--- title: "Is Female Leadership Reflected Fairly in the Media?" id: "35621" type: "post" slug: "is-female-leadership-reflected-fairly-in-the-media" published_at: "2016-10-27T21:38:41+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-16T17:50:21+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2016/10/27/is-female-leadership-reflected-fairly-in-the-media/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2016/10/27/is-female-leadership-reflected-fairly-in-the-media.md" excerpt: "The gender gap among CEOs is closing, but is the public getting the right story about that change? Plus: Twitter is shutting down a popular video-sharing app." taxonomy_category: - "Conscious Inclusion" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "C-suite" - "gender equity" - "Leadership" - "media representation" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "C-Level" - "Executive Team" - "For-Profit CEO / President / Owner / Partner" taxonomy_persona: - "Executive Leadership" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Is Female Leadership Reflected Fairly in the Media? Women are leaning in, and businesses and society are more welcoming of female CEOs. For example, while the number of female CEOs in S&P 500 companies [has risen (opens in a new tab)](https://www.fastcompany.com/3064218/strong-female-lead/the-ceo-gender-gap-is-slowly-closing-at-major-public-companies) slowly, increasing at a rate of 1.1 per year, women in CEO roles at nonprofits [have grown](http://associationsnow.com/2016/09/report-nonprofit-ceo-gender-pay-gap-persists/) 14 percent since 2013. (The gender pay gap [is another story](http://associationsnow.com/2014/09/study-ceo-gender-pay-gap-still-prevalent-nonprofit-sector/) .) What’s the problem, then? Well, the media may be representing female CEOs differently than their male counterparts in news coverage. A recent study by the Rockefeller Foundation [reviewed (opens in a new tab)](https://www.fastcompany.com/3064969/the-future-of-work/is-the-media-partly-to-blame-for-the-ceo-gender-gap) 100 pieces from 37 leading news outlets covering female and male executives. Forty-nine percent of the articles covering female CEOs mentioned their gender, while only 4 percent of articles mentioned the gender of male CEOs. The study also found that 16 percent of articles on female CEOs discussed their personal lives, while 78 percent discussed their families. On the other hand, just 8 percent of pieces covering male CEOs touched upon their personal lives but never on their families. “Historically, female CEOs garner far more media attention than their male counterparts, and not for corporate performance and policy decisions alone,” Christine Shropshire, an author of a similar study by Arizona State University, wrote, [according to Fast Company (opens in a new tab)](https://www.fastcompany.com/3062769/female-ceos-are-more-likely-to-be-targeted-by-shareholder-activism) . ### Tweets of the Day > *pours one out for beautiful and pure Vine* > > — BuzzFeed (@BuzzFeed) [October 27, 2016 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/BuzzFeed/status/791675644409151489?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > Genuinely bewildering that Vine would get shut down, it’s one of the most creative platforms on the Internet. > > — Matt Pearce 🦅🇺🇸 (@mattdpearce) [October 27, 2016 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/mattdpearce/status/791675559956783104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **Rest in peace, Vine.** In a surprise decision, Twitter announced [it plans to shut down (opens in a new tab)](https://medium.com/@vine/important-news-about-vine-909c5f4ae7a7#.65vcys61i) the repetitive six-second video network. Launched in 2013, the app and website grew into a community around creative looped videos—either humorous, danceable, or newsworthy. The website and the Vines [will remain (opens in a new tab)](http://thenextweb.com/twitter/2016/10/27/twitter-is-killing-off-vine/) , but the mobile app, along with the ability to create new Vines, will be shut down. ### Links for Your Interest **Get on board.** How can you get staff or volunteers to meet deadlines? [Kivi Leroux Miller helps you out (opens in a new tab)](http://www.nonprofitmarketingguide.com/blog/2016/10/26/getting-other-people-to-meet-your-deadlines/) . **Why do you volunteer?** Volunteers are often active for particular and passionate reasons. Sam Bagnato [writes at the VolunteerMatch blog (opens in a new tab)](http://blogs.volunteermatch.org/engagingvolunteers/2016/10/25/are-you-engaged-in-your-volunteer-journey/) on how to dig deep on volunteerism. **Microsoft has a sleek new computer for you.** The Surface Studio [is a feature-packed machine (opens in a new tab)](http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016/10/hands-on-with-the-surface-studio-microsofts-first-desktop-computer/) worth a look. (Also [see the company’s Slack competitor (opens in a new tab)](http://www.theverge.com/2016/10/25/13405200/microsoft-teams-slack-competitor-launch) , Microsoft Teams.) (iStock/Thinkstock) [Patrick deHahn](https://associationsnow.com/author/patrick-dehahn/) Patrick deHahn is a contributor to Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/patrick-dehahn/) Tags: [#C-suite](https://associationsnow.com/tag/c-suite/) [#gender equity](https://associationsnow.com/tag/gender-equity/) [#Leadership](https://associationsnow.com/tag/leadership/) [#media representation](https://associationsnow.com/tag/media-representation/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [VideoLeading the Way in Neuroinclusion with ASAE Research Foundation and MPIDecember 16, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/12/16/leading-the-way-in-neuroinclusion-with-asae-research-foundation-and-mpi/) - [VideoMoving Neuroinclusion From Afterthought to Standard PracticeDecember 15, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/12/15/moving-neuroinclusion-from-afterthought-to-standard-practice/) - [VideoASAE Research Foundation and MPI Foundation on Neurodiversity in AssociationsDecember 15, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/12/15/asae-research-foundation-and-mpi-foundation-on-neurodiversity-in-associations/) - [VideoSmarter Board Management for Associations: An OnBoard ShowcaseJuly 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/07/24/smarter-board-management-for-associations-an-onboard-showcase/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2016%2F10%2F27%2Fis-female-leadership-reflected-fairly-in-the-media%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !