We have a treat on our hands as now confirmed badass Jourdan Rodrigue stops by The Backyard Banter Podcast to discuss her career path that landed with a gig as a beat writer for The Charlotte Observer. Jourdan goes into detail about why she took the reporter path over others, and the jobs she held in prior to covering the Carolina Panthers. Towards the end, we get into a can't-miss conversation about a piece Jourdan wrote and I contributed to covering Joe Mixon and the tenor the media takes when discussing athletes who commit violent acts against women. This was an all-around tremendous conversation you'll enjoy taking a front seat for.

Highlights from today's episode include:- Why Jourdan resisted the broadcasting route and followed her desire to be a reporter.- Can a beat writer truly have a voice when the primary function is relaying the news?- Okay, but seriously, what's it like covering Cam Newton?- Jourdan's thoughts on what she learned from interviewing draft analysts about Joe Mixon and how she would cover him if drafted by a team she writes about.- What does Jourdan have to say to the critics in this field of not only her gender, but also her youth?