Only 19% of Female Journalists believe there is adequate gender diversity in UK Journalism

In collaboration with Women in Journalism, Man Bites Dog surveyed 1,200 UK journalists about the impact on female journalists, the media, and society in general. Gender inequality in UK journalism is addressed in the report’ Gender News Gap: The Impact of Inequality in Journalism & Media.’

Gender diversity in UK Journalism

While 96% of journalists in the UK believe the media has a duty to reflect the diversity of the society it serves, the research reveals that fewer than one in five (19%) female journalists believe that there is adequate gender diversity in UK journalism.

The study identifies some of the concerns confronting women in journalism today, such as access to the field and career advancement. Three-quarters of UK journalists (73%) believe that women have a more challenging time progressing in journalism than men.

COVID-19 has intensified the issues faced by women in journalism, with women taking on more home responsibilities at the price of their professions and mental health. Female journalists were also more likely to be furloughed during the pandemic.

Online harassment is a problem for all UK journalists, with four out of ten (41%) experiencing online hate due to sharing their work online. And more than two-thirds (68%) of female journalists debate whether or not to submit work online due to fear of online abuse.

Because of this trolling, only 55% of female journalists are comfortable with a public profile as a commentator on their specialist subject, compared to two-thirds of male journalists (67%).

“Women in Journalism campaigned for almost 30 years for representative gender balance and diversity in our industry through our workshops, research and panel events. And yet our survey exposes the shocking truth that the gender gap in journalism stubbornly persists,” said Alison Phillips, Women In Journalism Chair and Daily Mirror editor.

She also said, “The media is the prism through which the world sees itself. For it to be fair and accurate, we need all kinds of people from a host of diverse backgrounds telling all sorts of stories. That makes great journalism.”

The Gender News Gap is itself a key contributor to the Gender Say Gap: the lack of female expert contributors consulted by the media. According to more than four in five women in journalism, female journalists and expert authorities highlight issues that would otherwise go unnoticed. And 96% of UK journalists believe that visible female experts can inspire women to enter professions and sectors where they may be underrepresented.

Despite this, just 28% of journalists report that their organisation has set targets to improve the representation of female expert contributors. Less than a quarter (23%) of media directors participating in our survey said their organisation measures their journalist workforce’s gender or ethnic diversity.

Man Bites Dog’s Founder and CEO Claire Mason says: “Equality in journalism is a critical foundation for an equal society. Public opinion and policy are shaped by the people who decide which stories are told and who tells them.

The Gender News Gap directly impacts how women and diverse communities are represented. How our experiences and concerns are reflected, and how we make our voices heard to create change. It is critical that the media industry takes action to address the gender gap in journalism and expert contributors if we are to have an equal say in the future of our society.”

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