Why Are Women Journalists Leaving the Newsroom in South Korea? Gendered and Emerging Factors that Influence the Intention to Leave

Abstract

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to examine whether and to what extent traditionally gendered factors of newsroom culture as well as emerging factors that originated following the introduction of the new media environment are positively associated with South Korean women journalists’ intention to leave newsroom careers. In addition, this study explores what roles career generation gaps play in the relationship between traditionally gendered factors, the new media environment, and women journalists’ intention to leave. By analyzing data from a survey of members of the Korean Women Journalists Association, the most authoritative and representative organization of women journalists in South Korea, findings of this study showed that not only traditionally gendered factors but also emerging factors were positively associated with the resignations of Korean women journalists. In this study, traditionally gendered factors include a masculine-dominant newsroom culture, discriminations in beat assignments and promotions, and work-family conflicts. Emerging factors related to the new media environment include cyberbullying, additional online workloads, and the weakening of women journalists’ social status. The results indicate that emerging factors were more positively associated with women journalists' intention to resign. In addition, the relationship between work-family conflict and intention to leave differed depending on the individual journalist’s career generation.