Navigating the Gendered Nuances of the Digital Newsroom:

Abstract

Historically, the place of women journalists in American newsrooms has relegated these women to coverage of beats defined as “soft news.” Despite the advancements of the modern newsroom and the appearance of equity supported by digital media, certain standards and expectations persist for women journalists. Just as their predecessors had to navigate around and within the contexts of these roles in order to climb the professional ladder, so too do today’s women journalists, even in a digital newsroom. Although officially institutionalized barriers no longer stand between women journalists and success, cultural expectations remain a factor for those who wish to succeed. Through examining oral histories of women journalists from different generations and analyzing statistical representations of the modern newsroom, we explore reoccurring and new gendered expectations and the strategies of women journalists that either reinforce these standards or break them, all in favor of a successful career.