Happy Monday!
For the first time last week, female journalists dominated the front page of the New York Times!http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/18/new-york-times-front-page-women-journalists-war-reporters_n_5599880.html?utm_hp_ref=media   To quote from the article: “a recent Women’s Media Center study on 10 top US newspapers that showed men dominate 63 percent of bylines — nearly a 2-1 difference in content contributed by men than by women. The Times had the largest gender gap, its public editor Margaret Sullivan noted in May, with 69 percent of bylines attributed to men.” And why is this a big deal?  The presence (and absence of) women in journalism shapes how news is reported, and how women are portrayed.  For instance, when Wendy Davis announced her run for governor, the NY Times did a piece on her for the Sunday magazine under the headline “Can Wendy Davis Have It All?” implying that being elected to office is having it all for women – something special for women to aspire to after the housework is done.   And for the first time in history, a Fed Chair (Janet Yellen) has been called out by bloggers for wearing the same suit twice in one month (really? Pointing out sartorial choices helps our economy how?). And in Forbes, Christine Lagarde was highlighted for wearing a pink scarf to her first press conference as IMF chair (no word about what she actually SAID). So bottom line, the point of view or biases of journalists matter – what they write as “news” shapes how we perceive things and creates biases in our own thoughts if we are not careful consumers of what we read and watch. So this week when you are reading the paper or watching the news, take a moment to appraise how women are portrayed in the media.
And speaking of improving communication, huge congratulations to Pam Brylski and her Houston committee for a very successful event last week with over 60 members in attendance. The focus of the event was public speaking – the thing we all hate and try to avoid! The takeaway from the event is that we all have to do it every day – even in one on one situations – and improving your skills in this area is a “must do” for career success.
We have 2 great events left this month – in Austin we are hosting two top Texas headhunters who will give us tips for career optimization. We also have a back to school happy hour in Dallas. And don’t forget to register early for our Fall events.
We look forward to seeing you all at an event soon!
Kind regards
Christine