The Image of Women in News - Research Paper Example

?The Image of Women in News Unit Introduction- Question A The role of women and their history in newspaper and media includes a consideration of women’s representation in the media. Women are represented in several ways in Newspaper, for example, they are represented as successful business persons, prostitutes, musicians or celebrities, and journalists among other professions. All these representation is done with a focus of portraying women as professions in the media. Additionally, women history as journalists and in newspaper interacts in such a way that newspaper forms and perceives women. However, the media does not only shape or portray businesswomen in media industry, but tries to portray them in several other ways (Women Institute for Freedom of the Press, 1997,Pg 21). There are many existing newspapers and studies that portray women and how such portrays perceive or shape them in public in addition to practices and newspapers. This paper seeks to explain the image of women in media, most specifically in Los Angeles Times, Nov 29, 2011 5.40 PST.Retrieved from: http://www.latimes.com/. It is important to audit and review the representation of women in newspaper, as there is still hope of women being represented and encouraged to enter into the business field, and not only to advertisements and show off their bodies like what the media had portrayed them as earlier on. Question B In Los Angeles Times, Nov 29, 2011, The number of women who appears in new picture in four sections is; News( the front section) is 4,in Sports 3,Business, 4, In lifestyle (Calendar, Arts, Home)11.The number of men in news photo is 14, while the total number of people in news photos is 36. Question C Both men and women play a large role in new stories. Rakow and Kranich article Pg 1, reveals that 21 percent in news media are women, while the remaining 79% are women. After 20 years of transition, women are still underrepresented in the media or news content. To add to this, there are only 25% of women who are newsmakers and it will take some more years to achieve gender equivalence in matters to do with newspaper representation and reporting, (Synder, 2005, Pg 12-14). Newspapers are still trying to diversify their general content, from their sources, readers, story ideas, the bottom point being to attempt to include women as much as possible. Women Institute for Freedom of the Press (1997, Pg 21) also writes that newspapers have come up with a strategy of writing articles and ideas which reflect issues of women narrowly. This issue has become an umbrella that is ambiguous under a category of themes and stories which are gathered. Some of the roles men and women play in news stories are, to start with, readers, journalists, advertise, sports and entertainment news. This can be well explained by Rakow and Kranich article on “Woman as sign in Television News”. They write that women appears as subjects and sources in news, where they represent them as feminist voices and role that are ritualized in the mainstream which are designees of females that are homogenous. Women as signs Chart Woman signs categories Men in My Research (14) Women in research (22) Private individuals 20% 10% Authorities 22% 8% Celebrities 8% 20% Political activists 30 % 22% Unidentifiable 10% 30% Feminists 10% 10% In category 1, Women are represented in media as relatives or mothers. Ecompanion states that 32% of women and 24% are represented in this category. If a woman speaks in news, she does so as mother, sister, wife, consumer, neighbor, and a housewife. They speak as witnesses and passive reactors instead of participants in public events. This comprises of 30 %. In this category, men are represented by women, because women speak for them as wives, as mothers or sisters. Men represent a 10% of this unidentifiable category. In category 2, women as sources will carry on instead of creating meaning of the stories they appear in. They are used to demonstrate the private consequences of public actions and events. Such women cannot be referred to as sources, but as specimens, where they make a connection between the private family and home. They also connect the public in a world of authority, policy and politics. They are seen to support one side of politics in terms of interpreting it. (22%). Men dominate in this category, by 30% because generally, men take over the authority when it comes to leadership and politics. In the third category, women defend and endorse positions of an institution or organization that they represent where they will speak for themselves or behalf of others. (10%) In this category they are referred as feminists, where they are seen to be dissatisfied by their status quo. Most of the men in this sector are seen to make women feel inferior and do not value their roles in the society. In the fourth category, women as sign are seen to challenge their status quo, by talking about gender related issues in the open and challenging those men who are seen to discriminate against women in the society. (10%). There are a small percentage of men in this sector because men who discriminate over women will not want to appear in the media as specific individuals who are after putting the women to their place. From “Woman as Sign in Television News” article, there is an example of a woman performing the role of a feminist, where women resent the media coverage that they receive in United States. This falls under the third category where women are talking on behalf of others, where