Newspaper criticized for ‘sexist’ cover photo for story praising local female leaders

Last weekend, The Telegraph, a New Hampshire newspaper, had a Sunday magazine feature that intended to honor 25 extraordinary and inspiring women in and around Nashua. That feature, however, is being overshadowed by The Telegraph’s choice of a cover photo. As WBZ CBS Boston reports, people are calling the image “totally sexist,” and “more than a little tacky.”

The cover show’s only a woman’s legs and her feet in gold-colored stilettos. The Telegraph Executive Editor Phil Kincade says the paper had good intentions. He told WBZ, “Well, the cover shot was an attempt to show a woman climbing the stairway to success…perhaps the shoes were not the most appropriate shoe for that cover.” WBZ reports that since Sunday, people have been complaining on Facebook and Twitter.

When The Telegraph asked for feedback on Facebook , one commenter wrote, “When you honored the top leaders of Nashua, you put a collage of all of THEM on the cover. Why in the world did you decided to highlight legs in sexy shoes? Totally sexist. Embarrassingly so.” On Twitter, similar feelings were being expressed:

WBZ reached out to some of the women who were among the 25 featured. New Hampshire State Senator Peggy Gilmour said that she wasn’t offended, and that she actually loved the shoes, but that, “I don’t think that either the shoes nor the shapeliness of her legs was probably representative of the 25 women that were honored.” Harbor Homes Vice President Carol Furlong said the cover doesn’t bother her and that, “It doesn’t matter whether they’re high heels or flats, sneakers or work boots. The question is what can we accomplish and how can we impact on the community.”

Meanwhile, WBZ reports, “The newspaper says it has no regrets but acknowledges the cover shot might have been a mistake.”

More info: WBZ