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| Source: Google Images |
Women’s representation in the media is not representative of the 51% of women currently in the United States. Misrepresentation of women and lack thereof in the media is a prominent issue today and covers all aspects of media, from sports to entertainment to news.
It is no surprise that men dominate the media, across all news platforms and in all news topics. With 63.4% men and 36.6% women, men are twice as prominent.
An article from The Guardian studied seven daily newspapers, counting and recording bylines, those written by males versus females. The findings showed an average of 22.6% female reporters and 77.4% male reporters.
The Tribune with the International New York Times analyzed a study that found only 15% of women are present in newsrooms around the globe.
Those women, however, are rarely reporting on issues concerning gender equality and violence against women, meaning that they are "prevented from placing their own perspective on key issues that pertain to women."
The Tribune with the International New York Times analyzed a study that found only 15% of women are present in newsrooms around the globe.
Those women, however, are rarely reporting on issues concerning gender equality and violence against women, meaning that they are "prevented from placing their own perspective on key issues that pertain to women."
Some female athletes feel the need to sexualize themselves to be both marketable and feminine, one study says.
Male athletes are often portrayed in advertisements in their natural, muscular state, while female athletes are expected to look a certain way and conform to societal beauty norms.
A study by the International Journal of Human Science found that female athletes try to "emphasize [their] feminine characteristics, their sexuality, and to highlight their heterosexuality" to counter the lesbian or "tomboy" stereotypes.
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| Source: Google Images |
The study mentions Danica Patrick, a well-known NASCAR driver, who is also associated with GoDaddy.com advertisements. While the ads establish her as a heterosexual, attractive woman, it distracts from her athleticism.
The sexualized ads that female athletes appear in distract from their skills on the field or court and have a negative effect on their reputation as professional athletes.
The study suggests that the struggle between being viewed as a lesbian because of athletic involvement or being seen as a heterosexual sex object presents young, aspiring female athletes with a dilemma.
Objectification theory, as told by the American Psychological Association, suggests that "women are sexually objectified and treated as an object to be valued for its use by others...which occurs when a woman...is viewed primarily as a physical object of male sexual desire."
Objectification theory affects young girls who look up to professional female athletes, as mentioned in the study.
If women are viewed as sex objects more than men, it creates a skewed image for young, promising athletes. The study examines the coverage of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, specifically beach volleyball.
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| Source: Google Images |
In an examination of photographs taken by Getty Images, the photos of women's beach volleyball were mostly taken of the athlete's rear ends, as opposed to their faces. The results were expected, showing the women photographed in a more sexualized way then the men.
On-air comments made four years later at the 2012 London Olympics ridiculed female competitors for "being too fat" or having "nappy hair," instead of discussing the accomplishments of the dedicated athletes. When talking about males however, strength and athleticism were discussed, not focus or experience as mentioned when commentators spoke about the women.
In 2013, Professor of Journalism at the Merrill College, Linda Steiner, wrote an article in the American Journalism Review about sexist reporting. She criticized other reporters for discussing more about Lara Logan's outfits and past swimsuit modeling career than her work as CBS News' chief foreign affairs correspondent.
Philip Merrill College of Journalism Internship Director and Lecturer, Adrianne Flynn, says having a greater amount of women in news positions helps put a positive spin on the way women are talked about in the media, among other things.
Allowing women to see other women portrayed in powerful and active ways would "break the cycle of poor body image and sexualization of female athletics," the International Journal of Human Science study suggests.
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| Source: ESPN.com |
ESPN's 2015 Body Issue made that suggestion a reality by featuring naked professional athletes, equally representing men and women. Many of the women preach body love and self confidence in their interviews, especially Olympic hammer thrower Amanda Bingson.
To begin her interview, Bingson called herself "dense", a word most women avoid when describing themselves. Bingson said she loves everything about her body and has grown a thick skin to ignore people who've told her she doesn't look like the "skinny ideal pictures on billboards." Her interview inspires females to love their bodies, no matter what they weigh.
Olympic swimmer Natalie Coughlin talks about how swimming is a sport where many people suffer from body image issues, especially girls.
Coughlin said that there were times when she too was unhappy with her body, but she "always knew that [she] was really fit and that it was what allowed [her] to be successful in the pool." She was particularly self-conscious about her arms, but she said "I want to be as successful as I can be; if that means having big arms, I'll take big arms."
In her video interview, Coughlin talks about the importance of keeping her body healthy, through eating and exercising, in order to be the most successful athlete she can be. There's no mention of looking "good" or "sexy" while training, because that's not what's important to the gold medalist.
Having successful, grown women portrayed in advertisements as strong and healthy represents a more realistic body image for young athletes to aspire to. The effort to show female athletes in a positive and equally represented way sends an inspiring message to young girls who look up to those women as role models.
