A sports editor has urged the regional press industry to do more to attract women journalists to work on sportsdesks.

Paddy Davitt, football editor at the Eastern Daily Press and its associated titles, has warned an increase in the number of high-profile women journalists working in sports broadcasting is not translating to regional print and digital titles.

Paddy, pictured, spoke out about the “difficulties” he has faced in recruiting women to work for him during a debate organised by the National Council for the Training of Journalists to mark International Women’s Day.

It comes after the NCTJ last week raised concerns about the low number of female journalists studying sports reporting.

Paddy told the debate: “If you look at TV and radio, you can see the role models in those sectors, but when you contrast it to my sector, it’s like night and day.

“I don’t think you can underestimate the absence of female role models in sports journalism and I think that really needs to change.”

Paddy was joined on the panel by News UK sports reporter Sandra Brobbey, Sky Sports News assistant producer Ellen McCarthy and Frances Yeoman, programme leader in journalism from Liverpool John Moores University.

The barriers that women face when entering or deciding to pursue a career in sports journalism was raised by Laura Adams, head of the NCTJ’s Journalism Skills Academy, who chaired the debate.

In response, Ellen said: “One thing to recognise is I work shifts and it’s very unsociable hours. I’m thinking of women who become parents – working shifts and dealing with childcare can be difficult.”

Paddy, who is married to a political journalist and has a two-year-old child, added: “As we all know, it isn’t a 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday job.

“With a transfer window, you could be working at any point of the day, and trying to balance work and life can be very challenging at times. There are barriers no doubt about it.

“The numbers of women I see in press boxes aren’t representative of women and girls interested in football.”