The Erin Andrews Incident Changed how Female Sports Reporters Travel
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As the Erin Andrews case heads to the jury this week, the entire peephole incident changed the way many female sports Reporters travel.
“I am very cautious,” said SportsNetLA Dodgers host and reporter Alanna Rizzo told Sports Illustrated . “I never post on social media where the team is staying. I used to stay under my actual name at hotels but this year that will be changed. There have been several occurrences when savvy fans have located the team hotel and have called my room asking me for a date or for money for their fundraisers.”
“I don’t have a lot of say in where I stay or what hotel chains my company uses,” said SNY’s Kerith Burke. “I do remember feeling sad and scared after what happened to Erin. I travel with Band-Aids to put over the peepholes. I prefer to join a coworker at the hotel restaurant or bar so strangers don’t approach me as much. There’s a noticeable difference when I eat or drink alone. I don’t like hotel rooms on the first floor. I don’t like rooms by the elevators. Depending on the length of my stay, I don’t get maid service because I don’t want anyone in my room except me.”
CSN New England's Trenni Kusnierek (pictured) said until Andrews’s privacy was violated, she never worried about hotel peepholes and never thought about someone overhearing her room number. But after what happened to Andrews, she recalled one instance where a hotel clerk announced the number of her room while a big crowd was around. She immediately asked for a different room. Kusnierek said she now always makes sure her door is locked when she’s in her hotel room including the deadbolt and chain.
“It really wasn’t until that happened that my mindset changed,” Kusnierek said. “Not that I would walk through my hotel room unclothed but given bathrooms are often next to the front door in hotels, I always walk along the inside wall to get changed. I am very cognizant of whether I would want someone to see me in a bra or underwear or towel wrapped around me, so I cover up and think about that. I get dressed in places in the room where I don’t think there is anyone who can see me.”
Burke recalled one story where she got a glimpse of what life is like for Andrews at events. “Years ago, I got a glimpse at a college football game at what people shout at Erin,” Burke said. “Two young guys who honestly resembled Beavis and Butthead in the way they were hunched over and snickering, 'Hey Erin, we loved your video!' They made sure I was within earshot, they said it again, and they howled with laughter. I don’t look like Erin aside from being a blond white woman, but these two jerks weren’t deep thinkers. My face got flushed with anger that they thought this is a funny thing to say to her in the workplace. I cannot imagine how often she hears cruel things while she’s doing her job. Getting frequent reminders of a terrible experience from the worst kind of people must be excruciating.”
