Females in sports, entertainment and media are underrepresented and often negatively portrayed in mainstream media today

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."

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.

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.

Source: Google Images

Women like Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor were in peak physical condition when playing in the Olympics, and the uniform bikini style tops and bottoms showed off much of their toned bodies. The men, however, wore knee-length shorts and sleeveless shirts, concealing most of their body from the viewer's eye.

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.

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.

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.

Females in sports, entertainment and media are underrepresented and often negatively portrayed in mainstream media today.

One 2014 US News article gives an overview of women’s representation across fields, which will be useful to give a brief introduction before diving into the subsections. Women’s representation in the media is not representative of the 51% of women in the U.S.

Some female athletes feel the need to sexualize themselves to be both marketable and feminine, one study says.

            This section will focus on how women are viewed based on their portrayal in the media and advertisements. A study by the International Journal of Human Science analyzes female athletes who don’t want to seem homosexual or masculine, so they sexualize themselves in ads. The study mentions Lolo Jones and Danica Patrick, both well-known female figures in professional sports. The coverage of the 2008 Beijing Olympics was studied, comparing men’s and women’s sports, particularly volleyball. “Self-objectification theory” is mentioned, which would be interesting to research more and discuss in this section. To counter this, ESPN's recent Body Issue shows female athletes who love their body and are proud of their athletic build. I’ll also examine how women are told to look on television and what norms they’re expected to conform to. A panel hosted by National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), about how African-American girls and the expectations for their hair in a professional workplace, relates to the topic of how women are expected to look for the camera.

            VIDEO INTERVIEW HERE (with Lauryn Froneberger, a member of NABJ)
1. Why was the panel important for UMD students?
2. Why do black women have a tougher time with their image in the news than white women?

Entertainment industry continues to underrepresent women, with only 42% of major characters and speaking roles going to females.

            In this section I’ll examine the women in entertainment, behind the scenes and on screen. How female characters are portrayed, what types of roles women hold and how the crew is made up, gender wise. The Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University has many studies about women in entertainment and their studies have been mentioned in several news articles. One Fortune article highlights the findings of one study relating to the gender gap and the disparity in minority races too. DATA GRAPHIC HERE

            VIDEO INTERVIEW HERE (with Morgan Perry, an aspiring female screenwriter)
1. Why do you think it’s important for women to have a strong presence, on and off screen?
3. What do women bring to writing and acting that differs from what men provide?

It looks like women in the media are on the rise, observing 2013 bachelor’s degree graduates who found full-time jobs, 70.4% were women and 65.95% were men.

            In this section I’ll discuss the future of women in the media and how to change the trends we’re seeing now. I’ll highlight prominent women in media today, like Diane Sawyer and Robin Roberts. I’ll highlight Julie Burton, President of the Women’s Media Center and the mission of the organization. Women’s Media Center has many great resources and guides that encompass their research about how women are currently viewed in the media. They also have several projects promoting women’s equality and featuring women doing great work in the media. DATA GRAPHIC HERE
           VIDEO INTERVIEW HERE (hopefully with Cassandra Clayton or Kalyani Chadha, professors in the Philip Merrill College of Journalism).
1. How you do you believe women are currently portrayed in the media, in any sense? 
2. How is the Philip Merrill College of Journalism preparing its students, especially women, for the job market today? 
3. As a former journalist at NBC, what advice would you give to aspiring female journalists, based on your experiences?

***Addition***
I will be interviewing Adrianne Flynn and Linda Steiner. I will no longer discuss NABJ or interview a member. Questions below, respectively:

1. In your personal opinion, how you do you believe women are currently portrayed in the media, in any sense?

2. How is the Philip Merrill College of Journalism preparing its students, especially women, for the job market today?

3. Are there any initiatives, on campus or not, that you know of that promote the success of future female journalists? If so, can you elaborate?

1. Through your personal research, what have you found to be the biggest struggle facing women in the media today?

2. Looking to the future, how can women help themselves become more positively portrayed as serious journalism professionals?

3. What do women bring to news and newsrooms that differ from what men can offer?

Violent Video Games Linked to Murders and Promoting Gender and Racial Stereotypes

Violent video games can lead to more aggressive behavior and some teenagers have translated the virtual situations into reality with violence and murder inspired by these games.

