Women comprise only one−third of the full−time journalism workforce worldwide, according to a 2011 study by the International Women's Media Foundation. In the United States, less than a quarter of those in top management jobs in the media are women. On the Hill, Tufts Women in Media, a new student group headed by junior Laura Barnes, aims to create a forum to discuss these issues, as well as the portrayal of women in the media.
The group, which meets at 9:30 p.m. on Tuesdays in Barnum 001, is off to a quiet start but has big plans.
"At the moment the membership is pretty small, but it's also a matter of [the fact that] people who are involved in the media at Tufts are so busy. We're trying to get people from all different kinds of media and from the Women's Center," Barnes said.
Barnes said that one goal of the group is to create dialogue about how this disparity between women and men in the media arises.
"I'm interested in how this gap happens. I don't think there is a shortage of women in universities, so why is the media still so overpowered by men?"
Barnes said that the other goal of the group is to discuss the way that women are represented in the media, both as news anchors and public figures as well as in television shows and advertisements.
Julie Dobrow, director of the Communications and Media Studies (CMS) program, said that she thought that this group could serve a great purpose at Tufts.
"For all of the ways that women have made advancements in these fields, there is still a way to go, so to have an organization that is assisting women in these challenges is a great thing to have," Dobrow said.
Barnes said that discussing issues of sexism in the media is one of the most effective ways to combat it, and she hopes that Tufts Women in Media will provide a forum for this.
"If you discuss the media, then it has less of a negative impact on you," Barnes said.
"I think that is one place we wanted to start from. If we can at least stop part of the influence of the media on ourselves, then we can bring it into other discussions," said group member Alyssa Ridley, a junior.
Barnes said that through the group she also hopes to create a support network for Tufts women hoping to pursue careers in the media.
"The second purpose is to be a network for women interested in media. It would be great to connect because the best way to get into the media is through connections … we want to network with people in the field," Barnes said.
To this end, Barnes said that Tufts Women in Media plans to bring a number of speakers to Tufts to address group members and the wider Tufts community. Barnes said that she hopes to bring feminist author and filmmaker Jean Kilbourne to speak about women in advertising.
Additionally, Barnes says that the group hopes to show a screening of the 2011 documentary "Miss Representation" which would be open to the whole Tufts community.
Ridley said that although it may not be readily apparent, the media is still one place where sexism is rampant. She said that once she became interested in this issue, she began to question many things she saw in the media.
"Why is she not wearing anything? Why [do] women have to put on makeup and do their hair and wear nice, revealing clothing in order to go out? Even why does someone like Sarah Palin need to be asked about why she had a boob job? Why is that the focus?" Ridley said.
Ridley and Barnes emphasized the fact that the way that women are portrayed in the media may have an impact on women's initiative and ability to hold high−powered jobs in the media. Dobrow also added that aesthetics can affect women's ability to be hired in media positions.
"Mostly you'll see an older guy paired with a young attractive woman. When a woman gets older then there aren't as many opportunities for her to be on air," Dobrow said.
Dobrow added that female students may find a higher level of opportunity and equity at Tufts than they will in the wider world.
"I think that Tufts is the sort of place where people really strive for having more equal opportunities, and there is a culture here that encourages students to be creative," Dobrow said.
As a result, she added, female students might find more barriers in the wider working world than they did at Tufts. Thus, awareness of issues like the ones discussed in Tufts Women in Media will serve Tufts students well.
