How Carolina Blitz Owner Vashti Hurt Is Changing Sports Journalism
CHARLOTTE, NC – Sports journalism is among a long list of male-dominated fields: construction, engineering, agriculture are others, to name a few. Vashti Hurt, the owner and editor in chief of the Charlotte NC-based digital sports magazine, Carolina Blitz, is on a mission to change that.
During my interview with Vashti, I had the delight of talking with her about herself and the company that she founded. Vashti, originally also from Columbia, South Carolina, by way of New York, has always had a passion and an eye for the field of journalism due to her upbringing.
“My mom is my biggest influence. She was a journalist in her own rights. My mom got her master’s degree from Columbia University and she always emphasized writing and grammar. She used to put me in writing summer classes and I hated it at the time, but I am appreciative now. She is definitely my mentor.”
In addition to having her mother, Vashti mentions how much of a great support system she has while running Carolina Blitz. She says that it consists of her mom, best friend Tanya, and her cousin Nina. People on social media have also been great to me. As far as people who I have gone to school with, and people who have seen my growth, and the growth of Carolina Blitz from the infancy stage. Everything that’s happened has been pretty organic and that has allowed me to have a loyal fanbase and not put too much pressure on myself.
Even from childhood, Vashti had reliable mentors and people in her family that she could look up to. Having this safe environment helped her enrich her dreams of journalism.
Carolina Blitz
Vashti Hurt decided to manifest her love for sports and writing into founding one of Charlotte’s most reputable sports companies. This marks the origin of Carolina Blitz, a company and website that covers sports information across the Carolinas. The domain name “Carolina Blitz ” was secured in 2014. At first, she did not know if it would turn into something and become a reality. Two years later, in 2016, Vashti, who had a career in banking at the time, officially launched Carolina Blitz, and Vashti began putting real-time and energy into running the company.
There are many reasons why Vashti decided to create Carolina Blitz. One was because she didn’t like the way Cam Newton was portrayed by the media. Vashti knew that by starting her own sports organization she could give other people of color a positive space and opportunity to express themselves. This is plausibly one of the most necessary things in creating any healthy business environment. Another one of Vashti’s main objectives behind creating this company was to compete with major outlets such as The Charlotte Observer and Local ESPN. So far, Vashti has continued to stick to her vision and attain success, now covering sports around the country.
What Are the Challenges of Being a Black Woman in the Sports Industry?
“The world of journalism for me, as a Black woman, is harder but sweeter,” Vashti mentions. Vashti elaborates on how she really enjoys the field of sports journalism, but there are definitely some struggles that she has faced. “As an independent in journalism, I feel like I am constantly having to prove my worth. Mainly in putting out fresh content, different story ideas, and getting access to things.”
“I am also always proving myself to sports teams. In order for them to work with you, they have to see value in your work.” Vashti explained that as a definite challenge because she exists in a white male-dominated industry. She realizes that she is scrutinized twice as hard as both a black woman and an entrepreneur. Apart from all the challenges Vashti has dealt with, she still continues to run one of Charlotte’s fastest-growing female-owned sports organizations.
What’s Next for Vashti and Carolina Blitz?
Carolina Blitz has definitely come a long way. Vashti states that in all of the sports content that she has created, all of it is important to her. Although, as far as games go, she enjoyed the Duke vs. UNC game and ACC championship. She also enjoyed covering Duke Basketball Coach Krzyzewski’s final season. Vashti proudly mentions how there is not a specific memorable person that had the greatest effect or event. She says, “The beauty of sports journalism is that you’re constantly creating and making new memories that are forever changing.”
In the future, Vashti’s long-term goal for Carolina Blitz is to become a household name and exist in every state. She hopes to one day her company is a national haven where people go for sports news and opinions.
As for Vashti, personally, she says how she barely has any free time. “I haven’t had any free time since training camp in August where I had been covering college and professional basketball. Hopefully, I have a break after March Madness.”
Being an entrepreneur definitely comes with a lot of tasks and responsibilities that involve being on the go 24/7. For the future of Carolina Blitz, Vashti plans to hire more staff and continue to grow her business.