Men write majority of economics and biz news

Men write slightly more than half of all economics and business news stories, according to a survey from the Pew Research Center.

According to the survey, men are 53 percent of the bylines for those types of stories, compared to 45 percent of women.

With environment and energy coverage, the gap is narrower, with 50 percent men and 48 percent women.

By comparison, a 2021 study by the Women’s Media Center found that 62 percent of the bylines in economics and business coverage were men. At The Wall Street Journal, men were 67 percent of the bylines.

Overall, 51 percent of the journalists surveyed are men and 46 percent are women.

The survey also found that 64 percent of economics and business reporters are working for a news organization, while 36 percent are freelance or self-employed.

Among economics and business reporters, 13 percent are under the age of 29, while 37 percent are between the ages of 30 and 49. Twenty-five percent are between 50 and 64.

To read the entire survey, go here.

Chris Roush

Chris Roush was the dean of the School of Communications at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. He was previously Walter E. Hussman Sr. Distinguished Professor in business journalism at UNC-Chapel Hill. He is a former business journalist for Bloomberg News, Businessweek, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Tampa Tribune and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. He is the author of the leading business reporting textbook "Show me the Money: Writing Business and Economics Stories for Mass Communication" and "Thinking Things Over," a biography of former Wall Street Journal editor Vermont Royster.