Graduation Year

2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree

M.A.

Degree Name

Master of Arts (M.A.)

Degree Granting Department

Mass Communications

Major Professor

Gregory Perreault, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Travis Bell, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Kathy Fitzpatrick, J.D.

Keywords

Field theory, Media representation, workplace inequality, mentorship in media, professional barriers, leadership disparity

Abstract

Within the field of journalism, women journalists face obstacles impeding their career progression and autonomy. This qualitative study uses field theory, which explores how social spaces are structured and how actors access resources; a key avenue for exploring the power relationships within a field. This theory is put in conversation with interviews with women leaders in journalism from across the United States (n=13). The study examines how women in leadership navigate their career trajectories amid structural barriers, such as gender expectations for leadership, the struggle to balance work and family, and unequal access to mentorship and resources. Despite these challenges, women develop strategies like building supportive networks, advocating for change, and setting boundaries to advance in their careers. These strategies, along with personal goals of redefining leadership and challenging gender norms in journalism, play a crucial role in overcoming the barriers they encounter in the industry. This research makes a valuable contribution to scholarship on gender equity and inclusivity in leadership roles within newsrooms, highlighting the areas where women might come across barriers to advancing in their career; it also identifies areas where policy and organizational changes could create a more supportive and equitable environment for future women leaders in journalism.

Download

Share

COinS