Celebrating women in media: Nona Walia on Jyoti Malhotra’s historic role

As Women's Day 2025 nears, renowned journalist Nona Walia celebrates Jyoti Malhotra’s remarkable achievement as she becomes the first woman editor of The Tribune in its 144-year history

by e4m Staff
Published: Mar 3, 2025 6:08 PM | 3 min read

As Women's Day 2025 nears, renowned journalist Nona Walia as she becomes the first woman editor of The Tribune in its 144-year history. A seasoned journalist known for her fearless reporting and insightful political analysis, Malhotra’s appointment marks a defining moment for gender representation in Indian media. Her leadership is expected to bring a dynamic and progressive vision while maintaining the newspaper’s rich legacy of independent journalism.

Walia describes Malhotra’s journey as one of perseverance and excellence. She stands as an inspiration for aspiring women journalists, proving that dedication and talent can break longstanding barriers and create a more inclusive media landscape.

Jyoti Malhotra has experience working in both print and television, for newspapers in India and abroad. She has anchored many news and current affairs TV shows and has been writing news columns for newspapers/magazines worldwide.

In a LinkedIn post, Nona Walia writes:

Jyoti Malhotra: Tribune’s First Women Editor in 144 years

As we start the Women’s Day week,

I wonder why we need a Women’s Day in 2025.

Then I look my profession and I try to think of one woman who is on top who is an inspiration.

Jyoti Malhotra, the formidable editor-in-chief of Tribune, is the first Women Editor of this 143 old newspaper. For a woman journalist to make a cut through Tribune would have been difficult. There’s an old-school cult of journalism that exists there. The male bastion is strong in Tribune, to accept a woman editor in chief from outside was difficult.

Being a woman editor in a male-dominated newsroom is challenging. Jyoti Malhotra is having to deal with her fair share of leadership challenges. Delhi newspapers are still gender inclusive than Punjab based newspapers.

I’ve seen Jyoti Malhotra at IWPC many times, she’s a focused journalist. There are still many glass ceilings for women that need to be broken.

There are stereotypes and conversations around women leadership that need to change.

Newspapers are the change makers of social change, they report on gender inequality. But within newspaper organisations, leadership is a hugely male dominated terrain. Women voices in newsrooms though strong are still less in main meetings where the core leadership meets.

There are mindsets that need serious shifting.

That’s the reason this Women’s Day Week, Jyoti stands as the most powerful women editor in the industry—a true role model for aspiring journalists everywhere.

Her trailblazing journey has paved the way for a more inclusive leadership.

Jyoti Malhotra will certainly be making history in newspaper world for breaking into an editor’s role that was ruled by men till now in Tribune.