There has been a bit of a furore in the UK media over Selina Scott recently. Scott, a veteran news-reader, alleges that Five News went back on their agreement for her to cover Natasha Kaplinsky’s maternity leave. She is now suing for age discrimination. Whether or not her individual case holds water, it certainly highlights the dearth of any older women in ’serious’ positions in the mainstream media.
From Joan Bakewell in the G2:
All the women on Newsnight would joke together about how the tough older male would always be lead presenter, while a woman was given the secondary role - softer stories and knowing her place. We joked, too, about the obvious stereotypes: the craggy world-weary buccaneer male reporters - Sandy Gall, the late Charles Wheeler, and Newsnight’s younger trim female presenters whom we dubbed the “programme wives”. I was one such. So was Jenni Murray until she went off to enliven the more feminist corridors of Woman’s Hour.
We thought then that it was all destined to change. But where today are the wrinkly female equivalents of Trevor McDonald and Peter Sissons, Nick Owen and Jon Snow? Kirsty Wark stands alone, and she, after all, is merely middle aged. Older women are missing from news and current affairs.