When you see a news story on television, there’s a three in four chance that the presenter is a man, according to the latest annual survey from the group Women in the Media.
Combining findings from the three major television news networks — ABC, CBS, and NBC — female reporters and producers appeared in only 25.2 percent of stories in 2016, down from 32 percent in 2015.
The report, “Divided 2017,” tracked traditional newspapers, online news, wire services and TV news for a three-month period. Across all mediums, men disproportionately dominate the ranks of reporters.
PBS had the smallest discrepancy, with 55 percent of news stories reported and produced by men compared with 45 percent for women.
“Men still dominate media across all platforms — television, newspapers, online, and wires — with change coming only incrementally, and in the case of broadcast news, regressing at the three major networks,” said Women’s Media Center President Julie Burton.
Women are more likely to report stories on lifestyle, health and education while men dominate the fields of sports, weather, crime and justice.
The group also works on research measuring gender bias in reporting stories.
“Our research projects on coverage of campus rape and coverage of reproductive rights show that the gender of the journalist affects how they cover topics and whom they choose as sources,” Ms. Burton said. “Women are not equal partners in telling the story, nor are they equal partners in sourcing and interpreting what and who is important in the story.”
• Laura Kelly can be reached at lkelly@washingtontimes.com.
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