While Paxson was working at the "Bulletin," she took a five-week leave of absence to edit "Xilonen", the daily newspaper of the 1975 United Nations World Conference for International Women's Year in Mexico City, hiring a staff of six as reporters. At "Xilonen," she edited the work of influential writers such as Germain Greer. Paxson later called it the most important thing she had ever done; it earned her a Headliner Award from the AWC. When she returned to work, she wrote a four-part series about the conference which ran in multiple newspapers across the country but not in the "Bulletin." Paxson viewed this as the writing on the wall and started a job search. She reached out to Neuharth, then the head of Gannett, who had increased the company's focus on promoting women and minorities. He brought her to their headquarters in Rochester for interviews. While waiting for an opening she became frustrated with the deteriorating situation at the "Bulletin" and in 1976 quit; her ending salary was $22,000. Paxson then joined Jurney and Jill Ruckelshaus to work on the official report of the third Commission on the Status of Women.