A Word: Sidelined by Racism?

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3.9 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 27 October 2023

⏱️ 36 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The NFL is a multi-billion dollar business, with a player population that’s more than 60 percent African American. Yet the league’s owners, leadership, and reporters don’t reflect that diversity. In his role as an NFL Media journalist, Jim Trotter repeatedly questioned officials, including NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, about the league’s lack of diversity. After he lost his job, Trotter filed a lawsuit, claiming racial discrimination and retaliation. On today’s episode of A Word, Trotter joins host Jason Johnson to talk about career, his court case, and the importance of having more African American journalists covering professional football. Sandy Nunes, Vice President Talent Management On-Air at National Football League, declined to comment Stephen A. Smith, host of ESPN’s First Take, declined to comment. Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula previously denied Jim Trotter’s allegations. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones previously denied much of Trotter’s account, saying “Some of the representation is not accurate” in response to the lawsuit. Guest: Jim Trotter, senior opinion writer for The Athletic Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for $15 for your first three months. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is a word, a podcast from Slate. I'm your host, Jason Johnson. The so-called
0:04.4	racial reckoning brought a waterfall of promises from American institutions to
0:09.2	do better on representation in their ranks, and includes the NFL, where reporter Jim
0:13.8	Trotter stepped up to ask tough questions. When the league didn't renew his
0:18.3	contract, the NFL said it was just business, but Trotter said it was just racism.
0:23.7	If I'm not willing to stand up and fight for what is right, then I can't
0:30.6	complain about the things that are wrong. Discrimination and the NFL press
0:35.7	core coming up on a word with me, Jason Johnson. Stay with us.
0:44.1	Welcome to a word, a podcast about race and politics, and everything else. I'm
0:47.9	your host, Jason Johnson. Journalism is the job of asking hard questions and
0:52.2	asking them even when they make powerful people uncomfortable. By that standard,
0:57.2	Jim Trotter was a reporter's reporter. As a journalist covering the NFL, he
1:01.5	didn't leave the league or anyone in it off the hook. In recent years, he became
1:06.0	a key voice in calling out the NFL over its failures to include more African
1:10.6	Americans on the business side of a league where majority of the players are
1:14.2	black. That was a daring position, considering that Trotter worked for NFL
1:18.1	networks and was willing to question Commissioner Roger Gidell directly right
1:23.2	before the 2022 Super Bowl. Why does the NFL and its owners have such a
1:27.5	difficult time at the highest levels hiring black people into decision-making
1:32.5	positions? If I had the answer right now, I would give it to you. I would have
1:37.0	him on it. I think what we have to do is just continue and find and look and
1:42.5	step back and say, we're not doing a good enough job here. And we are the ones
	...

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