After storied career, Minnesota sports reporter leaves newspaper behind

After 34 years, sports reporter Rachel Blount resigned from the Minnesota Star Tribune. She said it wasn’t an easy decision.  

Blount spent 40 years in the business of sports journalism. She started her career at a time when female sports reporters were barred from some locker rooms, and derided and detested for elbowing into what was then a man’s world. 

Blount has covered everything from football and horse racing to the Olympics and women’s professional hockey. This year was the first in many that the newspaper didn’t send her to cover the Olympics, and that was a key factor in her decision, she said.

She spoke to Cathy Wurzer on Morning Edition about what inspired her to become a sports reporter.

“Representation is important. There have to be women in sports journalism. There have to be people of color in sports journalism,” she said. “Sports is for everyone.”

Click play on the audio player above to hear the full conversation.