Getting Women Into the News

There's a one-word explanation: Football. This region loves football more than any other sport, so the Redskins and high school and college football get more coverage, said Emilio Garcia-Ruiz, assistant managing editor for sports. Sports editors have guides that other editors don't; besides readership studies and washingtonpost.com traffic, television ratings and game attendance are important.

It's no surprise that the Redskins are king. Garcia-Ruiz said readership figures show the team has "dipped a little," from "unbelievably popular to extremely popular." But the team is at the top for female readers as well. Because they're popular with both sexes, women's tennis and Olympic sports get more coverage than other women's sports.

Dan Uthman, high school sports editor, said, "We cover girls' and boys' sports equally. We treat volleyball the same way we treat wrestling; girls' soccer the same way we treat boys' soccer; softball the same way we treat baseball. It is equal in philosophy and practice." He said Sports "gives more attention to football, and boys' basketball slightly more play than other sports, but that is merely to serve general demand and interest among the readership."

The newsroom, among professionals, is split about 60 percent men and 40 percent women. There are many mid-level female editors, but only two near the top. And Page 1 decisions ultimately are made only by men.

The Post, both in print and online, reports to Katharine Weymouth, a mother of three; that's why I'm optimistic that The Post has the impetus to make needed changes.

Deborah Howell can be reached at 202-334-7582 or at ombudsman@washpost.com.