Barriers for women in journalism
June 22nd, 2015
In her investigation of sexual politics in journalism, Outsiders Still: Why Women Journalists Love — And Leave — Their Newspaper Careers (UTP $24.95), Vivian Smith explores the disparity between the number of female journalism students (they dominate at North American schools) and the small number of women holding top-level positions at Canadian newspapers. Through interviews with a variety of Canadian journalists and her fourteen years of personal experience, Smith investigates the barriers women face in the printed news field. Pay inequity, the struggle to balance work and family, sexism and hostility are just some of the challenges that have encouraged many female journalists to leave their profession or kept them from achieving their potential. Adding to the already-challenging environment is the uncertain future of the newspaper industry itself. Vivian Smith was born in Ontario. She earned a BA and MA at the University of Western Ontario and obtained her PhD at the University of Victoria. Smith teaches writing at the University of Victoria and was a former National Beats Editor at The Globe and Mail. Her work has appeared in the Globe, National Post, Maclean’s, Canadian Living and ROB Magazine 9781442627956
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