Much in line with the findings of the study by the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF, 2011) for Western Europe, Austria’s journalism staff is almost balanced in terms of gender: 53 per cent are men and 47 per cent are women. However, again in line with the International Women’s Media Foundation report, there is a glass ceiling regarding leading positions among journalists: 14 per cent of male journalists work in leading positions, compared with 8 per cent of female journalists. Furthermore, on average, female journalists earn less than their male counterparts do. 43 per cent of women earn less than EUR 3,000 per month, but only 27 per cent of men do. Such disparities are even more pronounced within the bracket of high-earning journalists (more than EUR 5,000 per month). Only 16 per cent of women belong to this group, but double that proportion (32%) of men do (Kaltenbrunner et al., 2020: 239).
All respondents in the leading news media sample observed a clear and lasting trend of ironing out gender inequalities and reported progress for their own media company. Gender equality applied both to the current numbers of employment in newsrooms and to newly hired journalists (with one exception, in which two-thirds of journalistic staff was male). Even in leading positions, many more women have been appointed in recent years. In some news media, informal or implicit rules positively discriminate against women when leading positions are filled, up to the time when equal status is achieved. To this end, there is even a binding legal provision in place for ORF (ORF-Gesetz, 2021: para. 30d).
Equal pay is strictly applied for all journalistic labour contracts, according to respondents. However, the difference in the above reported earning statistics might be explained by the fact that many more women (45%) are working part-time (thus earning less) than men (20% part-timers) (Kaltenbrunner et al., 2020: 247).
Within ORF, the largest employer of journalists in Austria, specific rules apply with regard to gender equality, based on legal provisions (ORF-Gesetz, 2021: para. 30a–p). Since 2012, a gender balance plan is in force and revised every two years. It secures equal employment conditions and aims to eradicate existing imbalances at all employment levels. In 2013, the European Institute for Gender Equality has distinguished this plan as “good practice” (EIGE, 2013). The plan’s implementation has enabled ORF to take significant steps towards equality (Kirchhoff & Prandner, 2017).
