The IWMF calls for women covering The White House to be treated with respect

The International Women’s Media Foundation is deeply concerned about recent demeaning language from the President against female journalists of color; particularly, insulting remarks targeting CNN political analyst April Ryan, CNN White House correspondent Abby D. Phillip and PBS White House correspondent Yamiche Alcindor.

The IWMF is calling for our country’s political leaders to act with civility and respect toward the press.

Female journalists are critical to press freedom. Without the equal voice of women and journalists of color in news media, the press cannot be truly free. Voices like Ryan, Phillip and Alcindor are essential to political newsrooms and our country, and offer unique perspectives. They should not be attacked for simply doing their jobs.

A recent IWMF report found that attacks against female journalists are career-altering. One-third of female journalists consider leaving the profession due to harassment; early-career journalists are twice as likely to consider alternate employment. In all, nearly two-thirds of female journalists have been harassed, with more than half experiencing attacks within the past year.

Echoing like-minded sentiments from the WHCA, the IWMF calls for unilateral, respectful treatment of journalists, especially women and diverse journalists, who cover politics and other social issues. Respect for the press transcends political party, and should be enforced to ensure that recent rhetoric does not translate into real-world implications.

For media inquiries please contact Charlotte Fox, the IWMF’s communications director at cfox@iwmf.org