REPORT IN WAYS THAT APPEAL TO WOMEN
Women and men respond differently to different news subjects and reporting styles. Studies show that women relate more to personal, emotional and visual content. However, this does not mean that women only want to read about celebrity insights. You can tell a political story from a personal angle. The South China Morning Post, for example, found that women were interested in topics such as diplomacy, regional news and society, which covers a broad range of social affairs including education, issues of equality, and cultural trends. Women also consume more content via social media (although research on this in the news media context is limited). Consider the different modes and styles of reporting that may be more appealing to that 50%.
AIM FOR GENDER BALANCE IN NEWSROOM LEADERSHIP POSITIONS
If you improve gender balance in leadership positions and give women equal opportunity to influence your organisation’s news agenda, you are more likely to create more diverse and inclusive products. An initiative called NewsMavens put this to the test and explored how the news agenda changes when women make all editorial decisions. Women journalists from across Europe were invited to contribute the top stories of the day to a common platform. They found that the articles women curators deemed most important often differed from what would normally feature on the front page of a mainstream publication. They included stories focused on marginalised groups, or the impact of big politics and business on the lives of regular people. Chances are that the stories women editors in your organisation care about will resonate with your women audience.
CONDUCT AUDIENCE RESEARCH
Most media houses do not have the resources to conduct large scale audience research. However, you can conduct smaller scale audience research exercises to understand how you might better tailor your content to women.
