Women in journalism face a unique struggle when trying to balance work and life, the keynote speaker said at the fourth Alys Smith Symposium on Women Professionals on Wednesday, April 10.
“One really tough part of my career was becoming a mom,” said Susan Nicholas, WSAZ anchor and W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications Hall of Fame member. “It’s the best experience, but it also reevaluates your work life.”
“You do whatever it takes to be that working journalist and that working mom,” she added.
This symposium highlighted women in journalism through a panel discussion with local journalists including Nicholas, WSAZ anchor Sarah Sager; WKEE radio host Jennifer Seay Ashford; freelance writer Amanda Larch; marketing advisor Tiara Brown and investigative reporter Amelia Knisely.
Prior to the panel, Nicholas’ address explored the history of women in journalism and at WSAZ. She pointed out the lack of women in the newsroom in photos from the 1950s and contrasted them with there being more women than men in the newsroom today.
“There are more opportunities,” Nicholas said. “We see more female sportscasters. We see more meteorologists that are females, whereas—even a decade ago—we didn’t see that.”
Of the six panelists, four graduated from Marshall and revisited their alma mater to share advice with students who now sit in the seats they once filled. Each panelist answered questions regarding their own field as well as questions about journalism in general.
Sager addressed the pressure for female journalists to meet certain beauty standards.
“Most of the time, if I do get a critique, it’s about what I’m wearing, what I look like, what my hair looks like, being compared to other women,” Sager said, “and oftentimes, it’s by women, unfortunately.”
“Appearance for TV – obviously, it plays a factor,” she said. “You have to try to look professional, have a professional haircut, but it’s not everything.”
Amidst remarks about appearance, covering traumatic stories and encountering dangerous situations while still having familial duties, female journalists must learn to take care of themselves, Knisely said.
“Don’t wait until you have to balance all the things and diapers and all that,” she said. “It’s a hard job. You take in a lot of trauma, and you carry that for other people, and it’s an honor to do that, but you have to take care of yourself, too.”
2020 graduates Larch and Brown highlighted the panel members’ openness to versatility on a daily basis.
“I’m so thankful I get to do what I love every day,” Larch said, “and I also love that every day looks a little different. I think I work better in an environment that’s not stagnant, and I think we could all agree on that.”
“We’re all chameleons; I think that’s the wonderful thing about journalism,” Brown said.
The panelists expressed the necessity for journalism in society and for aspiring journalists to feel passionate about their work.
“I think that journalism is the most important career that you could have,” Ashford said. “In order to get to the truth—in order to find out what’s really going on in our world—you need journalists.”
