An April 2013 Ryerson Journalism Research Centre report, Women in the Field: What Do You Know? A snapshot of women in Canadian journalism, says, “As women prosper in Canadian journalism, there are contradictory signs. For one, they may not have entirely escaped the confines of the ‘Women’s Pages.’ … influential beats such as politics and crime remain male-dominated, with women covering only a third of those stories.”

In an Aug. 22 Salon article, Anna North writes, “the pantheon of journalists whose name recognition and clout have made them cottage industries is overwhelmingly male.”

There is not much difference with mainstream broadcast journalism. In Jennifer Siebel-Newsom’s documentary Miss Representation, TV host Lisa Ling says, “I don’t ever see gossip columns or tabloids reporting on Brian Williams’s personal life.” Yet Katie Couric’s love life (USA Today: Katie Couric goes public with banker boyfriend), fashion (Katie Couric’s choice of a white jacket after Labor Day did not go unnoticed!) and legs (Katie Couric’s Legs Worship on YouTube) seem to have garnered more attention than the fact she is America’s first female TV news anchor.

According to the feminist activist group, National Organization for Women (Now) female journalists are underrepresented in print, radio and television news. While the low number of women journalists is stagnant, groups advocating for change are growing. “The IWMF [International Women’s Media Foundation] believes the news media worldwide are not truly free and representative without the equal voice of women,” says the website for the 23-year-old Washington based organization. IWMF is not unique: Women Action and the Media (WAM), Women in Journalism, Journalism and Women Symposium (Jaws) and other like groups work to network and support females in the journalism field.

The glass ceiling in any profession isn’t new, but it is still beyond frustrating. None of my male peers have had the Carrie Bradshaw comparison. And though the comment may seem harmless, we can do our part to not limit our idea of women in the news.  Important stories are being shared and shouldn’t be masked by 1950s notions and fictional portrayals. And if they have to be at least compare me to April O’Neil; I can relate more to turtle- and radioactive goo-based story lines than fancy shoes.

A former This intern, Hillary Di Menna writes Gender Block every week and maintains an online feminist resource directory, FIRE- Feminist Internet Resource Exchange.

Facebook is now applying regulations intolerant of gender-based hate speech.

On May 28, the company released a statement on how hard it is for it find a balance between freedom of speech and community respect. In the past, the social media site has faced similar situations regarding Jewish, Muslim, and LGBT communities. If something doesn’t fall under Favebook’s definition of hate speech, it is deemed offensive or controversial, but not necessary to take down. Such logic can become frustrating when a picture of a woman breastfeeding, posted to her own account, can be taken down but a meme making light of an abused preschool child remains to circulate on timelines.

Together, groups sent Facebook advertisers 5,000 e-mails. Magnum Ice Cream may not want to be associated with murdering pregnant women, and Dove may not fancy being in the vicinity of a message saying to break the fingers of a deaf, mute woman so that she can’t report being raped.

Some advertisers kept quiet, but Facebook promises not to. In its letter, the company says its evaluation process of material will be more thorough and will involve the consultation of women’s advocates, effective immediately. They say a test program was already in the works to make creators of offensive content include their authentic identity, which, it theorizes, will make them more accountable for their work.

Of course, there are outcries over the internet saying this is a violation of free speech, and that if something isn’t illegal in the United States it shouldn’t be banned. But with over a billion active monthly users, the folks at Facebook are smart to consider their entire audience. Just because something isn’t illegal, doesn’t make it ethical. Laws are made based on the times. Both legal and ethical codes need to keep up with social media being part of every day life in order to stay relevant and continually used.