quadrant-1woman editors and owners final - parmar

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Women’s Studies Women, Media and Films Woman Owners and Editors

Paper No. : Women, Media and Films Module : Woman Owners and Editors

Prof. Sumita Parmar Allahabad University, Allahabad

Development Team

Principal Investigator

Paper Coordinator

Content Writer

Content Reviewer

Prof. Sisir Basu, Banaras Hindu University,Varanasi

Ankit Kumar Singh Banaras Hindu University ,Varanasi

Prof. Sisir Basu,BHU, Varanasi

BHU

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3. Woman owners and editors in media

1. Objectives

After going through this module, you would be able to;

• explain the rise of woman journalists across the world over the years; • understand the kind of challenges woman owners and editors face in running a

media organization; • describe in detail the life and work of some of the famous female editors and

owners of the country; • state the future prospects for woman editors and owners.

2. Introduction

In the previous module, we read about jobs and wages of women working in media.

Description of Module

Subject Name Women’s Studies

Paper Name Women, Media and Films

Module Name/Title Woman Owners and Editors

Module Id Paper – 10, Module - 12

Pre-requisites The reader is expected to have the knowledge of media industry and how it works.

Objectives To help readers learn about the rise of women in media over the years, to help them know about famous editors and owners of modern era, to help them understand the challenges female editors/owners face, to help them explain future prospects for woman editors and owners

Keywords Woman editors, woman owners, glass ceiling, newspapers, media houses, beat, resident editor.

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In this module, we will take a sneak peek into the realm of woman owners and editors. Apart from getting introduced to some of the famous woman owners and editors of the modern times, we will learn about the challenges these powerful ladies face and also what it’s like to work with a woman editor/owner.

In the next module, we will read about the kind of role conflicts woman face while working in media.

2.1 Overview

Editors and owners are the people who set the agenda for a media organization’s way of functioning. However, a close look at the hierarchal structure of major newspapers and television channels in India shows that only a few women hold editorial positions and even a fewer women happen to be owners.

There are several reasons behind this lack of adequate representation of woman force at the top of the pecking order in media. For long, journalism remained a man’s oyster in the country with only a few women from elite class joining the profession. Since the percentage of women working in media sector was low, there was not much scope for them to climb up the hierarchal ladder.

The fact that women always kept their families above their careers in a patriarchal country like India also played a part in creating this glass ceiling. A number of female journalists saw their promising careers cut short by marriages and other family commitments. Since only a few women had a longer run in the profession, the number of female editors remained less as well.

However, times have changed now and with more and more women taking up the career in media sectors and showing a willingness to give it the top priority, the prospect of a female becoming editor has increased as well.

3. The rise of women in media through years

3.1 Worldwide context

In the early days of journalism, laws and customs prevented women from joining the profession. The beginning of the 19th century saw women staging protests to gain the right to work as journalists in North America and Europe. Jane Gry Swisshelm of New

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Did you know?

In America, women became editors and publishers as early as in the 18th century. Ann Franklin, wife of printer James Franklin and sister-in-law to scientist Benjamin Franklin, holds the distinction for being America’s first woman newspaper editor. Ann learned the trick of the trade from her husband, who ran ‘The Rhode Island Gazette’ from New York. Following her husband’s demise in 1735, she became the editor of the publication and won Yankee Quill Award in New England for her service to journalism.

Interesting facts

Hemant Kumari Debi was the first known Hindi journalist. She was the publisher-cum-editor of Sugrahini- a woman’s magazine which began publishing from Allahabad in 1888.

York was probably the first woman who made a mark in journalism. Nellie Bly and Margaret Fuller were also among the other notable female journalists of that era. Bly was, in particular, famous for her investigative reporting by going undercover.

Another major hurdle that came female journalists’ way was that they were confined to covering soft beats like fashion, food, etc. Still, there were women who challenged this set up and went on to cover beats that were considered men’s domain. Ina Eloise Young of the US was one such trendsetter. Ina became the first female sports editor in 1907 and covered baseball, horse race and soccer for Trinidad Chronicle News in Colorado. A mention has to be made of Jennie Irene Mix here too as she edited a radio magazine in the 1920s (which was the first of its kind for a woman).

3.2 Indian Context

There is hardly any documentation of women’s involvement in Indian media. It is believed that Hemant Kumari Debi was the first known Hindi journalist. She was the publisher-cum-editor of Sugrahini - a woman’s magazine which began publishing from Allahabad in 1888. A year later, Hari Devi launched another journal for women - Bharti Bhagini- from Allahabad.

