Mechelle blogs:

Women’s sports continue to grow in popularity, and there is a demand for serious written journalism about them. But the industry’s problems are leading to more cutbacks on things that are not “big-ticket.” At a time when technology and expanding interests should make newspaper sports departments’ coverage more diverse and comprehensive, it seems the opposite is true. They instead are making the spotlight bigger on fewer things.

While that doesn’t really answer the problems newspapers are facing, it’s a short-term fix that has, unfortunately, troubling long-term implications. Diversity in sports coverage tends to “gain” ground slowly and only with a lot of effort. However, it can “lose” ground very quickly.

Think of it like the difference between painstakingly climbing up a mountain … or having the rope severed and falling down it. There is definitely a worry about how many ropes are being severed – and how many of those people will attempt to climb the mountain again.