Media debate: Where have all the women gone?

Posted by Darika on June 29, 2008 · Comments 

BBC Techcrunch debate

At the risk of being controversial, I saw Techcrunch live blogging the BBC debate. The picture struck me funny – where have all the women gone?

This isn’t a “why aren’t there more women in tech” question but a much broader question about the new media industry in general; an industry where many women are employed. Are none of them up to debating the issues around whether the BBC should open up their platform.

Am I being unfair?

[Apologies any women who were part of this debate and I haven't picked up on it]

Filed under Opinion · Tagged with , , ,

About Darika

  • >Lizzie
    Where have all the women gone...we sodded off and created our own companies thats where! I have been lucky/unlucky to have worked as both a bricklayer in my youth and in the internet industry in my 30's. Which one was more sexist - take a wild guess. Never been so patronised in my life. I ran an eCommerce training programme [very early days we are talking] i had the head of BT telling me that the internet was like a big vilage hall with lots of rooms, i did interject to let him know that I was past all that, but he just carried on. He wasnt unusual. I have left the internet industry, my poor husband is still working in it [fairly high up] but says not much has changed.
  • If there was a woman in the audience from the BBC who obviously had a lot to say, then the question is surely - why was she not on stage?!

    There is actually a hierarchy at events like this between people who are invited to speak on a panel, and people in the audience.
  • Michael
    The picture tells a thousand words. As a bloke I am pulling my hoody over my head and keep a low profile
  • DarikaAhrens
    Thanks for comments all.
    Mike, appreciate your response. I'm not a fan of including women for demographics sake and this was by no means an implication that techcrunchUK is gender biased. It's just something I've been thinking about for a while from following a lot of events in digital media. It does seem to be a case of men coming to mind first, which is odd when I've worked with so many women in the industry.
  • CJ
    I am sure if 'people' changed their mindset it would be possible to come up with some female names at short notice as well. Lets hope this is a lesson well learnt and next time things will be thought through differently. No use only having the women in the audience especially if they have the same expertise as the men up on the stage.
    lets be fair and play nicely boys. I am sure you will in the future now!
  • jazcummins
    I was there! But yep I see your point, it was a bit blokey.
  • mikebutcher
    Well, it's a fair point. Actually there was a fairly senior woman in the audience from the BBC who had lots to say, but yes, I take your point. These are just the people we came up with at short notice...
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