As a lady journo myself, I’ve experienced my fair share of sexist, ignorant remarks when I was out reporting. “They let you carry around that big Nikon?” “You sure you should be out here by yourself?” When a social justice project took me to different communities in South Los Angeles for on-the-street interviews, I was referred to countless times as “baby” or “honey” or “pretty” when I was trying to ask questions. Journalists spend a lot of wonderful time interacting with people, trying to fish out and then craft their stories. But sometimes our passion for reporting and storytelling also means fielding a cornucopia of condescending, genderized questions about your qualifications and your right to move confidently in public spaces.
An anonymous newspaper reporter on Tumblr—that black hole of internet memes, jumbled thoughts, viral GIFs and Grumpy Cat—has beaten me to the punch in archiving the most asinine and misogynistic statements made to women reporters. This sad-but-often-hilarious compilation of sexism in the industry I love is depressingly familiar, but effectively showcases what many of us face in our careers.
Here are some of the most egregious posts from the Said to Lady Journos Tumblr!
Said to Lady Journos is also on Twitter. Also check out the original Tumblr, Lady Journos, by veteran journalist Ann Friedman, that was the inspiration behind this mini-blog.
Photos from the Said to Lady Journos Tumblr
