Women War Correspondents of World War II

During the World War II women correspondents wanted to be a part of the dramatic and exhilarating scene of wartime conflict as much as their male colleagues. The women who were interviewed were asked about their experiences, including conditions under which they reported, the types of stories they wrote and their accomplishments as journalists. Those studied were largely newspaper or wire service reporters who were at the front. A few others who wrote for magazines are included because of particularly interesting experiences or personalities. The obstacles that women correspondents faced are recounted here. For example, they found it difficult to get passports from the State Department and accreditation from the War Department. They faced antagonism from certain generals and sometimes bias and fear of competition from their male colleagues. On the other hand, many women discussed the help and support they received from men at the front. This book is an analysis of the woman correspondent. The problems of censorship, a war fought on different fronts and the dangers of then-modern warfare are recounted. Many women entered the field through newspaper jobs vacated by men who left for the front; they then worked their way into becoming war correspondents. For the most part they did not expect preferential treatment and avoided exceptional notice. According to their own accounts, they encountered problems unique to their sex, but were adept at handling the problems and were professional in their work. This book is a source of material on women who pushed beyond the sex role boundaries of their time to participate in a unique experience. Women’s studies, journalism and courses on the history of World War II will benefit from this book.