Your say / journalism
‘I’ve had to constantly prove myself as a young female journalist’
During my three years at Bristol24/7, I interviewed countless people, from members of the public to mayors, to authors, ex-prisoners, artists, chefs and campaigners.
I thoroughly enjoyed my job – most of the time – and feel proud of what I achieved in my first media role as a young wide-eyed graduate.
But as a young woman new to the strange world that is the media industry, I felt – and still do feel – a constant need to prove myself.
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When I covered my first big story for Bristol24/7, I politely but begrudgingly waited my turn as male after male journalist jumped in front of me to interview those involved.
When I attended my first council meeting, I didn’t know where to sit, and nobody offered to help me until a young female volunteer saw my panic and led me in the right direction.
When I was out after dark reporting on important stories for Bristol24/7’s morning newsletter, or going to the scene of a crime, as a woman I was often putting myself in a vulnerable situation, and the risk to my safety was higher.
And when I went to press conferences, I was often pushed out of the way by cameras and loud voices, and even ignored or mistaken for a member of the public.
This is not necessarily a ‘male problem’. There is often a competitive and cliquey culture in journalism, as if it’s some kind of exclusive club.
This makes it more difficult to navigate the industry as a young woman, let alone a working class individual, or a person of colour or anyone from a marginalised background.
It’s often the women who reach out to me during these media events, offering a welcome feeling of solidarity in what can sometimes be an intimidating space.
The same feeling still used to creep up on me even a few years into the job, when I was vying for a high-demand interview against the likes of a handful of middle aged white men with decades of experience.
Former journalist Marvin Rees talks to the press at City Academy after being re-elected as mayor in 2021 – photo: Martin Booth
Women make up 40 per cent of journalists, but only 24 per cent of the 174 top editors in major online and offline news outlets across the world. This is the barrier we need to break down.
It’s even worse when you look at race and class disparities in UK media. 87 per cent of journalists come from white ethnic groups, and 80 per cent of journalists had a parent in one of the UK’s highest occupational groups.
Fifty-one per cent of leading journalists educated and working in the UK in 2015 were privately educated, according to the social mobility think tank the Sutton Trust, and another 30 per cent went to grammar schools.
Don’t get me wrong: journalism is a challenging world to navigate for anyone starting out. You have to really put yourself out there. You have to be confident and not afraid to be tenacious to get your story, even if that means upsetting a few people along the way.
Mia Vines Booth with Bristol24/7 Editor Martin Booth (no relation) and reporter Betty Woolerton – photo: Meg Houghton-Gilmour
Local media brings its own set of challenges. There are reporters that have been building up their patch in our city for years.
They know the ropes, they have the right contacts, the inside jokes, and the know-how when it comes to the systems and conventions of getting the story.
With the rise of social media, you have to make yourself vulnerable to criticism and vitriol from online trolls and even people you know.
All of this adds to the pressure of being a young woman in the field, and are traits that don’t come naturally to me as someone who has regularly struggled to have my voice heard without shouting the loudest.
I’m so lucky to have been supported by everybody at Bristol24/7. My ideas were always welcome and I was entrusted with responsibilities that have boosted my confidence as a female journalist.
But even here, the top three jobs – Editor, Managing Director and Advertising Sales Manager – are all held by men (one of whom has regularly been assumed to have been my own father even though we are not related).
I have now sadly left Bristol for Manchester. Who knows where I’ll be in ten years time, but if it’s at a press conference with the latest prime minister, I’d like to see many more women, people of colour and those from different classes asking the questions alongside me.
This is an opinion piece by freelance journalist Mia Vines Booth, who worked for Bristol24/7 from 2021 to 2024
Main photo: Meg Houghton-Gilmour
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