locker room. Ludtke also shared her thoughts on Caitlin Clark, the rise of female coaches, and the MLB's decline under Kuhn.

Bobby and Mike projected an 18-game NFL regular season with two bye weeks in the near future. They celebrated the start of Dylan Crews and Paul Skenes' MLB careers and remembered Deion Sanders' comments about hitting major league pitching. Bobby criticized Deshaun Watson for "stealing money" from the Cleveland Browns. Melissa Ludtke, the author of "Locker Room Talk: A Woman's Struggle to Get Inside," joined Bobby and Mike to promote her new book about Ludtke v. Kuhn, a civil rights case against the MLB in the 1970s. Ludtke explained that the judge ordered Bowie Kuhn, a former MLB commissioner, to ensure women were given equal access to interview players in the locker room. Ludtke also shared her thoughts on Caitlin Clark, the rise of female coaches, and the MLB's decline under Kuhn. The guys previewed LSU's season-opener vs. USC. 

Episode 420 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Melissa Ludtke, the author of “Locker Room Talk: A Women's Struggle To Get Inside.” The book recounts Ludtke's journey as a 26-year-old Sports Illustrated reporter who sued (and won) a gender discrimination case against Bowie Kuhn and Major League Baseball. The decision opened up MLB locker rooms for women reporters. In this podcast, Ludtke discusses her book and why she wrote it today; what it was like to be female reporter covering baseball in 1977; why she brought to her case to court; the environment for women in baseball today; how to promote a book without a big publicity department, and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

My interview with Melissa Ludtke, author of "Locker Room Talk: A Woman's Struggle to Get Inside" --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lights-camera-author/support

On this week's episode of SABRcast Rob Neyer is joined by baseball journalist Melissa Ludtke. The pair discuss Melissa's start in the business, early successes covering baseball on a national stage, and how she ended up at the center of a battle to provide all reporters access to baseball club houses around the league. For show notes, extra content, and a list of what Rob's reading, visit the SABRcast website at https://sabr.org/sabrcast.

Melissa Ludtke is a life-long Red Sox fan from Cambridge, Massachusetts and a former baseball reporter/researcher with Sports Illustrated in the 1970s. Her upcoming book: Locker Room Talk: A Woman's Struggle to Get Inside will be released next summer and details her 1978 US court case vs MLB commissioner Bowie Kuhn and Major League Baseball. The landmark case is responsible for providing equal access to all reporters in baseball, and created ripple effects still felt across the entire sports landscape. We discuss how Melissa got her start in sports journalism, the lawsuit, and what it was like to cover baseball in the 70s. Melissa also shares her best advice for folks who want to get involved in sports journalism or whatever they are passionate about. Use RUSA30 at checkout to get 30% off + free shipping when you pre-order Melissa's new book: https://www.rutgersuniversitypress.org/locker-room-talk/9781978837782/Find Melissa Online: Website: melissaludtke.comSubstack: melissaludtke.substack.comTwitter: @MelissaLudtkeFacebook: @MelissaLudtkeMemoirFind Baseball Bucket List Online:Twitter: @BaseballBucketFacebook: @BaseballBucketListInstagram: @Baseball.Bucket.ListWebsite: baseballbucketlist.comThis podcast is part of the Curved Brim Media Network:Twitter: @CurvedBrimWebsite: curvedbrimmedia.com

Some people podcast about history. Some people witness it. Melissa Ludtke (@MelissaLudtke) made it happen, successfully fighting back against Bowie Kuhn and Major League Baseball to ensure women in journalism could be on equal footing with male sportswriters. Mike, Bill and Mike Duncan (@MikeDuncan) talk with her about that experience, about the importance of representation for women in baseball, and about the book she is working on. This episode is powered by Stathead. Go to Stathead.com and use code HISTORY to get 25% off.

