Female experts in the media spotlight
Female experts are underrepresented in the media. With the project DiverseEksperter.dk, the Female Leadership Academy and its partners are striving to lead the way in increasing women’s representation in media coverage.
In today’s media landscape, there is a stark reality that cannot be ignored: women continue to be outnumbered as sources and experts in Danish media. The numbers speak for themselves: Only around 35 percent of news sources are women, and the gender gap is even more pronounced in business journalism.
Most recently, DR revealed that in 2023, the 23 most cited experts in the media were all men, with only five women making the list of the 50 most cited experts in Danish media. However, Female Leadership Academy is determined to address this imbalance in media representation.
In partnership with KvindeKompagniet and Equalis, Female Leadership Academy launched DiverseEksperter.dk last year. The shared goal is to make it easier for journalists to find female experts and thus create a more balanced gender representation in the media.
A diverse treasure chest
DiverseEksperter.dk functions as a comprehensive database, gathering female experts, leaders, specialists, and talents from various fields. The portal is not an exclusive club - it is publicly accessible and free for all. It has been created as a practical tool for journalists and media outlets seeking to diversify their source networks and find relevant female experts across different disciplines.
But DiverseEksperter.dk is more than just a useful resource; it is a clear call to all segments of society to join the fight for gender equality and to make female role models visible to future generations. It is a step towards giving female experts and role models the recognition and space they deserve in the media landscape.
And it's making progress. Since its launch, there have been significant developments. Currently, there are more than 1500 experts within the portal and the goal is to reach 2,000 within this year. Several news stations have already integrated the tool into their practices, including DR and TV2, which have utilized it to find experts and gather insights on the war between Ukraine and Russia. Furthermore, we actively work with diversity parameters such as ethnicity, geography, and age.
Shifting Statistics expert by expert
DiverseEksperter.dk project has a clear objective in mind which is to increase women's representation in news media to 45 percent within the next three years. This goal aligns with the World Economic Forum's gender equality rankings, where Denmark ranked 32nd globally in 2022, while other Nordic countries ranked in the top 5. With DiverseEksperter.dk, we are committed to changing this picture expert by expert.
DiverseEksperter.dk is a call to media outlets, businesses, and society to support the initiative for a more inclusive media world, where female experts and their perspectives should be just as visible as their male counterparts.
Let's work together to create a future where diversity is the norm, and female experts are in the spotlight. Visit DiverseEksperter.dk and take part in the change!
