The pathway to women’s leadership in journalism is filled with barriers from the moment women enter the profession. Women leave journalism at a greater rate, get promoted more slowly and as a result they rarely rise to the executive suite. Yet we won’t solve this problem solely by looking at the roadblocks.
Today Poynter begins the Push for Parity Essay series, in which we hear the stories and advice of successful female media leaders, along with male leaders with a track record for promoting women. In doing so, we believe we can identify more pathways to success than there are locked doors. These essays are part of an ongoing series of programs, conversations and initiatives from Poynter for female leaders.
In these five introductory essays we hear from leaders with different backgrounds and experiences. Yet already, themes are emerging. These leaders find keys to success in their sponsors and mentors, in personal courage and personal connections and in the act of listening.
While some of them mention family, none of them describe family as a barrier. Indeed, if being a successful leader hasn’t been a barrier to being a good family man, there’s probably no reason it should interfere with a being a good family woman.
We hope this series will grow and will add to the conversation we are having as a profession and in broader society about the role of women in leadership.
If you would like to submit a pitch on an essay, you can email your submission to push4parity@Poynter.org. (Editor’s note: We’ve decided to choose five essays and we’re paying $200 each. Send us your pitch by Dec. 15.)
The panel at ‘Closing Journalism’s Gender Gap’: From left, Rachel Smolkin, Susan Goldberg, Madhulika Sikka, Jill Geisler, Carolyn Ryan and Anders Gyllenhaal. (File photo)
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