Minor League settlements, Flying Hot Dogs, Bat Boys & The LawThe Honorable Lou Schiff,  Judge in Broward County Florida. A Marlins fan who is also a professor who teaches a course on Baseball and the Law at Mitchell Hamline School of Law Part 1 of the Lou Schiff interview can be found hereLou has a variety of special professional guests for his classBob Whitsitt – GM & President of several teams including Trail Blazers & Seattle SeahawksMelissa Ludtke, Sports Journalist – won lawsuit be allowed in MLB locker rooms. @MelissaLudtkeAdam Hanson, Attorney & former Twins Bat Boy for for 11 years @adam_hanson1 Stew Thornley – Official Scorer for Twins & helps write the explanation of the rules for MLB and on appeals committee for scoring decisions @stewthornleySt. Paul Saints – most wonderful hostsMinor LeaguesTreatment of Minor Leaguers & 185 million dollar settlementManfred believes Minor Leaguers are not mistreatedMinor Leaguers are asking for more. Not an internship. This is a job.They are asking for more than just PBJ sandwiches & 400 mile bus ridesTom Whaley attorney for Twins, CHS on building a community ball park with state & private funds.  St Paul Saints, Twins Affilate, are drawing 8,000 attendance @StPaulSaints Minnesota NICEDerek Jeter, The Captain & ESPN – will they cover his time with the Marlins? Freddie Freeman's agent defamation suit – Can agent be considered a public official or a private person. The Baseball Rule – assumption of risk when you buy a ticket.  Flying hot dog liability? Special Thanks to Lou Schiff for sharing his knowledge, stories and experience with the @TheBaseballBiz audience.You can find Lou daily on Twitter @BaseballandLawPart 1 of the Lou Schiff interview is here  BaseballBiz is also on iheartradio, Stitcher, Apple, Spotify & Google podcasts & @TheBaseballBiz on Twitter   We welcome you to like, subscribe and remark about BaseballBiz.Let us know your thoughts about the show. Special thanks to XTaKeRuX for the music "Rocking Forward"

En esta primera edición de la serie sobre los casos de derecho deportivo, hablamos del caso Ludtke versus Kuhn con una invitada especial de lujo, la misma protagonista del caso: Melissa Ludtke. El podcast combina inglés con español.

In 1977, Melissa Ludtke, a Sports Illustrated baseball reporter, was told that she was banned from reporting in the locker rooms because she was a woman. In 1978, she went to court with the federal case Ludtke v. Kuhn and won, creating an equal access policy for reporters in Major League Baseball. She took the time to share her entire story from start to finish, discussing the exclusion she and the other women in the “male-dominated culture” felt, along with what still needs to change today.

This week we speak to Melissa Ludtke about her legendary career, her iconic lawsuit that broke many barriers for women sportswriters, and women in sports broadly. We talk to Melissa about the elevation of Kim Ng to general manager of the Marlins, the first in North American male sports.  We also have “Choice Words” about Colin Kaepernick’s decision to highlight political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal and the struggle of political prisoners everywhere. In addition, we have “Just Stand Up” and “Just Sit Down” awards to the young men at the NBA Draft that displayed black lives matter on such an important day in their young lives and the locker room culture at Penn State, an institution that finds itself under scrutiny again due to heinous allegations. All this and more on this week’s show! Melissa Ludtke Twitter: @MelissaLudtke (https://twitter.com/MelissaLudtke/status/1330294554931638275) https://baseballhall.org/discover/short-stops/melissa-ludtke Zirin, Colin Kaepernick Speaks Out for Mumia Abu-Jamal https://www.thenation.com/article/society/colin-kaepernick-mumia-abu-jamal/ — http://www.edgeofsportspodcast.com/ | http://twitter.com/EdgeOfSportsPod | http://fb.com/edgeofsportspod | email us: edgeofsports@gmail.com | Edge of Sports hotline: 401-426-3343 (EDGE)

