Women, Men and News: Divided and Disconnected in the News Media Landscape (Routledge Communication Series) - Softcover

Paula Poindexter; Sharon Meraz; Amy Schmitz Weiss

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0805861025 ISBN 13: 9780805861020

Publisher: Routledge, 2007

Synopsis

This multi-authored scholarly volume explores the divide between men and women in their consumption of news media, looking at how the sexes read and use news, historically and currently, how they use technology to access their news, and how today’s news pertains to and is used by women. The volume also addresses diversity issues among women’s use of news, considering racial, ethnic, international and feminist perspectives. The volume is intended to help readers understand adult news use behavior--a critical and timely issue considering the state of newspapers and television news in today’s multi-media news environment.

About this title

About the Author

Paula Poindexter, a journalism professor at the University of Texas at Austin, has worked on the editorial and business sides of the news media. Formerly a manager and executive at the Los Angeles Times, Poindexter also worked as a reporter and producer at the NBC-affiliate TV station in Houston. Her primary research focus is the audience for news.

Sharon Meraz, who has worked in information technology for seven years, joined the faculty of the University of Illinois, Chicago's Department of Communication, in January 2008, where she teaches new media classes. Her research interests include blogging, mobile technologies, social media applications, and citizen political engagement.

Amy Schmitz Weiss, a doctoral candidate in journalism at the University of Texas at Austin who co-founded her college's online newspaper, previously worked at Chicago Tribune Online, Indianapolis Star News Online, and several Chicago Internet firms. Multimedia journalism is her research interest.

Review

Finally! After unsuccessful tries by others, Women, Men and News: Divided and Disconnected articulates many of the issues about women and their "connectiveness" to news that have largely been ignored. The authors wisely provide not just an explanation, but also a road map for the 21st century and beyond.

Women, Men and News: Divided and Disconnected offers solid research and reporting about news consumption that crosses the lines of age, gender, ethnicity feminism, geography and technology. Their work stretches our understanding of what’s important to insure what the authors reinforce: informed citizens are necessary for a democratic society.

If every media executive and university journalism educator would carefully review the "blueprint for increasing news consumers among today’s women and the next generation," we would be closer to understanding attitudes toward and expectations of news worldwide. With that understanding also comes a stronger, healthier, more respectful community.

Women, Men and News: Divide and Disconnected also provides a much-needed read for today’s college students who get their news from the Jon Stewart Show, blogs, Facebook and YouTube.

Dr. Barbara Bealor Hines, Professor, Howard University

"This work provides an understanding of how the news and information industry is failing society, nationally and globally.  The authors have put together a must-read for all students of democracy. It is packed with up-to-date information appropriate for use in graduate classes such as Media and the Sexes, or as a supplement to upper-level undergraduate courses such as Media Management.  It is useful because it looks at traditional subjects such as news consumption in a completely different light and provides ammunition for discussion and classroom lectures."

Angela M. Powers, Ph.D.
Director and Professor
A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications
Kansas State University

 Through an interesting mix of chapters written by women with an interesting mix of credentials, Women, Men, and News takes a careful and critical look at the difference gender makes in the production and consumption of news. Focusing on various platforms for news, old and new alike, the material in this volume highlights an important challenge journalism faces in its commitment to open and inclusive public communication.  Global in its reach and thoughtful in its analysis, Women, Men, and News makes a timely and significant contribution to the literature on the role of the press as an institution of democracy. 

Theodore L. Glasser, Stanford University

About this edition

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0805861025
• ISBN 13: 9780805861020
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 368