This doesn’t excuse the sexism, I think thought it explains the awkwardness. The national media simply don’t have the etiquette right now to deal with this. It’s like the first time national media had to adjust to the concept of racism (roughly the 1960s…).

The only way such things change is that more women run and the media learn to adjust their language.

FEMALE CEOs LESS COMMMON THAN UFOs
Apparently the glass ceiling is more like a box with no easy way out. When a woman in the workplace is aggressive, she is vilified for acting like a man. But if she is gentle and traditionally feminine, she is considered too soft, according to recent studies by Catalyst. Proof is in the corporate pudding: only 13 Fortune 500 companies—less than 3 percent—are led by women. And this is bad business: As a result of gender bias, companies miss out on who might actually do the best job. Ilene Lang, president of Catalyst, said, “It isn’t women who need to change their leadership style, but organizations that need to mobilize and root out stereotyping.” We agree.

The article they’re referring to is here: http://money.cnn.com/2007/07/17/news/economy/women_work/index.htm?postversion=2007071705

The Chicago Foundation for Women can be found here: http://www.cfw.org/