Where have all the young men gone? Gender imbalance in tertiary journalism courses

Abstract

This project worked with groups of students who typically apply to tertiary journalism courses. Some students joined focus groups, some completed questionnaires, all had the opportunity to discuss their impressions of journalism and what might attract them to such a course. This research is set against published literature which highlights a gender imbalance in journalism courses but does not address it. The project reveals participants’ perceptions, largely based on the television news they see, determine their consideration of journalism as a career. It provides an insight into how young males view the news and the men who present it.

Keywords

• gender imbalance
• tertiary
• journalism education