Jill Abramson on how gender inequality follows women through careers

"My whole career has been devoted to transparency and telling the truth, and the truth is I was fired. And that's what I wanted said."- Jill Abramson, former Executive Editor of  the New York Times

In the world of journalism, The New York Times is about as top-of-the-heap as they come.

The paper of record for the USA, The "Old Gray Lady," as it's somewhat-fondly known, has a venerable history... but never, in its 160 years, had there been a woman at the top of its editorial masthead.

Until Jill Abramson got the job.

The veteran Times journalist became its executive editor in 2011. At-the-time it was seen as a coup for professional women everywhere, and in the media especially.

Like all good stories, Jill Abramson's is complicated. Her management style rankled many beneath her. And, less than three years into the job, she was fired, in 2014. 

Today, she's at Harvard University lecturing in the English Department. 

Last Friday night, she was in Vancouver where she joined me on stage for a discussion of gender inequality in the workplace, and in the media. 

As part of our occasional series, Eye on the Media, we have broadcast part of that conversation, recorded on stage at the University of British Columbia, as part of the Lind Initiative in U.S. Studies.  
 

This segment was produced by The Current's Liz Hoath.