New Books in Communications Margaretha Geertsema-Sligh, "Journalism and Gender: Global Perspectives" (Routledge, 2025)
Dec 6, 2025
Margaretha Geertsema-Sligh, a Professor of Journalism at Butler University, dives into her new book, which examines the intersection of journalism and gender across 92 countries. She highlights the systemic barriers women journalists face, including gendered violence and newsroom segregation. The conversation reveals how cultural stigmas around motherhood and caregiving impact women's careers. Geertsema-Sligh advocates for feminist media activism and decolonized journalism education to foster a more inclusive future in the media landscape.
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The Triple Threat To Women Journalists
- Women journalists face a 'triple threat': dangers of reporting, gender-based violence, and their intersection.
- Online harassment is intensely gendered and can escalate into real-world threats, threatening press freedom.
Protect Women From Digital Abuse
- Women cope by leaving journalism, turning off comments, or ignoring abuse, but solutions remain limited.
- Geertsema-Sligh highlights the need for stronger protections as online abuse spills into physical threats.
Horizontal And Vertical Segregation
- Horizontal segregation places women on 'soft' beats (health, education) while men dominate politics and economics.
- Vertical segregation concentrates men in top leadership, limiting women's influence on news agendas.
