News Quote by Lynn Povich
““What led to our revolt? Why did our generation suddenly realize that our place in society was changing--and had to change? In part, we were carried by the social and political currents of our time...But even with the social winds in our sails and the women's movement behind us, each of us had to overcome deeply held values and traditional social strictures. The struggle was personally painful and professionally scary. What would happen to us? Would we win our case? Would we change the magazine? Or would we be punished? Who would succeed and who would not? And if our revolt failed, were our careers over--or were they over anyway? We knew that filing the suit legally protected us from being fired, but we didn't trust the editors not to find some way to do us in. Whatever happened, the immediate result is that it put us all on the line. "The night after the press conference I realized there was no turning back," said Lucy Howard. "Once I stepped up and said I wanted to be a writer, it was over. I wanted to change Newsweek, but everything was going to change.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: New York Times, 1975
Women journalists faced institutional resistance, requiring personal courage to challenge entrenched norms.
In simple terms: Women fought sexism in journalism.
Take bold steps despite fear.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- newsrooms
- legal protection
- career advancement
- media reform
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- What personal risks are worth taking for change?
- How can allies support such revolts?
Progress can be slow and backlash may persist.