Jim Trotter's Exit is a Cautionary Tale for Media Professionals

Trotter's exit from the NFL Network became another cautionary tale of media's limits versus figures of power.

Jim Trotter stunned and shocked many with his announcement that it would be his last week at the NFL Network.  On Monday, media professionals and broadcasters responded to the news with support for one of the industry's highly respected journalists. 

Feb 8, 2023; Phoenix, AZ, USA; NFL Network reporter Jim Trotter at press conference at Phoenix Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Trotter may not be considered the Don Quixote of journalism in his quest for truth and fighting the Windmills of Power. In reality, Jim was being his true self, a consummate professional chronicling the powerful sports league's progress in hiring minority coaches, executives, and media professionals.  

Ultimately, Trotter's fate became another cautionary tale of media's limits versus figures of power.  It was a "kick in the gut" for most minorities in the media. Especially those who would listen to, read, follow, admire, and respect his work as a journalist.  A Howard graduate, Trotter has consistently advocated for minority players, media professionals, and HBCUs. His voice would illuminate the disparities in sports coverage for minority athletes. 

The @NFL says its commitment to diversity extends beyond the sideline and front office, but the numbers in the newsroom at the league-owned media group says otherwise. So I asked @nflcommish sbout it. 👇🏾 pic.twitter.com/nabWjo0SDm

— Jim Trotter (@JimTrotter_NFL) February 8, 2023

Often, Jim would deliver a lucid and poignant discourse on topics that challenged the sports' status quo. His dialogue was sometimes masterful and not over the top as some of his contemporaries. 

Trotter questioned Roger Goodell twice on the issue of the league's lack of diversity among head coaches and team executives. The slow pace of the NFL in these areas was still a concern, and he believed the Commissioner had the answers.

Feb 8, 2023; Phoenix, AZ, USA; NFL Network chief national reporter Steve Wyche (left), reporter Jim Trotter (center) and senior national columnist Judy Battista at press conference at Phoenix Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

"They don't let you get close to the Commissioner often enough to actually have these dialogues," Trotter said to Richard Deitsch from The Athletic. "So, I knew that I had asked him about it the year before, and I knew that there had been no progress. No real progress as it related to the areas that I asked him about a year earlier. And so I felt that it was important to ask him in that situation because it's not something that I haven't brought up internally over the course of the last year with the powers that be at the media group." SI.com

Ordinarily, in 2023, a media professional's line of questioning wouldn't have backlash or retaliation. Still, no one is certain that his probing of the Commissioner at the pre-Super Bowl session contributed to his departure, but the speculations will linger.  NFL Media and NFL.com may never offer concrete reasons for refusing to renew Jim Trotter's contract, and it is within the network's right not to disclose present and past employees.

Jim Trotter will land on his feet and won't be quieted on diversity issues in sports. He's a free agent now. He is free to roam the sports landscape to champion the rights and causes, serve his profession, and be his true self — a journalist.