Stats and Studies

The following resources have been compiled from IWMF publications and other resources. These studies and reports document the opinions of women journalists, examine how women are portrayed in the media, and measure how many women work in the worldwide media and what types of jobs they hold.

To suggest additions to the list, contact Elisa Munoz .

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S MEDIA FOUNDATION

Leading in a Different Language: Will Women Change the News Media? (2001)
Builds on 10 years of IWMF programs with women journalists around the world. Discusses how having women in decision-making positions could change the news.
Sample statistic: Some 92 percent of women journalists responding to an IWMF survey in 2000 said that women bring a more human perspective to the news.

Women Journalists of Color: Present Without Power (1999)
Survey of minority women journalists and newsroom managers in the U.S. that compares perceptions about work environment, challenges faced in newsrooms and advancement opportunities.
Sample statistic: More than 60 percent of the minority women journalists polled said they face barriers to advancement that their white and male counterparts do not.

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AFRICA

Employment Patterns in Media Organizations in Southern Africa, Federation of African Media Women - Southern African Development Community (1998)

Survey of the status and roles of women in the media in seven countries in southern Africa.
Sample statistic: Women were 16 percent of the overall media workforce in Malawi.

Gender and Media Baseline Study, Media Institute of Southern Africa and Gender Links (2003)
Examined the representation of women in the media in 12 Southern African countries.
Sample statistic: Women were 9 percent of news sources in political stories reviewed.

ASIA/PACIFIC

Women in the Media Survey, Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance (1996)
Survey of the status of women in Australian media.
Sample statistic: Some 23 percent said they had left a job in the media because of discrimination.

The State of Women and Media in Asia: An Overview, Isis International Media (1999)

Review of issues related to Section J (Women and Media) of the Platform For Action that was passed at the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing 1995.

EUROPE

Images of Women in the Media: Report on Existing Research in the European Union, European Commission (1997)
Path: Click "Available years - 1999" The report is fourth in the table. Ordering information is at the top of the page

Report of published research on the portrayal of women in the media of European Union member states.

MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA

Women's Rights and the Arab Media, Centre for Media Freedom Middle East and North Africa (2000)
Overview of initiatives for media coverage of women's rights in Arab countries.

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NORTH AMERICA

The Great Divide: Female Leadership in U.S. Newsroms, American Press Institute and the Pew Center for Civic Journalism (2002)
Surveyed men and women in U.S. newspaper management about their careers.
Sample statistic: Some 45 percent of the women surveyed said they expect to be offered a better job at another newspaper company or to leave the media industry entirely.

The Glass Ceiling Persists: The Third Annual APPC Report on Women Leaders in Communication Companies, Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania (2003)
Examines the number of women in top positions in U.S. media-related companies.
Sample statistic: Of those studied, women were 16 percent of presidents /CEOs in broadcast television and cable companies and 18 percent of presidents/CEOs in publishing companies.

Newsroom Employment Census, American Society of Newspaper Editors (2004)

Annual census examining the number of women and minority journalists in U.S. newsrooms.
Sample statistic: The percentage of women working at daily newspapers increased slightly to 37.23 percent after two years of decline.

Network News Correspondent Visibility Study, Arizona State University, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications (2002)
Annual study of the visibility of women and minority journalists on television news programs in the U.S.
Sample statistic: The percentage of women correspondents appearing on evening news programs decreased for the third consecutive year to 29 percent in 2001.

Women in Newspapers: How Much Progress Has Been Made?, Media Management Center at Northwestern University (2001)
Examines why women are not represented in high numbers in U.S. newspaper management.
Sample Statistic: Some 80 percent of the women surveyed said "exclusion from informal networks" kept them from advancing to top positions.

Women in Newspapers 2002: Still Fighting an Uphill Battle, Media Management Center at Northwestern University
Expanded on the 2001 Women in Newspapers survey by interviewing newspaper presidents and CEOs.
Sample Statistic: All of the presidents and CEOs, both male and female, saw the need to bring more women into top management in newspapers.

Front and Centre, Media Watch Canada (1994)
Investigation of women from diverse racial and ethnic groups, as well as the general public, as portrayed on Canadian television.
Sample statistic: Women were 38 percent of reporters in a two-week study of news programs.

Women Strike Out, Media Watch Canada (1998)
Examination of the visibility of women as reporters, photographers and sources in 16 of Canada's major daily newspapers.
Sample statistic: Women appeared 20 percent of the time in Canadian newspapers.

Survey of Women and Minorities in Radio and Television News, Radio and Television News Directors Association (2003)
Annual survey of women and minorities in broadcast companies in the U.S.
Sample statistic: Women are almost 26.5 percent of TV news directors, which is a slight increase over the 2002 figure.

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INTERNATIONAL

Equality and Quality: Setting Standards for Women in Journalism, International Federation of Journalists (2001)
Survey of members of IFJ unions on the status of women journalists, portrayal of women in the media and the salaries of women journalists.
Sample statistic: Women were less than 1 percent of department heads, editors or media owners, but more than a third of working journalists around the world.

Women in Journalism on Women in Journalism: Female Journalists Making their Way, The Institute for Further Education of Journalists (2001)

Essays by women journalists from 36 countries on the status of women in the media. Contact: Ann Lagerstrom, The Institute for Further Education of Journalists, Email: fojoinfo@hik.se,

Global Media Monitoring Project: Women's Participation in the News, Media Watch Canada (1995)
Examination of the representation of women in the news media in 30 countries.
Sample statistic: Women were 43 percent of journalists in the countries surveyed.

An Unfinished Story: Gender Patterns in Media Employment, UNESCO (1995)
Review of women's employment patterns in the media, representation in different positions and obstacles faced in media employment.
Sample statistic: In Japan, women were 8 percent of media employees.

Women Make the News Project, 2000, UNESCO

Women Make the News Project, 2001, UNESCO

UNESCO director-general Koichiro Matsuura asked the world's media to name women journalists to editorial management positions on International Women's Day.

Who Makes the News? Global Media Monitoring Project 2000, World Association for Christian Communication
Study of the representation of women and men in the news in 70 countries in 2000. Follow-up to MediaWatch Canada study from 1995.
Sample statistic: Women were 18 percent of news subjects.

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