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Interesting facts

Homi Vyaravalla, who joined the Illustrated Weekly in Mumbai in the 1930s, was probably the first female journalist on the staff of a major English newspaper. She later became the country’s first female photographer.

In the early days of press in India, women edited only those journals which focused on subjects like sewing, cooking and housekeeping. Most of the women, who edited/owned these journals, came from affluent families and actively participated in various religious and social movements.

In English press, women appeared as columnists and writers here and there. Homi Vyaravalla, who joined the Illustrated Weekly in Mumbai in the 1930s, was probably the first female journalist on the staff of a major English newspaper. She later became the country’s first female photographer.

Post independence, the number of women entering journalism increased and so did the number of women holding top positions. Gulshan Erwing edited Eve’s Weekly in Mumbai while Frene Talyarkhan became the first woman to edit two magazines - Trend and Flair. Frene also served as the first female editor of Femina.

The mid-1970s saw a surge in the number of females joining journalism. Several factors were behind this surge. The Indian press had become more vigilant post the traumatic experience of emergency and needed fresh faces. The growing women’s movements across the world had an impact on the psyche of Indian women as well. Suddenly, educated women of the country saw journalism as a platform to voice their opinions and bring a change.

Some of the famous journalists, who held top positions in media houses in this era, include Seema Mustafa, Anita Pratap, Radhika Ranaseshan, Ritu Sarin, Shiraz Sidhe, Tavleen Singh, Kalpana Sharma, Malini Chatterjee, etc.

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With the arrival of satellite television channels in the 1990s, female journalists got an opportunity to showcase their talent on the screen too. In this era, the number of women holding editorial positions increased both in print and electronic media.

4. Famous woman editors and owners of modern era

4.1 Owners

Shobhana Bhartia

At present, Shobhana Bhartia is the only female owner of a major media house in India. She heads one of the country’s leading media houses, Hindustan Times Group. Under her leadership, both the publications of the house - Hindustan in Hindi and Hindustan Times (HT) in English- have made steady progress.

Daughter of industrialist KK Birla, Bhartia joined HT as the chief executive in 1986. The 58-year old woman is credited with the transformation of HT from a bland daily to a bright newspaper.

Shobhana Bhartia: The only female owner of a major media house at present. (Photo source- http://www.google.ae/imgres?imgurl=http://forbesindia.com/media/images/2009/Dec/img_17022_shobhana_bhartia_ht_280x210_280x210.jpg&imgrefurl=http://forbesindia.com/specialreport/person-of-the-year-09/1002/1&h=210&w=280&tbnid=Rp8WWMSoDtSbuM:&zoom=1&docid=Gfly7dNGne0kvM&ei=ESChVYq_AYX5UsqYoaAD&tbm=isch&ved=0CDgQMygFMAU)

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Madhu Purie Trehan

Madhu Trehan is the founding editor of one of India’s most popular news magazines, India Today. After studying in the US and working with the United Nations, Madhu came back to India in 1975 and started Indian Today with her father VV Purie. Post marriage, though, she handed over the mantle of India Today to her brother, Arun Purie. She later anchored Newstrack - India’s first video magazine.

Madhu Purie Trehan: The founder editor of India Today. (Photo source- http://www.google.ae/imgres?imgurl=https://indologygoa.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/madhu-trehan.jpg%253Fw%253D450&imgrefurl=https://indologygoa.wordpress.com/category/incredible-indian/&h=250&w=300&tbnid=hxotfyBP-wBwKM:&zoom=1&docid=wTx2UXr2kfpdYM&ei=eiChVcTWKIGxUpeTgPgD&tbm=isch&ved=0CCEQMygEMAQ)

4.2 Editors

Mrinal Pande

Mrinal Pande is one of the most celebrated female journalists of India. She became the first woman national editor of a major publication house in the country when she was appointed the national editor of Hindi daily, Hindustan in 2007. Pande’s rise to the top has served as an inspiration for other female journalists of the recent times.

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Daughter of famous novelist Shivani, Pande was born in Dehradun and did her master’s from Allahabad University before going to Washington DC to study English and Sanskrit literature. She made a name for herself through her writing before joining mainstream journalism. After leaving Hindustan, she served as the chairperson of Prasar Bharti.

