Writing women : the need for better representation of women journalists in children’s nonfiction

Abstract

This dissertation examines the need for better representation of women journalists in children’s nonfiction, in order to draw attention to its potential sociocultural effects. In recent years, a wealth of women’s biographies has been published for children, reflecting the didactic tradition inherent to children’s literature but also stemming from contemporary feminist discourse and the growing perception of children as actively engaged citizens in society. Yet while these nonfiction texts claim to celebrate women worthy of note, little reference is made to those in the media, specifically to contemporary journalists. In a time when it is particularly dangerous but also necessary to be a journalist, this paucity of representation is striking: how are children’s perception of journalists—particularly of women as journalists—influenced by it? Through a framework that includes voices on the subjects of children’s literature, culture and communication studies, four biographical works for children—Good Night Stories For Rebel Girls, by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo; Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World, by Kate Pankhurst; Fearless: The Story of Daphne Caruana Galizia, by Gattaldo; and Malala’s Magic Pencil, written by Malala Yousafzai and illustrated by Kerascoët—are discussed so as to show how better representing women journalists in children’s nonfiction—in telling their stories, as well as in the way their stories are told—is a protest against the abuse these women experience as a result of their work, and a hopeful attempt at changing the culture that nurtures that abuse.