At TMH, both the editor-in-chief and the managing editor are women, leading a predominantly female editorial team — including myself.
Since this was the first newsroom I was ever introduced to, I didn’t think twice about it. The female-led TMH newsroom felt like the natural order of things, a reflection of an evolving news industry.
But when you look at the number of women pursuing journalism degrees compared to the number actually working in the field, the cracks begin to show. Despite progress in some areas, the newsroom remains a largely male-dominated space, with much work still ahead.
Today, female journalists still navigate pay disparities, harassment and gender-based barriers that pioneering women in newsrooms fought to end decades ago. Addressing this issue requires a twofold solution: news organizations must work harder to reform the industry, and colleges must better prepare women to navigate and succeed within it.
As a journalism student at UM, I look around and see my peers running editorial sections at TMH, producing award-winning shows for UMTV and dominating the sidelines as sports reporters. They’re ambitious, driven and confident — ready to graduate and take on the world.
That’s why it’s so disheartening to know that many of these talented women will enter an industry that still struggles to make space for them, especially in leadership roles. The reality is the professional world we’re stepping into doesn’t reflect the promise we see in college newsrooms.
Although women outnumber men in journalism programs, recent research reveals that women are more likely to leave the industry before their male counterparts. Each year, over 66% of journalism grads are women, but they account for just 33% of the media industry.
Many wonder what’s fueling this disparity. The answer is simple: disappointment.
Many women who entered the field in the ’90s and early 2000s did so with the expectation that the problems earlier generations encountered had long disappeared, only to be disillusioned when they found the power structure still skewed heavily male.
“Everyone says they left because they had children, but it’s not true. They left because of unfulfilled expectations,” said Gail Evans, the highest-ranking female executive at CNN.
One key factor is the lack of upward mobility for women. A 2024 Reuters Institute study revealed that, despite women making up 40% of journalists in the US, only 24% of top editors in 240 news outlets across five continents are women.
Many attribute the exodus of women from newsrooms to the challenges of work-life balance. But it’s not about motherhood — it’s about demanding fair pay, a safe work environment and equal opportunities for advancement.
It’s not the women that need to change; it’s the industry. After all, why stay in a job where you are overlooked, underpaid and underappreciated?
As the gender pay gap globally approaches 20%, women in journalism are no exception and are consistently paid less than their male counterparts. The International Federation of Journalists attributed this disparity in newsrooms to the poor presence of women in senior, highly-paid positions.
Furthermore, sexism and harassment are still embedded in many newsroom cultures, making it difficult, and sometimes unsafe, for women to do their jobs. Women are disproportionately targeted by sexual harassment and at least 73% of female journalists experience online violence, a driving factor for younger women journalists leaving the news industry today.
The challenges don’t stop at entry or mid-level positions. Even women who break through to leadership roles face persistent gender biases and impossible double standards. Susan Goldberg, former editor-in-chief of National Geographic Magazine, believes that there are “so many more ways for men to be a leader” and “so many more paths of acceptable behavior for men.”
Newsrooms must take a more proactive stance in closing the pay gap, safeguarding journalists and fostering female leadership. At the same time, universities should equip aspiring female journalists with a realistic understanding of the industry, so they enter the workforce prepared rather than disillusioned.
This prompts the question: how can professors and universities prepare the next generation of female journalists without discouraging them from pursuing the profession?
Above all, be honest. Prepare them for the realities of male-dominated newsrooms, while reaffirming they belong in them, especially in the seats traditionally reserved for men.
Women in leadership have the power to transform newsroom cultures, and when educators reframe obstacles as fuel rather than setbacks, they can empower the next generation. As female journalists, we carry forward the legacy of trailblazers who broke newsroom barriers in the ’80s and ’90s and now see promise in the next generation.
“They understand their importance and their value in a work environment. I see this generation understanding their power, which I think is transformative,” said O’Brian, who served as the senior vice president for ABC News
So, the next time you find yourself in a female-dominated journalism class, editorial meeting or control room, remind yourself, this is not reality, but it can be.