Over the past two years at the annual commissioner’s press conference ahead of the Super Bowl, NFL reporter Jim Trotter questioned NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell about the lack of diversity in the NFL Media newsroom. With Trotter not in attendance this year after his contract with NFL Media was not renewed, sparking a discrimination suit, another reporter decided to carry on the tradition.
During Monday night’s press conference, Darren Smith of KLKC questioned Goodell about why there have been no improvements or changes in diversity in the NFL Media newsroom.
“I know you don’t run the NFL media newsroom, but you do run the NFL, and they answer to you as well as the 32 owners. As of this press conference, the NFL Media newsroom still employs zero Black managers, zero Black copy editors, zero full-time Black employees on the news desk, and your only full-time Black employee, Larry Campbell, passed away over the weekend,” Smith said.
Smith pointed out that Trotter had been the one to ask Goodell this question the past two years, but he was the one to ask it this year in his place.
“In a league that has more than 60 percent African Americans that have played the game, how does knowing this sit well with you, and after two years of being asked this question, why has there not been any change or any hirings in that area?” Smith asked.
Trotter shared the question in a video of Smith asking the question in his place on social media as he claimed that Goodell “simply doesn’t care or doesn’t want to know” about the diversity issues within NFL Media.
This was sent to me. @nflcommish simply doesn’t care or doesn’t want to know. The data is what it is: the NFL newsroom has zero Black managers, zero Black copy editors, and zero fulltime Black employees on the news desk. Those are facts. Nothing he says changes that. pic.twitter.com/Yd8cAZLHC6
— Jim Trotter (@JimTrotter_NFL) February 5, 2024
Goodell disagreed with Smith’s characterization that there hasn’t been any change, but was not able to immediately provide any data to indicate that there has been any change in the diversity of the newsroom.
“Well, I disagree completely that there hasn’t been any change,” Goodell said in response to the question. “I’m happy to get your data and share it with our people and make sure that we get an answer for you. I don’t have all the data.
“I will tell you that [for] the first time, 51 percent of our employees across the league, across the network, across all of our media platforms, not including players, are either people of color or women. First time ever. So progress is being made. And there are areas where we still need to work and we still need to improve, whether it’s offensive assistants or maybe people within our media newsroom. We will continue to do that, and make significant progress, as we have.”
Trotter is in the midst of a lawsuit against the NFL claiming that his contract was not renewed as retaliation for questioning Goodell about the league’s commitment to diversity. Trotter declined a three-month severance package with NFL Media that included a non-disclosure agreement and currently works for The Athletic, where he says he is enjoying the “freedom” and “support” he claims he did not have with NFL Media.
Goodell, meanwhile, has denied Trotter’s discrimination claim. Last month, the NFL filed a motion to dismiss the racial discrimination lawsuit.
