Gender and Media Relations - By Chelsea Polinaski

Until just over a century ago, men dominated the field of journalism. Although countless women attempted to secure jobs and risked their lives for important stories, discrimination and even the law often stood in their way. Most historians recognize the 1890s as the point at which women truly broke into journalism, after the struggles of several brave individuals who fought tirelessly for equality. Nellie Bly, the most popular of these renegades, paved the way for females in contemporary journalism through her incredible work. In addition to traveling around the world, Bly also feigned insanity for an exposé about life in an insane asylum. With this blog, I hope to honor some of the most notable female journalists of past and present, those who forged the way and those who continue to carry the torch. As a student of journalism, I admire many women pioneers who have made it possible for me to even consider journalism as a career. I look forward to sharing some of the greatest influences in my life with you. I hope that you will take away even a fraction of the excitement and empowerment these women’s stories have bestowed upon me.