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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsConnie Chung says she met sexism in television news with bravado and deliberately bawdy humor—but describes that approach as a personal survival tactic, not a solution or advice for other women. Her account also reaches beyond the remarks themselves: she has spoken about gendered story assignments, racism, and the distance still left to travel.
How Chung says she responded to a male-dominated newsroom
Chung places the beginning of this story in 1971, when she was working in CBS News’s Washington bureau. She described the office as “a sea of men” and recalled deciding, “Well, heck, I’m gonna be a guy, too.” As she told CBS News, she adopted what she saw as the men’s characteristics: “I had bravado; I would walk into a room as if I owned it!” CBS News, September 15, 2024
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She has also recalled earning a bawdy reputation by saying unexpected things to men she regarded as sexist and racist. In the CBS interview, she called the remarks part of her way of surviving what she described as a “snake pit,” while adding: “The bad words? Not good. I don’t recommend that to anyone.”
Why she called the tactic a survival strategy, not advice
In a separate interview with Publishers Weekly, Chung described her “modus operandi” as getting a sexist or racist colleague before he got her. She called it “a silly game” and said, “I do not advise it. It was just something I did to survive.” Publishers Weekly, July 29, 2024
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That distinction matters. Chung was describing how she tried to navigate an imbalance of power in her own workplace—not claiming that jokes changed the newsroom or that other women should have to respond the same way. Her account is about adapting to conditions she faced, not endorsing those conditions.
Sexism also shaped the work she was assigned
Chung’s reflections are not limited to how she spoke to colleagues. The Associated Press reported that she often received assignments treated as “women’s stories,” including celebrity profiles and tabloid subjects, even though she wanted to cover hard news. The Associated Press, 2024
In that profile, Chung said women and minorities should recognize that circumstances have changed, while stressing that progress remains incomplete. “The sexism still exists,” she said, also pointing to racism against Asians. She described the persistence of both as disturbing.
Career context: from the Washington bureau to co-anchor
Chung’s 1971 account precedes a career that placed her in one of network television’s most visible roles. The Associated Press reports that she became Dan Rather’s co-anchor on CBS Evening News in 1993 and that the partnership lasted two years. That later appointment is part of her career context, but it does not erase the earlier experiences or the limits she has described.
A separate recollection about being discouraged
In a 2025 NJ PBS interview, Chung recalled that Jim Snyder told her she would never work in the business after hearing a college radio newscast. The transcript presents this as an episode of career discouragement; it does not establish that the comment was the specific sexist remark referenced in the headline. NJ PBS, February 8, 2025
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where to read more of Chung’s account
Chung recounts her life and career in Connie: A Memoir. CBS News lists hardcover, eBook, and audio editions and links to retailers. See the memoir information in CBS News’s interview.
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