This week we speak to Melissa Ludtke about her legendary career, her iconic lawsuit that broke many barriers for women sportswriters, and women in sports broadly. We talk to Melissa about the elevation of Kim Ng to general manager of the Marlins, the first in North American male sports.  We also have “Choice Words” about Colin Kaepernick’s decision to highlight political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal and the struggle of political prisoners everywhere. In addition, we have “Just Stand Up” and “Just Sit Down” awards to the young men at the NBA Draft that displayed black lives matter on such an important day in their young lives and the locker room culture at Penn State, an institution that finds itself under scrutiny again due to heinous allegations. All this and more on this week’s show! Melissa Ludtke Twitter: @MelissaLudtke (https://twitter.com/MelissaLudtke/status/1330294554931638275) https://baseballhall.org/discover/short-stops/melissa-ludtke Zirin, Colin Kaepernick Speaks Out for Mumia Abu-Jamal https://www.thenation.com/article/society/colin-kaepernick-mumia-abu-jamal/ — http://www.edgeofsportspodcast.com/ | http://twitter.com/EdgeOfSportsPod | http://fb.com/edgeofsportspod | email us: edgeofsports@gmail.com | Edge of Sports hotline: 401-426-3343 (EDGE)

我們開新單元啦！葫蘆裡賣什麼藥？聽了就知道！ 聽眾信箱 https://hitomlb.com/mailbox-1f53ab352061

On her 1977 lawsuit that resulted in women reporters being allowed to enter Major League clubhouses; on why male media members were so reluctant to change; on an openminded Billy Martin and a resistant Bowie Kuhn.

Veteran sports columnist Gene Collier joins Tim to talk about the ubiquitous locker room interview and how it changed the way the world learns about and sees sports. Gene tells stories of his own memorable experiences as a journalist interviewing athletes and coaches before and after some of the biggest events of their lives. In this episode we talk about the first locker room interview pioneer, and the time when female journalists gained access to team locker rooms. https://traffic.libsyn.com/shapingopinion/Locker_Room_Full_auphonic.mp3 Dick Young started as a statistician in the sports department at the New York Daily News in 1943. Not long after that, he worked his way up to become the beat reporter for the then Brooklyn Dodgers, one of the most prized beats in all of Major League Baseball and sports reporting. It was in that role that Dick did something that would change the way the media would cover sports. He went into the team locker room before and after games to get interviews with players and coaches. Before that, a lot of sports coverage didn't even include quotes from the players and coaches. The sports reporters would cover the games according primarily only to what they saw and how they analyzed the game. Dick Young is the one who took the fans into the locker room. After he did so, it would be nearly impossible to enter a locker room before or after any major sporting event and not see writers, photographers, and TV and radio reporters, crowded in locker rooms or around the locker of the player who just won…or lost… the game for his team. For years, the teams and sports leagues would not allow female reporters in the locker rooms, giving their male counterparts and edge in getting highly prized interviews and scoops. Then in 1977, during the baseball World Series, the league refused to allow Melissa Ludtke into the locker rooms of both teams – the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers. She was working for Sports Illustrated at that time. After that, both Ludtke and the owner of Sports Illustrated, Time, Inc., filed a lawsuit against Major League Baseball. A year later, a federal judge ruled against Major League Baseball's ban against allowing female reporters in locker rooms. That opened the doors to the locker room to female journalists. Since then, sports have changed, rules have changed, but one thing that hasn't is the omnipresence of reporters in locker rooms. Links Gene Collier Some of Gene's Columns, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Daily News Sports Writers - especially Dick Young - Forever Changed How Newspapers Covered new York Teams, NY Daily News Dick Young's America - The Reactionary Who Changed Sportswriting, Deadspin  The Naked Truth About Locker Room Interviews, Columbia Journalism Review About this Episode's Guest Gene Collier Gene Collier has written sports, politics, and media criticism in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia for more than 30 years and has twice been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, losing spectacularly both times. He has a journalism degree from Penn State. Gene has been a popular guest on area radio stations including the WDVE Radio's Morning Show, delivering his comical views on Pittsburgh and its sports teams. Gene's comedy lampoons family life, media culture, music, sports, and politics. His writing popularity has led into a secondary career as a stand-up comic and corporate speaker. @GeneCollier

