About

Smith Public Voices spotlights the writing of Smith students published in the mainstream press.  In an era of rampant, fractured, uninformed public discourse, and of concerted, systematic repression of many voices, it aims to strengthen the democratic process by showcasing well-informed, fact-based public pieces written by people whose voices are often silenced and marginalized:  young people, women, people of color, non-binary and trans people.

Research on the status of women in the media is quite clear:  women–and, we can assume, non-binary and trans people–around the world continue to have less visibility than men in the media as subjects of stories, experts consulted, and reporters.  Despite the fact that more women than men enroll in journalism school in the United States, American women still trail in the industry by most indicators.  According to the Women’s Media Center, the underrepresentation of women’s voices is particularly egregious at the news wires, which supply the news to newspapers across the nation.  With few exceptions, the situation is not much better at the major national papers.  At The New York Times, for example, only a third of the articles are written by women.  At online news sites, the gender disparity also remains widespread.  Because people of color are severely underrepresented in newsrooms, their voices are particularly silenced.

If you have published nonfiction writing and we have not featured it here, please help us correct the oversight by clicking here and providing the requested information.  If you are interested in making your voice heard through publishing, speak with your professors and/or contact the Jacobson Center.