On Jan. 11, The New York Times mentioned a study by communication professor Stacy Smith in an article by Carrie Rickey suggesting that the presence of female directors in Hollywood is gradually increasing.

Rickey praises the rising number of box office movies made by women, arguing that "the storyteller’s gender matters," citing Smith's research on gender inequality in motion pictures.

In looking at the top 100 box office releases between 2007 and 2009, Smith's study found that in films directed by men, 29 percent of characters were female, while in films directed by women, 48 percent were female.

In addition to her study, Smith has begun working on a “research-based initiative” at USC Annenberg that will look at different minority groups within the entertainment industry.