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]
Ethel Simpson | |
|---|---|
 Photo of Ethel Simpson | |
| Born | 2 September 1926 |
| Died | 12 December 2017 (aged 91) |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Known for | being a pioneering woman journalist |
Early life
editEthel 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.[2]
Career
editEthel 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.[1] She worked her way up, eventually becoming the Chief Reporter of the Journal in 1975.[1] 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.[4]
Personal life
editEthel had a daughter, Emma, and two grandsons. She was a monarchist and a Conservative.[2]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Sharman, David. "'Pioneer' Aberdeen Press & Journal reporter dies aged 91 – Journalism News from HoldtheFrontPage". HoldtheFrontPage. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
- ^ a b c "Obituary – Ethel Simpson, doyenne of news reporters who fought for rights of women journalists". HeraldScotland. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
- ^ MacDougall, Ian (7 November 2013). Voices of Scottish Journalists: Recollections of 22 Scottish Journalists of Their Life and Work. Birlinn. ISBN 978-0-85790-613-7.
- ^ a b Ferguson, Chris. "Ethel Simpson, former reporter and a trailblazer in journalism". The Courier. Retrieved 30 April 2021.