Veteran sports columnist Gene Collier joins Tim to talk about the ubiquitous locker room interview and how it changed the way the world learns about and sees sports. Gene tells stories of his own memorable experiences as a journalist interviewing athletes and coaches before and after some of the biggest events of their lives. In this episode we talk about the first locker room interview pioneer, and the time when female journalists gained access to team locker rooms. https://traffic.libsyn.com/shapingopinion/Locker_Room_Full_auphonic.mp3 Dick Young started as a statistician in the sports department at the New York Daily News in 1943. Not long after that, he worked his way up to become the beat reporter for the then Brooklyn Dodgers, one of the most prized beats in all of Major League Baseball and sports reporting. It was in that role that Dick did something that would change the way the media would cover sports. He went into the team locker room before and after games to get interviews with players and coaches. Before that, a lot of sports coverage didn’t even include quotes from the players and coaches. The sports reporters would cover the games according primarily only to what they saw and how they analyzed the game. Dick Young is the one who took the fans into the locker room. After he did so, it would be nearly impossible to enter a locker room before or after any major sporting event and not see writers, photographers, and TV and radio reporters, crowded in locker rooms or around the locker of the player who just won…or lost… the game for his team. For years, the teams and sports leagues would not allow female reporters in the locker rooms, giving their male counterparts and edge in getting highly prized interviews and scoops. Then in 1977, during the baseball World Series, the league refused to allow Melissa Ludtke into the locker rooms of both teams – the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers. She was working for Sports Illustrated at that time. After that, both Ludtke and the owner of Sports Illustrated, Time, Inc., filed a lawsuit against Major League Baseball. A year later, a federal judge ruled against Major League Baseball’s ban against allowing female reporters in locker rooms. That opened the doors to the locker room to female journalists. Since then, sports have changed, rules have changed, but one thing that hasn’t is the omnipresence of reporters in locker rooms. Links Gene Collier Some of Gene's Columns, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Daily News Sports Writers - especially Dick Young - Forever Changed How Newspapers Covered new York Teams, NY Daily News Dick Young's America - The Reactionary Who Changed Sportswriting, Deadspin  The Naked Truth About Locker Room Interviews, Columbia Journalism Review About this Episode's Guest Gene Collier Gene Collier has written sports, politics, and media criticism in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia for more than 30 years and has twice been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize, losing spectacularly both times. He has a journalism degree from Penn State. Gene has been a popular guest on area radio stations including the WDVE Radio’s Morning Show, delivering his comical views on Pittsburgh and its sports teams. Gene’s comedy lampoons family life, media culture, music, sports, and politics. His writing popularity has led into a secondary career as a stand-up comic and corporate speaker. @GeneCollier

During the World Series in 1977, Melissa Ludtke, a credentialed writer for Sports Illustrated, was denied entrance to the teams' clubhouses in the wake of Game 6, while her male colleagues were invited in with open arms. This touched off a legal battle that ended 40 years ago, when the courts ordered MLB to provide equal access for reporters who are women. Yahoo! Sports's Liz Roscher (@lizroscher) joins Mike and Bill this week to talk about Ludtke and her fight, and the uphill battle women still have to be involved in a sport that sometimes acts like it doesn't want them. Plus, happy birthday to Ferris Fain and Roy Thomas.

In 1976 Melissa Ludtke was the only woman working as a full-time baseball reporter. She tried to nicely integrate herself into the institution of baseball, but when the commissioner banned her from a stadium for entering the locker room, she wound up the plaintiff in a discrimination suit that opened up the sport to women reporters forever. Episode Sponsor: LOLA -- monthly subscription for organic tampons, pads, and more. Save 40% off all subscriptions when you go to mylola.com & use BEARCAT at checkout.

We are coming up on the 40th anniversary of the landmark victory of Ludkte v. Kuhn. Melissa Ludtke, at the time a 20-something sports reporter for Sports Illustrated, was barred from entering the Yankees clubhouse while on assignment during the World Series. MLB policies banned women from locker rooms at the time. Ludtke’s suit was […] The post Leveling The Playing Field: Melissa Ludtke appeared first on Radio Influence.

