Constructing the “Gender Beat:” U.S. Journalists Refocus the News in the Aftermath of #Metoo

Abstract

This exploratory, qualitative study documents how journalists working for U.S. news organizations defined and refined the concept of a “gender beat” in the aftermath of the 2017 resurgence of the #MeToo movement and several other major news events that illustrated the repercussions of structural sexism. Through semi-structured interviews with 20 self-described gender-beat journalists analyzed using constructivist grounded theory, I identified three major themes: 1.) gender-beat journalists are conflicted about the need for their beats; 2.) they view the #MeToo movement, the Trump presidency and the 2017 Women’s Marches as catalysts that helped them convince superiors, especially male editors, of the importance of this work; and 3) they want their beats—and journalism as a whole—to embrace comprehensive coverage that reflects an expansive understanding of the human condition as it relates to gender, race, sexuality, class, and geography. Based on these findings, I argue that gender beats are necessary but ideally temporary stepping stones to help news organizations move beyond hegemonic white masculinity.