Jill Abramson

Week in Review: Women journalists in the news

Jasmine R. LinabaryLeave a comment

This week was chock-full of stories about women in journalism. Here are a few of the highlights and links for where you can find more.

Treatment of female journalists abroad

Photojournalist Lynsey Addario, who was working on assignment for the New York Times, was strip searched and “humiliated” by soldiers during a security check when she entered Israel from the Gaza Strip, according to an article by the Associated Press. Due to her pregnancy, Addario requested not to have to go through the X-ray machine out of concern for her child. She instead was forced to go through the machine three times while soldiers watched and laughed. She then was strip searched by a female officer. An apology came Monday for the incident from Israel’s Defense Ministry.

After being released, journalist Mona Eltahawy posted this photo to Twitter showing the casts she needed as a result of injuries sustained during her detainment by security forces in Egypt. Eltahawy says she was beaten and sexually assaulted.

In addition, as we reported on last week, the risks for women reporters in Egypt are gaining media attention again after two female foreign journalists were sexually assaulted. The issue continued in the news this week as the women shared their stories.

Caroline Sinz, a broadcast journalist from France, was assaulted while covering protests. Additionally. Egyptian-American blogger and journalist Mona Eltahawy was beaten and sexually assaulted by local Egyptian security forces. A number of articles told of the pervasiveness of sexual assault, not just for journalists, and told these women’s stories. Here are a few:

Many reports made mention of “60 Minutes” reporter Lara Logan, who was sexually assaulted in Tahrir Square in February (Read our post on that attack here). The Women’s Media Center posted a video interview with Logan by founding president Carol Jenkins discussing her experience this week. Logan received the center’s Whole Truth Award, which was one of several given out at the Women’s Media Awards this week (Update: Read the WMC’s write up on the awards here).

Women who lead

The American Journalism Review this week looked at the question of whether women lead newsrooms differently. The article was specifically a response to the following comment by Jill Abramson, who (as we’ve previously written about) recently became the first woman to serve as the New York Times’ executive editor: “The idea that women journalists bring a different taste in stories or sensibility isn’t true” (as stated in a Sept. 10 New York Times column). The AJR article found that many top female managers and researchers disagree with her statement.

In addition, a new study in New Zealand by Dr. Catherine Strong looked at reasons behind the lack of women in journalism management and why women leave journalism. Strong attributed this issue to a “glass bubble” instead of the “glass ceiling.” Read more about the study here.

Other articles of note

A number of other noteworthy articles on topics related to women and media, including women journalists, popped up lately. Here are a few to add to your reading list if you haven’t already:

This is the Gender Report’s Week in Review, a weekly post that highlights some of the major stories related to gender issues this week. Some of these stories may have already appeared in our News Feed or in the week’s Gender Checks. We’ll at times include a longer analysis of stories as well as bring attention to stories that may have slipped through the cracks of the week’s news cycle.

CNN documentary to feature women of 9/11

Jasmine R. LinabaryLeave a comment

Countless special reports related to 9/11 have been released thus far leading up to Sunday’s 10-year anniversary, including The New York Times’ “The Reckoning.” One project, however, places special emphasis on the women – “Beyond Bravery: The Women of 9/11“by CNN’s Soledad O’Brien.

In the Reporter’s Notebook for the piece, O’Brien states that the documentary aims to address the question of a little boy during a visit of a female firefighter from 9/11 to his classroom: He asked her “how she could be a ‘fireman’ if she was a girl.” The documentary aims to tell the stories of 9/11’s women and give voice to their heroism and their challenges.

The project includes a look at the book “Women At Ground Zero” written by Susan Hagen and Mary Carouba. Here’s a sample segment from the documentary:

The documentary is set to air at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Sept. 11. More sample segments can be viewed along with the reporter’s notebook and a link to an educator and parent guide here.

In addition to this documentary on CNN, a number of other news outlets have provided stories about women’s experiences including the following:

Did you find other 9/11 coverage of women? Share your findings in the comment section below.

In other news

The New York Times‘ first female executive editor, Jill Abramson, stepped into the position on Tuesday. Several posts related to the beginning of her tenure as editor circled the web, including a memo announcing her leadership team.

Abramson herself sent out a tweet Tuesday regarding her new role:

The announcement that Abramson would succeed Bill Keller came in June, making her the first woman to hold that title in the paper’s 160-year history. Read our post following that announcement here.

