Who is Gloria Steinem ?
In 1960, when the phrase equality was considered radical, Gloria Steinem, a young female freelance writer entered the world of journalism with a kind of curiosity that makes a reader listen more intently, to pose questions that weren’t on the list, and to make reporters stay a few seconds longer.
In an era when women were expected to write about recipes and fashion, Gloria Steinem walked into journalism with a different question: Why were women’s real struggles invisible in print? What began as curiosity soon became a crusade. Steinem didn’t just report stories; she created space for voices that had long been silenced. This article traces her journey from a young writer in the 1960s to a trailblazer whose legacy still shapes journalism today.
Steinem started her career as a journalist in 1960, it was a period when female journalists were given a women’s pages which would contain contents about Cooking, fashion, and parties, anything that didn’t cause stir. But Steinem had other plans, she observed a world in which women’s conditions were terribly loud in real life but invisible in print. She became an outspoken supporter of women’s rights in the late 1960s after covering an abortion hearing, which heightened her feminist consciousness.
Thereafter she focused on workplace discrimination, sexual harassment, unequal wages, and expectation to marry early, and becoming a leader of second-wave feminism. She believed these issues are not just women’s issues but political and economic issues of the world and they deserve more than a back page.
So, she did what any great journalist would do, she started to cover and write about stories that no one was willing to touch.
The work that altered the trajectory of her career
Every journalist has a work that will change the course of their career, for Steinem, it was her first undercover story “A Bunny’s Tale” which was published in the SHOW Magazine on May 1, 1963.
She worked as a bunny at the Playboy Club under a fake name to document her experience, the job that appears to be glamorous from outside with celebrities, drinks, and wealthy clients, all while offering high compensations. However, the situation and reality were anything but glamorous. Steinem showed the uglier side of the Playboy Club world, where women were forced to lose weight, handling rude business men, uniforms were so tight that sometimes it was difficult to breathe.
Bunnies were also subjected to a system of demerits which were given on offence if they upset any clients, and they were paid less than advertised. This story caused a cultural uproar, not because it was sensational, but because it was honest. This piece also aided in the beginning of Steinem’s career as feminist leader and journalist.
Later she regretted doing the expose’, with her photos being circulated in bunny outfits which made her look she was not serious about her work and she received numerous offers for undercover works which were sexual in nature, which she found insulting and declined, but later, she said that she was glad to write the piece as it helped in uncovering the dark side of women’s treatment in workplaces.
Through this article she proved how the media can play a vital role in exposing the system and questioning power without being loud. The world now views her as someone who is not afraid of uncomfortable truth, she also realized the limitations of the media system that disregard anything pertaining to women as insignificant. She started to understand that sometimes it was necessary to create a whole other platform to convey the truth.
The Founding of Ms. Magazine
The Ms. Magazine was founded in 1972, this was a response after Steinem faced many rejections from editors, who claimed nobody is interested in workplace harassment and women’s rights issues. So, Steinem with some other female journalists created this magazine, which is entirely published, written, edited, and run by women.
The magazine focused on topics like domestic abuse, sexual autonomy, childcare, and equality, topics that were usually avoided by mainstream magazines of those times. When these topics were eventually given a forum, it demonstrated that when established media won’t broaden its scope, you should create your own platform. This idea is still followed in modern day journalism like independent newsletters, digital platforms, and independent journalists echo her projects.
The New Era of Reporting
Gloria Steinem’s reporting approach is still important today because it emphasizes using the media to give voice to marginalized realities, advocating for international alliance building, and fusing personal story with factual research. Her writing voice became one of the most powerful tools, this style is also now foundational to:
- Investigative storytelling
- Narrative journalism
- Explainer pieces that blend data with real stories
Her work and writing style have inspired many young journalists who frequently discover their true voice by rejecting the notion that truth must be clinical, just like Steinem did. She demonstrated how Journalism can be personal without being self-serving, passionate without being biased and rigorous without being distant.
Steinem also didn’t just stop at writing, she co-founded Women’s Media Center to train, mentor, and represent underrepresented voices. She also fought for women’s representation in newsrooms. She believed that the media shapes reality. Whoever controls the narrative, controls the future.
Why Her Legacy Still Speaks
Even though Gloria Steinem started her work in the 1960s, the questions that she asked about journalism still remain deeply relevant. Questions that she raised about bias reporting, unequal representation in newsroom, and avoiding topics that are outside traditional values are still relevant in modern day journalism. Issues like domestic violence, gender inequality, and social injustices are still simplified or underreported. The concern she raised about who gets to decide what’s classified as “News” still challenges many editors and writers in 2025.
Another reason why her work is still important is because of the changing landscape of media, where social media and independent platforms allow news to travel faster these days, and journalists are expected to do more than simply report facts. They must disclose how such facts are affecting the public and related individual experience to more significant problems. In her work Steinem did exactly this, she demonstrated that journalists don’t always have to treat all sides equally when one side is clearly unjust or false, and reporting can be passionate and honest without losing accuracy. Her approach which is straightforward, compassionate, and insightful has become an essential component of contemporary journalism.
She also believed that journalists are not only just fact givers but shapers of public opinions. In an era filled with misinformation, false reporting, and political pressure, her belief in fairness, courage, and whose story should be told feels more important than ever. Her message to today’s reporters is clear but impactful, the media can either help society envision a better future or support outdated systems. People who want journalism to be transformative as well as informative are still motivated by her life’s work.
The Legacy all Journalist Carry
“The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off” were one of the famous quotes by Gloria Steinem, this simply means that good reporting is unsettling, it forces uncomfortable conversation. However, it also reimagines, rebuilds, and heals. Her life shows that journalism is not just about telling stories but it’s about the expanding stories that can be told.
Her writing serves as a compass for anyone, whether they are an experienced editor or a new reporter writing their first feature: be bold, challenge authority, be curious, and create tales that inspire change even when the world isn’t ready.
Because the stories that matter always rise, even if the world takes time to listen.
