The Penney-Missouri Awards

Abstract

This article examines the Penney-Missouri Awards competition, which was meant to raise the standards of women's pages by recognizing the sections that went beyond traditional content. Using interviews to look at the competition's history as well as framing analysis to examine the content of winning submissions, the study's findings over the period from 1960 to 1971 support a revision in the history of women's pages. While traditional women's pages filled with society, home, and wedding news appeared in many newspapers, some sections were progressive in their content and their writing style. Recognizing the differences among women's page editors at various newspapers helps to strip away the invisibility of women in journalism history and stresses the important role played by them in pressing for change.