Women and the Media: Women's Rights and Equal Exposure

We've seen all types of stereotyping in the print, audio and visual media. Women who are alluring and fatal who can lead any man to danger, women who portray the sex kitten roles, women as nasty corporate climbers. Whatever the role is, televisions, magazines and other forms of media show just how women are degraded in this area. Though I am sure that women's media presence and influence behind the scenes have grown over the past few years, we still see female stereotypes thriving in the media - from body images to self-identities, from sports to politics.

As women around the world fight for the equal chance in the newsroom and even in the boardroom, issues still continue to arise: will women's equal media input change the nature of journalism in its entirety? Will women be portrayed differently? Will women receive the same treatment bestowed on men especially in the field of sports and politics? I have doubts, yet I'm open to all possibilities.

However, it is evident that as women rights organizations lead women from around the world to stop the media from ignoring good news and exaggerating and consistently overplaying bad news on women, women experts and athletes are still under-represented in news coverage. Women may have been striving hard in the workplace and in other industries, we even have female leaders around the world; however, most conventional press exposure continues to see men as experts in the fields of economics, sports, politics and business.

Women in the news are more likely to be highlighted in showbiz, gossips, stories about accidents and domestic violence rather than their professional aptitudes and proficiencies. For me, inadequacy in women's coverage is a worldwide phenomenon, and we all know how powerful media can be. It compels one to be convinced believe what they see and hear; thus, women stereotyping will be maintained if this type of media stereotyping continues to thrive.