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There are more female news subjects in stories reported by female journalists (25%) than in stories reported by male journalists (20%).
Irrespective of who reports the news, however, the fundamental question is: why do so few women make the news at all - and what can be done to change that?
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Very little news - just 10% of all stories - focuses specifically on women. North America stands apart from the other regions: here women are central to the news in 20% of stories (23% in Canada, 19% in the USA). But even in this region only one story in five focuses on women - still a very small proportion of the total;
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Women are rarely central in stories that comprise the bulk of the news agenda - politics (8%), the economy (3%). Even in topics where the percentage of female news subjects is relatively high - education, child-care, consumer issues, HIV-AIDS - women seldom feature centrally. Apart from crime and violence, where women are central in 16% of items, women are central in stories that are at the periphery of the news;
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News stories are twice as likely to reinforce (6%) as to challenge (3%) gender stereotypes. Three topics contribute greatly to the reinforcement of gender stereotypes in the news: celebrity news (16% of which reinforces stereotypes), sports (12%) and arts and entertainment stories (11%);
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News on gender (in)equality is almost non-existent. Only 4% of stories highlight equality issues, and they are concentrated in areas such as human rights, family relations, or women's activism - topics which are barely visible in the overall output. Stories with a gender equality angle are almost completely absent from the major news topics of politics (3%) and the economy (1%);
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Women journalists report proportionately more stories on gender equality than men do. Female journalists report 37% of all news stories. However, almost half (47%) of the stories that challenge stereotypes, and of the stories that highlight issues of gender (in)equality, are reported by women. But male reporters also have a responsibility to produce stories that challenge stereotypes and highlight (in)equality - and they do. In 2005 men reported 53% of such stories. This is something to be welcomed and encouraged, because both female and male journalists must be concerned if the news is to become more gender balanced in the future.
With so few women central to the news - particularly in stories that dominate the news agenda - news content reflects male priorities and perspectives. The absence of a gender angle in stories in the 'hard' news topics reflects a blinkered approach to the definition of news and newsworthiness.
JOURNALISTIC PRACTICE
A small ray of light comes from the fact that male journalists do write stories on gender (in)equality. It is important that this should not be perceived as a 'femaleonly zone' in journalism, because the development of a more gender sensitive approach to news selection and production requires the commitment of all editorial staff - both female and male.
Gender portrayal in the news is the result of many aspects of journalistic practice. From the story angle and the choice of interview questions, to the use of language and the choice of images - all these have a bearing on the messages that emerge
MEDIA MATTERS SECTION 1: Why Media Matters: Global Perspectives
NEWS CONTENT
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