Now, much of the National Public Radio reporter’s work has been digitized; she does the editing she once did by hand on computers.

“Jobs have changed in ways we couldn’t have imagined,” she said.

Corley was one of six women journalists at an International Women’s Media Foundation networking breakfast held July 17 in Chicago. The IWMF and the Association for Women Journalist in Chicago invited news media leaders to the event to talk informally to area women journalists and share ideas, resources, strategies, and career advice – especially in light of new technology’s effect on news media.

Changes in the media landscape like the ones Corley has seen can be exciting, but women also must adapt and take on a new vigilance to make sure their voices aren’t squeezed out of online arenas, said Mary Schmich, a metro columnist for The Chicago Tribune.

Schmich said that although women have made advances in the news media, she still sometimes feels like she’s in a “sea of guys.”

In difficult situations, maintaining confidence is key, said Marcy McGinnis, director of broadcast journalism at Stony Brook University. McGinnis, formerly senior vice president for news coverage at CBS News, recalled an incident early in her career when she was covering a steel mill: the man giving her a tour talked to her cameraman instead of her because he assumed she wasn’t in charge.

“It was almost as if I was invisible,” she said.

Amidst the prevalence of new technology and new ways of showing and telling the news, however, women are poised to become anything but invisible.

In fact, changes can provide an opportunity for women to be instrumental in reinventing journalism, said Liza Gross, co-chair of the IWMF and managing editor for presentation and operations at The Miami Herald.

Gross said even budget cuts can create an impetus for women to learn new skill sets, leaving them with the ability to move forward in their careers.

“It’s an interesting challenge to come up with a solution that can help change the industry,” she said.