Training women to have an opinion

While reading about CBS news anchor Katie Couric's recent bout of plagiarism, I stumbled across this video clip of her segment "Katie Couric's Notebook", where we get in touch with what is currently running through her pretty little -yet ever so slightly robotic- head. In this "episode", Katie discusses how only 10 to 20 percent of newspaper opinion editorials are written by women. Apparently Gayle Collins, the first woman to run the New York Times' editorial page, says that it's because not enough women are "asking to be there" and men are about five times more likely to submit Op-Ed essays. But don't worry! There's hope for us yet, as author Catherine Orenstein has seminars on how to TRAIN us to write opinion articles.

Does anyone else find this really irritating? Perhaps women don't want to write Op-Eds for newspapers because we've found other outlets of voicing our opinion and reaching large audiences. Ever heard of BLOGS, Katie Couric?

Linda

Well I've spent a few years in journalism now and yes it's a crying shame that talented women are discriminated against in any way whatsoever.

That's why I got off my arse and started working for myself when my kids were young, as I now employ four other women, all mums, I hope that goes some small way to increasing "respect" for us in the industry - but tbh I think that I'm more interested in the money, which feeds my family :) As I was trying to say above, work on women's magazines - an area that is dominated by women - is very well-paid.

I can either sit here and analyse the "soft" subjects that are covered and bemoan the fact that I don't see my face grinning out of an op-ed column or I can go and interview a mum who's beat the odds to have her family and get paid thousands. Hard decision that one!

To go back to the original point, I think Cate is spot on. Women of all backgrounds are making their voices heard through blogs - and more power to them.

DIANE SHIPLEY

'There are some excellent and provocative women columnists on UK papers - but the flak they get seems to centre on the fact they are women rather than what they write'

That's true, Linda! And true in the US, too - but men still dominate. Although I believe newspaper writing is much better paid over there - journalism and being a 'writer' seems to be a lot more respected in say New York than say, London... x

Linda

Hi Cate and Diane, the op-ed pages can pay a pittance. Women's magazines on the other hand can pay what equates to a lot more than a monthly salary for a lot of people - men or women. There are some excellent and provocative women columnists on UK papers - but the flak they get seems to centre on the fact they are women rather than what they write.

Training women to have an opinion

Training women to have an opinion - Comments

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