Part 10/14:

A recurring theme in discussions about female journalists is the perception of agency and maturity. Some critics argue that portrayals often infantilize women, attributing to them a lack of decision-making capacity—calling them "children" or "sick" if they engage in ethically questionable conduct, especially when relationships with sources or subjects are involved.

A recent tweet highlighted this perspective, claiming that a woman like RFK Jr., a septuagenarian, engaging in flirtatious or sexual communication with a young female reporter, diminishes her agency. The tweet implied that at 30, women are not fully capable of rational decision-making, a viewpoint widely criticized for being patronizing and dismissive of adult women’s autonomy.