Kick off Women’s History Month by developing a new appreciation for the hardworking women in journalism (ahem), past, present, and future. While you’re at it, why not enjoy a weekend of total news discovery? Do both on Sunday, March 3, when Maurine Beasley speaks at the Newseum at 2:30 p.m. about her recent book, Women of the Washington Press: Politics, Prejudice, and Persistence (Northwestern University Press, August 2012).
Beasley was one of the few female reporters for the Washington Post in the 1960s. She experienced how difficult it was for women to be trusted with serious assignments in the newsroom. When female reporters attended important events, they were often physically separated from male reporters, who, for example, would be invited to a luncheon at the National Press Club for a foreign dignitary’s speech. The women would be “penned up” on a small balcony, watching their XY colleagues from above.
Despite such obstacles in the “boy’s club” of D.C., many talented female writers were determined to master the roles of being a political journalist as well as a woman. This led to some disagreement within the group. Some wanted the freedom to cover the same content as men, while others decided to write on topics men shied away from, like sexual harrassment. Beasley’s predecessors were encouraged by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, who organized press conferences for female reporters and holds a prominent place in women’s history in journalism.
With personal anecdotes, accounts of other women who fought their way into the field, and descriptions of ongoing struggles in the evolving profession, the author chronicles a national movement with an insider’s analysis. She addresses questions such as: Do women reporters truly present a different perspective than men? Though we seem to see plenty of leading women in broadcast news today, is it really balanced? And what about women’s success in print, and in the increasingly relied-upon blogosphere?
Though substantial progress has been made, Women of the Washington Press explains that work is still to be done. There is familiar discussion of how new media are changing journalism, but also of how the ideals and principles of journalism could change too. Harking back to “Why Women Still Can’t Have it All”-esque arguments and others, Beasley uses the context of women’s rights, history, and today’s journalistic structure to illuminate challenges and opportunities that female reporters may encounter.
Beasley is a Professor Emerita at the University of Maryland’s Merrill College of Journalism, and is the former education editor of the Kansas City Star. She specializes in the history of journalism and women’s participation in journalism. Women of the Washington Press is the third book she has written.
The talk is free with paid admission to the Newseum. Prices are $21.95 for adults (ages 19-64) and $17.95 for seniors, military, and students with a valid ID. Newseum tickets can be used for two consecutive days.
