Frequently Asked Questions

We are looking to add additional mentors to the site. If you are a woman or non-binary person working in media and have mentored colleagues or peers in the past, please fill out this form to be considered.

Please check back later for available sessions. Mentoring calls are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Due to the demand of this free service, many of the sessions are booked months in advance. Depending on the mentor's calendar, you might be able to schedule sessions up to 90 days out. Sessions open up when someone cancels, and new slots drop on the calendar over time. 

New mentors are also added to the site periodically, so keep checking! We appreciate your patience.

Technically yes, but please refrain from booking multiple mentoring sessions at once. Since many others are also trying to book one-on-one time, we want as many women as possible to benefit from this experience!
You are, however, encouraged to book calls with different mentors later on. Our mentors can offer advice on a variety of topics that will come in handy during different times and scenarios.

If you're unable to make your coaching session, please be respectful of your mentor’s time and give her a heads up as far in advance as possible. All of the mentors are volunteers and are blocking off their valuable time for these calls. Plus, another journalist trying to schedule one-on-one time would appreciate that slot! 

If you missed a session due to unforeseen circumstances, consider sending a note to your mentor to let her know what happened. We get it. Life happens. But courtesy is important (and good for your career).

We use an inclusive definition of “women.” This resource is available for cis women, trans women, genderqueer, and non-binary people.

Yes! There are several bilingual and international journalists involved in this project, a group which will continue to grow. You can search for mentors by language spoken.

In keeping with DWL’s beginnings, many of the mentors are graduates of either Poynter’s Leadership Academy for Women in Media or ONA’s Women’s Leadership Accelerator, two highly competitive and transformational programs designed to give women leadership skills to help them rise in their journalism careers. Additionally, other mentors are leaders in the field who have demonstrated past experience in mentoring or coaching colleagues or industry peers. ONA evaluates all new interested mentors before adding them to the site and provides mentees avenues to offer feedback on their mentoring experiences.

Digital Women Leaders is run by the Online News Association. It was founded by freelance journalist Katie Hawkins-Gaar in 2018.

Thank you for asking! You can assist this project in a few different ways:

• Spread the word to other women you think would benefit from mentorship.
• If you had a good coaching session, share your experience in a testimonial.
• Donate to support the costs of this project, including website hosting and maintenance, plus future site improvements. 

Please do! We’ve put together some step-by-step instructions and tips to assist you. 

We’re listening! Please submit your questions, feedback, or other brilliant ideas.