Female Journalists Own This Election

Katie Couric, Rachel Maddow, Campbell Brown 'redefining broadcast careers'

(NEWSER) - The world of television news can be a journalistic proving ground during tumultuous times, and three women have bubbled to the top of the white-guy-dominated realm. Vogue takes a look at one veteran and two up-and-comers who have caught the mag's eye:

• Katie Couric—After months of ridicule and low ratings as the new CBS Evening News anchor, she's basking in a post-election glow. "I feel relieved and happy that I was in charge of a presidential election for a major network and actually did a good job," she says. "That's sort of a feather in my cap."

Candidacy exposed America's hatred of women, says columnist

(NEWSER) - Hillary Clinton will almost certainly not be the Democratic nominee for president, and the end of her campaign is a relief for Marie Cocco in the Washington Post—but not for political reasons. The end of the Democratic primary, she writes, will also put to rest the sexist rhetoric of Clinton's opponents and the media, who have called her a "she-devil," "whore," and worse. More»

The best and worst in a season about image

(NEWSER) - This election has been all about image—not just for the candidates, but for media personalities who have jumped into the fray. Scott Collins chooses its biggest success stories and failures in the Los Angeles Times:

• Rachel Maddow, MSNBC's new commentator, is brainy, funny, and capable.
• John King, CNN’s "Magic Map" guy, is a demographics whiz.
• Charlie Gibson of ABC took a beating over a “featherweight” Democratic debate.

Did Clinton, Palin candidacies move feminism forward?

(NEWSER) - If Barack Obama wins the presidency, we’ll have broken a major barrier—but not the glass ceiling, writes Anne Kornblut in the Washington Post. Hillary Clinton claimed millions of votes and Sarah Palin energized a lackluster conservative base overnight, but as their candidacies descended into chaos, Kornblut asks "whether the first woman's path to the White House was eased this year—or whether Clinton and Palin simply unearthed the land mines without defusing any." More»

'Feminist' dodges policy issues, sticks to conservative personal beliefs

(NEWSER) - Katie Couric pressed Sarah Palin on controversial issues in an interview last night and got more personal than policy answers, Baltimore Sun TV critic David Zurawik writes. When asked if it should be illegal for a teenage victim of rape or incest to get an abortion, the candidate said several times that she is pro-life and "would counsel the person to choose life"—but added finally that she didn't think anyone should go to jail for having the procedure. More»