ABSTRACT
On the Bob Dole campaign plane were female reporters, TV producers, tape editors, camera operators and sound technicians. Their presence raised important points about women in the political press corps, how women report the news and the degree to which women in journalism are still disproportionately burdened by family obligations. These women are a young, hardy and unencumbered lot. More precisely, Susan Feeney says they took a count of themselves during one campaign trip and observed that "none had kids, but many of the guys did." In 1996, more than one third of the reporters covering Dole on a regular basis were women. Male reporters noted a drop in comments that might be considered sexist; more significant, men declared they had been "sensitized" by their new female reporter colleagues to Ferraro's treatment as a woman candidate. A prime example is the decision by more female journalists to turn down plum assignments on the political beat.
