Key gender fact
- Only 21% of all news subjects (people interviewed or whom the news is about) are female
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- Zellweger plays woman desperately seeking husband
- Annie Lennox keen to keep her artist's edge
- Penelope Cruz wins first Oscar for Spanish ac
- Fans stunned by Rihanna-Chris Brown reconciliation
- Leibovitz takes favorite celebrity shots to Berlin
- Dolce & Gabbana bow to criticism and pull ad
- Black actresses make their mark in Oscar race
- News on a Petition for Equal representation of women in TV/Film drama
- The Accidental Anthologist: Reluctant expat from Berkeley writer finds her feminist voice in Istanbul with a literary harem
- Media not noticing rise in women bloggers
- Oprah Winfrey one of most generous stars
- Add article
Portrayal of women in the media
Women appear less on TV as spokespersons than their male counterparts. Women are also less likely to make repeat appearances on programs and tended to appear in later segments of programs. Female characters in film and television tend to be younger than males, and this also occurs in relation to news readers.
The number of women in daily newsrooms is around a third of men. Minority women account for less than a fifth of these women. Men still dominate as managers in the media sector, and are usually around 60% of all copy editors, 60% of reporters and 72% of photographers. Only 5% of the 70 or so television stations in the US are owned by women.
Women continue to be significantly underrepresented on television and in the movies. There is wide belief that age is a barrier to opportunities for women actors. Women over 40 years of age are usually cast in only 11% percent of roles while men over 40 secure around 25% percent of roles cast.
While women have been the majority of university journalism majors since the 19070's, a ratio of around 3 to1 male to female bylines is seen.
Women fare somewhat better in pursuing communication jobs. Female journalism and mass communication graduates are more likely to find full-time employment than their male classmates, and have done so since the mid 1980's.
And when it coes ot the most senior levels of management in the media sector, if women’s lack of newsroom parity seems jarring then the situation is even more bleak in media’s executive suites and boardrooms. Access to professional opportunities is itself an important equal rights issue. But when women are denied power as media leaders, there is even more at stake. Some media companies and their various areas are more female-friendly than others so it is critical that women really do their homework on prospective employers.
Almost 15 minutes of every hour of commercial television is adverts and it's almost entirely a view of the world as seen and portrayed by men.
Whoever controls assignments, whoever decides how a story is going to be covered, whoever decides what placement that story gets in a newspaper or over the airwaves, is not only shaping the content of news, but is deciding what readers and listeners know and how they know it. Media leaders are not just industry leaders, they have the power to shape society’s attitudes.
Media content will never be reflective of the communities it serves unless the gender and racial composition of newsrooms, executive suites and boardrooms reflect that of the public. Women are half of the population but they are only a blip on the radar in upper echelons of media companies where news priorities are set. Ensuring women are accessing decision-making jobs in media is not just a question of equity but it is a question of democracy. What's your opinion?
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We're just as enthusiastic about retaining this talent. So we have in place many initiatives that aim to do just that, including innovative development programmes. After all, it's our people that make Sky what it is and, as a business, we know that we are only as good as the people who work with us. So we believe in investing in our employees to help them perform at their best and reach their full potential.
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This article has 11 responses.
1. Jana Harmon from Canada wrote:
I know that in the rise to recognize women and men as equal entities, this brings greater acceptance and r4ecognition of balance, and this is essential for democracy. Leadership should be all about the benefit to all. Unfortunately the media more often cover negative subjects regarding women, war and so forth as that makes news. As a women in the acting and performing arts arena, I would like to see women addressed more positively in the media. More women should certainly be involved in what constitutes news and the decisions about media coverage.
2. Jean Rogers Actress Vice President Equity (UK) from UK wrote:
LET'S CHANGE THINGS AND HAVE EQUAL REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN IN TV and FILM. Over 3000 people have now signed a petition, calling for urgent action by the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 to address the imbalance. Over half the viewing public is female, yet in TV drama for every female character, there are two male characters (35.3% female roles to 63.5% male roles). Whilst leading parts are frequently played by male actors over 45, women in this age group start to disappear from our screens. The message this sends to viewers is distorted and distorting. We call on all the major UK television channels to take action to correct this imbalance. Please sign the Petition at www.gopetition.com/online/24658.html
3. Rachel Maclean from Canada wrote:
As a woman who is part of the media, I would like to reiterate the fact that women are under represented in today's newsrooms, but at my university the journalism program was overwhelmingly female. I very much find that men hold the positions of power in media as they are the ones that have worked up the ladder in a industry that has been very male dominated. But one anecdote of hope is at my current office all the reporters are women, as well as all of our advertising staff. So we are coming! Watch out.
