Increasingly sophisticated cybersecurity attacks pose a danger to our nation, our community, and our personal privacy. Protecting ourselves from cyber threats will require the brightest minds from the next generation  — yet women are starkly underrepresented in cybersecurity and other STEM fields. One powerful lever for change  — media. The stories we tell on screen shape our aspirations, career choices and ideas of who belongs in tech.  

Craig Newmark, founder of craigslist and Craig Newmark Philanthropies, is a steadfast advocate for cybersecurity, women in technology, trustworthy journalism, and efforts to counter online harassment and disinformation. He has partnered for years with the Geena Davis Institute (GDI) on equitable representation in media. Their latest collaboration  — a virtual event titled, “Transforming Media Narratives in Cybersecurity and Tech”  — explores how reshaping on-screen portrayals of tech can help build a stronger cybersecurity workforce and inspire more women to pursue STEM. It builds on Craig’s long-time commitment to visibility in this space, including PauseTake9.org — a public service campaign he created with top cybersecurity organizations to encourage safer online practices and greater public awareness of the cyber vulnerabilities of the country’s infrastructure. 

The virtual event featured a panel of experts who discussed how media can inspire, educate, and empower the next generation, while addressing biases and fostering equitable representation in media.

Dr. Betsy Cooper, Director of the Aspen Policy Academy, Aspen Policy Institute, provided the keynote address and panelists included Jenny Lumet, award-winning screenwriter and producer, whose resume includes several credits from the “Star Trek” franchise; Marcela Escobar Alava, head of Agile Infrastructure Capabilities for Sony;  Dr. Meredith Conroy, the Vice President for Research and Insights for the Geena Davis Institute; Dr. Larissa Terán Director of Media Research for the Geena Davis Institute presented ideas for how to take action, following the panel.

With the shared belief that media can break stereotypes and change perceptions of the real world overnight, Craig and Geena emphasized the importance of showing women and young girls that cybersecurity offers new avenues for STEM education and careers.

Madeline Di Nonno, President & CEO of GDI, shared the Institute’s latest research findings from: “Portray Her 2.0: An Analysis of 15 years of Women in STEM on-Screen 2007-2022.” The report revealed a stark underrepresentation of women working in computer programming or computer science (15%) and none were shown working in AI or Cybersecurity.

Madeline moderated the panel and asked panelists to share their thoughts about how cybersecurity is shaping the media landscape and creating new opportunities for women in STEM.

Following are the KEY TAKEAWAYS, supported by our panelists, and edited for brevity.

Kicking off the event, Geena Davis underscored the stakes of invisibility in tech portrayals and the critical role of storytelling shaping future careers

Geena Davis
Founder and Chair, Geena Davis Institute: 

  • Women in tech roles remain significantly underrepresented on screen. And when they are shown, they’re often sidelined, stereotyped or missing entirely from leadership and innovation narratives. 
  • If young girls don’t see women working in cyber and coding, leading in AI or defending our digital future, they may never imagine themselves doing it either. 
  • By collaborating with content creators, tech leaders, and advocates we can craft stories that reflect the real diversity, brilliance and drive of women in tech and inspire the next generation to follow in their footsteps.

Craig Newmark
Founder, Craigslist and Craig Newmark Philanthropies

  • What the Institute brings is a mission, where everyone can see everyone else doing the job in technology in a way that’s fair to everyone. 
  • The theme is that if you can see someone doing it, then maybe you can do it.
  • And I’ve seen that happening for people of every sort since GDI was founded. We all need to fight for fairness. And we need to do that while we’re fighting for the country.
Transforming the Face of Tech

Women are 23% of the global cybersecurity workforce. Betsy Cooper, Founding Director of the Aspen Policy Academy, addressed this vital issue in her keynote address.

Betsy Cooper poses with a smile in front of a blurred backdrop

Dr. Betsy Cooper
Director, Aspen Policy Academy, Aspen Policy Institute

How do we fix this problem? Well, the usual answer is to get more people  education and training to help them take on cybersecurity and tech roles. But the pipeline is a problem, too. Only 21% of computer science majors are women. So, what can we do to bring this vision of cybersecurity and tech to life? 

Four Ways to Change the Narrative in Tech and Cyber:

  • Help women see themselves in this work
    “The on-screen numbers for cybersecurity and related roles are abysmal. For women to see themselves in science and technology roles, they need to see other women playing these roles.”
  • Give mentorship at an early age
    “Programs like Girls Who Code and Coding It Forward help connect those who are new to computer science and cybersecurity with existing mentors who have gone before, making sure that each generation is stronger than the next.”
  • Get loud about cybersecurity and tech
    “If more people know about the need for strong cybersecurity, they will better help protect themselves and our country. And they will also be potentially inspired to work on it for a career.”
  • Give women the tools they need to advocate for change.
    “We need to remove the systemic barriers that are keeping people from taking strong cybersecurity action themselves and from going into cybersecurity and technology as a field.”

