Floundering in the macho media

Abstract

The Independent columnist who resigned from the lobby group, Women In Journalism: writes: The great irony is that while the macho media does more to denigrate family life and what, from the beginning of WIJ, Mary Anne Sieghart - bless her - called "family friendly policies", journalism is one of the industries that is actually in a good position to challenge the tyranny of the minimum 40-hour, full-time week. On the dailies, no editor works six days every week anyway, so someone has to deputise. Usually a job-share would make more sense. On the Sundays, turning up for work on a Tuesday is often an exercise to get one's name ticked in the register. The newspaper industry manufactures the myth of long hours of dedicated time at the office being necessary. Mostly, journalists sit around in the office reading the papers, since they are pathologically unable to spring into action until a deadline comes close enough to inspire the release of adrenalin. Hey guys - that's just like childbirth."