A US newspaper has apologised to an Olympian for a “sexist” tweet that rated her husband more important than her accomplishment.
The Chicago Tribune referred to Corey Cogdell winning a Bronze Medal in the women’s trap shooting as the “wife of Bears linesman” - emphasising that she was married to Chicago American Footballer Mitch Unrein, who is less famous.
In an Olympics already besieged with media sexism, this earned the paper derision on social media.
On Monday, The Tribune tweeted that the “feedback has been noted and appreciated”, saying it was only trying to point out her local connection.
The tweet said: “We identified three-time U.S. Olympian Corey Cogdell-Unrein only as the “wife of a Bears lineman”. She’s awesome on her own. We focused too hard on trying to emphasize the local connection Cogdell-Unrein has to Chicago.”
A follow up tweet advertised “more about her achievements”, linking to an article that opened by saying she would, on returning to Chicago, continue her quest to find the best spaghetti and meatballs in town and to catch her husband’s football games”.
But the Tribune’s explanation for its earlier headline and tweet did not go down well. Though it was not billed as an “apology”, this was clearly what many had expected.
Others weren’t convinced by the paper’s claim about why it emphasised she was married to Unrein - as she herself lives in Chicago.
On this side of the Atlantic, the media sexism persisted with the Daily Mail leading the charge over presenter and former Blue Peter host Helen Skelton’s decision to wear a dress with the words: ‘It’s Hotting Up In Rio... And That’s Just The Presenters!’