It’s men writing the news in US media
It’s men reporting the news in US media. Gender inequality in America’s newsrooms continues across all media platforms. Men overall get 65% of news bylines and credits and women 34%, according to report “Divided 2021: The Media Gender Gap.”
The report is published by Women’s Media Center, a non-profit organization founded in 2005 by feminist icon Gloria Steinem, actresses and women’s right activists Jane Fonda and Robin Morgan.
WMC researchers analyzed 62,002 pieces of content from January 1 through March 31 for 30 news outlets across four platforms: print newspaper, online news, broadcast network and cable TV news, and wire services in the United States.
Prime-time weekday evening news broadcasts are the most equitable, while print newspapers and wires are the least, according to the research:
- 69% of print news is written by men; 31% is written by women.
- 63% of news wire bylines (AP and Reuters) are by men; 37% by women.
- 57% of online news is written by men; 43% by women.
- 50% of anchors and correspondents on TV prime-time weekday evening news broadcasts (cable and network) are men; 50% are women.
“Women are more than half of the population, yet it’s men who are telling most of the stories”, said Julie Burton, president and CEO of the Women’s Media Center.
“As a result, the news media is missing out on major stories, readers and viewers and important perspectives. The gender gap is real. We hope that the industry will take heed and implement meaningful change.”
The research found that news broadcasts that are anchored or hosted by women tend to have more reporting by women than the broadcasts that are anchored or hosted by men. MSNBC, PBS, CBS and CNN all featured more than 50% women.
“News organizations must be held accountable for the persistent disparities and inequities in media, said WMC Co-Founder Gloria Steinem. “Women must be visible and powerful in all aspects of media if American society is ever to be a real democracy.”
The narrowest gaps in the print sector were at The New York Times and The Washington Post, where, for each, men wrote 59% and women 41% of articles, and USA Today at 61% men and 39% women.
Among the seven internet news sites examined, women had more bylines than men at CNN.com, HuffPost and Vox.
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