Who's At Fault?

Based on the responses I received from the Ines Sainz story, it looks like both parties are to blame here. We have a journalist being absolutely careless about her appearance, or depending on how you look at it, putting plenty of thought into her outfit, to sensationalize a tender subject; to women in the sports industry. We also have professional athletes showing no respect toward women, or keeping in mind that she is a journalist, and whatever they say could end up in the media.

"What she wears should not get her harassed. With that said, she knew what she was doing. She's trying to be the story instead of telling the story which is exactly what's wrong with media coverage today, especially in sports whether it be a man or woman," said Garrett Sabelhaus.

I couldn't agree with him more. This is an issue that spans the entire sports industry. It's about staying in the spotlight and being the story in the media, rather than journalists supplying the story, which is what their job entails.

"I personally think Sainz has definitely knowingly used her body and looks to advance her career. However, the Jets players needed to realize who they were dealing with: a journalist. What you say and do around her is going to get out there — that's her job." - Sam Elliott

"The players need to realize that they were speaking to a journalist and what her job entails. On the other hand, I think a journalist should dress in a "professional" manner." - discoverucpa

Both of the statements agree with the idea that the athletes need to monitor the things that they say. Whether they be flirting, talking about opponents, or anything else, it must be remembered that they are in the presence of a broadcast journalist, and anything they say can be used, whether it be helpful or harmful.

Discoverucpa also makes another great point. We know that Sainz is using her appearance to make the story, but she should have to dress appropriately for a job. I cannot imagine that anyone would wear her outfit of choice to a job interview, and many other places that would be considered a work atmosphere. If she is this concerned about how athletes will respond, she needs to closely manage her appearance.

"It's too bad some "bad apples" have to go and ruin it for everyone (in terms of what Garrett said about being the story as opposed to covering a story)." - Adam

The "bad apples" are what make being a woman in a male-dominated industry so hard. It's difficult to get your foot in the door. When you get that opportunity, you have to give everything you have to not only maintain what you've been given, but to try and earn a spot higher in the ranks. Because it is so rare for women to get the opportunity to be journalists in the public eye, one bad incident can ruin it for everyone. If one sensationalized story like this causes so many issues, it would cause employers to think twice before they hire a woman. It puts the idea in their heads that they could end up in a similar situation if they do so.

"You're right, the whole situation seems fishy. But when it comes to matters of sexual harassment, allegations must be taken seriously. That being said, I think that the way in which an individual dresses and presents themselves should be in accord with the way they expect to be treated. As Gin says, dress professionally. I realize that the sports world isn't a conventional working environment, but that doesn't mean you have free reign to conduct yourself in an inappropriate manner," said Sydney Benter.

Every aspect of this story had to be taken into consideration. The athletes were acting inappropriately, Sainz herself was acting inappropriately, and whether she was harassed or not, her allegations cannot be ignored. When piling it all together, it's a mess of information, but if all parties are more responsible for their actions, or even think about the repercussions before acting out, many of these issues can be prevented.