Every week, the Scripps News Viewer Spotlight highlights the numerous calls we receive from viewers on our toll-free Viewer Hotline.
For this week, we want to address the feedback we’ve received regarding our coverage of the WNBA.
One recent viewer call stated:
“Your station is losing credibility by constantly featuring WNBA news as major sports stories. You have a financial interest in it since you broadcast some of the games. You should be ashamed of constantly promoting the WNBA for financial gain.”
It is true that the E.W. Scripps Company, the owner of Scripps News, airs WNBA Friday night games on our sister network, ION. We disclose this relationship in our coverage.
Related Story: As interest in women’s basketball grows, WNBA gets a new TV partner
Scripps News and our local stations have promoted the Friday night spotlight games on air, with full disclosure in support of other parent company initiatives like the Scripps National Spelling Bee, the Scripps Howard Journalism Awards, and our annual “If You Give A Child A Book” fundraising campaign.
Our parent company, the E.W. Scripps Company, is committed to partnering with and promoting women’s pro sports, including bringing women’s sports content to larger, national audiences. In addition to WNBA broadcasts, a deal was recently made with the National Women’s Soccer League to broadcast Saturday night double-headers on ION, along with other soccer content.
Despite our transparent promotion of WNBA games on ION, women’s basketball does not receive disproportionate coverage at Scripps News. We report on it as news dictates, even when it occurs on competitor networks.
Related Story: Games starring Caitlin Clark have broken WNBA viewership records for 6 TV networks this season
Women’s basketball is currently gaining significant attention, especially with popular college players like Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark entering the league, dominating the cultural landscape on a larger scale.
The league recently reported the highest-attended opening month in its history, with record arena sell-out rates and television viewership. This is newsworthy in itself.
We prioritize editorial independence and transparency to earn and maintain the trust of our viewers. It is important for viewers to be discerning of what they see and hear, and the motives behind it.
Your feedback helps us uphold these values.
Share your thoughts with us by leaving a message on our toll-free Scripps News Viewer Hotline at 1-833-4-Scripps, available 24/7.
