Where have all the men gone?
Men are starting to become an extinct breed in television newsrooms everywhere. In their place, women, who are inching their way into most newsroom jobs. Chew on these numbers from the Radio-Television News Directors Association:
55% of executive producers are women.
56% of news writers are women.
57% of anchors are women.
58% of reporters are women.
66% of producers are women.
How about the numbers in this market? Let's take a look at the genders of the anchors and reporters. I'm purposely excluding weather and sports because, as the above article mentioned, both those jobs are still primarily male.
WNEP: Nine of the 21 anchors and reporters are women.
WBRE: Eight of the 14 anchors and reporters are women.
WYOU: Three of the five anchors and reporters are women.
Alright, why are men fleeing televisio news? From the article...
"Many observers suggest that their departure reflects the transformation of TV news from a "glamour" business to a low-wage, no-growth field with limited career potential. With TV stations laboring under the same financial pressures as others in the mainstream media, men might be discouraged by television news and might be finding better opportunities elsewhere."
Perhaps women have a gene that somehow protects them from the overwhelming shit in television news. Maybe you can come up with a better explanation.
How about the numbers in this market? Let's take a look at the genders of the anchors and reporters. I'm purposely excluding weather and sports because, as the above article mentioned, both those jobs are still primarily male.
WNEP: Nine of the 21 anchors and reporters are women.
WBRE: Eight of the 14 anchors and reporters are women.
WYOU: Three of the five anchors and reporters are women.
Alright, why are men fleeing televisio news? From the article...
"Many observers suggest that their departure reflects the transformation of TV news from a "glamour" business to a low-wage, no-growth field with limited career potential. With TV stations laboring under the same financial pressures as others in the mainstream media, men might be discouraged by television news and might be finding better opportunities elsewhere."
Perhaps women have a gene that somehow protects them from the overwhelming shit in television news. Maybe you can come up with a better explanation.
posted by Howard Beale at 8:22 PM
25 Comments:
Fifty-two percent of the population is female, so most of those numbers aren't out of line. Journalism began the trend toward female ghetto about 20 years agos when "Newswriting 101" turned into "Communications 101." Women, in general, are natural communicators. And we're used to getting paid crap.
The following are general observations from my time in televison news and certainly don't apply to every woman:
1. Women will work for less money than men.
2. Women want a job, but not a long career.
3. Women have more talent than the male rivals going for the same position.
Diane Lee is the prettiest anchor around here. Is she as nice as she is pretty?
As a woman (and a broacaster in radio currently), I beg to differ with some of the comments made here and in the article. First of all, I found I was among the minority in many of my journalism classes in college -- and in trying to get a job, both my male and female colleagues have difficulties just getting a foot in the door. Mind you, much of that may have been due to the market I was in at the time (Hartford-New Haven), but I disagree that women will work for less money. That's CRAP, especially when this particular woman was, for many years, a divorced mom. I busted my a$$ to get to where I am right now, and it wasn't easy. Until a few years ago, I was going to make this my career, not just a job, but I found another calling -- and I am progressively making my transition out of the insanity known as broadcasting.
To answer 2:40am:
NO.
Ryan Leckey is pretty, too. Distractingly pretty.
Ryan Leckey is pretty, too. Distractingly pretty.
10:29 AM
And flaming.
A Q to 9:17 AM:
Where are you now?
Ryan Leckey...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
At least part of this is nothing new. Ten or more years ago there was an identified growing trend of a need for male anchors, they just weren't there.Now, a couple observations, nothing scientific, just observations.
A lot of men have been able to take the long view of their careers and realize they'll never make what they need to make to raise a family comfortably. Plus, relocating every 2-3 years isn't very attractive to both many males and females. Put another way, a significant number of males know and accept the fact that they aren't going to score big in a major. Some will, some won't. I don't have figures, but guts tell me more won't than will.
Women seem less willing to accept this, and perhaps rightfully so. I've met more than a few who are convinced they're headed for a top 10 any day now, and that they deserve to be there. Maybe they do, but there aren't enough jobs to go around. This market has produced a lot of success stories, but for every one of those, there are a half dozen or so who were never heard from again, who presumably just bailed out of broadcasting.