Mrinal Pande: The first female editor of Hindustan and a towering name in the field of journalism. (Photo source: http://www.google.ae/imgres?imgurl=http://www.ciibigpicture.com/images/speakers/1409335796_small_mrinal-pande.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.ciibigpicture.com/speaker-details/Mrinal-Pande/93/&h=362&w=300&tbnid=zBVctjP7KBeKTM:&zoom=1&docid=6nRhUgo_39ZfzM&ei=OiGhVYLEK8aqUeiKtpAB&tbm=isch&ved=0CCcQMygLMAs)

Barkha Dutt

Barkha Dutt is among the most popular faces on Indian television. She currently works as a consulting editor with NDTV (New Delhi Television). She also hosts a prime time show by the name of ‘We The People’ on the channel.

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Delhi-born Barkha is the daughter of famous HT journalist, Prabha Dutt. She graduated from St Stephen’s College with a degree in English literature before completing her master’s in journalism from Jamia Millia Islamia University. She shot to prominence first through her reporting of Kargil War in 1999. Since then, her career has grown by leaps and bounds as in no time she went on to occupy an editorial post in NDTV.

A recipient of Padma Shri, Barkha has been the subject of portrayal in popular culture. The female journalist Preity Zinta plays in Lakshya is said to be modelled on her.

Barkha Dutt: Consulting editor with NDTV and one of the most popular news anchors. (Photo source: http://www.google.ae/imgres?imgurl=http://www.filmyfolks.com/celebrity/tellywood/images/barkha-dutt.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.filmyfolks.com/celebrity/tellywood/barkha-dutt.php&h=450&w=337&tbnid=5ij-TQE54Xf5KM:&zoom=1&docid=yOnEKuTifkuXaM&ei=hiGhVcPeKoGAU5vghvgG&tbm=isch&ved=0CCsQMygCMA)

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Kadambari Murli

Kadambari Murli holds the distinction of being the first female sports editor of a national newspaper. She achieved this feat when she was appointed Hindustan Times’ national sports editor at a young age of 31 in 2007. Prior to that, she had served as the sports editor of HT’s Delhi edition between 2005 and 2007. She headed a team of more than 40 staffers and looked after both the print and web editions of the newspaper.

Kadambari was born in Mumbai, but her family got settled in Delhi. After graduating with a degree in political science from Hindu College, she began her career with Asian Age in 1996. She then moved to The Pioneer a year later and covered Earth Summit II, held in the US.

Earlier, she used to write occasionally for sports pages, but later she took to full time sports journalism. She joined HT’s sports desk in 2000 and carved a niche for herself with an in-depth reporting of sporting events. After leaving HT, she edited a sports magazine, Sports Illustrated. She was the recipient of Sports Journalist Federation of India’s cricket writer of the year award in 2005. She was also selected by India’s National broadcaster – Doordarshan - to air messages to inspire women.

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Kadambari Murli: India’s first woman sports editor of a national daily. (Photo source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kadambari_Murali#/media/File:Kadambari_Murali_Wade.jpg)

Malini Parthasarthy

Malini Parthasarthy recently became The Hindu’s first woman national editor. Coming from the family of Kasturi Ranga Iyenger - the founder of The Hindu - Malini is probably the lone owner-cum -editor of a major media house in the country.

Malini has a MS in journalism from Colombia University besides having a Ph.D from JNU. She has been associated with journalism for 25 years and was the first Indian journalist to interview former Pakistan president, Parvez Musharaf.

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Malini Parthasarthy: The recently appointed national editor of The Hindu. (Photo source: http://www.google.ae/imgres?imgurl=https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/619205652829851648/M2BhGKkv.jpg&imgrefurl=https://twitter.com/malinip&h=240&w=240&tbnid=vKPYMHho3QHA-M:&zoom=1&docid=4is_5tRhSypDhM&ei=ByKhVf3VM4L4Uva-lcgB&tbm=isch&ved=0CBoQMygAMAA)

Sonal Kalra

Sonal Kalra is the current national editor of HT City - a daily supplement of HT which covers arts, entertainment and lifestyle. Her weekly column, The Calmer You, which comes every Sunday, has become a rage among readers.

An alumna of Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Kalra started her career in journalism as a feature writer in 1990. Before joining HT, she edited a tech magazine. Kalra is a recipient of Ramnath Goenka Award for best film journalist.

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Sonal Kalra : The editor of HT’s supplement, HT City. (Photo source- http://www.google.ae/imgres?imgurl=https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/378800000622179926/bad7b71c28e25153ae8a8c6a40590525.jpeg&imgrefurl=https://twitter.com/sonalkalra&h=640&w=640&tbnid=SDRp0CrZXRpXJM:&zoom=1&docid=14rZewD2pV2qWM&ei=QCKhVZ6TN4jWU4bukdgF&tbm=isch&ved=0CCMQMygAMAA)

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Did you know?

