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Abstract
Gender is an ever-present variable in work environments, and the field of photojournalism is no exception. Since the emergence of photojournalism as a field, women working in it have had to navigate a field that privileges men. Now, with the digitization of news, media organizations are downsizing or removing their photo departments completely, and freelance work has become the norm for those working in photojournalism. This is now a precarious profession. Photojournalists do not have the safety net of a steady income and they face new difficulties and roadblocks. Guided by feminist theory, this dissertation examines how women in photojournalism are impacted by freelance work. Through in-depth interviews with fourteen female freelance photojournalists, and an analysis of the Photo Bill of Rights, this study aims to understand the nuances around gender and freelance work. I found that women are reconceptualizing the field they work in, including the ethical codes that have historically guided it. I also found that gender can both help and hurt women as they try to gain access to the field. And, overwhelmingly, women are still asking for respect at work.