4. Pauline Moran (Equity Gender Steering Group) from United Kingdom wrote:
Have you ever seen a female newsreader with silver hair? In men this is a sign of gravitas, in women it is a sign she is past her sell-by date. We need the Equity petition for Equal Representation of Women in Film & TV drama. Gender imbalance affects society at all levels and forms negative attitudes in the young. The absence of the older actress on our screens creates a vast underclass of invisible women - and what is seen on TV becomes the accepted norm. We must support this petition and confront the programme commissioners and advertisers. Half the UK population is female and 44% of them are over 45 - the expanding audience is the 60+ baby boomer with leisure and disposable income and they want to see realistic representation of their lives - including women of their own age! Research funded by Equity & FIA shows women work less, earn less and have shorter careers - see the link to the report at www.equity.org.uk and sign the petition at www.gopetition.com/online/24658.html
5. Kate Buffery from UK wrote:
We need the full potential of society to be realised if we're going to be able to sort out the problems the world is facing. And we need specific action to ensure that what the female 50% of society can contribute is allowed to be part of the equation. Let's all do whatever we can, whenever we can - until genuine equality is attained.
6. Daniel from Kenya wrote:
The fact is that the women are nowhere near the tail. In fact they are doing better in performance. They are able to capture the mood of the listener. Female actors cam make you really cry. You don't just find any male acting poignantly. The women are soon overtaking men.
7. Peggy O'Neill from Canada wrote:
I absolutely agree with the points made in this article. I was astounded to return to Canada in September 2008 and find how few women were represented on programmes discussing economics, politics, education, health and the environment in the Canadian media, especially disappointed by CBC which channel I've always heralded and supported. Women in my family and surrounding community still defer to men on almost any topic. Such a pity and such a loss to our society but especially to our young women who still don't see many women represented whom they can aspire to and take as role models. Women still have to be pretty exceptional in order to be highlighted. The situation HAS got better since I was a teen (40 years ago) but I was still shocked to see the lack of female role models in much of what the media covers and in interviewing the 'experts'. We still have a long way to go.
8. Mercedes from France wrote:
There seemed to be more women on TV when TV first began. And they had grey hair. If women accepted being older and stopped buying into cutting themselves up trying to be young, then older women would be taken seriously as elders. It was interesting seeing an article in this week's newspapers on someone going grey as an experiment.
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9. Inderjit Kaur from India wrote:
Yes, the coming time will be of women. They play a great role in family, state, country and can do much better if given proper place, equality. In muslim countries, there are many restrictions. In other all countries, women are in progress. They are doing 25% business in world, but in India also, topic of 33% seats in parliament is still pending issue. Though women work harder than men, they are still paid less in rural and urban areas. They are still treated as weaker. Daily,they are raped, burnt for dowery. But still they are getting success in eduction, science, politics, media, medical and in armies. You are all women of the universe, future days of you. You know the importance of yourself. No one can stop you. Just have faith in yourself, and do the right thing.
10. Crystal Gaulton from Canada wrote:
I have never heard of International Women's Day until today. And, I'm really happy I've heard of it. It makes me feel great. Anyway, I would like to say that media every girl on TV looks flawless, young and thin. And me, being a 15 year old young woman, feels very pressured to look like them. I feel that the media conveys a bad message about women. Also, the singers and actresses wear clothing that shows off most of their skin. While the men, are all fully clothed not baring any skin at all. This shows that to get anywhere in the show business, you must be attractive and bare some skin. That's not right at all, I would never do that. It just makes me believe that if i don't look attractive, I have nothing better to give to the world. But, I am not accepting that and I want to make a change. The media just makes me so mad sometimes.
11. Afia Drah from Ghana wrote:
I work in a male dominated environment as a TV producer/ director. It gets very difficult sometimes because they are looking for a kind of respect from me. They see me as a lady who took over a guys job.
International Women's Day is always in my calender because I remember a friend of mine (a man) wrote me a letter and told me about IWD 8 years ago!