Mini Menon won Femina Miss India crown in 1996. She was in college then. However, she chose journalism over modelling as her career. It has turned out to be a right choice, hasn’t it?

Mini Menon

A former Miss India, Mini chose a career in journalism over modelling. She currently works with Bloomberg TV India as its executive editor. She looks after the channel’s news and feature shows.

Daughter of an army officer, Mini did her master’s in communication research from Pune University before going to the UK (United Kingdom) to study broadcast journalism through Chevening Scholarship.

At present, she is among the most well known TV anchors in the country. Her series ‘Inside India’s Best Known Companies’, in which she interviews some of the country’s top businessmen, has a huge following.

Mini Menon: Executive editor of Bloomberg TV, India and a very popular face of Indian Television. (Photo source: http://www.google.ae/imgres?imgurl=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/25/Mini_Menon.jpg/220px-Mini_Menon.jpg&imgrefurl=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mini_Menon&h=200&w=220&tbnid=mqGNdXAzHe97CM:&zoom=1&docid=USpdJiyd0ojzGM&ei=hCKhVaf-HsGkUvShgdAH&tbm=isch&ved=0CC8QMygAMAA)

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Dina Vakeel

A pioneer among female journalists, Dina Vakeel was among the first women to hold editorial positions in an English newspaper. She became the first woman resident editor of Times of India’s Mumbai edition. Being the first female editor of a major daily, she inspired a number of her contemporaries and young journalists to make it big in media.

Dina Vakeel: The first woman resident editor of Times of India. (Photo source: http://www.google.ae/imgres?imgurl=https://www.mtholyoke.edu/sites/default/files/styles/feature_image_page/public/global/images/vakil_new.jpg%253Fitok%253DeJjjKqkk&imgrefurl=https://www.mtholyoke.edu/global/international-students/dina-vakil-69&h=330&w=220&tbnid=5LcrerGGNTBKeM:&zoom=1&docid=7azQW5bncWnbeM&ei=tyKhVbHhDYn9UqzHgagH&tbm=isch&ved=0CB4QMygBMAE)

Coomi Kapoor

Like Vakeel, Coomi Kapoor is also considered a trendsetter among female journalists. Currently serving as the contributing editor of the Indian Express, Coomi has covered political and social events for the last 30 years. Apart from being a resident editor at the

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Indian Express some 20 years ago, she also held editorial positions in India Today and Illustrated Weekly.

Coomi Kapoor: One of the faces of The Indian Express. (Photo source: http://www.google.ae/imgres?imgurl=http://im.rediff.com/news/2015/jun/24coomi-kapoor.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.rediff.com/news/interview/emergency-was-a-time-when-everyone-was-scared/20150625.htm&h=267&w=200&tbnid=IKXctalKrOD4uM:&zoom=1&docid=neFjRWdZvUsltM&ei=8CKhVc3NDIfbU6m4ssAF&tbm=isch&ved=0CBsQMygBMAE)

Shobha De

No discussion on woman editors can be complete without making a mention of Shobha De. Shobha, who started her career as a model, took to journalism in 1970. During the course of her career, she founded and edited three magazines - Stardust, Society and Celebrity. Her penchant for sensational journalism made her a household name across the country.

De is active in media even today as she writes columns for as many as four major English newspapers of the country. She has authored a number of bestselling books as well.

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Did you know?

Shobha De started her career as a model with famous Bollywood star Zeenat Aman. While De gave up modeling to pursue a career in journalism, Zeenat went on to become an actor. Both of them made it quite big in their respective profession.

Shobha De: The firebrand editor of many film magazines. (Photo source: http://www.google.ae/imgres?imgurl=http://www.bolegaindia.com/images/gossips/shobha_de1227_post_1324980354.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.bolegaindia.com/gossips/Shobha_De_is_in_awe_of_Ooh_La_La_and_Chikni_Chameli-gid-9148-gc-15.html&h=420&w=350&tbnid=Hx3_erBmMAxhDM:&zoom=1&docid=ScgGOC0lqHzLqM&ei=TiOhVZPCE4b9UO-8gwg&tbm=isch&ved=0CDAQMygBMAE)

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Sunita Aron

Sunita Aron is the first woman editor of a major publication in India’s biggest state, Uttar Pradesh. She achieved this feat when she was appointed the resident editor of Hindustan Times’ Lucknow edition in 2002. She has kept her post to date.

