The Culture of a Women-Led Newspaper: An Ethnographic Study of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Abstract

This case study of a U.S. newspaper led by an all-female management team found that the culture of the newsroom reflected the so-called "feminine" traits of its leaders. Through qualitative, ethnographic methods of interview and observation, the researcher documented ways that the female managers brought feminine standpoints to the workplace. Family-fiiendly policies, openness, teamwork, and communication, identified by management and communication scholars as feminine characteristics, were hallmarks of the newspaper% culture.

Where Are the Women? The Presence of Female Columnists in U.S. Opinion Pages

“…52 According to Everbach's study of newsroom culture, the same goes for editorial boards and other leadership positions, where individuals make important decisions regarding news content and newsroom culture. 53 While we do not subscribe to the notion of an essential female or male voice and also recognize the controversial nature of such research, these cited studies suggesting differences in male and female practices of communication and journalism offer a further argument for the importance of diversifying opinion pages.…”

The Challenge to Incorporate Teamwork as a Managerial Competency: The Case of Mainstream South African Newsrooms

“…see Daft,58 Journal of Media Business Studies 2008; Everbach, 2006;Hellriegel et al, 2005;Wicks et al, 2004;Schierhorn et al, 2001). This implies that the basic principles of effective teamwork uncovered in international research also apply in a South African context.…”

“…As indicated earlier, however, teamwork in the South African media is a relatively new concept. Given Daft's view above, it can be expected that managers might not be ready yet to assign as much responsibility to them as team members expect-despite the benefits associated with delegation (see Everbach, 2006); and • Creating a rewarding teamwork environment, which, according to Schierhorn et al (2001), is a widely accepted practice. Results from the South African newsroom study show that reporters are less satisfied with the extent to which their managers reward their teamwork efforts (d=0.73) than managers are.…”

“…This necessitates that teams have clearly defined (individual and collective) goals, principles and roles; a prominent leader; trusting relationships; open communication; and initiative (Gade, 2004;Thill & Bovée, 2002;Smith, 2001). Moreover, literature highlights the importance of a constructive and innovative workplace culture (Everbach, 2006) and supportive management (Wicks et al, 2004). While the former encourages teams to reach their full potential (and in the process increase members' motivation, work satisfaction and organizational success), the latter ensures that teams have the necessary resources to do what is expected of them.…”

Women newspaper editors in NZ: Short term love affair

“…Although various studies have conflicting conclusions regarding whether or not a female editor makes any different news judgements to male editors, especially as she has had to succeed in the existing environment (Beam & Di Cicco, 2010;Everbach, 2006;Melin-Higgins, 2008), the industry lacks enough volume of gender balanced editors to explore this point.…”