This is the Gender Report’s Week in Review, a weekly post that highlights some of the major stories related to gender issues this week. Some of these stories may have already appeared in our News Feed or in the week’s Gender Checks. We’ll at times include a longer analysis of stories as well as bring attention to stories that may have slipped through the cracks of the week’s news cycle.

Women breaking journalism’s glass ceiling: The ascent of Jill Abramson and others

Jasmine R. LinabaryLeave a comment

The past two weeks have been filled with women moving up the ranks in journalism. Most barrier-shattering has been the announcement that Jill Abramson will be the new executive editor of The New York Times, the first woman to fill that spot in the paper’s 160-year history.

Many have noted and cheered the historic nature of the moment, including the women who sued the newspaper in 1974 over sex discrimination. Abramson noted that she “stands on the shoulders” of the women who came before her, and even acknowledged some by name during her speech before the Times’ staff.

Columnist Gail Collins, who herself broke a barrier at the Times by becoming its first female editorial page editor, noted how significant the moment is for women: “In this one great paper, maybe we’ve reached the ultimate goal of the entire women’s movement, which is to make it utterly normal for women to be everywhere, including the top.”

While Abramson’s appointment is good news for women, it’s not yet common across the board. Studies, like the “The Global Report on the Status of Women in the News Media” by the International Women’s Media Foundation that came out earlier this year, have identified a general “glass ceiling” for women in U.S. newsrooms once they reach the senior management level, after which their presence falls from 41.5 percent to the 23.3 percent at the top-level management.

But, news like this can help facilitate positive steps forward in changing those percentages, as Poynter’s Jill Geisler suggests in a piece highlighting what Abramson’s appointment could mean for women in journalism. She says it can serve as inspiration and motivation to the many current female journalism students. “Seeing a woman lead a legacy institution into the digital future can be a powerful motivator,” she writes.

Abramson herself has given the nod to the value of her appointment to women in several interviews, but notes she felt it wasn’t as a result of her sex that she achieved the position.

“Number one, I know I didn’t get this job because I’m a woman; I got it because I’m the best qualified person. But nonetheless what it means to me is that the executive editor of the New York Times is such an important position in our society, the Times itself is indispensable to society, and a woman gets to run the newsroom, which is meaningful.” (The Guardian)

Abramson had been pegged as the “heiress-apparent” to replace outgoing executive editor Bill Keller and was described as such in a profile by New York Magazine last fall.

Some have asked whether her gender will have any effect on the newsroom or the paper. Time will tell, but in terms of content and based on her interest in “hard-edged” in-depth investigative stories and international stories, she’s said, “I don’t think anyone is fearful that I’m going to bring soft news on to the front page” (Via the Guardian). And some stories, including this one from Politico, noted the Abramson’s toughness has often been referred to using “masculine” describers. Those include comments like, “She’s got more balls than the New York Yankees.”

However, others have pointed out ways in which feminism, particularly through her writing projects, has always been part of Abramson’s career, including a piece from The Nation calling her a “feminist journalist.”

Outside of her gender, conversation also circled around what her appointment would mean for innovation and for digital advancement. Most reports, including those from Times insiders via Twitter (like this one), have said this move will be positive. Abramson launched her Twitter account Thursday with a humorous exchange with Felix Salmon of Reuters who had predicted she wouldn’t start tweeting until she takes over in September. Her response? “Wrong!”

Moving up and moving on

Aside from Abramson, several other women have been on the move this month. Here are a few:

  • Vivian Schiller, who was forced out as NPR chief executive in March, has been appointed the chief digital officer of NBC News, a newly created position.
  • Katie Couric signed a multi-year contract with ABC to host a new daytime talk show. She will also serve as a contributor to several ABC News programs. Couric recently finished out her contract as “CBS Evening News” anchor, a position that broke barriers by making her the first woman to solo anchor a weekday evening news program on a major network.
  • Susie Ellwood, currently chief executive of the Detroit Media Partnership, was named executive vice president and general manager of USA Today.
  • Also in Gannett Co., Janet Hasson was named president and publisher of The Journal News. She was formerly senior vice president/audience development and strategy for the Detroit Media Partnership, publisher of the Detroit Free Press and The Detroit News.

This is the Gender Report’s Week in Review, a weekly post that highlights some of the major stories related to gender issues this week. Some of these stories may have already appeared in our News Feed or in the week’s Gender Checks. We’ll at times include a longer analysis of stories as well as bring attention to stories that may have slipped through the cracks of the week’s news cycle.