THE STATUS OF WOMEN IN THE U.S MEDIA 2015

WOMEN’S MEDIA CENTER
(As ASNE noted the continuing white male dominance of newspaper staffs, “Outnumbered
but Well Spoken,” a study by Oxford University researchers, linked the
overwhelmingly male bylines and news sources at The New York Times to the male
dominance of online commenters about the Times coverage. Women commenters,
however, were more likely than men to have their comments “recommended” with the
click of the Times’ thumbs-up sign.)
ASNE’s 2014 report covered 36,700 staffers at 965 of the nation’s 1,373 daily newspapers
during 2013. Based on those organizations’ responses, these were among ASNE’s
main findings:
Sixty-three percent of news organizations surveyed had at least one woman among their
top three editors in 2013, and 15 percent of news organizations had at least one person
of color among their top three editors in 2013. (The current report on 2013 staffing is the
first to probe women and minority leadership.)
The proportion of female supervisors inched up from 34.6 percent in 2012 to 35.4
percent in 2013.
During the same period, the proportion of female copy/layout editors and online
content producers rose from 39.9 percent to 41.6 percent; female reporters/writers
rose from 37.8 percent to 38.1 percent; and female photographers, artists and videographers
rose from 24.9 percent to 26.8 percent.
Minorities comprised 13.3 percent of all newsroom staff, up from 12.3 in 2013. The
figure peaked at 13.7 in 2006.
The proportion of female staffers who were multiracial rose, in comparison to multiracial
male staffers, from 47 percent in 2012 to 51 percent in 2013.
The proportion of female staffers who were Native American rose, in comparison to
Native American male staffers, from 38 percent in 2012 to 41 percent in 2013.
Percentages of men and women by race
Blacks Hispanics Asian Native American Multi-Racial White
Men Women Men Women Men Women Men Women Men Women Men Women
2014 54 46 59 41 48 52 59 41 49 51 64 36
2013 53 47 60 40 48 52 62 38 53 47 65 35
2012 53 47 50 41 49 51 62 38 47 53 64 38
2011 52 48 60 40 46 54 56 44 65 35
2010 53 47 61 39 48 52 61 39 65 35
2009 51 49 60 40 48 52 68 32 64 36
2008 50 50 59 41 47 53 58 44 64 36
2007 50 50 58 42 46 54 52 48 64 36
2006 51 49 59 41 45 55 54 46 64 36
2005 51 49 58 42 45 55 56 44 64 36
2004 51 49 61 39 45 55 52 48 64 38
2003 51 49 60 40 47 53 53 47 65 35
2002 52 48 60 40 48 52 64 36 64 38
2001 52 48 59 41 50 50 56 44 64 38
2000 51 49 60 40 51 49 49 51 64 38
1999 52 48 60 41 50 50 50 40 64 38
* The years listed in this graphic denote when the study was released; each annual study reflects newsroom personnel
during the previous year.
Source: American Society of News Editors
The Status of Women in the U.S. Media 2015 TOC womensmediacenter.com 19