femiladyism, jezebel, national press club, old school odes, wonkette

National Press Club: Tolerating Women Since 1971

The National Press Club in Washington, D.C. is celebrating its centennial this month. It's only semi-recently since they've tolerated women in the club: "In 1956, the men offered a compromise by inviting women to attend the luncheons, so long as they sat in the balcony and left as soon as the lunch was over. While the men dined below, the women shared the balcony with television cameras, hot lights, and coils of electrical wiring." They weren't allowed to join as full members until 1971, and that was only because they needed money, and capitalism trumps sexism. But women weren't the only ones dissed. Radio news broadcasters (the bloggers of their day) "were also treated as second-class citizens at first, being permitted to join the club only as non-voting members." [Oxford University Press blog] Celebrate the old days with a clip from "His Girl Friday," after the jump.

11:58 AM on Fri Apr 11 2008
By Sheila
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8 comments

Comments

moff at 12:13 PM on 04/11/08
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Connectedness Index: 583

I always thought that lady radio personalities should be called "ladio" broadcasters.
atltony at 12:18 PM on 04/11/08
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Guess that means its time for bloggers to petition for entrance to the NPC.
Mike_Jahn at 12:41 PM on 04/11/08
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At least one of the bloggers can have Katie Couric's seat.
if_i_only_had_a_heart at 01:36 PM on 04/11/08
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Connectedness Index: 397

the original page, the front page, featured the now shuttered but still legendary city news bureau of chicago

will there be a blogger movie?
if_i_only_had_a_heart at 01:37 PM on 04/11/08
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also, re the days of the "news hens," see this, which was related to a gender lawsuit that the girls won

[www.amazon.com]

Former Times staffer Robertson details the woeful status of women reporters (the title refers to the balcony where women sat in the all-male National Press Club), especially and surprisingly at the editorially liberal Times . Change occurred in the 1970s with the Times 's Women's Caucus's sex discrimination suit, ultimately settled with little back pay but at least a new hiring policy. Roberston's vivid saga provides a microcosm of the entire women's movement: there are pathbreakers who adopt men's rules; challengers who face scorn and career setbacks; and those today who don't acknowledge the crusaders' contribution. Pay inequities and chauvinistic gaffes (about which Robertson is admirably restrained) continue, and with the recent publication of the "she asked for it" tone of the "little wild streak" profile of William Kennedy
Edward Bulwer-Lytton at 02:09 PM on 04/11/08
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In my mind, Carry Grant ought to be the editor-in-chief of every publication.
mink at 08:17 PM on 04/11/08
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In the last gasp of the 80s, when I was a very young cub reporter, I was in the remains of our Fleet Street office in London, and realised I had no wine for the famous person I was interviewing/shooting. I walked across the road to a vintners thinking I could spend $100 and be under budget. I was ignored for more than 10 minutes until I was told that "my kind" were not welcomed there. First, I worried it was journalists. No, not possible due to location.

Then, I thought they must be telling me I was not old enough to buy booze (barely 18, so...) When I had proof of age in their faces and they still ignored me I thought it was because I am Scottish. None of these were true. They did not and had never since 1870whatever served a WOMAN.

My response was to laugh incredulously, demand and plead for two bottles of Chateau Neuf duPape. They sold them to me. Only later did I realise how utterly ridiculous it was.
che_leo at 08:32 PM on 04/11/08
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oh my god, you guys! I thought the NPC was just a fancy mall/food court.