menu
Weekly Online Magazine
ISSN 2544-5839
zamknij
Media Review image

12.05.2025 Media industry

Women in media 2025. Editorial power knows no equality

KFi

Only 27% of editors-in-chief in the media are women, even though they make up 40% of journalists. In 9 out of 12 countries studied by the Reuters Institute, women in media are less likely to get promoted. It seems that equality in newsrooms is lagging behind broader society. And the gaps go much further.

Poczytaj artykuł wydanie polskie w wydaniu polskim

Women in media 2025. Editorial power knows no equalityillustration: DALL-E

The latest report "Women and Leadership in the News Media 2025: Evidence from 12 Markets", authored by dr Amy Ross Arguedas, Mitali Mukherjee and prof. Rasmus Kleis Nielsen from the Reuters Institute, paints a picture of stagnation and resistance to gender equality in journalism. Even though women make up an average of 40% of newsroom staff across the studied countries, they hold just 27% of editor-in-chief roles.

Symbolic growth, not systemic change


The change compared to 2024 is only three percentage points - back then, women made up 24%. While this is the highest level since the study began in 2020 (23%), it`s far from a breakthrough. Reality still favors men, even in countries where women outnumber men in journalism.

Year Percentage of Women in Top Editorial Roles
2020 23%
2024 24%
2025 27%


The average annual turnover rate for editors-in-chief from 2021 to 2025 was 19%. Between 2024 and 2025, 14% of editorial positions changed hands - less than in previous years, signaling a slowdown.

However, 34% of new appointments went to women. That`s up from 24% the year before. Among brands included in the sample for the first time, women made up 38% of top editorial roles. Still, these figures fall short of parity.

Global differences. Newsroom disparities


Country-by-country variation is significant. The United Kingdom topped the list this year - surpassing the United States for the first time. South Korea had the lowest percentage of female editors-in-chief - just 7%.

Percentage of Women in Editorial Leadership (2025):

  • United Kingdom - 46%
  • South Africa - 38%
  • USA - 38%
  • Finland - 36%
  • South Korea - 7%

Japan saw the biggest leadership shake-up (26%), boosting women`s share by 17 percentage points - from 8% to 25%. Meanwhile, South Korea recorded a 6-point drop. These two countries were the main drivers behind the global average shift.

In many countries, women represent a large share of the journalism workforce, but they are underrepresented in newsroom leadership. In nine out of twelve analyzed markets, women reach the top less often.


The study draws on data from the Worlds of Journalism report, which highlights the gap between the number of women in journalism and those in leadership. The biggest disparities are in Brazil (28 pp), South Africa and Kenya (24 pp each), and Mexico (21 pp).

  • Brazil: 49% of journalists are women, but only 21% are editors-in-chief
  • South Africa: 62% of journalists are women, just 38% are editors-in-chief
  • Mexico: 44% of journalists are women, only 23% are editors-in-chief

These numbers show that advancement in media structures isn`t just about how many women are in the profession - it`s about structural barriers that block career paths.

Women in public media


Meanwhile, the PSM Diversity Strategies 2025 report by the European Broadcasting Union, published in March 2025, shows that public broadcasters in Europe are increasingly effective in promoting gender equality. Women accounted for 45% of employees and 46% of leadership roles, and half of all 2023 promotions went to women. Gender balance was the most developed area of DEI efforts - 79% of organizations reported active work in this field.

While the results are promising, the issue still starts at the top. Women remain less likely to reach boards and the highest decision-making positions. Structural barriers, resistance to change, and entrenched organizational culture mean that even where gender parity looks close, power still rests mostly with men. These findings align with the later Reuters Institute report, which shows that commercial media are even further behind.

Work In Media
The EBU also points out that efforts focus mostly on gender and disability, while other diversity areas - like race, orientation, or religion - are addressed less systematically. This shows that even though public media have achieved more than the private sector, their strategies are still not fully balanced and need further development.

Gender in newsrooms vs. gender in society


One of the most striking conclusions of the Reuters Institute report is the lack of correlation between gender equality in society and the presence of women in newsroom leadership. Even countries that score high in the UN Gender Inequality Index, like Finland, don`t offer equal chances at the top of journalism.

This means that the media follow their own rules - not always aligned with social progress. The report highlights exclusion mechanisms specific to the industry, including sexist norms, verbal and physical abuse, and "boys` club" cultures, as described by Blumell and Mulupi in their research on the Kenyan market.

The Reuters Institute again looked at how many internet users consume content produced by women-led newsrooms.

  • In Kenya, that share rose by 21 percentage points over the year - from 32% to 53%.
  • In Japan and the UK, it increased by 13 percentage points each.
  • In South Korea, it dropped by 12 points - reflecting a broader national decline.

