In treatment of NFL Network reporter Jim Trotter, the NFL again fails on issues of race
Less than two months ago, NFL Network reporter Jim Trotter pressed commissioner Roger Goodell for answers about the absence of Black senior managers in the NFL Media newsroom and on the news desk.
Goodell listened and then gave Trotter a, well, less than satisfactory answer.
“I’m not in charge of the newsroom,” Goodell said. “As you point out, this is the same question you asked last year.” Goodell went on to say that the league had gone back since Trotter had asked the question and reviewed many of its policies. Goodell said he was comfortable with the progress the NFL has made.
Goodell emphasized he doesn’t control the newsroom but that answer was disingenuous because he’s the commissioner. He controls almost everything. All he has to do is make a phone call and things can change. But the fact the newsroom has been static according to what Trotter was saying is highly telling.
Trotter tweeted this week that his contract was not renewed. In effect, the network is letting him go. It’s possible there are mass layoffs at the network we don’t know about, and Trotter likely isn’t the only one being let go.
In fact, by Wednesday morning, it was clear Trotter wasn’t alone as other NFL Network employees announced on social media they were being let go, too. But that doesn’t change this story. In some ways, it makes it worse, as one of the league’s key properties loses a critical voice that held the NFL accountable on issues of diversity.
This may seem like inside stuff but in actuality, it’s a perfect illustration of how poorly the NFL often handles issues of race. Particularly when it comes to Black people. Letting go the reporter who brought attention to the league’s failings on race, not long after he questioned the commissioner about the league’s failings on race, especially at the NFL Network, which helps shape how players are viewed by the general public, is peak NFL on race.
“NFL Media told The (NY) Post that 58 percent of full-time employees hired in 2022 were people of color, and that the 3 most recent NFL Media senior hires are POC,” Trotter tweeted. “My ? How many Black senior managers are in the NEWSROOM (0) how many full-time Blacks are on the news desk (0)?”
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It’s true that there are few companies that allow people to publicly criticize their bosses. It’s also true that Trotter isn’t entitled to a lifetime position. No one is.
But why didn’t the league act on what Trotter was saying? Which was legitimate. Why is Trotter the one who has to bring up this topic? Why has the network, which again is like a mirror on the league, been stubborn in not wanting to repair the issue?
The NFL could have easily said: You know what? Trotter is right. Let’s change this. Instead, apparently for two years, they didn’t address the concerns Trotter raised. It strikes me as just pure arrogance on the league’s part.
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The backlash the league has faced is as much about the issue as it is how it handled Trotter. He’s not just immensely respected, he’s seen as brave, someone who tried his best to change the league from the inside. Trotter was always passionate about the issue, but also respectful.
Trotter has always been exemplary.
The NFL could learn some things from him.