As the Washington, D.C.-based Women’s Media Center sees it, gender inequality in America’s newsrooms continues across all media platforms.
WMC researchers came to this conclusion after analyzing some 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.
Upon doing so, WMC found that men overall receive 65% of news bylines and credits and women 34%.
The findings are the center piece of the Women’s Media Center’s “Divided 2021: The Media Gender Gap” report.
But, broadcast television seems to be better than other forms of media in shrinking the gender gap in the newsroom. Prime-time weekday evening news broadcasts are the most equitable. Print newspapers and wires are the least, according to the research.
- 50% of anchors and correspondents on TV prime-time weekday evening news broadcasts (cable and network) are men; 50% are women.
- 69% of print news is written by men; 31% is written by women.
- 63% of news wire bylines (AP and Reuters) are snagged by men; 37% by women.
- 57% of online news is written by men; 43% by women.
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:
- MSNBC’s “The ReidOut,” with host Joy Reid: 70% women, 30% men.
- PBS “NewsHour,” where Judy Woodruff is anchor and managing editor: 66% women, 34% men.
- CBS “Evening News,” where Norah O’Donnell is the anchor and managing editor: 61% women, 39% men.
- CNN’s “Erin Burnett OutFront”: 53% women, 47% men.
- The exception is Fox News’ “The Story,” with host Martha MacCallum: 39% women; 61% men.
- Of the seven news broadcasts, ABC’s “World News Tonight,” anchored by David Muir, had the fewest women at 28%.
“We are heartened by the encouraging numbers in this report regarding broadcast news,” stated WMC Board Chair Janet Dewart Bell. “Yet, there is so much work that needs to be done if we are to achieve true equality and inclusion in media. Everyone wins when media executives expand opportunities to include women as sources, anchors, hosts, correspondents, and in all news positions.”
During an extraordinary year of news and news coverage — about COVID-19, race, politics, media, and other critical concerns — men dominated in those topics as well:
- 63% of election coverage was by men; 37% by women.
- 59% of international news and politics coverage was by men; 41% by women.
- 54% of COVID-19 coverage was by men; 46% by women.
- 53% of racial justice coverage was by men; 47% by women.
- 50% of social justice coverage was by men; 50% by women.
In addition, men dominate coverage of sports, weather, legal, opinions and editorials, business and economy, and science and the environment.
The WMC is co-founded by Gloria Steinem, Robin Morgan and Jane Fonda.
RBR+TVBR OBSERVATION: The WMC study did not offer any insight on local broadcast television or radio. Why? Had they bothered to look at local television broadcast newscasts and at news offered by radio on a local, regional, or national level, the gender gap story wouldn’t be nearly as dramatic as this women’s advocacy group wants to share.
From NPR to the morning news anchor at Pamal Broadcasting’s WXPK-FM “107.1 The Peak” in White Plains, N.Y.; to Alpha Media’s KXL-FM in Portland, Ore., to some of iHeartMedia’s biggest stations, women deliver.
From KSBY-6 in San Luis Obispo, Calif. anchor Nina Lozano to local TV news organizations across South Florida, women deliver.
While this study has merit for what still needs to be seen on a national level, local broadcasters have excelled at gender balance while also achieving more multicultural diversity in its newsrooms.
It’s too bad the WMC turned a blind eye to the media driving local journalism.
Click here for the “WMC Divided 2021: The Media Gender Gap” report.
