Introduction by Pamela Creedon, Professor

OurBlook features 26 interviews with 30 women about online journalism. All were completed in December 2009, as student projects in my Gender and Mass Media class at The University of Iowa School of Journalism and Mass Communication. The students’ “Blook” interviews are with female journalists, who have various backgrounds and nearly all have careers in online journalism. Seven women are international online journalists and the additional 23 interviews provide insights from female journalists from 13 states.

We worked hard to find women who were willing to be a part of OurBlook project. One student interested in ‘down under” wanted to interview a female online journalist from Australia. I contacted a former academic colleague, Dr. R. Warwick Blood, who is a professor at the University of Canberra, Australia. He suggested the student contact “Aussie” Melissa Sweet. The student’s chance to learn about journalism “down under” is in our blook. A graduate student interviewed women in journalism from five countries: Angola, Bahrain, Costa Rica, India and Ukraine. And another student interviewed Kim Bolan at the Vancouver Sun in Canada. Bolan, an award-winning investigative reporter, adds an important perspective about the future of online journalism.

Each interview provided students a chance to look into the future of journalism. One student believes “all interviewees come from different backgrounds, but are all fighting in the same ‘online journalism’ world.” Another student learned how dedicated her interviewee is to journalism and her family. Her professional said, “Women can find a healthy balance to accomplish goals.”

About half of the class members majored in Journalism and Mass Communication. Others majored in Nursing, Health and Sports Studies, English, Communication Studies, Dance, Psychology, Interdepartmental Studies and one graduate student took the class. All asked the same first six questions in their interviews for consistency, and then they asked questions of personal interest.

The students shared their excitement about the project and contacted their friends, families and those they interviewed. I asked my students for recommendations about next semester, when I teach the same class. Here are some comments:

• OurBlook project was definitely beneficial and I would recommend it again! ...(T)he interview kept me constantly involved with the subject of the class and always interested.

• (OurBlook) interviews were insightful and exciting. I have become pretty good friends with my interviewee and feel comfortable contacting her in the future.

• I really enjoyed the OurBlook experience rather than a term paper. I think it allowed more interaction and was much more interesting.

• OurBlook is continuous and valuable.

• I think this was a cool assignment. From my interview I learned how dedicated Wanda Lloyd is to journalism and her family. I think actually being able to interview and interact is more exciting and makes your proud of your work.

All expressed excitement because they can add their interviews, which are published online, to their resumes. Also, their interviews were posted by UI and the School of Journalism and Mass Communication (http://www.uiowa.edu/jmc/) and by http://womennewsnetwork.net/breaking-news-portal/.

Students prepared for the interviews by reading chapters written by more than 20 women newspaper journalists and scholars in The Edge of Change: Women in the 21st Century Press (University of Illinois Press, 2009). The chapters provided historical and current insights into the accomplishments, as well as the issues and challenges faced by women in newspaper journalism.

Twenty-eight authors in the book wrote about the isolated life that journalism often requires and the sacrifices they made with their families and in their personal lives. June Nicholson, primary editor of The Edge, former newspaper reporter and editor, and now associate director of the School of Mass Communications at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA, brought many voices into the development of the book. I worked with her to develop a preliminary concept for the book and soon we asked two others to join us. Wanda Lloyd, executive editor of the Montgomery (AL) Advertiser, was the founding executive director of the Freedom Forum Diversity Institute at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN, when she joined us. Pamela Johnson, executive director of the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute at the Missouri School of Journalism, was a member of the leadership faculty at the Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, FL, when she became involved with the book. She had been executive and managing editor at the Arizona Republic and the Phoenix Gazette.

The four of us discussed the focus of the book and held focus groups with women newspaper editors regarding the book’s content at Poynter and at an American Society of Newspaper (now News) Editors annual conference. We all knew it was the time to share our voice and vision to today’s women journalists. According to Prof. Nicholson:

The book assesses the progress of women over the past quarter century or more, examines issues for women in contemporary newspapers and media, and looks ahead to the future for women in news and in society. The book also addresses some of the critical issues for the press in the early twenty-first century, among credibility and transparency, intense commercial pressures that threaten the solvency of media companies, serious challenges to First Amendment freedoms, and the need for more diversity in newsrooms and in top management in companies (Nicholson, 2009, 3).1

The authors’ voices were honest. They wished to provide visions toward the future of newsrooms. As students read the book, often they saw gender discrimination as passé. They believed they are in an exciting time of equality, but also see it as a time of challenge. .

Students said they learned women had difficulty finding their voice, but have “come a long way.”

• The book highlights female journalists who have dedicated their lives to journalism.

• The chapters made me more aware of the struggles other generations of women have faced while pursuing their careers in journalism.

Next semester, I will teach the class again and plan to have students continue the wonderful work with OurBlook. As I write this, I am considering the type of interview I will assign. And, I happily look forward to working again with Sandy Ordonez, our Web site developer and a professional interviewed by a student in OurBlook class project!

- Read Interviews

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1. Nicholson, J.O. (2009) Introduction. The Edge of Change: Women in the 21st Century Press, p. 1-26.. University of Illinois Press: Urbana and Chicago.

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