A Call for Vigilance in Jounralism

A Call for Vigilance in Journalism

Women should continue to remain involved in the social changes occurring today to ensure the protection of their rights tomorrow, said a New York Times columnist in her lecture Monday. She delivered a personal account of the evolution of women’s rights and gave examples of extraordinary women who persevered through sexual discrimination.

Gail Collins encouraged journalists to perceive the challenges facing the field not as hardships, but as opportunities to change the way they write in the future. Her chronicle of the struggles women faced was both historic and modern. She described the individual experiences of her friends and colleagues, which served as an illustration of the persistence necessary to establish a female presence in the workforce. However, she urged women not to forget the sacrifices these women made, and to remain vigilant and engaged in the transformations occurring in our modern society.

Collins commended those women who pioneered their way as educated professionals, but said that unlike herself, they did not reap the benefits of their efforts.

“Those women did not get the benefits, in general, of their fight… All benefits went to people who came in one second later, like me,” Collins said.

Collins did not take credit for breaking the boundaries of sexual discrimination and social taboos that faced these women, but said she remains in awe that she was able to see such a transformation happen in her lifetime.

 “It’s the best thing I think about when I think about my life,” she said.

Collins said women and journalists should remain actively engaged in their society and serve as agents for change. She did not ignore the reality of the struggle necessary to maintain the modern standard of gender equality, but said there would be a reward for such passion and dedication.

“Please pick some subjects to write about that you really love because it’s very possible you won’t make much money for a while… but it will be worth it, it really will,” Collins said.

The barriers women encountered during the Civil Rights Movement and the barriers they face today are similar because they both offer opportunities to reform and recreate the perceptions today’s society holds and the manner through which they are expressed.

“It happened in my time and it happened for you guys… and we can do anything else we put our minds to. I’m absolutely convinced of it,” said Collins.

Former University of Texas graduate, Jane Rollwood attended the lecture and agreed with Collins’ concern for the future of women’s rights.

“I fear that so much happened in such a short period of time, and people don’t realize that could slip away… It’s not something you can have forever,” Rollwood said.

There is an immense amount of progress yet to be made as the public learns to combine the domestic realm with the professional workplace. Rollwood attended the lecture accompanied by her friend Cindy Hager, who formerly worked for a publishing company in Austin. Hager highlighted a current issue facing women in the professional realm.

“The more women who enter a profession, the less that profession earns in general…there’s a lot of work to be done, particularly in this state,” said Hager.

The audience asked Collins several questions which expressed concern for the future of digital journalism and a fear that women’s equality is being threatened by the influence of today’s pop culture on youth. Collins said that while these issues are difficult to overcome, young journalists and women should remain hopeful about the future and take advantage of this opportunity to reshape journalism.

“You are going to change the way people write… you are going to change not just the method, but the way it sounds, the way the thinking goes from you’re your head to somebody else’s head,” Collins said.

The lecture addressed the past, present, and future of gender equality as well as journalism’s role as an advocate for its development. Collins said that these times are hard, but the innovations occurring in technology and media are exciting, and point towards a promising future for journalism. 

“This stuff is incredible, and you’re the ones who get to do it. There’s never been a time when you’ve had so much power to transform the whole profession again,” Collins said.