Vol. 37, No. 3, Summer 2009

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES: University of Iowa School of Journalism and Mass Communication invites applications for tenure-track positions in these areas:

Assistant Professor of Visual News/Digital Communication - Apply online at http://jobs.uiowa.edu/ (requisition #57152)

Assistant Professor of Health Communication/Digital Communication - Apply online at http://jobs.uiowa.edu (requisition #57151)/

The University of Iowa is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply.

For more information, visit the School's web site: www.uiowa.edu/jmc/

WAM Members Slam Washington Post
Over Sexism, Get Action and An Apology

Dana Milbank and Chris Cillizza are two talented and experienced Washington Post political reporters. But their inability to resist the combustible combination of frat-boy humor and a webcam cost them exposure on the newspaper’s web site.

On August 5, Post Executive Editor Marcus Brauchli killed the duo’s "Mouthpiece Theater" series after pulling the latest episode from the paper's web site a few days earlier. In that episode, columnist Milbank and White House correspondent and blogger Cillizza appeared in smoking jackets to discuss the kinds of beer politicians might drink. Milbank said he couldn't reveal to whom President Barack Obama would serve a drink called "Mad B---- Beer." That line was followed by a brief picture of Clinton.

Calling the skit “a serious lapse,” Brauchli took the action after 32 members of Women, Action & the Media signed a letter to the Post in which they called the video "sexist" and "tasteless."

"I regret that we put up that image," Milbank told the Associated Press, "and while I highly doubt the secretary of state has seen 'Mouthpiece Theater,' I would be honored to have the opportunity to apologize to her over a beer." Cillizza also admitted the joke was over the line.

Report: Women More Likely
to Use Social Networking Sites

Social networks are exploding in popularity. Forty-three percent of the online community now uses social networking sites, including Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn. This is up from 27 percent a year ago, reported The Conference Board and TNS in a survey released in June.

Women are more likely than men to use social networking sites (48 percent versus 38 percent), but usage has increased dramatically among both groups in just a year. . However, women are more likely than men (47 percent versus 35 percent) to use MySpace. Conversely, more men than women (21 percent versus 15 percent) use LinkedIn. Across generations, Facebook usage is about equal, but when it comes to MySpace, those under 35 are more likely to have an account than their older counterparts.

The top concerns of social networking members - expressed by about 50 percent - are viruses/malware, exposure of information to strangers and lack of privacy. Women tend to be moderately more concerned than men. Only 14 percent claim they have no concerns, compared to 22 percent of men.

NOW Launches Expanded
Media Hall of Shame

Judge Sonia Sotomayor. Governor Sarah Palin. SpongeBob SquarePants. What could these three possibly have in common? The fact is, while their names frequently turn up in the media, the context isn't always so nice, says a statement from the National Organization for Women, released in June.

Sotomayor's intelligence and temperament are questioned based on gender and ethnic stereotypes. Palin and her daughter are the butt of sexist jokes. And the cartoon SpongeBob is used in a commercial that exploits women in order to sell burgers to kids, NOW says.

For these reasons and many more, the National Organization for Women has relaunched its popular online “Media Hall of Shame.” With the help of its members and other web site visitors, NOW says is back on the lookout in the mainstream media for instances of sexism, racism, sexual exploitation, violence against women and other offenses. Posts highlight the latest offenses, giving people a chance to rate them and urging activists to write to the media outlets to express their outrage. View current posts at http://www.now.org/issues/media/hall-of-shame/

JAWS Marks 25 Years of Advocating for
Women Journalists and Better Journalism

Incredibly, 25 years has passed since the Journalism and Women Symposium, better known as JAWS, grew out of conversations among female journalists talking about their lives, their journalism careers, and the state of the profession they loved.

A quarter century and thousands of conversations later, JAWS continues to support and serve women in news and communication, giving emerging leaders a hand and strengthening women who have been blazing trails with pen and pad, and now, with flip phones and Facebook.

Over the years, as the group increased in size and more women wanted to join, JAWS engaged in organizational efforts that would provide for permanence and continuity. In 1990, it adopted a mission statement:

“The Journalism and Women Symposium, a national organization, supports the personal growth and development of women in the newsroom and works toward a more accurate portrayal of the society as a whole." An excellent (and affectionate) history of the organization can be found at www.jaws.org/herstory/

Research in Depth: Pressured to Look Good: TV Anchors and Gendered Personal Appearance by Joseph P. Bernt, Katherine A. Bradshaw and James C. Foust

Research in Depth: Gender Images in Japanese Fashion Magazine Advertisements by Catherine A. Luther, Carolynn McMahan and Tiffany J. Shoop

Commentary: Contemplating the Celluloid Ceiling by Martha M. Lauzen

Plus News Briefs!

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