Have you ever had an experience where you felt that being a woman in the journalism field set you apart from your male peers?
My co-op this past spring was on the high school sports desk at the Globe. Until the very end of the co-op, my boss only me to cover events specifically relating to the celebration of women and girls in sports, and he always made it pretty clear I was his last resort.The first time it happened, I didn't really think anything of it because it was an exciting opportunity, but when it happened twice more, I started to wonder if it was intentional (at least subconsciously).
What do you hope for the next generation of young women entering the journalism field? What are your hopes for them? What would you like that space to be like?
I hope the next generation of young women journalists won't have to worry about finding a job. I hope they won't fear that their industry is crumbling, and I hope that if they do (because it seems as though that's been the general message to journalists for decades) they won't have to anticipate and accept mild sexism in the newsroom so as to prove themselves worthy of an opportunity somewhere down the line.
Why did you choose to pursue a career in journalism?
Writing has always been a strong suit of mine. I decided I wanted to be a writer around seventh grade, but I was always more drawn to factual writing than creative prose, and journalism seemed really exciting to me — you're always moving around, writing new stories, learning about different things. I felt like it would be a perfect fit for me.
Do you have any role models in the journalism field that you look up to? (Could be a woman, doesn't have to be)
Katie McInerney and Jeneé Osterheldt at the Globe
How do you feel women are represented in your area of reporting? How do you think the business challenges facing the news industry have impacted the representation of women in your field?
Unsurprisingly, women are severely underrepresented in the world of sports media, whether those women be participating in the newsroom or on the field. Although I've seen some attempts at decreasing that disadvantage, and the call for women in sports is stronger now than ever before, in the last week or so alone, two major sports desks have undergone severe changes. Sports reporting is an incredibly male-dominated industry — probably moreso than many other departments in the newsroom — and as sports media jobs disappear seemingly by the hour, so do the few opportunities women were afforded on sports desks around the country.
In your opinion, what are the advantages of having more women in journalism?
Obviously, the big advantage to having more women in journalism is simply hearing their voices. Although journalists aim to be impartial and unbiased, women journalists bring a unique perspective to the media and to their articles, creating a significantly more inclusive news landscape.