This week, Julie investigates the history of the trailblazing female sports reporters who gained access to locker rooms. Julie also speaks with one of those trailblazers, Melissa Ludtke.

My interview today is with Melissa Ludtke, a journalist who has reported for Sports Illustrated, been a correspondent for Time, worked at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism, and is also the creator of a transmedia project called Touching Home in China. But in today's interview we're talking about life in her twenties, and Melissa's was marked by the famous 1978 court case Ludtke v. Kuhn in which she, a young journalist backed by her employers, Sports Illustrated and Time Inc., sued the Major League Baseball Commissioner for the right to report from players' locker rooms. Melissa is at work writing a memoir about this experience, and I can't. Wait. To. Read. It. Melissa didn't fall into sports reporting so easily. She had graduated and wasn't quite sure what she wanted to do next when she had a chance encounter with football player and commentator Frank Gifford, who told her she knew a lot about sports—for a girl. Melissa decided that sports journalism was going to be it, and Gifford invited her to New York City to tour ABC Sports. Despite having a foot in the door, Melissa didn't get a job at ABC Sports right away because—twist!—the women's movement had started, and companies were coming under fire for putting women who had college degrees in administrative work. First she had to pay her dues as a secretary for Harper's Bazaar (which, I guess, didn't care about that). But when Melissa wasn't working, she'd shadow at ABC, absorbing as much as she could. Melissa ended up at Sports Illustrated as a researcher/reporter, and using her press pass, spent night after night at the ballpark. There was just one problem: Because she was a woman, Melissa wasn't allowed to go into the players' locker room for interviews before the game started (this was after batting practice—no one was naked!). If one of her male cohorts couldn't persuade a player to step outside and do an interview with Melissa, she didn't get any work done that day. But Melissa didn't make waves—it wasn't her style—and she didn't stop showing up. And then, a breakthrough that signaled her go-slow approach was working: Mickey Morabito, the Yankees' PR director, asked her if she'd like to join the men reporters in Yankees manager Billy Martin's office after games to do interviews. And for the 1977 World Series, both teams—the Yankees and Dodgers—agreed to allow Melissa access to their locker rooms to report. Unfortunately, that wouldn't come to pass. The baseball commissioner banned Melissa from the locker rooms during the World Series because she was a woman. And so, Melissa became the face of a lawsuit against Major League Baseball for equal rights. This episode was produced by Erin McKinstry. Our music, from Blue Dot Sessions, is called The Zeppelin. This interview was recorded with the help of Google Hangouts. Logo by Theresa Berens of Boss Dotty.

Andrew Brandt interviews Melissa Ludtke in his class on Sports Law for the Jeffrey S. Moorad Center at Villanova University.

Andrew Brandt interviews Melissa Ludtke in his class on Sports Law for the Jeffrey S. Moorad Center at Villanova University.

In 1978, US female sports journalists won a major victory in their fight to do their jobs in the same way as men. US sports had a tradition of allowing reporters to do interviews in the dressing-room after big games. Women were not allowed in until baseball reporter Melissa Ludtke's case went to court. Ludtke and pioneering American Football journalist Lesley Visser talk to Nija Dalal-Small. The programme is a Sparklab Production. (Photo: Melissa Ludtke in the 1970s. Credit: Associated Press)

We are talking Baseball with former pitcher Tommy John and former Sports Illustrated sports reporter and women in the locker room pioneer Melissa Ludtke!  We’ll be discussing the World Series and the evolution of the game!  We may also have a special surprised guest! On a sad note, this will also be HWTP Sports Talk co-host Bill Gutman’s last show for a while.  He’s leaving to focus on his Mike Fargo Mystery Series as well as other book projects.  Join us in wishing Bill well and support his books here http://mikefargo.com/. Melissa Ludtke, a true pioneer: Suit Won Entry To Locker Room http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1988-09-18/features/8801310839_1_male-sportswriters-locker-room-reporters