Baghdad-born Sunita was brought up in Delhi. She started her career in journalism with HT in 1982. In a crime-infested state like UP, Sunita made a name for herself as an astute political reporter. She has covered several elections and Ayodhya imbroglio since joining HT. She regularly appears on television channels to give insights into UP’s politics.

Sunita Aron: The first woman editor of India’s biggest state, Uttar Pradesh. (Photo credit- Dheeraj Dhawan, a photojournalist of Hindustan Times in Lucknow)

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Shoma Chaudhary

Shoma Chaudhary is one of the most famous print editors of the recent times. She became famous while working for Tehelka magazine. She held the position of managing editor in Tehelka and was instrumental in helping the magazine become a pioneer in investigative journalism in the country. Currently, she is the editor-in-chief of Catch News - a multi-media digital organization.

Born and brought up in Kolkata, Soma did her post graduation from University of Delhi before embarking on a career in media with Doordarshan, where she produced more than 40 shows on books and writers. She switched to the print later and went on to work with The Pioneer, India Today before joining Tehelka where her career took a real flight.

Shoma is recipient of a number of awards including Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism award.

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Shoma Choudhary: The former managing editor of Tehelka is one of the firebrand journalists of modern era. (Photo source- http://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/standpoint-tarun-tejpal-prot-g-shoma-chaudhury-embarrasses-the-tribe-of-editors-1923092)

Apart from these above mentioned names, there are other women like Sharda Ugra (Cricinfo), Anuradha Sen Gupta (CNBC TV-18), Sagarika Ghose (former CNN IBN big shot), Nidhi Razdan (NDTV 24*7), Nidhi Kulpati (NDTV India), Mayanti Lannger, etc;

Interesting fact

Shoma Choudhary’s real name is Suparna Chaudhary. Shoma is her pen name.

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who have held top positions in their organizations and brought laurels to the community of women.

5. Challenges woman owners and editors face

The power and respect that comes with a top position also accompanies challenges of various kinds. As an editor/owner, one is responsible for everything that gets published and therefore one has to be very careful in making decisions. Besides, as an editor and owner, one has to also ensure a friendly yet competitive atmosphere at the workplace.

So, does it make a difference if an editor/owner happens to be a woman and not man? What are the extra challenges that a female holding top position in a media house has to face? Let’s find the answers from one of the woman editors herself.

“There is no such specific challenge that you have to face because you are a woman. My predecessor at HT told me once that it’s not the person but the chair that commands respect. His words have stayed with me to date. Once you are an editor, people look at you as an editor and not as a male or a female,” says Sunita Aron, senior resident editor of Hindustan Times’ Lucknow edition.

Aron, though, is quick to point out the level of commitment a woman is required to show to have a successful career in media. “Of course, you have to give your work a priority to climb up the ladder. I never took a leave when my children were sick or had their birthdays. I, in fact, never told anybody in the office that I had children. My work always came first for me and that was one of the reasons I could come all the way to this position.”

On being asked about the discrimination or lack of support from male members, Sunita says that it does exist in the industry, but she has never faced any such thing personally. A strong editor, she believes, can ensure no such discrimination exists. “As an editor, you have the full authority to set things correct. If you are a no-nonsense kind of person, nobody will dare take you lightly,” she says.

Aron, who has been at the top of the helm in HT for the last 13 years, also rubbishes the prevalent theory that women in journalism get promotion slower than their male counterparts. “Again, it comes down to your ability to last and give consistent performances. It took me 20 years to become editor, but then you have to see that I

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started my career from the scratch. It does take time. Today, there are many woman editors like Barkha, who are very young,” she concludes.

6. What it’s like having a woman editor/owner

In this section, we will learn about the kind of changes and perspectives a woman editor/owner brings with her in a media organization. We will also read about experiences of those who have worked with a woman editor/owner.

Syeda Farah Rizvi, who works with HT City, Lucknow, says a woman editor brings aesthetics to her work place. “Women are born with a sense of aesthetics and they bring that to their work too. Our desk is headed by a woman and you can see that it looks more organized and decorated than any other desk.”

