Women journalists more suited for off-field roles: Rathore

Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore Friday said women in media would be better off pursuing off-field roles like that of news analysis as opposed to field reporting in view of safety, challenging conditions and odd hours of work.

In contrast to the "reducing importance" of factual news business practiced by TV journalism, Rathore called for women scribes to take to print that is more about "analysis of the implication of the news".

In print, "your (women journalists) role could be far better utilized without going out in the field. Not that you should not go out. In the sense of safety and security, the working hours, conditions, and different roles attached as a mother, sister, or a wife," Rathore told women journalists in a media interaction at Indian Women's Press Corps here.

Stressing the fact that his suggestion was free of any gender bias, he said avenues "like sports, battlefields, Maoist-infested areas become issues for women journalists to be present there".