Top women media leaders to address gender barriers

WASHINGTON – Shining the spotlight on women in the news business, the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) and George Washington University’s Global Media Institute are partnering on a path-breaking conference March 22-25, bringing together top women media executives from around the world to discuss remaining gender barriers and craft a plan for the future.

Philippine STAR executive editor Ana Marie Pamintuan is the lone participant from the Philippines.

The first-ever comprehensive global report on the status of women in the news media will be released, analyzing research data from 500 print and broadcast companies in 59 countries.

The IWMF commissioned the two-year study – the first detailed research that closely examines the challenges facing women news professionals everywhere.

Top women media executives from China to Argentina to South Africa will examine salaries, opportunities, career advancement and training for women in the news industry.

National Public Radio president and CEO Vivian Schiller, NBC vice president of news Alexandra Wallace and women executives from around the world will craft a plan of action to improve gender representation.

“The Global Report on Women in the News Media” will be unveiled on March 23. US Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues Melanne Verveer will deliver a keynote luncheon speech to the delegates on the same day.

On March 24, Bloomberg News editor-in-chief Matt Winkler, noted philanthropist Howard G. Buffett and Knight Foundation president Alberto Ibarguen will be the panelists in a session moderated by Judy Woodruff of PBS NewsHour on the relevance of media and the influence of social media on global causes.

Tom Rosenstiel, director the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism, and Frank Sesno, director of GW’s School of Media and Public Affairs, will moderate a panel of media experts to discuss the findings of PEJ’s “State of the News Media 2011” report examining the state of the media in the United States and global implications.

“These women media leaders have the power to change the environment in newsrooms when they return to their countries,” IWMF’s executive director Liza Gross said. “By bringing them together and drafting a platform for action plan, this conference could provide a roadmap for change. Our global report will shine the light on countries where women don’t have an equal voice in the newsroom.”

“From content and news literacy to delivery methods and business models, the role of women in meeting the challenges of media has never been more important,” said Michael Freedman, GW professor of media and public affairs and executive director of the university’s Global Media Institute.

“A successful transformation of journalism and media in the 21st century requires leadership that understands and appreciates the role of a free press in a democracy and the courage necessary to report truth, particularly in repressed societies. The International Women’s Media Foundation is leading the effort to level the playing field globally so our best minds can guide our newsrooms and boardrooms well into the future. We look forward to a substantive, insightful conference.”