Research from around the world has consistently shown that news coverage is dominated by the voices of men. About 70% of people quoted, heard, and seen on news programs are men. Despite increases in the number of women working in journalism and sustained efforts to promote the awareness of this issue, a significant gender imbalance in the media persists. The most recent Global Media Monitoring Project, which analyzes gender in news coverage from more than 100 countries every five years, found that, in 2020, women made up just 26% of sources in newspapers, 26% of television news sources, 23% of radio news sources, and 28% of online news sources. Overall, women were the focus of just 6% of stories in traditional media and 9% in online news sites. According to the report’s authors, if we continue this way, it will take 67 years to close the gender gap in traditional media.
Certain women are particularly marginalized in the news. These include women of color, women with disabilities, and older women. Furthermore, related research has found that the portrayal of women in news coverage is often problematic due to prevalent stereotyping, sexism, and/ or sexualization.
Inclusion in the news confers status and authority. And news coverage influences public policy and public opinion. If women’s voices and perspectives are not included in these public conversations, they are silenced and disempowered. Conversely, news that includes women’s expertise and experiences normalizes women as authority figures and promotes gender equality.
This Special Issue aims to encourage more attention being paid to this important yet under-researched area. It will explore the inclusion and portrayal of women in the media, with a particular focus on identifying solutions that encourage and support women to contribute to news coverage.
- news media
- women in the news
- gender
- gender equality
- news sources
- news representation
- diversity
- journalism practice
- interviewing
- journalism education
