Women and technology in the newsroom

Journalism is now increasingly as technically inspired as it is editorially driven. From the rise of interactive journalists to product managers to user experience specialists, journalism in the places most likely to survive the economic fretful of the industry has moved closer to tech startup in culture and in practice. Some of the most promising new news startups, such as Buzzfeed and Vox, in fact, premise their identity as half-media and half-tech. In some cases, women are at the forefront as leaders in these newsrooms, but overall, demographics are not in their favor unless significant structural changes occur. Will what we see happening at the editorial level – an overwhelming dominance of men in bylines, management positions, quotations, and television time – play out as technical and STEM-related positions grow in importance inside newsrooms? Early indicators suggest an uphill battle, from NICAR speaker lists to staff listings at news organizations. Meanwhile, mentoring young women in smaller newsrooms to take on these roles may be especially difficult given the centralization of technology development in national headquarters or regional hubs. This book chapter will look at some of the rhetoric and reality of women in news tech.