Gross is executive director of the D.C.-based International Women’s Media Foundation, which is holding a conference next month to release and discuss a report on the status of women in media. Why did the foundation conduct the study?
That study was commissioned because there was no comprehensive analysis or picture of how women fit into the news operation. There’s quite a bit done on women as subjects of coverage, but not about women as workers. What opportunities for advancement do they have? Do they occupy upper levels and how many? The only representative study along these lines was done in the 1990s.
What challenges did researchers face?
The very scope was a challenge because it was an international study. It was conducted in multiple languages. We started with the same questions that were presented to all media organizations. Sometimes it was presented in English, sometimes in Spanish, sometimes in Urdu. … A lot of the organizations did not want to provide salary data, even though we assured them they would have complete confidentiality.
What are the goals of the conference?
We have invited between 80 and 100 women media leaders, women who are senior managers of their organizations, from all over the world to discuss the results of this study and see how we can work to correct inequities where we find them. And to celebrate the media companies doing quite well and encourage others to get on that track.
What else is the foundation working on?
The International Women’s Media Foundation’s traditional mission has been to advocate for women journalists worldwide. One of the ways we do this is through the Courage in Journalism Awards. We shine the spotlight on women journalists pursuing their passion under very difficult conditions. … We conduct training. We are wrapping up a multiyear, multicountry program in Africa. We also support women entrepreneurs in new media.
– Emily Babay
