Media Diversity Forum: Home

"Misogynist trolls" on the Internet make journalism "miserable" for women

By Conor Friedersdorf
(Jan. 7, 2014 | The Atlantic) -Online threats against women are the subject of a lengthy Pacific Standard article by Amanda Hess, who argues that gendered harassment has severe implications for women’s status on the Internet and their place in the digital era. Read more

From the mouths of rapists: The lyrics of Robin Thicke’s ‘Blurred Lines’

By Sezin Koehler
(Sep. 19, 2013 | Pacific Standard) - Robin Thicke’s summer hit “Blurred Lines” addresses what sounds like a grey area between consensual sex and assault. Read more

Why women aren't welcome on the Internet?

By Amanda Hess
(Jan. 6, 2014 | The Pacific Standard) - I was 12 hours into a summer vacation in Palm Springs when my phone hummed to life, buzzing twice next to me in the dark of my hotel room. I squinted at the screen. Read more

Research findings on gender roles & occupations: A look at character attributes and job-related aspirations in film and television

By Stacy L. Smith, PhD | Marc Choueiti | Ashley Prescott | Katherine Pieper, PhD
Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism University of Southern California

Key Findings:
#1 Females are Still Sidelined in Popular Entertainment;
#2 Females are Still Stereotyped and Sexualized in Popular Entertainment
#3 Females Still Suffer From an Employment Imbalance in Film and Prime-Time TV
#4 Females Still Slam into a Glass Ceiling, Particularly in Family Films
#5 Few Females Find Work in Scientific Fields

Click here to read the research report