Source: Google images

Devin Moore, 18, was a regular Grand Theft Auto player. In 2005, Moore was taken to a police station on suspicion of stealing a car, and once he was inside the station he shot three officers in the head and stole a police car to flee the scene. Moore's actions were similar to a scenario found in Grand Theft Auto.

A 60 Minutes report quotes Moore telling police "Life is like a video game. Everybody's got to die sometime." A child psychologist quoted in the article said that the violent video games Moore played contributed to his urge to commit a violent crime, in addition to his troubled upbringing.

In another situation, Warren Leblanc, 17, lured his friend to an isolated area and beat and stabbed him to death. Leblanc often played a video game called Manhunt where "a man roams the streets and kills anyone he comes across," according to The Telegraph.

Leblanc used similar weapons in his 2004 attack as those used in Manhunt and he confessed to the murder minutes later when he was found by police in bloody clothes. The victim's parents blame the game in part for inspiring Leblanc's violent actions.

In 2014, two 12-year-old girls went to the woods with their friend Payton Leutner, 12, and stabbed her 19 times as an offering to the online character Slender Man. An NBC report said the attackers believed so strongly in the fictional character that they were willing to kill their friend in order to "prove their dedication" to him.

Leutner survived the attack after she crawled to a path in the woods where passing cyclist found her.

Violent video games promote aggressive behaviors and attitudes and desensitize young gamers to aggression, especially those with other influencers. 

Before the age of 20, most adolescents' brains are still developing and changing. Putting images of aggressive and violent actions into their heads influences that development.

One study suggests that adolescents who "already are high in certain factors, mainly hostility, are much more at risk to become aggressive due to influence by violent video games," than those who show low hostility. The correlation between violence, aggression and video games is complicated because there are many influencing outside factors.

Source: Google images

Research by the American Psychological Association revealed that children with high neuroticism, low agreeableness and low conscientiousness are more likely to be negatively affected by savage video games than other children. Pre-existing personality traits affect the long-term impact of the games children play.

Seeing violence regularly, even if it is in a fictional game, leads children to become desensitized to violence, a CNN story reported. One researcher said that "once you're emotionally numb to violence, it's much easier to engage in violence."

A lack of empathy and concern for others is also becoming apparent in adolescents who spend three or more hours per day playing violent games. BBC quotes a study where "violent" games were defined as "those where players acted out the killing, maiming, decapitating or mutilating of other human characters."

If teens are sitting in front of a screen for several hours each day, that means they are spending less time engaging in social situations, therefore not gaining a positive sense of right from wrong.

Aside from aggressive behavior, video games typically promote gender and racial stereotypes.

Male characters often dominate in video games. They portray the hero, the villain and the criminals, as well as the average guy. Women, however, are frequently the victim, the "damsel in distress" or the romantic interest of the game.

Male characters "appear more frequently, talk significantly more" and engage in more behaviors that show achievement and leadership, compared to female characters, as told in a Michigan State University study. When analyzing 130 games for various gaming platforms, they concluded 71% of the lead characters were male.

White characters are also found more often than black or other minority characters. When the minority characters do appear, they usually take on the role of the criminal or the secondary character, but rarely the main focus of the game.

One gamer discusses his or her observations in various games, citing Final Fantasy VII, where "the only black character...uses heavy weapons [and] speaks in broken English." Another game mentioned has only one possible "black romance option" and if the gamer pursues him, the character "cheats on you and gets another woman pregnant."

U.S. News found that gamers were more likely to act aggressively when they were playing a black character and pursuing a violent goal. The gamer volunteers who played as those characters "showed stronger explicit negative attitudes toward blacks," compared to players who used the white character.

These virtual gender roles and racial portrayals perpetuate real-life stereotypes and set these thoughts into the developing minds of young gamers.

Video games have become more realistic and more graphic since they were first introduced as basic geometric games, like Pacman. The realistic violence and actions can have negative impacts on the evolving minds of teenage gamers, among other contributing factors.

More research needs to be conducted on the effects action-packed video games have on regular users and the correlation to real-life actions.

Cybersecurity is a major threat to the government, businesses and personal users in the U.S.

One female veteran's hunt for a 'foot that fits' and her battle with the Dept. of Veteran Affairs

Women in the armed forces are becoming more and more prevalent and I have many friends currently enrolled in ROTC programs, preparing to serve this country after graduation. Two female friends of mine are training for the Marines and the Air Force in particular and I think this article would be of interest to them. Helping spread awareness about issues women face is a passion of mine. Read more about Brenda Reed's story here.