Sports Illustrated's new publisher brings baggage

One of the largest publications in sports, Sports Illustrated, has announced a new publisher. It’s an interesting choice, and one could argue not the wisest given their new hire’s controversial past.

The editorial content of the magazine, now in its 65th year, will soon be controlled by Seattle-based digital media company Maven, with former Los Angeles Times publisher Ross Levinsohn being named CEO.

The appointment could be called into question considering that Levinsohn has a long history of making waves. A March 2018 NPR investigation found that Levinsohn frequently urged employers to hire his own start-ups, and while working for the Times, advocated for a content strategy he called “gravitas with scale.” That strategy relied heavily on unpaid content creators and eliminated reporting and editing jobs.

Levinsohn has also been sued multiple times for various offenses and was one of multiple defendants in two sexual harassment lawsuits stemming from his time at two separate companies, according to the investigation. In his own sworn testimony, he admitted to rating the “hotness” of female colleagues and speculating about an employee being a stripper.

Maybe it makes me a cynic, but I can’t be the only one who foresees issues arising from placing a man with a pattern of sexual harassment in a position of power in the sports industry, which is heavily male-dominated and has its own unfortunate history with gender inequality.

Add to that the exposure and access the publisher of a magazine arguably most well-known for its swimsuit issue will have to young, aspiring models and it seems like a recipe for disaster.

Adding fuel to the fire, the investigation cited a Hollywood Reporter executive who claimed Levisohn said he would not attend certain functions because he would be surrounded by gay people – and used a vulgar slur to describe them. LGBT athletes have struggled for recognition and acceptance for decades. Again, putting a person with such a history in charge of a sports magazine sends up red flags.

Ultimately, Levinsohn’s appointment seems like a clumsy misstep at best and an intentional targeting of marginalized groups at worst. And if leaders at Sports Illustrated -- now to be renamed Sports Illustrated Media – want the organization stick around for another 65 years, they may want to rethink their choice.

Shannen Talbot can be reached at [email protected].