EOTO 3 Reaction Post

            Breaking News: Women Takeover 

As journalism students, we realize that there are many influential and talented journalists in our department. I Have learned a great deal from all of my fellow peers as they have presented information about various reporters and writers who defined modern-day journalism.  

 

Female journalists were immensely powerful as they broadcast and reported in male-dominated workplaces. Women in journalism give the public a different perspective than men. Most women use their voices to advocate for women and share the way they see truth on the air.  

 

Many amazing women have made a name for themselves in the field of Journalism. To name a few women of note, but clearly not the only outstanding ones, we can recognize Martha Gellhorn, Jane Pauley, Katherine Graham, and Gloria Steinem as important contributing journalists in the newsrooms.  

 

                                        SANDBOXX.COM
Martha Gellhorn was photographed
during the World Wars. 
 

Martha Gellhorn was one of the first female war correspondents to report from the frontlines on many wars during her career.  She worked directly with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt as she worked to promote the increase of women’s roles in the workplace. When she reported on the Great Depression, she shared a perspective that advocated the more humanitarian effects of this era.  

Ms. Gellhorn was known for her coverage of the   Spanish Civil War and wrote her reports on stories about the bombings of Barcelona. The allies did not want women reporting on the frontlines. However, Gellhorn had a passion for reporting and pushed to be allowed to report.  She became the role model for all women war correspondents for her tenacity.  

 

Katherine Graham, another female reporter and businesswoman owned the Washington Post news publication. Her father owned the Washington Post then the rights were passed to her husband. After her husband’s death, she took over the Washington Post. This gave her control of her own company as the female CEO.  

                                                          Washinton Post
Photograph of Katherine Graham "CEO."  

Graham reported and directed in her role as the first female CEO of a Fortune 500 Company. She wrote stories about the Watergate Scandal amid backlash for criticizing President Nixon. Katherine Graham paved the way for the prominence of The Washington Post and was very instrumental for women to have the opportunity to report on various political issues in society.  

 

                                 CBS News 
Photograph of Jane Pauley.

Another important journalistic female of note is Jane Pauely. Pauley is a female news anchor who appears on the CBS early morning show, the Sunday Morning News. She is well respected in her field as a broadcaster, reporter, and news anchor and has received the award for Broadcast and Cable News Hall of Fame. Along with her successful career, Pauley is a spokeswoman for children’s health and mental health education. 

Gloria Steinem is a woman who played a significant role in the women’s liberation movements. As a political activist and feminist, she used her voice as a tool for representing women.  

 

                                                              NPR.org
Photograph of Gloria Steinem

One of Steinem’s most famous stories, "I was a Playboy Bunny” which Steinem published to expose the sins of Hugh Hefner. She was a spokeswoman for various radical feminist events as she pushed for changes to include more women in the male-dominated society. In 1972, Gloria Steinem published a Magazine called “Ms. Magazine,” to bring awareness to women’s issues in the media.  

As legitimately talented journalists, these women were influential in changing the perception of how women were viewed in the media and the newsroom. As a female, it is inspiring to see countless examples of women using their voices to bring deserved respect to women in journalism. These ladies played a huge role in changing male-dominated views and advocating for women’s rights. These women still inspire generations to step up, take charge, and share the truth with the world through broadcast journalism.