Ethel Simpson Explained

Ethel Simpson
Birth Date:2 September 1926
Nationality:Scottish
Known For:being a pioneering woman journalist

Ethel Simpson (2 September 1926 – 12 December 2017) was a pioneering Scottish journalist. She worked to break down gendered barriers within journalism and was one of the first female chief reporters at the Aberdeen Press and Journal.[1]

Early life

Ethel was born in Banff on 2 September 1926 to a farming family.[2] She attended Keithhall Primary School and then Inverurie Academy. After completing a shorthand typing course at Webster's College, she joined the Aberdeen Press and Journal in 1944 at age seventeen.

Career

Ethel then became a Junior Reporter for the Aberdeen Press and Journal in 1945, the first woman to do so.[3] In 1955 and 1956, Ethel spent three months on a 10,000 tour of North Africa, writing about her travels.https://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/fp/news/local/huge-inspiration-and-pioneer-of-women-in-journalism-dies-aged-91/ She worked her way up, eventually becoming the Chief Reporter of the Journal in 1975. Ethel pressed for gender equality in the newsroom, and protested when a female reporter was told to go home and change into a skirt.[4] She retired in 1986.

Personal life

Ethel had a daughter, Emma, and two grandsons. She was a monarchist and a Conservative.

See also

References

  1. Web site: Sharman. David. 'Pioneer' Aberdeen Press & Journal reporter dies aged 91 – Journalism News from HoldtheFrontPage. 30 April 2021. HoldtheFrontPage. en-GB.
  2. Web site: Obituary – Ethel Simpson, doyenne of news reporters who fought for rights of women journalists. 30 April 2021. HeraldScotland. en.
  3. Book: MacDougall, Ian. Voices of Scottish Journalists: Recollections of 22 Scottish Journalists of Their Life and Work. 7 November 2013. Birlinn. 978-0-85790-613-7. en.
  4. Web site: Ferguson. Chris. Ethel Simpson, former reporter and a trailblazer in journalism. 30 April 2021. The Courier. en-GB.