What is the biggest challenge for women journalists in India today?
AMMU JOSEPH: Well, actually, we have come a long way, I think, in the metropolitan cities and especially in the English language media. As you probably know, we have about 18 official languages but our press exists in around 100 languages. There’s a big difference between the English media and the “language media,” as we call them in India, especially in terms of women’s access and participation. In the metropolitan English language media, women make up 50 percent, at least, of the newsroom in some places. And there are women, not at the top-most spots, but fairly close to the top of the editorial hierarchy. For example, some are in charge of single city editions of multi-edition newspapers. There aren’t quite as many in real decision-making positions in management, even though we do have publishers – even of some major newspaper groups – who are women. But there’s a big difference between that whole scenario, which is rather encouraging, and the situation in the language media. In rec
