This study provides a glimpse at what prominent female leaders in media and communications industries wish to inform young women within the field. For decades, fields of journalism and strategic communication have been dominated by men. In 1998, only 36.9% of journalists in the United States were women and grew to only 37.2% by 2013, according to Nieman Reports. While women have increasingly gained a stronger foothold in these industries in terms of ownership and leadership, they face measurable forms of discrimination and microaggressions. A PRWeek magazine survey found that women were paid 72% of the salary paid to men on average. Through an analysis of a dozen recorded seminars and webinars at FIU’s Lillian Lodge Kopenhaver Center for the Advancement of Women in Communication since 2013, this analysis identifies major themes of empowerment, identity and purpose, perception, innovation, and leadership styles creating a needed conversation toward a more proportional representation of the field’s graduates and other hurdles for women in the profession. With women making up more than half of the workforce in communications in the U.S., these conversations are a necessary step in empowering younger generations of female professionals to become leaders in the workforce and to eliminate barriers. The study, conducted by six students, will be presented in April to a national audience through a whitepaper released by the LLK Center and will help women and men in leadership roles throughout the fields of communication to encourage and support continued innovation through increased diversity.
