Contribution to the study of portuguese journalism’s feminization

Abstract

Based on data from the Professional Journalist Commission and the results of a national survey of journalists, the present study seeks to offer some empirical contributions to the current framework of the feminization process of Portuguese newsrooms, based on two general premises: a sociological recomposition of Portuguese journalism towards a reduction of gender disparities - based on factors such as the rejuvenation of the profession and the increase in the training of journalists - and a picture of contradictions of the very same process of feminization - highlighting the lack of representation of women in positions and roles of editorial responsibility, and a disruption of their working conditions. The gender breakdown of the survey results shows that, despite a general trend towards a relative harmony between the responses of men and women, some discrepancies concerning the employment situation and the field of conceptions on the  exercise of the profession are evident.