There's No Crying in Newsrooms: What Women Have Learned about What It Takes to Lead

by Kristin Grady Gilger, Julia Wallace, Campbell Brown (Foreword)

There’s No Crying in Newsrooms tells the stories of remarkable women who broke through barrier after barrier at media organizations around the country over the past four decades. They started out as editorial assistants, fact checkers and news secretaries and ended up running multi-million-dollar news operations that determine a large part of what Americans read, view and think about the world. These women, who were calling in news stories while in labor and parking babies under their desks, never imagined that 40 years later young women entering the news business would face many of the same battles they did – only with far less willingness to put up and shut up.The female pioneers featured in this book have many lessons to teach about what it takes to succeed in media or any other male-dominated organization, and their message is more important now than ever before. Including stories and data from 2020—a year of unprecedented turmoil from a worldwide pandemic, rampant social upheaval, and divisive political battles—the updated edition of this chronicle of courage serves as both inspiration and impetus to continue the fight for equity and advancement in the media industry.

Genres: Journalism, Nonfiction, Feminism, Read For School, Academic, Womens

217 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 4, 2021

Reviews

[Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5, rounding down. I think I wanted this book to be something it wasn't. While I appreciated hearing myriad stories of women in media, I found it almost disheartening to hear about so many of the struggles that lie in front of me, and finished this book legitimately wanting to leave the industry. I wasn't sure what the thesis of this book was, other than simply telling stories and giving disjointed advice that at times contradicted itself.

Also, god, this book was so white. The token chapter for "diversity" was surface level at best, and it would have been so much more helpful to weave stories about race and class into other chapters, rather than isolating "race" as its own chapter. Discussion of class was nonexistent, as well as discrimination women face regarding disability and sexuality, too. This is a book written by, about, and for White Women in Journalism, imo.

Edit: I initially rounded up but kept thinking about it and decided to round down. This is a good thread about why this book bothered me so much: https://twitter.com/amil/status/11913...

[Penny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mentors, professors and parents should recommend No Crying in the Newsroom to any aspiring journalist. An engaging and informative read full of insightful anecdotes and stories. The authors – trailblazers in their own right -- share the wisdom gained by homesteading female pioneers who, over the past half century, rose through the ranks and paved a professional path forward for other women. Each chapter ends with a compendium of leadership lessons – a passing of the baton to the current generation and a toolkit for meeting the remaining challenges.

[Fernanda Santos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read an advance copy of "There's No Crying in Newsrooms." This book illuminates the challenges and successes faced by a number of women who clawed their way to the top in newsrooms across the United States. The stories it tells are honest and they all carry at least one lesson that any of us, whether we work in newsrooms or not, can apply to our dealings with those we work with and work for.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this!

[Wanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great and fast read about the small community of women who have been leaders in media organizations, and how the organizations handled the diviersity of gender. The co-authors -- both journalists and now journalism professors -- interviewed dozens of women about the good, the bad and the ugly of their careers. I am sure many students will benefit from the well-reported stories as it should be a textbook in university women's studies courses.

At the end of each chapter, the authors document their personal and experienced perspectives and also tips for leadership for women who aspire to climb career ladders. The good thing is that the book and the leadership tips transcend the media industry. Buy this for yourself to read and also buy it for young women who will benefit from the wisdom of the experienced and wise women who wrote and shared their stories.

[Isabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 stars.

This short book is packed full of stories and advice from countless women in journalism ranging from those who started their careers in the very male-dominated 1960s/70s newsrooms to the entrepreneurial women journalists running media sites like Vox and HuffPost. Each of the nine chapters ends with a list of advice to take into your career including "giving others credit" and "don't be afraid to ask for what you need."

I do wish they covered a bit more about discrimination in the work-force based on topics such as class, race (they had a chapter on diversity but that was about it), sexuality, and disability because after reading about how motherhood often pushes women out of the workforce, I can only imagine how these other issues impact working the media.

A slower read, but a great one, nonetheless.

[Pinky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Examines the history of women in the newsroom and how over the past 40 years we’ve been fighting to move forward and then regressing. Empowering and frightening. Covers a wide variety of women in power positions from the first foreign correspondents to tthe first editors of major news outlets. Christiane Amanpour is my hero. Seriously, we need more women who aren’t afraid to be tough and tell it like it is.

[Alex Novet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read! Really enjoyed it

[Karen Dandurant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone in the business...read this. It's great.

[Christi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding book. Highly recommend for any female.

[Chrissy Mazzone · Rating 2 out of 5]

As someone who has actively avoided crying in newsrooms, I had higher hopes for this book.

It just didn't mirror my experiences for a variety of reasons. I'm sure it is helpful for many women, just not this one.

[Patricia Torres-Burd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Should be mandatory reading for women and men working in media.
Many of my friends and idols featured. Thank you Christiane for always remembering Margaret Moth.
Women make a massive difference in journalism and media because audiences are made up of men and WOMEN - of all colors and backgrounds.
Diversity is not just good, it’s great for business!
Bravo to the authors of this book for this gift and their contribution to media.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though I don't have any background in journalism, I still found this book super interesting. Its practical takeaways were relevant to women in all leadership roles or male dominated fields. Secondly, I loved hearing the stories of women who paved the way in this field - even if it was difficult. Highly recommend!

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is now out in paperback, just in time for holiday gift-giving! It includes a new introduction noting recent progress. Order here: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=there%27s+...

[Cristie Underwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

The authors did a great job of conveying how success was bittersweet for women journalists attempting to be equal to their male counterparts in the workforce. This book lays out the highs and lows of being successful in a field dominated by men and the isolation that it caused. Great writing!

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great look into how powerful women have climbed the ladder in the journalistic world.