Christine Brennan

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Christine Brennan
Christine Brennan at Tokyo Olympics.jpg
Christine Brennan at the Tokyo Olympics, August 2021
Born (1958-05-14) May 14, 1958 (age 66)
Toledo, Ohio, U.S.
Alma mater Northwestern University (BA, MA)
OccupationSports journalist
Years active1981–present
Known forFirst president of the Association for Women in Sports Media
Notable workBest Seat in the House (memoir) and national bestseller Inside Edge, the first journalistic book on the sport of Olympic figure skating

Christine Brennan (born May 14, 1958) is a sports columnist for USA Today , a commentator on ABC News, CNN, PBS NewsHour and NPR, and a best-selling author. She was the first female sports reporter for the Miami Herald in 1981, the first woman at the Washington Post on the Washington Redskins beat in 1985, [1] and the first president of the Association for Women in Sports Media [2] in 1988. Brennan won the 2020 Red Smith Award, presented annually by the Associated Press Sports Editors to a person who has made "major contributions to sports journalism."

Contents

Career

Brennan received bachelor's and master's degrees from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. [3] After graduating, she began working for the Miami Herald , becoming the Herald's first female sports reporter in 1981. She covered the Miami Hurricanes during their trip to the 1984 Orange Bowl national championship game, after which she wrote her first book, The Miracle of Miami. [4] At the game, she connected with former classmate Michael Wilbon, who recommended her to his Washington Post editors; she joined the Post's sports staff shortly thereafter. [5] She covered the Washington Redskins beat for three years, [6] then moved on to covering the Olympic Games. She worked for the Post for 12 years before joining USA Today as its national sports columnist in 1997. [7]

She has written seven books on sports, including best-selling Inside Edge, about Olympic figure skating, which was named one of the top 100 sports books of all time by Sports Illustrated in 2002. [8] She is an on-air commentator for ABC News, CNN, PBS NewsHour, and NPR. [1] She has covered every Olympic Games, summer and winter, since the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

Advocacy

In 1988, Brennan was elected the first president of the Association for Women in Sports Media. [2] A longtime advocate for women in sports journalism, she started AWSM's scholarship-internship program for female journalism students, which has now honored 200 students. She funds two of the scholarships, which are named after her late parents. [9] In 2023, she came back to AWSM's leadership as chair of the board.

Brennan is currently working on an unauthorized book on Caitlin Clark and the revolution in women's sports to be published by Scribner in 2025. [10] During the 2024 WNBA season, Brennan’s reporting and social media activity primarily centered on Clark, with other WNBA players primarily discussed in relation to their thoughts or interactions with her. [11] [12] Questions about Brennan’s impartiality and potential bias, particularly in relation to racial dynamics, surfaced during the 2024 WNBA season when she questioned DiJonai Carrington about an incident in which Carrington accidentally poked Clark in the eye. Brennan implied that Carrington and her teammate were laughing in response to the incident, sparking further scrutiny of her coverage. [13] It was later noted that the players were performing the "3 to the dome" gesture, [14] popularized by NBA player Carmelo Anthony. [15] [16] The Women's National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) issued a statement criticizing Brennan’s coverage, arguing that it perpetuated a misleading narrative and fueled harmful online commentary. They described the interview as unprofessional and suggested it overlooked broader racial dynamics in the league. [17] In response, USA Today and other media outlets defended Brennan, maintaining that her questioning adhered to journalistic standards. [18] Discussions about potential bias have persisted, particularly due to Brennan’s focus on Clark and her concurrent work on a book about the player, which has led to questions about the perceived objectivity of her coverage during the season. [19] [20]

Personal life

Brennan is from Toledo, Ohio. Her relationship with her father in the context of sports fandom is covered in her memoir, Best Seat in the House. [21] Brennan is a member of the Board of Trustees of Northwestern University and is a former national trustee at the University of Toledo. [22]

Awards

[23]

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References

  1. 1 2 "My Washington: Christine Brennan" . Retrieved January 18, 2016.
  2. 1 2 Chambers, Deborah; Steiner, Linda; Fleming, Carole (June 17, 2004). Women and Journalism. Routledge. ISBN   9780415274456.
  3. ↑ "USA Today columnist Christine Brennan speaks about the role of women in sports media". The Daily Northwestern. September 28, 2015. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Forever Entwined". tribunedigital-sunsentinel. Archived from the original on October 4, 2015. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
  5. ↑ "George Solomon and the Washington Post Sports Section Have Had Influence Everywhere in Media". The Big Lead. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
  6. ↑ Frantz, Bryan. "Manley, Ewing Among 2016 D.C. Sports Hall of Fame Class" . Retrieved January 18, 2016.
  7. ↑ "Still No Cheering in the Press Box: Christine Brennan". Shirley Povich Center for Sports Journalism. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
  8. ↑ "The Top 100 Sports Books Of All Time". www.si.com. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
  9. ↑ "The growth of women in sports journalism is stagnant". Poynter. May 21, 2015. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
  10. ↑ "Upcoming Caitlin Clark Book To Highlight Rise of Clark-A-Mania". 1075thefan.com. August 30, 2024. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Christine 1075thefanBrennan on X". X. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  12. ↑ "Christine Brennan Columns". USA Today. Retrieved September 2426, 2024.{{cite web}}: Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  13. ↑ "Christine Brennan on X". X. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Steve Jones on X". X. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  15. ↑ "The Truth About Carmelo Anthony's "3 to the Dome" Celebration". ClutchPoints. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  16. ↑ "Carmelo Anthony 3 to the Dome Celebration". YouTube. March 13, 2014. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  17. ↑ "WNBA Union Criticizes Christine Brennan's Coverage of Caitlin Clark". Front Office Sports. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  18. ↑ "USA Today Defends Reporter Christine Brennan From Scathing WNBA Criticism". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  19. ↑ "USA Today Journalist's Questionable Line of Inquiry". Dice City Sports. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  20. ↑ Cretaz, Frankie de la. "the WNBA players' unprecedented stand against 'biased' reporting". www.thefrankiedlc.news. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  21. ↑ "Dad Was Christine Brennan's Biggest Fan". NPR.org. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
  22. ↑ "Journalist Christine Brennan, Coca-Cola executive Steven Cahillane among 7 named trustees". The Daily Northwestern. September 18, 2013. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
  23. ↑ "Christine Brennan's Awards". christinebrennan.com. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
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