Lynn Povich

Lynn Povich is an American journalist and author best known for her groundbreaking role in the 1970 gender discrimination lawsuit against Newsweek magazine and her subsequent achievement as Newsweek's first female Senior Editor. Born in 1943 in Washington D.C., she is the daughter of renowned Washington Post sports journalist Shirley Povich. After graduating from Vassar College in 1965, Povich began her career as a secretary at Newsweek's Paris bureau before returning to New York as a researcher. She was part of a landmark gender discrimination case in 1970 when she and 45 other women sued Newsweek for systematically discriminating against women in hiring and promotion practices. The successful lawsuit led to significant changes in workplace gender equality, and Povich went on to become Newsweek's first female Senior Editor in 1975. She later documented this experience in her 2012 book "The Good Girls Revolt: How the Women of Newsweek Sued Their Bosses and Changed the Workplace," which inspired an Amazon series. Throughout her career, Povich has remained a significant figure in journalism and media, serving as editor-in-chief of Working Woman magazine and consulting editor at MSNBC.com. Her work and advocacy have helped pave the way for women in journalism and continue to influence discussions about workplace equality.

Readers consistently praise Povich's detailed first-hand account of the 1970 Newsweek lawsuit in "The Good Girls Revolt." Reviews highlight her straightforward writing style and thorough documentation of workplace discrimination. What readers liked: - Clear presentation of historical events - Personal insights into newsroom culture - Connection to modern workplace issues - Balance of personal stories with factual reporting What readers disliked: - Some found the large number of characters hard to follow - A few noted repetitive sections - Some wanted more detail about the legal proceedings Ratings across platforms: - Goodreads: 3.9/5 (6,000+ ratings) - Amazon: 4.4/5 (300+ reviews) One reader on Goodreads wrote: "Povich brings alive the reality of what professional women faced in the 1960s newsroom." An Amazon reviewer noted: "The book could have been edited down - some anecdotes feel redundant."

The Good Girls Revolt: How the Women of Newsweek Sued Their Bosses and Changed the Workplace (2012) A firsthand account of how 46 young women at Newsweek filed the first female class action lawsuit for workplace discrimination in 1970, leading to significant changes in employment practices across the media industry.

Gloria Steinem Her firsthand accounts of feminist activism and journalism in the 1960s-70s parallel Povich's experiences fighting workplace discrimination. Her work "My Life on the Road" documents similar battles for gender equality in media organizations during that era.

Gail Collins As a journalist who became the first female editorial page editor at The New York Times, she writes extensively about women breaking barriers in journalism. Her book "When Everything Changed" chronicles the same period of workplace revolution that Povich experienced at Newsweek.

Susan Brownmiller She worked as a journalist during the same era as Povich and documented the women's movement from within. Her memoir "In Our Time" covers the parallel fight for equality in newsrooms and media organizations during the 1970s.

Betty Friedan Her work as a journalist and her documentation of women's workplace struggles align closely with Povich's experiences. "The Feminine Mystique" addresses many of the same systemic barriers that Povich and her colleagues fought against at Newsweek.

Nan Robertson As a New York Times reporter who fought gender discrimination in journalism, her experiences mirror Povich's career path. Her book "The Girls in the Balcony" documents similar battles for workplace equality in news organizations during the same period.