Daniel Kaplan · @KaplanSportsBiz
28th May 2021 from TwitLonger
Billie Jean King on Naomi Osaka decision to not participate in press conferences — May 28, 2021
I fully admire and respect what Naomi is doing with her platform, so I am a little torn as I try to learn from both sides of this situation. While it’s important that everyone has the right to speak their truth, I have always believed that as professional athletes we have a responsibility to make ourselves available to the media. In our day, without the press, nobody would have known who we are or what we thought. There is no question they helped build and grow our sport to what it is today. I acknowledge things are very different now with social media and everyone having an immediate ability to speak their truth. The media still play an important role in telling our story. There is no question that the media needs to respect certain boundaries. But at the end of the day it is important we respect each other and we are in this together.