In a newspaper office one night last week a sub editor removed the reference to a business woman’s children from an article. That simple act stirred up a debate amongst the editing team about the difference in reporting on men and women.
When questioned about the editing decision, the sub editor’s response was plain: “we never describe business men as a father of three so we shouldn’t describe a woman that way either”.
The sub editor, a woman, was adamant. But the editor wanted the reference back in the story arguing that the fact the subject of the article was a mother and a career success made her achievements all the more special.
When the New York Times published the obituary of rocket propulsion scientist Yvonne Brill last month, a similar debate was ignited in the public arena. The newspaper was accused of sexism when the obituary began with her strengths as a cook, wife and mother, rather than the career achievements that were the reason she was given a obituary in the New York Times.
“She made a mean beef stroganoff, followed her husband from job to job and took eight years off from work to raise three children. ‘The world’s best mom,’ her son Matthew said,” is how the article began before it was changed following public outrage.
At the NAB Private Wealth panel discussion of successful women at TedxSydney, moderator Gretel Killeen stated that she believed the uproar over the original beginning to that obituary was in itself sexism. Her point was that women should be celebrated for the role of mother. She argued that Yvonne Brill, mother, was as important as Yvonne Brill, rocket scientist.
It’s a fair point. And both perspectives are right. Women should celebrate motherhood and it is a big deal for a woman to reach the top of her career while juggling children. Every Mother’s Day we are reminded that Westpac CEO Gail Kelly has four children and we remain impressed that she has been able to do it all.
However, I also agree with the newspaper sub editor and the members of the public who rebelled against the emphasis in Yvonne Brill’s New York Times obituary.
In my view the rule of thumb should be as follows:
- For news or business articles: there should be no reference to children, except if the news article is specifically about the role of mothers.
- For profiles (including obituaries): it’s fine to reference the children but the article should begin with and place emphasis on the reason the woman has been profiled.
Yvonne Brill’s obituary should have begun with ‘rocket scientist’, as it was changed to after the public criticism. The newspaper article about the female business woman should not have referenced her children. Personal details should only be used where relevant, just as when writing about men. The same approach should apply.
Do you agree that articles about women shouldn’t always reference family details?