“Malika Andrews got her job because Rachel Nichols wasn’t woke enough.”: How ESPN’s Choice in Representation was Egregious 

Is staying woke the right way to approach journalism? Rachel Nichols’ tell all on All The Smoke Podcast shines a light on ESPN’s bad decisions

The invasion of the liberal left might have left ESPN in a dire state. We take a closer look at the carousel of female reporters that have gone in and out of ESPN.

While it all began with Sage Steele, we think Rachel Nichols was the most important domino for the sports broadcasting giant. As her arrival ushered in an era where female representation was at its highest. And for a while, it was going well.

The ratings were up and people liked her cavalier attitude. Her line of questioning was good, never intrusive, and viewers enjoyed the unfiltered sports reporting she did.

And then, things took a turn. During the bubble, there was a lot of controversy and all the eyes were on her. And to make matters worse, she spoke out about another female journalist. The “phone call” that got leaked proved to be her downfall.

Her comments against women of color, namely Malika Andrews and Maria Taylor were seen as an attempt to disparage and take away their hard work. Soon, she was stripped of her show and ESPN scrubbed her off the network.

But as she turns a new page in her journalism career, we think she couldn’t have timed it better.

Also read: Why did Rachel Nichols get fired? Exploring veteran reporter’s exit from ESPN and The Jump

Rachel Nichols signs for Showtime amid social media outrage on Malika Andrews

As we said, she couldn’t have timed it better. Rachel Nichols’ announcement comes at the heels of Malika Andrews’ rather bizarre attack on Stephen A Smith and Kendrick Perkins.

Her comments on Udoka were misleading and rather dangerous. This is a fact. But to go out and attack her fellow journalists on air really paints a dull picture. Stephen A Smith’s calm dismantling of Andrews on air has gone well with those that already disliked the journalist.

The collective opinion is that Malika’s line of questioning and often prejudiced point of view is a sign that ESPN has shot itself in the foot. While trying their best to be diverse and inclusive, they might have chosen the wrong spearhead.

Rachel then appeared on All The Smoke Podcast, where she divulged her side of the story and gave out some pretty juicy details. You can read more about it here. The fact that we now lean on her side more tells you all about the bad decision that ESPN made.

While we try to maintain a balanced opinion, we certainly think ESPN made an egregious decision on their part. Not discrediting  Malika Andrews but Rachel Nichols was a journalist of far better caliber.

As time rolls on, we might just see the tide turn in the favor of Showtime, and ESPN might be a relic of a media house.