While the report documents modest progress, the authors stress that equality is still a long way off. One-year changes aren’t enough to define a lasting trend. Especially in countries like the US, where DEI programs are increasingly under scrutiny. The rollback of such efforts in public institutions and media companies may stall or reverse positive change in the years ahead.

Share the article:

dodaj na Facebook prześlij przez Messenger dodaj na Twitter dodaj na LinkedIn

COMMERCIAL BREAK
Work In Media

New articles in section Media industry

Zero-click search 2025. The even bigger end of clicking in search engines

Bartłomiej Dwornik
Google is giving up its role as a web signpost. More and more, it wants to be the destination of the whole journey. ChatGPT and Perplexity are hot on its heels, changing the rules of the search game. AI Overviews is a card from the same deck. Only content creators are losing ground in this race.

How do we assess news credibility? Data analysis from 40 countries

Krzysztof Fiedorek
Are people defenseless against false information? Do they really fall for clickbait and fake news? A meta-analysis of 67 studies involving 200,000 people shows the problem is different than we thought. Instead of excessive gullibility, we are dealing with the opposite.

Greenwashing storms media in Poland. Business feel the impact too

BDw
A surge in media coverage reveals a new reality: ESG isn't just a corporate responsibility buzzword anymore - it's a battlefield. According to the Institute of Media Monitoring (IMM), Polish media mentioned "greenwashing" in 619 publications and "eco-hypocrisy" in another 545 in Q1 2025.


See articles on a similar topic:

YouTube vs. Television. The 50+ Generation Shifts to Computers

Krzysztof Fiedorek
For years, so-called "silvers" were primarily associated with traditional media like television. However, research by IQS for SilverTV and Lifetube shows that this view is outdated. The report’s findings clearly demonstrate that YouTube is becoming the new “television.”

Global Media Under Scrutiny. Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2024

Krzysztof Fiedorek
The “Digital News Report 2024,” developed by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, describes the landscape of digital news media based on data from 47 markets, representing more than half of the world’s population.

Business Communication and 25 Years of PR Evolution. ITBC Report

KFi
How has technology transformed the way companies communicate with clients? What connects speed of response, creativity, and crisis resilience? The ITBC Communication report reveals how communication has evolved over the past 25 years and what defines the future of business relationships.

Artificial Intelligence and Digital Skills. The Future of the Job Market is Here

KFi
The world faces the challenge of digital transformation, and technological skills have become a gateway to career success. How do Europeans evaluate their abilities, and which industries are leading the way? A recent report by Pracuj.pl reveals which skills open doors to better careers and why AI is the future of work.

More in the section: Media industry

community

Facebook LinkedIn X Twitter TikTok Instagram Threads Youtube Google News Blue Sky Social RSS

Reporterzy.info - online media studies magazine. The world of communication from the inside. Media, journalism, PR and marketing. Data, reports, analyses, advice. History and market, law, photography, job offers.


Work in media

United States
New York • Washington DC • Los Angeles • Chicago • Houston • Phoenix • Philadelphia United Kingdom
London • Birmingham • Manchester • Liverpool • Glasgow • Edinburgh Canada
Toronto • Ottawa • Montreal • Calgary Australia
Sydney • Melbourne • Brisbane • canberra Ireland, New Zealand, India

advertisement

Drones. For PRO. On discount





Reporter shopping

Reporter shopping

Affordable laptops, notebooks and netbooks
Affordable laptops, notebooks and netbooks
for writing
Digital SLR and compact cameras
Digital SLR and compact cameras
for photographers
Books and e-books about media
Books and e-books about media
for reading
Video drones and flying cameras
Video drones and flying cameras
for pilots
Gimbals for stabilizing video
Gimbals for stabilizing video
for those on the move
Software and apps for creative work
Software and apps for creative work
for digital creators
More occasions

advertisementMedia Review 24/7
Read books and e-books

Read books and e-books

Okładka Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man
Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man
Okładka Media Control. The Spectacular Achievements of Propaganda
Media Control. The Spectacular Achievements of Propaganda
Okładka The 40-Day Social Media Fast
The 40-Day Social Media Fast
Okładka Social Media Marketing All-in-One For Dummies
Social Media Marketing All-in-One For Dummies
Okładka Mass Communication: Living in a Media World
Mass Communication: Living in a Media World
Okładka Trust Me, I`m Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator
Trust Me, I`m Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator
more books and e-books

Reporterzy.info

More about us

Our tools and services

Contact


© Dwornik.pl Bartłomiej Dwornik 2oo1-2o25