The Women’s Media Center released their annual report about the representation of women in the media, which revealed that in every aspect of the media, women are not being represented.

Some key findings:

• Women represented just 21.7% of guests on Sunday morning news talk shows airing on the major networks.
• Women comprised only 18.1% of all radio news directors.
• In sports news, women represented 11.4% of all editors, 10% of all columnists, and 7% of all reporters.
• Only 30% of the literature reviewed by NPR last year was written by women.
• Of the top 250 domestic grossing films, women were 5% of the directors, 14% of the writers, 18% of the executive producers, 25% of the producers, 20% of the editors, and 4% of the cinematographers.
• In the key behind-the-scenes role in entertainment television, women were 18% of the creators, 22% of the executive producers, 37% of the producers, 15% of the writers, 11% of the directors, 20% of the editors, and 4% of the directors of photography.
• And worldwide, women were the subjects of only 24% of news stories

All this is despite the fact that women make up 73% of Journalism and Communication Grads. These findings raise a variety of questions: how are we to expect the gender makeup of the media to change, if boys will hire boys? And how can the news, television, radio and movies we watch to accurately reflect the lives of girls and women when girls and women are not being given the opportunity to tell those stories? Knowing how to critically evaluate media is one part of the equation- but making sure that women play a role in creating that media in the first place is another. Good Magazine is suggesting people take the time to promote women through their social networks- and then tweet about it, using the hashtag #promotewomen. Will you participate? What else can we be doing?