Q: Why do you believe The Global Report on Women in the News Media is needed?
ZN: I believe that a project of this nature enables us to determine in a realistic matter the progress of women in the newsroom and overall in the media. It gives an insight into the roles women play or are allowed to play, and how they influence the news because the way they cover stories and issues will reflect their situations and how they see the world.
Q: What impact do you think the project will have?
ZN: It will expose, where they exist, the areas that remain inaccessible to women and those agencies and organizations that continue to underpay women for their work. It should highlight best practices, which may be recommended to other organizations, and give women a better understanding of what is needed to improve their situations.
Q: What prepared you to oversee the research for your area of the world?
ZN: As a woman journalist, I have seen some of the discrimination, or, for want of a better word, bigotry in news organizations. In Wales, the newsroom was filled with men, and most women were relegated to sales or secretarial duties. As a reporter on the desk, I got the feeling that women were considered inferior to men as news reporters. Five years before I’d seen the same thing in Jamaica. The news editor was female but only had the job because she was a skilled editor. When I applied to join the reporting staff, I covered social events, meetings and the like...they gave the “cherries” – like parliament, court, crime and politics – to men.
As a special assignment reporter, I had to work hard to demonstrate that topics like agriculture, science and environment could make the front pages. After that, I could choose assignments. We have made tremendous strides in the region: we have had women heading media houses but even with pay scales they continue to take home less than men - usually due to the fact that the men are better at negotiating salaries or because women are offered at lower on the scale even with better qualifications and more experience. It happened to us at the Gleaner in 1992, when a male high school graduate with As got better paid that all of us women with university qualification – until we protested. To compensate, they allowed him to do extra work, and he had more freedom to move. The unfair treatment is usually worse with a female at the helm.
Experience aside, I have worked on all sides of media as a reporter, feature writer, editor and sub editor and lecturer. I believe I understand the struggles of the woman in the newsroom, and I have contacts all across the region and around the world.