Journalism 375 Exam 1 Review Sheet - Journalism 375 Review...

Journalism 375 Review Sheet
10/14/07 10:33 AM
Sob Sisters Essay:
o The female journalist faces an ongoing dilemma: How to incorporate the masculine traits of
journalism essential for success, while still being the woman society would like her to be.
o Masculine Traits: being aggressive, self-reliant, curious, tough, ambitious, cynical,
cocky, and unsympathetic.
o Feminine Traits: compassionate, caring, loving, maternal, and sympathetic.
o Female reporters and editors in fiction have fought to overcome this contradiction between
masculine and feminine traits throughout the 20
th
century and are still fighting the battle
today.
o Not much early fiction featured newswomenàBefore 1880, there were few newspaperwomen
and only about five novels written about them.
o Well known real-life newspaperwomen of 1800’s:
o Margaret Fuller
o Nelly Bly (Elizabeth Cochrane)
o Annie Laurie (Winifred Sweet or Winifred Black)
o Jennie June (Jane Cunningham Croly)
o Top newspaper positions were only for men and most female journalists were not permitted
to write on important topicsà front-page assignments, politics, finance and sports.
o Women were intended to marry, have children and stay at home.
o To become a journalist, women had to have a good excuseà dead husband or starving
children.
o Women who tried to have both marriage and a career “flirted with disaster.”
o Professional women in the late 1800’s:
o Educated
o Single
o Middle or upper class
o Young

Attractive
o Energetic/Enthusiastic about job
o “Women flocked into newspaper work in the eighties”- Historian Frank Mott
o By 1886à 500 females worked regularly on American newspapers
o By 1888à 200 women work on NYC newspapers alone.
o During the last 20 years of 19
th
Century:
o No more than 10 novels written about women journalists
o Few chronicled women working as printers, freelance contributors, book reviewers,
travel and fashion writers, crime reporters and editors.
o 1900 Census recorded 2,193 women in journalismà7.3 percent of the profession
o Few women worked as reporters in the newsroom at end of 19
th
Centuryà many worked at
home writing columns or articles thought to be primarily of interest to women.
o Some were “Sob Sisters”à writing sentimental stories
o Some were more adventurousà undertaking muckraking exposes (expose societal
issues)
o Female Journalist in fiction at the turn of the century:
o The woman journalist in fiction at the turn of the century is “single and young,
attractive, independent, reliable courageous, competent, curious, determined,
economically self-supporting, professional and compassionate” –Historian Donna
Born
o Most female journalists in fiction ended up in marriages or disillusioned or both.
o Most novels about female journalists written by men or women who worked in the
newsroomà critics wonder why these novels did not portray the “journalistic sphere in
its true light.”
o Female Journalists in Movies:
o It became clear that female reporters were perfect for film
o Movies offered “meatiest roles” for female actors
o