Thoughts on the Coverage of Women from the Wilting Flowers

I just wanted to share some of our group's questions/concerns during last night's discussion:

1. How do you get top women, once in power, to approach coverage decisions differently?

There seems to be a critical mass of women in some pretty powerful traditions in the industry, but once they get there, they tend to "play along" instead of demanding better coverage of women and more sourcing from female experts.

2. Will/Is the new media provide an important outlet for women?

There was some talk about the lack of women in mainstream op-ed pages in contrast to the wealth of women blogging. How do we bridge this gap? How do we convince women to see themselves as experts and produce when they get the call?

3. How can we move beyond "women in peril" stories?

It's either Paris or the breast cancer survivor with ten kids or the missing white girl...how can we move beyond this kind of coverage?

We also had a fascinating conversation about mentoring and the intergenerational dynamic among women in the media. Clearly there is more need for older women in power to work with a generation just coming in, who may appear a bit "entitled," but who is really hungry for some wisdom.

In short: Reach out! Stick to your values once you're in power! Utilize the JAWS listserve!