One of UP’s well known sports journalists, Sharad Deep, terms his experience of working with a female editor the most enriching. Deep worked under Kadambari Murli and was deeply impressed with her hard task master kind of approach. “I learned dedication and managerial skills from her. She was such a hard task master. She always kept us on our toes. Often it happens that when you go on a tour to cover Ranji matches, you reach the stadium late as no one bothers about it. However, Kadambari would keep herself updated about each and every event. She once reprimanded me for two hours as I had failed to reach the stadium on time,” he says adding that the young editor would also ensure a home like atmosphere in the office by cracking jokes and talking to everyone like a family member.

Veteran journalist Amlendu Asthana of Patna finds a woman editor much more sensitive and caring than a male editor. “From my experience, I can tell you that women make far better editors. I have worked with a number of male editors in my professional career, but I found Mrinal Pande ji the most sensitive editor I ever had. She would listen to our problems like a mother and treated us like her kids.”

Apart from being extremely popular with their colleagues, woman editors have also played a key role in giving more coverage to issues affecting women. For example, Sunita Aron of HT, Lucknow introduced a yearly HT Woman’s Award programme to felicitate female achievers from the state four years ago. The award programme has

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become a smash hit over the years and last year its winners included Laxmi- an acid attack victim.

7. Future scenario

7.1 Is the glass ceiling crumbling?

Manu Joseph in her book ‘Making News: Women in Journalism’ mentions an anecdote featuring Times of India’s only woman editor, Dina Vakil. When Vakil became resident editor of Mumbai edition of TOI, she got a card from a market agency saying, “Congratulations to the young lady of Bori Bunder.” In reply, Vakil wrote, “Nice try, but I am forty-eight years old!”

Vakil’s was not the lone case. Many of the female journalists of her generation held editorial positions only when they reached 50s. Mrinal Pande, Coomi Kapoor, Bachi Kakaria and others had to wait for years before being appointed editors. Even among them, only Pande managed to become national editor while others had to remain content with the post of a resident editor.

From the 1990s onwards, the scenario has changed as several young female editors have cropped up during the last 20 years. Kadambri Mulri became national sports editor of Hindustan Times at a very young age of 31, while Barkha Dutt rose to editorial position in NDTV even before reaching mid-thirties. Mini Menon was appointed executive editor of Bloomberg TV when she was only 32 where as Anuradha Sen Gupta was given the command of features section of CNBC TV 18 at a young age as well.

The fact that only a handful of woman editors exist even today is not because they are still being discriminated against. Women’s less representation at the top of the ladder in media is owing to several other factors, says Sunita Aron. “There are professions in which women have risen late and journalism happens to be one such profession. The number of woman editors in media is in proportion to their representation in the industry. In the earlier days, only a few women would remain in the profession for a longer period and therefore their chances of becoming an editor was very less. Today, as more and more women take to journalism and treat it as their top priority, the number of

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female editors is increasing as well. “The glass ceiling is bound to cave in sooner or later,” the firebrand editor of HT, Lucknow gushes.

From what has been witnessed over the last 10 years, it can be predicted that in days to come, we will see more number of female journalists reaching the top position and becoming editor as well. With the rise of woman entrepreneurs in the recent times, it is likely that they will make their presence felt in media sector too.

The success of female journalist like Nidhi Razdan (in this pic) augurs well for the prospect of more number of woman journalists reaching top positions in Indian media. (Photo source- http://celebjazz.com/nidhi-razdan/)

8. Let us sum up

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In the early days of journalism, women were confined to covering soft beats like fashion and food. However, journalist like Eloise Young broke this trend in the US by covering sports events.

In India too, female journalists edited and wrote for journals dedicated to household women in the early years. Post independence, things changed as women journalists started venturing into the beats which were traditionally considered a male’s domain.

As awareness about women’s movements grew and women started giving priority to their career, the number of women joining media increased as well. With this surge in the intake of women in media also increased the chances of women climbing the hierarchical ladder.

Mrinal Pande and Dina Vakeel were among the first women to become editors of major publication houses. In the later years, female journalists like Barkha Dutt, Sonal Kalra, Kadambari Murli, Sagarika Ghose, Nidhi Razdan and Mini Menon made a name for themselves by holding top positions in their organizations. Shobhana Bhartia is the only owner of a major media house at present.

The job of female editors and owners is replete with challenges. However, woman editors do not see any specific challenge coming their way because of their gender.

Both male and female journalists find working with woman editors an enriching experience. Some have found woman editors quite caring while some see them as a hard task master.

With glass ceiling crumbling gradually, there is a chance of more number of women holding editorial positions in the near future. The rise of woman entrepreneurs further indicates the possibility of an increase in the number of woman owners in media as well.

quadrant-1woman editors and owners final - parmar

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