news-hen

A news-hen interviews a city mayor in the park.

Definition

Noun:
- Female journalist: "news-hen" is an informal, somewhat dated term for a woman who works as a reporter or journalist, especially one covering news stories.

Usage Examples

Noun:
- She was a dedicated news-hen, always the first to arrive at a breaking story. (A female journalist who was very committed.)
- The newspaper hired several news-hens to diversify its reporting team. (Female reporters were brought on staff.)

Advanced Usage

Historical context: The term was more common in the mid-20th century, often used humorously or colloquially to refer to women in journalism, a field then dominated by men.
- In the 1950s, a news-hen faced many challenges in a male-dominated newsroom. (A female journalist encountered obstacles.)
Potential offensiveness: While not necessarily derogatory, "news-hen" can be seen as patronizing or diminishing by modern standards, as it uses a diminutive ("hen") to describe a professional role.
- Calling her a news-hen might be considered outdated and sexist today. (Using this term could be seen as disrespectful.)

Variants and Related Words

Newsman (n): a male journalist or reporter.
- The newsman interviewed the mayor after the press conference. (A male journalist.)
Newswoman (n): a female journalist or reporter (more neutral and modern).
- The newswoman filed her report from the scene of the accident. (A female journalist.)
Newshen (n): a variant spelling of "news-hen," with the same meaning.

Synonyms

Reporter: a person who gathers and reports news.
Journalist: a person who writes for newspapers or magazines or prepares news for broadcast.
Correspondent: a journalist who reports from a specific location or on a particular subject.

Related Idioms

News hen: not a common idiom, but the word "hen" in other contexts can imply a female animal, as in "hen party" (a gathering of women). No direct idiom exists for "news-hen."

Phrasal Verbs