While the entertainment industry continues to underrepresent women, with only 42% of major characters and speaking roles going to females, some organizations strive to change those numbers.
The Representation Project is a nonprofit organization that aims to inspire cultural transformation so that everyone regardless of race, class, age, sexual orientation or circumstance can reach their full potential, according to their website. The organization uses film to spark the movements they initiate.
The organization is behind the #AskHerMore campaign, among others, which "inspires people to call out sexist reporting and suggest ways to re-focus on women's achievements. Famous actresses like Reese Witherspoon and Lupita Nyongo have participated in the campaign via social media.
The trend made its way to the red carpet to encourage reporters to ask female celebrities about more than just what they're wearing. The hashtag has recently been used to applaud a special women's empowerment-focused episode of Liv and Maddie. Victoria's Secret models are even shutting down reporters who ask questions that demean female intelligence, inspired by the campaign.
The Representation Project produced Miss Representation in 2011, a film "exposing how mainstream media and culture contributes to the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence in America."
Boxed In, a 2015 study by The Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University, tracked women's representation in prime-time television for the last 18 years.
Researchers found that women are represented significantly less than men in jobs on and off screen. In a historically comparison, the trend of predominantly male positions has not seen much change.
In 2014-2015, women made up a mere 27% of creators, directors, writers, producers, executive producers, editors, and directors of photography working on broadcast network shows. If the pool includes cable and other sources, women account for just 25% of those working on network, cable and Netflix shows.
Since 1998 there has been less than a 5% increase in women as female characters on broadcast networks.
Having women in leadership positions in the entertainment industry leads to more women in other roles, Boxed In finds. With at least one female executive producer, the study found there were more females involved across the board--characters, writers, directors and editors.
However, research shows that women still hold less than 30% of behind the scene jobs, which hasn't changed since 1998.Author of the study, Dr. Martha Lauzen, says "the findings suggest that creators and executive producers play an instrumental role in shifting the gender dynamics for both on-screen characters and other individuals working in powerful behind-the-scenes roles."
Merrill's Professor Steiner does not mean to partake in victim blaming, but she believes much of the struggle women face in being taken seriously as journalism professionals is in the hands of directors and producers above them.
It is also important for women to take action themselves and resist the sexualization and degradation if possible. It takes courage that more older women in the field seem to have, Professor Steiner said, but they also risk losing their print jobs or being removed from anchor positions. Those jobs go to the prettier, younger women who are new to the scene.
With many organizations and female advocates making a conscious effort, it looks like women in the media are on the rise.
Making it their mission to amplify women's voices and change the conversation, Women's Media Center (WMC) is ensuring the future of visible and powerful women in the media.
Founded as a non-profit in 2005, WMC participates in media advocacy campaigns, media monitoring for sexism, creating original content, training women and girls to participate in media and promoting media experienced women experts.
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| Julie Burton, President of Women's Media Center |
WMC President, Julie Burton, has previously "worked to advance opportunities for women at [several] leading advocacy organizations," and has taken on another leadership role at WMC.
Progressive Women's Voices is a media and leadership training program for women across the country, hosted by WMC. Participants "receive advanced, comprehensive training and tools to position themselves as media spokespeople in their field," helping change the conversation on major topics.
Over 150 women who've successfully completed the program have been featured in The Washington Post, Forbes, The New York Times, and on "Good Morning America," CNN and many others.
Based on the success of Progressive Women's Voices, Progressive Girls' Voices was created to empower the younger generation. The girls of today grow into the women of tomorrow so it is important to inspire and teach them in order to positively impact the future.
Many middle and high school clubs and activities are lead by girls. Those girls then go to college and continue to be leaders in their community. It is imperative for that trend of female leadership to continue as those women graduate into the working world.
Internship Director, Adrianne Flynn said the enrollment in the Merrill College is upwards of 58% women. The Shirley Povich Center for Sports Journalism is one of Merrill's programs that is doing great things for female students interested in sports.
Men and women go to college and receive the same journalism degrees, so the field is leveled. After college, how does the gap between men and women widen and why? Women aren't asking for more or different opportunities, they're just asking for equal opportunities.
Professor Steiner believes men and women can be equally good journalists, but she said women can also bring a different perspective to certain topics.
Five women set out on a cross-country journey to do just that, creating a documentary featuring "ordinary women doing extraordinary things." The Empowerment Project is just another way media can be used to positively portray women and can help the progress of young women with big dreams.
Whether it's video, print, or radio, media is an incredibly important and influential tool that shapes society. There should be a conscious effort moving forward to represent women more often and more positively in the media.
With more women on screen and more women behind the scenes, more and more young females will be inspired and encouraged to enter the field.
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