I facilitated a panel on ‘Women in the Australian Media’ at the Centre for Media History’s Gender, Labour and Media Workshop at Macquarie University. The panel included veteran photographer Lorrie Graham, the first female Editor of the SMH Amanda Wilson, and journalist, author and commentator on women in work- Catherine Fox.
They each shared their personal experiences of working in the media, all with disappointing accounts of sexism. The broader discussion about the income disparities between men and women, and the lack of women in senior leadership roles, highlighted that we still have a way to go.
However we also talked about the unique perspective women can offer in storytelling, and how important these voices are in contributing to a more diverse media.
But what I enjoyed the most was hearing that despite the challenges, Lorrie, Amanda and Catherine have all had incredibly exciting careers that continue to this day. It was a really inspiring chat and I was thankful to be a part of it.
