Inverting the Inverted Pyramid: A Conversation about the Use of Feminist Theories to Teach Journalism

Abstract

Teaching is always challenging, and for some of us who are feminists, teaching journalism is particularly difficult. The tenets of good journalism—objectivity and neutrality—are often antithetical to our feminist values. We face the dilemma of how to incorporate feminist sensibilities into teaching journalism—a profession that strives for detachment and, at times, seems oblivious to its own position of power. At a professional meeting three years ago, several of us were talking casually about our teaching responsibilities and our students. During the course of that conversation, we began discussing the ways we teach journalism, and one of us made the comment—the others agreed— that we cringe at some of the things we tell students: write with detachment, always use third-person, use the inverted pyramid to tell your stories, take yourself out of the story. We admitted even we don’t believe some of the instructions we give students,