Tom Watson MP, Labour’s Shadow
Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, commenting on the Women in Journalism report showing serious problems
with female representation in British journalism, said:
“This new research showing the
woeful underrepresentation of women in British journalism should set alarm
bells ringing for readers as well as reporters and editors across the
country.
"Who writes and decides the
news matters, and it is not good enough that just 25 percent of front page
bylines are by women, and just 34 percent of senior roles at national
newspapers are held by women.
"The painfully slow improvement
in representation since the last report in 2012, up just two
percentage points, shows the industry is failing to recognise and respond
to the problem.
"Political journalism is among the
worst offenders, and I’d like to issue a challenge today, that by the next
report the Parliamentary Lobby gets its house in order and achieves gender
parity among political journalists.
"A free and fair press is one of
the pillars of our democracy, but these figures show that if you’re a woman,
you won’t have a fair chance at a career in journalism. The industry must make
it a priority to change that.”
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