PRINT: Encyclopedia of Journalism

Sterling, C. H. (2009). Women in journalism. Encyclopedia of journalism. (Vol. 4, pp. 1461-1468). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

The Encyclopedia of Journalism is a six-volume encyclopedia that covers the world of journalism at the end of the first decade of the twenty-first century. It contains over 360 entries ranging from 1,000 to 4,000 words ranging in topics from political satire to the history of Baltimore's first print publication. It’s fourth volume holds six pages of topics centered around women in journalism as well as several articles about publications centered around women. The articles chronicle the historical development of women in journalism starting with female printers in the seventeenth century to the state of women in the profession as of the encyclopedias publication in 2009. A list of notable women in journalism, broken into print and broadcast news and arranged alphabetically is included at the end of the entry. A majority of the text is dedicated to the working conditions of women in the profession, largely as it contrasts that of their male counterparts. The article concludes with statistical information about women in the journalism profession noting although women make up two-thirds of journalism graduates, and hold about the same percentage of advanced degrees they are outnumbered in the highest positions in the field and are less likely to stay in the profession due to personal and professional reasons. This is a good source for getting a handle on the basic history and topics surrounding women in the journalism field.