Women and Journalism

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Women war correspondents

In the wake of the September 11th attacks on the United States in 2001, women figured prominently among the international war correspondents sent to the Middle East to report on the ensuing war in Afghanistan. This sparked a lively debate in the news media about whether women should be allowed to report on wars and thereby put themselves in danger, highlighted by the Taliban's capture of British correspondent Yvonne Ridley. Some journalists and many members of the public argued vociferously that women should not risk their lives by entering war zones, particularly if they are mothers of young children, as is the case with Ridley.

Meanwhile, during the crucial first few days after September 11th, it was the stories ...