Pauline Frederick Paved Way for Female Journalists

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Pauline Frederick Paved Way for Female Journalists


Pauline Frederick broadcasting for ABC Radio in the late 1940s.Credit: Courtesy of Sophia Smith Collection, Smith College.

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Still, the fact that Frederick was the first female network reporter does not necessarily mean that she merits special attention; what is noteworthy, however, is that she was the only full-time network reporter for so long--she began reporting full time in the late 1940s, but it was a decade before another female reporter, Nancy Dickerson, joined a news network and even longer before another small group that included Marlene Sanders, Liz Trotta and a few others joined them.


Her role as the only woman in a male-dominated field meant that Frederick had to tread lightly, and she had to tread lightly for a very long time. If she used a heavy hand, she could lose her job as well as jeopardize the hiring of other women who hoped to follow her. So, Frederick had to engage in a series of balancing acts. She had to look attractive and well put together but refrain from being too glamorous or sexy because that could intimidate her bosses and viewers; she had to stand up for herself and defend criticism leveled against her, but she could not be seen as too shrill or argumentative; and she had to promote her achievements and abilities while refraining from behavior that could be perceived as pushy or aggressive. And while on the job, she had to be willing to question authority and shaky information without appearing cynical or bitter.
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After college Frederick, who had become a freelance print journalist, joined a team of correspondents that covered the immediate aftermath of World War II in Western Europe (she persevered despite a rejection letter from legendary CBS correspondent Edward R. Murrow, who said he could not call her manner "distinguished&quot . The death and destruction she witnessed overseas--particularly the sight of countless dead, maimed and homeless children--would haunt her for the rest of her life and trigger in her a visceral hatred of war. Her experiences in Europe horrified her, yet they also instilled in her a type of idealism--she became thrilled by the idea of a newly formed organization whose mission was to establish a new world order that could keep peace worldwide through diplomacy and reasoned discussion rather than armed conflict. As this organization--the United Nations--was born, so was Frederick's hope that neither she nor any other reporter would ever again have to cover a major war. And because of her journalistic ability and her passionate support of the organization, she would ultimately become one of the most respected United Nations reporters in the world.
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Frederick always kept Murrow's rejection letter--perhaps as an incentive to prove him wrong--and as she became well known, she often spoke of it. But even Murrow would probably admit that Frederick did not do too badly. She met and knew many of the top newsmakers of the 20th century, she received just about every national broadcasting award ever given--and was usually the first female recipient--and she collected literally dozens of honorary college degrees. Many of the female journalists who followed her called her a role model and credited her with helping to pave the way for them. The unmarried Frederick noted throughout her career that she would love to have a husband and family, and she did finally marry in 1969, at age 61.

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http://womensenews.org/story/our-history/150327/pauline-frederick-paved-way-female-journalists