THROUGH OUR LENS
Gender & Sexuality
How are gender and sexuality covered by U.S. newsrooms, and how are journalists of marginalized genders and sexualities treated?
Journalism’s professional standards have been shaped by gendered expectations since at least the late 1800s. Research examining The Journalist — the first trade publication dedicated to the journalism profession — found that male journalists helped establish masculine traits and behaviors as benchmarks for the field, standards that continue to influence journalism today.
As journalists of marginalized genders and queer journalists have challenged the field’s standards, they have also confronted expectations about how their identities influence their reporting.
In the ‘80s, leadership at the U.S. paper of record — The New York Times — initially refused to print the word “gay” and was slow to give the AIDS crisis prominent coverage. In 2023, contributors to and writers from the Times asked the publication to cover the experiences of trans people in good faith. In response, the owner called those journalists “activists” and publicly ignored their requests. And despite the #MeToo movement bringing a greater re-evaluation around reporting practices about sexual violence, the field still struggles to move past stereotypes.
Our coverage examines how assumptions about gender and sexuality have shaped journalism's standards of objectivity and professionalism. We center journalists who have challenged these assumptions and examine how their efforts are changing newsroom practices and reporting.
Connie Chung, seen here, was the first Asian woman to anchor a network broadcast in 1993. Dev O’Neill/U.S. House of Representatives Photography Office
THROUGH OUR LENS
Gender & Sexuality
How are gender and sexuality covered by U.S. newsrooms, and how are journalists of marginalized genders and sexualities treated?
Journalism’s professional standards have been shaped by gendered expectations since at least the late 1800s. Research examining The Journalist — the first trade publication dedicated to the journalism profession — found that male journalists helped establish masculine traits and behaviors as benchmarks for the field, standards that continue to influence journalism today.
As journalists of marginalized genders and queer journalists have challenged the field’s standards, they have also confronted expectations about how their identities influence their reporting.
In the ‘80s, leadership at the U.S. paper of record — The New York Times — initially refused to print the word “gay” and was slow to give the AIDS crisis prominent coverage. In 2023, contributors to and writers from the Times asked the publication to cover the experiences of trans people in good faith. In response, the owner called those journalists “activists” and publicly ignored their requests. And despite the #MeToo movement bringing a greater re-evaluation around reporting practices about sexual violence, the field still struggles to move past stereotypes.
Our coverage examines how assumptions about gender and sexuality have shaped journalism's standards of objectivity and professionalism. We center journalists who have challenged these assumptions and examine how their efforts are changing newsroom practices and reporting.
How we think about our coverage
Journalism doesn't exist in a vacuum.
Every story is shaped by the institutions, assumptions, and power structures behind it. Our lenses help us examine not just what gets covered, but how news can better serve our communities.
How we do our coverage
Journalism doesn't exist in a vacuum.
Every story is shaped by the institutions, assumptions, and power structures behind it. Our lenses help us examine not just what gets covered, but how news can better serve our communities.
Learn about our approach >
