The experience of women in journalism is rife with hurdles not often given attention by newsroom leadership and by the journalism field. Struggles that come into play for women include: lack of leadership opportunities (Arguedas, et al., 2024, Urbániková, M., & Čaladi, T. 2024), underrepresentation for minority groups and people of intersectional identities (Bharat Dhiman, Dr., 2023, Wallace, L.R., 2019, Urbániková, M., & Čaladi, T. 2024), variance in beat assignments (Kassova, L. 2020), economic inequality (Bharat Dhiman, Dr., 2023), harm and harassment (Kelly, A. 2024, Khan, I. 2021), unreasonable aesthetic expectations for female broadcast journalists (Engstrom, E., & Ferri, A. J., 1998, Bernard, P., et al., 2020), lack of acceptance in sports journalism (Hardin, M., & Shain, S. 2006), and physical considerations such as menstruation and pregnancy (Ponzo, S., et al. 2022). Newsroom leadership and the infrastructure currently in place do not include methods for easing the strain and inequality female journalists experience, despite evidence suggesting that efforts towards equality from newsroom leaders could have overwhelmingly positive outcomes (Kassova, 2020). Historical context illustrates that female journalists have experienced unique struggles and have been advocating for themselves for generations (Whyte, M. 2017). Despite this, stumbling blocks for female journalists remain across the field, from broadcast to print, and across all professional journalistic titles and positions.

This project, informed by a 25+ page literature review, tells the stories of female journalists in podcast form. This podcast features several episodes and includes lived experiences of adversity, inequality, and forward/backward motion from journalists in the field, as well as interviews with journalism leaders in order to investigate paths forward to address these issues. This podcast seeks to explore whether the potential steps forward discussed in this review are attainable and feasible, either at this point in the journalism landscape or in the future.