On the surface, these stories tell of the experiences of women journalists in covering the events of September 11; between the lines, they tell of the progress women have made in American newsrooms. As the book makes clear, there was no question that women would cover the attacks and their aftermath, and they did it well, reporting and shooting pictures ... Read moreon the scene and making decisions about what to print and what to air. What is striking is how closely these women's stories resemble those of other journalists—women and men—who reported on the same events. They were dedicated to getting the facts, despite the risks. They were affected by what they saw, but mostly after the fact. Most worked in newsrooms that offered counseling and support, but few took advantage of it. Their stories are personal but not unusual, and that may be what is most surprising about this timely book.
Deborah Potter, executive director of NewsLab, former CNN anchor and former CBS News correspondent Judith Sylvester and Suzanne Huffman have performed an invaluable service by documenting the gripping stories of women journalists who covered the events of 9/11 and their aftermath. Women Journalists at Ground Zero is fascinating reading, as well as an important historical record and an excellent teaching tool.
Philip Seib, University of Southern California Women Journalists at Ground Zero demonstrates that, no matter the gender, all top reporters act on the same deep-seated instincts to find the story, corroborate the story, and share it with the public.
Jan Schaffer, executive director, Pew Center for Civic Journalism Women Journalists at Ground Zero tells the moving stories of more than 20 women journalists who reported from New York City, Washington, and the Pittsburgh area during and following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Media Report To Women
Rich and moving stories.
Educational Book Review
Women reporters are no longer confined to covering just the women's angle. They're on the front lines of every big story now. In this compelling book, Judith Sylvester and Suzanne Huffman tell us how a group of courageous women risked their own lives to report the news of what happened on 9/11. It's a story that should make the rest of us proud to be Americans, and Sylvester and Huffman have told it well.
Bob Schieffer, CBS News chief Washington correspondent and moderator of Face the Nation The book is a riveting read and reaffirms the need for the reporter as eye-witness. The individual accounts are engrossing and each of the women interviewed presents vividly, but without hyperbole, the enormity of what confronted them. Sylvester and Huffman quite rightly let the stories speak for themselves and should be congratulated on pulling together such compelling accounts.
Journalism Studies
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