TGIF!!
What a week, but Friday’s here! Today’s featured sistah in the world of the NFL is league-respected veteran reporter Pam Oliver.
Pamela Donielle “Pam” Oliver (March 10, 1961) was born in Dallas, Texas. With her father being in the United States Air Force, Oliver and her family moved several times during her childhood. Instead of watching children’s shows, Oliver preferred watching sports.
In high school, Oliver excelled in tennis, basketball and track and field. After graduating, Oliver enrolled at Florida A&M University, where she continued her track endeavors, becoming a college All-American in both the 400-meter and the mile relay. Oliver earned a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism and graduated in 1984.
Oliver began her broadcasting career at WALB in Albany, Georgia in 1985 as a news reporter. The next year, Oliver moved to WAAY-TV in Huntsville, Alabama. After that stop, Oliver moved to WIVB-TV in Buffalo, New York in 1988. Two years later in 1990, Oliver moved to WTVT in Tampa, Florida, where she began her career as a sports anchor in 1991. Oliver moved to KHOU-TV in Houston, where she continued to be a sports anchor.
In 1993, Oliver joined the sports television network ESPN. In 1995, Oliver joined Fox Sports, where she worked as a sideline reporter at NFL games. She became the premier sideline reporter shortly thereafter.
Pam Oliver also is one of the ONLY reporters, male or female, that has her own dressing room at the new Cowboys Stadium with her name on a star on the door.
In 2014, Oliver was embroiled in headlines when Fox Sports decided to replace her with Erin Andrews. After facing a minor backlash from shocked fans and players alike, she was offered a contract that although will include sideline reporting for regional NFL games, will additionally allow her to produce her own content and segments in a separate production deal.
Pam Oliver: Sideline reporters should be journalists, not celebrities
“The journalism has to matter,” Oliver said repeatedly at Northwestern on Feb 19th as part of the Medill School of Journalism’s “Beyond The Box Score” series.
She joined USA Today columnist Christine Brennan, Rachel Nichols of CNN and Turner Sports, and ESPN’s Cassidy Hubbarth on a panel titled, “The Female Voice in Sports Media.”
Oliver, who was Fox Sports’ top sideline reporter for the NFL for years, made headlines last year for her honest reaction to Fox moving her off that assignment and replacing her with the younger Erin Andrews.
When Brennan, who moderated the session, asked the panelists to open by giving their assessments of the media landscape as it relates to the female voice, Oliver saw a room full of young aspiring women journalists. She is concerned that building a solid journalism foundation has become secondary for many students who want a career in sports. Many seem to be more attracted to the celebrity of being a sideline reporter.
Oliver clearly wanted to set them on the right path.
“It’s a small club of women (in sports media) who put journalism first,” Oliver said. “They’re not in it to be celebrities or big on Twitter. You can tell when someone is serious with what they are doing. You can tell when someone is putting in the hours to get to know the players and coaches beyond just using your looks, or you know, your assets.
“I wish some of the hiring practices would improve. There’s a definite pattern with a certain look and certain quality that the outlets are going after.”
At this point, Oliver paused and took a sip of water. She admitted the issue gets her “emotional.”
“I just want to see passion out there and young people who are in it for the right reason,” Oliver continued. “It’s not about wanting to be seen on TV. It’s about wanting to be a journalist. I hope and pray as I look around the room that you’re willing to do the work.”
Oliver eventually finished her monologue by saying, “It’s the journalism, it’s the journalism.”