According to Gryboski (April 2013), Julie Burton, who he describes as a “progressive activist” and a person who “tracks gender bias in American media” feels that there is a wide ranging problem of sexist content in news programmes. Speaking to the reporter at a recent event entitled: “Politics and Sexism: Don't Turn the Other Cheek”, she told Gryboski that the sexism issue is not limited to politics, but that it’s just one element of a culture that perceives women merely as objects. She also said that this situation needs changing and that the sexist portrayals of women in public life and politics originate from journalists of both sexes. She stated that there is a real need to let people know this practice is completely unacceptable. Research undertaken had found that the way the media focused on a female personality's looks, however positive, lowered their rating with voters. It was also found that if a female candidate openly criticized that approach, her level of voter approval rose.
Ohio-based Congressional Democrat representative Marcia Fudge gave a keynote speech at the same event. Insisting that sexist bias was a more serious impedimentary issue than racism, she stated: “In the election between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, it was at that point I realized that America was more sexist than it was racist” adding: “It was then that I realized that being black was not the worst thing in the world; it was being a woman.” Gryboski (April 2013).
Those sentiments expressed by Burton and Fudge echoed the views in an earlier article by Chew (edited by Upshaw) (1997), which opened with the statement that there are “many areas in our society where women do not have respect from men.” The author added that women are portrayed in the media either as “sexual objects” or as individuals who strive to survive “in a man’s world.” Chew noted that the world of TV News is a classic example of these attitudes, where women journalists are in a small minority of those presenting news stories – between around 10 and 22 percent depending on the particular network.
Chew commented that these statistics confirm the presence of sexism in the media, which is largely ignored by the men in the industry, either because they purport to have not noticed the male/female ratio is around 9:1 (or perceive it as normal), or because they would prefer to accept the status quo that favors themselves and does not jeopardize their own promotion prospects.
This writer agrees with those sentiments. Although women today are probably more prominent in public life, including the media, than (say) twenty years ago, there is still a long way to go before they might achieve any sort of equality with men – if ever. So long as women are considered as “glamour objects” in a largely male-dominated society, there will inevitably be a focus on their appearance rather than on their skills or expertise in their job, even in the media.
Perhaps the fact that almost all of those at the top of the executive structure in the media industry are men is the main problem for women. The majority participating in nationally-screened talk shows tend to be men, too.
Although the continued sexism in the mass media is to be deplored in the strongest possible terms, it really is difficult to see how it can ever be completely overcome. After all, male dominance in the media, relegating women to a sort of second-class ornamental or decorative status, is a microcosm of society in general. Until the whole basis of our society can be changed to remedy that situation, we can only look forward – more in hope than expectation – to a new era in which women will be treated with true sexual equality.
Works Cited:
Chew, O., L. & Upshaw, J. (Ed.). (May 1997). “Keeping Sexism At Bay.” University of Oregon. Available from http://journalism.uoregon.edu/~jupshaw/crit/chew.html [Accessed 03 June 2013].
Gryboski, M. (Apr 2013). “Sexism in American Media a 'Widespread Problem,' Says Expert.” CP Politics. Available from http://www.christianpost.com/news/sexism-in-american-media-a-widespread-problem-says-expert-94067/#QaOu4LYPQK5hT93w.99 [Accessed 03 June 2013].