To 9:17am: I've hired plenty of people. Women will absolutely work for less money and they make fewer demands regarding work hours, days off, fringe benefits, etc. This isn't true of every woman who wants a job in news, but it describes the majority I've seen.
Women candidates seeking first jobs these days also seem to have more on the ball than men.
Diane Lee's biggest problem is that from day one she refused to live DOWN to the expectations of the 22 staff.
Think about it. It took a lot of people a lot of time to drag WYOU down to a 3 share. Those people resent a newcomer trying to do it better.
I suspect this trial by fire will make her stronger, and I predict a great career for her once she leaves the losers behind.
To the 9.46AM Post…
Diane Lee is much better and nicer than Andy Mehalshick. Andy is a two-faced, short tempered anchor who can’t pronounce his “H’s.” For an example: “Today is Ouston, there was a major…” Instead of “Today is Houston, there was a major…”
Give me Diane Lee, Vince Sweeney, and Jason Knapp any day of the week over him.
Jane A. is the prettiest. Ask anyone of her numerous boyfriends. Then ask Mr. A. what he thinks.
To be honest...as a recent Wilkes grad, males outnumber females by a good majority.
In addition, females are more likely to get involved in student run productions and internships which *should* help them get thier foot in the door.
And in response to Ryan Leckey, he is pretty. I was thinking that this morning when watching the news.
And hell, who cares if he's flaming?
Please someone tell me what makes Diane Lee great? I'd love to know.
a couple of questions...
who does ryan leckey work for? if the answer is 22 then I'll know why i have never heard of him...
also not to get off topic - someone a few posts up mentioned the top 10 markets...only because i am too lazy to look it up and I do not want to get 4 miles off topic - what markets are the top 10?
diane lee has looks that are the only thing sadly that she has going for herself. and she has em too - i can imagine how many years good lighting takes off some of these female broadcasters in an actual studio. if she looks that good out there in the hallway of the super 8 or whatever is going on back there i can only imagine how she'd look working for 16...
Diane Lee "great?"
Well maybe when it comes down to making holiday season CDs and then hawking same on the air. That's where the greatness ends.
And what's with the stupid set she's sitting within these days -- with a monitor growing out of her head?
The station is the star, not the talent that sits in front of the camera. You could swap anchors in this market and the results would still be the same. WNEP would still be on top, WBRE would still be in the middle towards the bottom, and WYOU would still be in the sub-basement.
Both Gary Essex and Frank Shimkus PROVED that star power means nothing. All Shimkus did was bring baggage to WYOU. Essex came to WYOU at a time when 22's numbers were a lot stronger because it was in the pre-cable days but did nothing to raise the numbers.
Roz Abrams moved from WABC to WCBS and nothing happened. The same for Larry Mendte from WCAU to KYW in Philadelphia.
And until Perry and the gang at Nexstar realize that, it's over.
Whoever called Andy Mehalshick two-faced has obviously never worked with him. I worked with the guy during my tenure at Deathstar and he was one of the few people I would put any trust in to. One of the nicest guys I've ever met. The jealousy at that place is insane. Are the directors and producers just jealous that they're not the ones on TV?
To 11:19
I'm still in broadcasting for the time being....
Top ten markets? You're at a computer, try looking them up.
OK, here's a hint. You can find the list at http://assignmenteditor.com/
I pray you'll be able to count to ten even without taking off your socks.
Good luck.
And Diane Lee DOES work for 16, under the name "Ryan Leckey."
Diane Lee is the best anchor out there right now.
Diane Lee is the best anchor out there right now.
10:13 PM
Now, when you say anchor...
Diane may be wonderful, I really have no opinion on that. But I will offer an analogy...
You can take Chateaubriand for two, complete with a Petrus Bordeaux worth $700, and set it down in the middle of a landfill, but who in hell is going to go looking for that meal, then sit amidst tons of garbage and enjoy it?
You can apply this analogy to so many TV people in this market.
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