ASNE Reports Huge Talent Drain; Larger Percentage of Women Depart

Newspapers experienced their largest loss of journalists in a quarter-century, according to the American Society of Newspaper Editors' annual newsroom census released in April.

Nearly 2,000 editorial employees, nearly half of them women, left newspaper employment. The total number of employees in the ASNE survey is 54,414, with women constituting 20,161 of that group, a decrease of 901 from the prior year. However, many more men are represented in the total count - 34,253, of which 1,078 left. This translates into a 4.3% decline among women newsroom employees, 3.05% for men.

ASNE also reported that a larger number of minority women left newsroom employment than did minority men, although overall numbers of minority newsroom employment are up.

UNESCO Launches Network for Women in Media in Afghanistan

A professional association of women media workers has been established in Kabul with support from UNESCO. The new Voice of Afghan Women in Global Media was formally brought into being at a meeting in Kabul in February. More than 60 women media professionals participated in the inaugural session.

Victoria's Secret TV Special Did Not Violate Rules, FCC Says

U.S. federal regulators ruled in March that a racy Victoria's secret fashion special that featured supermodels strutting around in underwear did not violate indecency regulations.

ABC, which aired the prime-time show during the November sweeps (a month during which ratings help to determine rates charged for advertising), had said the program as aired was within its standards-and-practices guidelines. ABC said its standards division edited out camera shots that showed more skin than it was comfortable with, and that the hour of the telecast was clearly identified as being for mature viewers. The show attracted more than 12 million viewers, finishing third in its time slot.

Hollywood Cleans Up Its Act, Says New Study On Changing Rates of Sex and Violence

After years of growing alarm over a rising tide of sex and violence in popular entertainment, there is evidence that television has started to clean up its act, says a study by the Center for Media and Public Affairs released in March.

The CMPA study finds that from 1999 to 2001, the amount of sexual material in television entertainment fell by 29 percent and the amount of serious violence decreased by 17 percent. These changes were accompanied by more stringent parental ratings for shows that contained a high incidence of sexual material, although many highly violent shows continued to receive PG ratings. In the most popular movies released in theaters during these time periods, however, the amounts of sex and violence remained unchanged.

LA Times Cartoonist's Comparison of Abortion With Yates Child Deaths Draws Ire, Support

Los Angeles Times cartoonist Michael Ramirez put his own spin on the case of Andrea Yates, accused of killing her five children while suffering from recurrent depression. In a cartoon published March 16, 2002, the day Yates was sentenced to life in prison, Ramirez drew a shapeless, unattractive female figure wearing a NOW T-shirt and carrying a sign that said, "We support Andrea Yates." The character is saying, "Just think of it as late, late, late, late, late, late, late, late term abortions."

Response from readers of The Times and newspapers that picked up the cartoon was spirited.

Author's Accusations of Liberal, Pro-Feminist Bias In Media Bogus, Rivers Says

In a crisp commentary published by Women's Enews Feb. 20, Boston University journalism professor Caryl Rivers skewered former CBS correspondent Bernard Goldberg's claims in his book that the U.S.'s leading newspapers and broadcast networks are packed with left-leaning liberals who support a feminist agenda.

Nieman Reports Recognizes Women Journalists in Two Back-to-Back Issues

The Winter 2001 and Spring 2002 editions of Nieman Reports both carried special sections on women and journalism , with an international perspective offered in the Winter issue, a United States overview in the Spring issue.

Kilbourne on Oprah to Discuss Media, Cultural Pressures on Young Women and Men

The Oprah Winfrey Show in February featured MRTW Supporting Subscriber Jean Kilbourne, who used clips from two videos to expose the media and cultural forces that pressure young people into experiences of teen dating abuse and violence, either as victims or as perpetrators.

Plus News Briefs, People, Book Reviews and Commentary

Media Report to Women has hard copies of back issues dating to its founding in 1972. Indispensable for research!