We’re All Part of the Shift: Voices Driving Change in Media

Petra Buchanan

Strategic Advisor, Women in Media

We’re all working, in different ways and from different places, to change the system. We want to make media fairer, more inclusive, and better for the women coming up behind us. Whether you’re part of a major media company, working freelance, juggling multiple roles, or stepping into leadership, you’re contributing to that change.

The Women in Media Industry Insight Report 2025 was created to amplify your voices — women working in media — and shaped by what you shared with us. Whether you’re in a newsroom, running a comms campaign, pitching creative, editing audio, managing talent, or freelancing across platforms, your voice matters. And it has never been clearer.

This year’s findings show dissatisfaction is at a four-year high. Fifty-nine percent of you told us you’re unhappy with your career progression, and 74 percent say there has been no meaningful progress on pay equity in your workplace, even with new transparency rules. These figures are frustrating, but they reflect something deeper: a disconnect between the promise of change and the lived experience of too many women in media.

Since the report’s release, I’ve been heartened to hear from women who do feel supported, valued, and heard in their workplaces. They describe environments where leaders are walking the talk and equity is not just a statement but a lived reality. If that’s your experience, please keep sharing it. The more we talk about what good looks like, the more achievable it becomes for others. Change feels much closer when we can see it in action.

At its core, the report is a call for trust — in leadership, in our workplaces, and in the belief that this industry can serve all of us, not just a few. But trust is earned. It is built when actions match words, when opportunities are equitable, and when people feel they belong, regardless of how they’re employed or where they sit in the hierarchy.

Legislative change has opened the door. Pay transparency, workplace safety, and affirmative action laws are forcing a long-overdue reckoning. The next step is leadership. Leaders must now drive cultural change by fostering inclusion, addressing pay gaps, and ensuring clear pathways for growth.

This is especially urgent in media. Ours is an industry that doesn’t just report the news; it shapes the national narrative. Who gets quoted, who leads the coverage, who is seen as credible — these decisions have real-world impact.

To all of you — on air, behind the scenes, across platforms, in permanent roles or on contract — thank you. Your contributions shape this industry. You told us what you need: transparency, opportunity, trust, and genuine inclusion. Keep pushing, and let’s also shine a light on what’s working. Because if we can see it, we can make it real for all of us.

Let’s keep the conversation going.