On Recruitment and Retention in STEM

In response to a question from moderator Madeline Di Nonno about how to attract and retain women in cybersecurity, Marcela shared her personal hiring experience and why inclusive practices must be intentional.

Marcela Escobar Alava
Head of Agile Infrastructure, Sony

Marcela Escobar-Alava smiling in a professional headshot, wearing a dark blouse with straight, dark hair against a light background
  • I’m currently building up the team here in Mexico, and during the hiring process  the recruiter kept saying, “he.” As in,“What does he have to have in terms of skill sets? … What can he do?” And I said, “he or she, right?” 
  • When reviewing  candidates, make sure that you call people on language and ask for an equal representation of a diverse slate. Be intentional. Otherwise, the default is almost always male.
  • There are highly qualified women in tech and cyber. You just have to demand better outreach from HR and align with organizations like the Grace Hopper Celebration and STEM Advantage.

Rethinking Portrayals of Women in STEM

Dr. Terán shared concrete recommendations from the GDI Women in STEM toolkit to help storytellers rethink which careers  — and which characters  — they spotlight.

Dr. Larissa Terán – Director of Media Research at the Geena Davis Institute, smiling

Dr. Larissa Terán,
Director of Media Research, GDI 

  • There are certain careers where women are missing in television and film. We recommend going beyond doctors and considering other careers, like computer scientists, mechanical engineers, robotics, engineers, coders, hackers and astronauts. 
  • Think about which STEM role models you’re featuring or referencing in your content and make an intentional effort to highlight women.

Reason for Hope

The brilliant tech mind behind the next big cybersecurity breakthrough could be enrolling in her first science class right now. But the industry and the media must play a role in keeping the pathways open.

Jenny Lumet
Executive Producer and Screenwriter, “Star Trek” Franchise:

Jenny Lumet smiling, with long wavy light brown hair, wearing a black top and gold earrings, standing in front of a softly lit teal and glass background.
  • All of these characters are allowed to fall on their face – which is what science is. You fail a thousand times. And then at 1,001, you go, ‘Oh, OK, there you go.’
  • No one is a prodigy in “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.” Everyone is finding their way through. Some who enter one lane, find that they’re called completely to another lane. All lanes are open. Who you are is not necessarily who you’re going to be. 

Eradicating Stereotypes

Dr. Meredith Conroy
Vice-President Research & Insights, GDI

On stereotypes to eliminate:

Headshot of Dr. Meredith Conroy, Vice President of Research and Insights at the Geena Davis Institute and political scientist.
  • Both start with an ‘i,’ so it’s easy to remember. One is that STEM requires innate talent and the other is that it’s isolating.
  • The idea that STEM or tech skills are innate — that you’re simply born with a “tech brain” or natural genius — can be especially harmful to girls and young women. According to a LEGO-sponsored survey performed by the Geena Davis Institute, girls are more likely than boys to feel they must be perfect from the beginning. When media portrays STEM success as effortless or the domain of the gifted few, it discourages girls from pursuing those paths. In reality, science is built on persistence, experimentation, and yes — failure. We need more portrayals that show learning curves, trial and error, and the growth that comes from struggle. Brilliance doesn’t have to be born — it can be built.
  • The other myth is that STEM is isolating. Young women and girls are often drawn to careers that center collaboration, teamwork, and community. And while the “lone tech genius” trope may still appear on screen, the real world of STEM isn’t nearly so solitary. Even coders working alone are often engaged in digital communities — troubleshooting on message boards, contributing to open-source projects, or building in collaborative dev environments. These careers are far more social than they’re portrayed to be. When we shift those portrayals, we open the door to those who value connection and contribution.

On effective portrayals:

  • Characters like Penelope from Criminal Minds and Abby from NCIS are beloved because they’re smart, nuanced, funny — and essential.
  • Subverting gendered tropes isn’t just powerful — it’s fun. When creators flip the script, audiences laugh not just at the character, but at how outdated that old formula was.

Cybersecurity is a defining issue of our time  — one that demands diverse voices and inclusive storytelling. We are deeply grateful to Craig Newmark for his continued partnership and vision. He is helping to transform not just how we protect our digital lives  — but who we imagine can lead the work. Together we can shift what the future looks like  — on screen and in real life.

Cybersecurity is a defining issue of our time  — one that demands diverse voices and inclusive storytelling. We are deeply grateful to Craig Newmark for his continued partnership and vision. He is helping to transform not just how we protect our digital lives  — but who we imagine can lead the work. Together we can shift what the future looks like  — on screen and in real life.

Take Action!

  • Content Creators:  Use GDI’s free research toolkits to deepen your portrayals of women in STEM. Flip the script. Subvert a trope. Write the next Abby or Penelope.
  • Tech Leaders and Educators:  Commit to intentional hiring and mentorship. Share our reports with your teams. Recruit where talent is  — and make space for who’s next.
  • Everyone: Watch the full event and share it widely. Visit PauseTake9.org to learn how you can help protect our digital spaces. And support organizations like Girls Who Code and the Aspen Institute working every day to widen the pipeline.