they are referred to as feminist. However, in Los Angeles Times, Nov 29, 2011, there are no women found to play roles in authority. Question D There is an overall level of intelligence, authority, expertise and ability of women in the news. In newspaper women are not only demonstrated by texts, but photographs as well. Most women seem to involve themselves into entertainment, real-life dramas, fashion, lifestyle, food sections, weddings, and recipes in order to get into the news. There are those pages in the newspaper that are portrayed as women’s pages, a tradition which can be traced from 1890’s. In women’s pages, it is all about fashion, food, furnishings and family (Women Institute for Freedom of the Press 21). Newspaper develop special pages or sections for women, not forgetting pages that deal with society, and covered with recipes, tips, weddings, women’s health and beauty pages. However, there is a level of expertise that women demonstrate, other than fashion, food sections, weddings and recipes. For example, they have the ability to tell or write stories that are emotive, tell anecdotes and character sketches in terms of human stories. They will report stories in women’s pages as well as men health issues. Women have also demonstrated a level of authority when they become feminist and take over leadership and politics. They are seen to defend and endorse positions of their organizations that they represent and speak on behalf of others or themselves. For example, in Los Angeles Times, Nov 29, 2011 there are stories where women are seen to defend themselves as well as file for divorce from their abusive marriages. This shows that, the women have not let their men make them feel inferior or discriminate them in any way. However, the overall level of expertise, ability, authority, and intelligence that is displayed by men in news is authoritative where men seem to dominate women in the society. They believe that women place is in the kitchen and therefore tries to put them in their place by lowering their status quo in the society. Men are valued for activities that involve strength like sports, where media gives them much attention as well as covering hard stories that women cannot do. For example, in media industry, men are sent to cover stories in wars as well as in hardship environment (Synder, 2005, 12-14). The media has therefore; marginalized women pages in terms of creating special areas and sections that editors of the newspapers believe they are only meant for women, as well as advertisers believe that women are only meant to advertise. In, Los Angeles Times there is a special column that is obviously meant for women, as well as written by women journalists. For example, fashion and recipes that woman will be obviously interested on. The newspaper assumes that women are not interested in real or hard news, and are not capable or qualified to become part of real news as either sources or subjects. Although in Los Angeles Times women’s pages contains issues that concern women, some content do not always concern them or rather talk about feminine issues. Men have always remained prominent than women as Los Angeles Times and ecompanion demonstrates. Despite the newspaper changing the names of some sections perceived as female, like beauty section was named Lifestyle or health for example, the effect and intention of newspaper has not significantly changed (Los Angeles Times, Nov 29, 2011). Question E The role of women in Los Angeles Times is not different from the role of “Woman as Sign in TV News. In Los Angeles Times women are represented in the news as lovers of entertainment and prone to abuse. For example, there is a story of a man killing her daughter and other women celebrities in entertainment sector. In the chart the role of women is high on, when she makes news as speakers in terms of wife, consumer, neighbor and housewife, which makes 50 %., and 22 % when connect the public in a world of authority, policy and politics. They only comprise of 18% when they are referred to as feminists, and are seen to be dissatisfied by their status quo and 10% of women who are seen to challenge their status quo. The role of women has not significantly changed since 1985. From the research, the newspaper still demonstrates that women cannot qualify or interested in real or hard news. The media still feels that women issues range from health issues, recipes, replacement hormone therapy stories, and weddings among other social stories. While more women are taking positions in the society and business, the media believes that these positions have been reserved for men; the newspaper is not seen to reflect this shift from their sources and stories in the newspapers. From the research, the problem lies in when most stories that will obviously interest women are included in the content of the newspaper, while the quality and number of stories that represents women still remains scanty. Synder (2005, Pg 12-14) observes that, such implications of newspaper reporting is vital because is a signal or may signal to readers that women are not important in public activities and events as well as undertaking roles in leaderships. References Los Angeles Times, Nov 29, 2011 5.40 PST.Retrieved from: http://www.latimes.com/. Rakow.L & Kranich.K. Woman as Sign in Television News, Media Studies: A Reader. Synder .C Media Mirror (2005). Victoria, B.C: Trafford. Print. Pg 12-14. Women Institute for Freedom of the Press- Media report to women. Social Science. Silver Spring, Md Volume 5,1997,print, Pg 21 Read More