Women in Journalism in the Age of Trump

In an already male-dominated field, female journalists face increased scrutiny under the Trump administration.

The media industry has seen an increase in participation and pursuit from women in recent years, but our newsrooms still lack the representation. According to a Poynter Institute article, women span two-thirds of graduates with degrees in journalism, however only one-third of the media industry is women. When we think of women pursuing careers in media, there’s this stereotypical image of the blonde weather woman, or a social media influencer on Instagram. Neither of these professions are adverse in any way, but it blocks out women pursuing careers in other aspects of the industry, from traditional beat reporters or producers.

This was the image in my head as I sat in my freshman dorm deciding on my major. As I narrowed in on a degree in journalism, I thought more and more about how I would navigate such a male dominated field. Amy Joyce said in a Washington Post article that reporters are 62.2% male, photographers/videographers are 75.1% male, and in print journalism--the number of bylines by female writers is as low as 31%.

Now, I won’t exclude the slow progress being made as more and more women pursue journalism, but there is something to note about specifically about women in journalism right now. Even while the increase in gender diversity in journalism fields is apparent, there is another factor that has had a strong impact on female journalists--Donald Trump.

We all probably know the Trump administration’s relationship with the media in general, from fake news to Fox News. As his supporters gave more and more backing to his berating of the media, his attacks became more consistent and more harsh--especially with female reporters and women of color. Not only did this harm the trust between journalists and the public, but it also opened a door to debase the experience and skills of journalists for simply being women.

It’s important to recognize the gendered aggression toward female journalists because it shows a skewed perception of the media, and it diminishes whatever professional equality held between men and women in journalism. Working in an already male-dominted field is difficult work, and then to have the face of your country berate you for doing what any other male journalist would do? It’s hard--really hard.

My point here is that we need to recognize that there is still gendered bias between men and women in many areas of work, especially the media, and that there is still plenty of work to do for equality in the newsroom. It’s important to hold powerful people like Donald Trump responsible for pushing this gendered bias because it not only continues the patriarchy in the workplace, but also gives the public motivation to continue it as well--at home, at work, anywhere. We need to recognize the ongoing gender gap in professional settings like this and understand that just because more women are pursuing careers in male-dominated fields doesn’t mean they’re automatically considered equal.

There’s still work to do, so let’s get to it.

image source:

https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/trump-demeans-three-black-female-reporters-in-two-days/