Lisa Olson Biography - The Sports Illustrated Reading Program, Ex-patriots, Higher Standard, Chronology, Further Information
world
1964-
American sports journalist
Lisa Olson sent the arena of sports journalism spinning when she reported a harrowing incident she experienced when interviewing a player in the locker room in 1990. Her strong sense of righteousness allowed her to stand up and take note. This was not acceptable behavior and Olson wanted to make sure her attackers knew it, as well as the rest of the world. Unfortunately her world was turned upside down as a result of her actions. Although Olson was a victim of her circumstance, many believe she forged the way for other female journalists, giving them a voice for what they had quietly endured for years.
Lisa Olson
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For Lisa Olson becoming a sports journalist was not a whim. "She almost learned to read with Sports Illustrated and her brothers' Boy's Life," reported Leigh Montville in Sports Illustrated. When Olson was seven she would report on the sporting events in her neighborhood in a newsletter she created. Of course when she started high school she was on the school newspaper …
The first few months on the Patriot's beat Olson had not had an incident. She was enjoying her new position. In September Olson had started working on a piece featuring Maurice Hurst. When she asked him for an interview, "Hurst said he would do the interview after practice, in the locker room, where Olson had been only twice before," commented Montville. She did not like to do…
Johnette Howard for Newsday stated, "One of the powerful things that came out of Lisa Olson's case was that teams and leagues have said adamantly that they won't tolerate that kind of behavior … before that, I think women thought ritual hazing was part of the job they had to get through." Olson agrees, stating, "Things have changed dramatically since I was…
Celizic, Mike. "Sport. Professional. Athlete. Woman. Behavior. Discrimination." Record, (October 15, 1991): 01. Dougherty, Pete. "The Grass Ceiling Women Sports Reporters Take the Field." Denver Rocky Mountain News, (October 4, 1998): 15C. Fitzgerald, Mark. "Lisa Olson Redux." Editor & Publisher, (January 25, 1997): 11. Galloway, Paul. "Femal…
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