Closing out Thursday’s NBC Nightly News, the evening newscast found it pertinent to tout a new campaign by the British edition of the liberal feminist magazine Elle to photoshop men out of pictures of elected officials in an effort to promote the global need for more women in office.
Anchor Lester Holt led into correspondent Stephanie Gosk’s piece by admitting that “it’s one thing to talk about the gap in power between men and women” but “another to see it before your eyes.” He continued by explaining that this represents “the idea behind a thought-provoking new campaign that’s making its point with the help from photoshop.”
Passing it off as free press (pun intended) for Elle, Gosh explained that the publication “assembled and doctored” various pictures of elected officials that include the United Kingdom’s parliament to show there’s “some pretty lonely women at the top.”
Adding that “[t]he statement Elle is making is loud and clear,” Gosk also promoted a companion video that has “lit up the internet” with “[e]ight million people [having] shared the hashtag more women.”
Editor Lorraine Candy gushed later that it was “the biggest social media campaign we've ever done” and “the most watched video we ever put on YouTube” to which Gosk reported that the campaign has “trigger[ed] a passionate and spirited debate” in “[e]xploring who is to blame and in some cases, whether it should matter.”
For her closing thought, Gosk simply stated that “[o]ne way” to grab the spotlight “is create an image they [readers] won't soon forget.”
This was far from the first one of the “big three” networks promoted something by Elle. On April 10, ABC’s World News Tonight fawned over the fact that the U.S. edition chose Chelsea Clinton on the coverage of its May issue just days before her mother Hillary launched her second presidential campaign bid.
The transcript of the segment from October 15's NBC Nightly News can be found below.
NBC Nightly News
October 15, 2015
7:27 p.m. Eastern[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE CAPTION: Elle; Feminism]
LESTER HOLT: Finally, it's one thing to talk about the gap in power between men and women. It's another to see it before your eyes. That's the idea behind a thought-provoking new campaign that's making its point with help from photoshop. Here is Stephanie Gosk.
STEPHANIE GOSK: The British edition of Elle assembled and doctored the photos, showing some pretty lonely women at the top. Editor Lorraine Candy.
ELLE LORRANIE CANDY: There is a huge gender gap around the world in places of power.
GOSK: Take away male counterparts in the UK Parliament.
CANDY: It's shocking actually. Until you see it, you don't realize.
GOSK: The same for entertainment and world leaders. The statement Elle is making is loud and clear.
CANDY: It just isn't fair anymore that women aren't there. Just because of our gender, we aren't paid the same, we aren’t recognized the same. We aren’t promoted in the same way.
GOSK: Taking Elle’s approach, we looked at U.S. political leadership. Here’s the 114th Congress freshmen class and candidates for president, both Democrats and Republicans. Elle’s video’s lit up the internet. Eight million people shared the hashtag more women.
CANDY: It’s the biggest social media campaign we've ever done. It’s the most watched video we ever put on YouTube.
GOSK: Triggering a passionate and spirited debate. Exploring who is to blame and in some cases, whether it should matter, but that discussion, Candy says, is exactly the point.
CANDY: This conversation needs to get just get bigger. It needs to be on the forefront of people's minds.
GOSK: One way to do that is create an image they won't soon forget. Stephanie Gosk, NBC News, New York.
