Jemele Hill reveals issue many WNBA fans have

The WNBA’s popularity continues to surge, but according to Jemele Hill, part of the fanbase still struggles with one major aspect of that growth, media scrutiny, per TheSpun.During a recent episode of her podcast Flagrant & Funny, Hill explained why she believes many WNBA fans expect coverage to function more like promotion than journalism.“The issue is that, I think for a long time, not every journalist but a lot of the journalists that covered women’s sports and covered the league, the fans saw the journalists as a ‘we’ and not a ‘they,’” Hill said.Hill argued that the league’s rise has brought more national attention, which naturally includes tougher questions, criticism, and broader analysis. She believes some fans are uncomfortable with that transition.Hill Says Fans Expect ‘Cheerleaders’According to Hill, some fans expect media members to actively protect or support the league instead of covering it objectively.“Now they’re confused, because there’s more people covering the league now, it’s under more scrutiny,” Hill said. “The journalists are not supposed to be that.”Hill added that many fans now expect reporters covering women’s basketball to act like “cheerleaders” for the sport.“They expect our jobs to be to support the women,” she said. “They expect the journalists to be cheerleaders.”The conversation reflects the growing spotlight around the WNBA as the league continues attracting larger audiences, more debate, and heavier national media coverage.The WNBA’s popularity continues to surge, but according to Jemele Hill, part of the fanbase still struggles with one major aspect of that growth, media scrutiny, per TheSpun. During a recent episode of her podcast Flagrant & Funny, Hill explained why she believes many WNBA fans expect coverage to function more like promotion than journalism.