By Fiona Ellis-Jones, head of news and information, ARN
As another International Women’s Day (IWD) approaches, it feels fitting to reflect on how far our industry has come, and how much further we still need to go.
After two decades in journalism leading national news teams across the country, one thing is abundantly clear: we need to do more to achieve meaningful and sustainable change for women in our industry.
That means moving beyond symbolic gestures, tokenism, and once a year conversations.
Our women continue to face significant challenges, including redundancies, diversification and misinformation. All this while we still struggle for equal representation and opportunity, particularly in senior leadership roles.
I speak as someone who has navigated the transition from commercial media to the ABC (then back again), and from the biggest metro market in the country (Sydney) to one of the smallest (Hobart). I’ve gone from mid-dawns and overnights to senior management, and from a single woman to a wife and mum of four.
I’ve witnessed firsthand the obstacles women face in media, across all platforms, all locations, and all levels.
Let’s be honest — fancy logos, morning teas, and female-led content opportunities make for great optics on March 8th, but they do little to address the systemic barriers women face all year round.
Women continue to be underrepresented in senior media positions. They face significant pay disparities, and they shoulder disproportionate family responsibilities that impact career progression.
In my years at both public and commercial media organisations I’ve watched as talented women hit invisible barriers as they’re overlooked for flagship bulletins, relegated to inferior timeslots, left to languish and stagnate or worse – slowly drift away from the industry they love altogether.
The pressures of an always-on news cycle, combined with caregiving responsibilities, create an impossible equation for many.
When I returned to work after maternity leave with my twins, one of whom was stillborn, I experienced firsthand how critical supportive workplace policies are to a woman’s professional survival.
I received maternity leave and bereavement care, I was allowed time to grieve and heal, and my job was kept open for me.
Media companies have a responsibility to implement concrete policies that support women and offer transparent pathways for progression at all stages of life. Flexible working arrangements are a given. So are mentorship programs with measurable outcomes, and yes — representation targets and quotas with accountability mechanisms.
Without these structural changes we risk IWD becoming just another marketing moment — something that makes us feel good every March, rather than what it could and should be: a catalyst for genuine reform.
Many of my best opportunities have come from women who saw potential in me before I recognised it myself. Mentors and industry legends like Sandy Aloisi and Helen Thomas, who gently guided me up the ladder when I didn’t think I was ready. Women supporting women.
The path towards gender equality requires commitment at every level: from boardrooms to newsrooms, hiring policies and promotion pathways, and it demands policies that address the realities of work and life, eliminate bias in hiring and progression, and create safe environments for women. It also requires male allies.
Our industry, our audiences, and our longevity depend on us getting this right.