Mass media as communicationwhether written, broadcast, or spokenthat reaches a large audience.

This includes
television, radio, advertising, movies, the Internet, newspapers, magazines, and so forth.
Mass media is a significant force in modern culture. Sociologists refer to this as a mediated culture where media reflects and
creates the culture. People are constantly bombarded with messages from a plethora of sources including Television, billboards,
movies, and magazines, to name just a few.
These forms of media is that they are able to promote not only products, but moods, attitudes, and a sense of what is and is not
important, or socially acceptable. This creates an issue when the messages being showcased are negative ones. This relates back
to my first research question, as some of the negative messages showcased by the media in regards to body image are what
influence, alter, and distort societys perception of beauty.
One of the role that Mass media plays in society is that it makes possible the concept of celebrity: people could not become
famous without the way that movies, magazines, and news media are able to reach across the globe on such a grand scale.
Cliffnotes states that, In fact, only political and business leaders, as well as the few notorious outlaws, were famous in the past.
Only in recent times have actors, singers, and other social elites become celebrities or stars'.
The current level of media prevalence has not always existed. Back in the 1960s and 1970s, television, for example, consisted of
primarily three networks, public broadcasting, and a few local independent stations. The programming of these channels were
primarily aimed at two-parent, middle-class families. Despite this, many middle-class households did not even own a television.
In contrast, one can find a television in even the poorest of homes, and multiple TVs in the homes of most middle-class families.
The availability of televisions has increased significantly, but programming has also diversified, creating shows to aim people of
all ages, incomes, backgrounds, interestes, and attitudes. The internet has also increased the role of mass media in more recent
days, as nearly all business and companies now make themselves available online.
Although TV and the Internet have dominated the mass media, the article states, movies and magazinesparticularly those
lining the aisles at grocery checkout standsalso play a powerful role in culture, as do other forms of media.
So what role does mass media play in todays society? Most will agree that mass media is a permanent part of modern culture,
and there are three main sociological perspectives on the role of media exist: the limited-effects theory, the class-dominant
theory, and the culturalist theory.

The Role and Influence of Mass Media

Mass media is communicationwhether written, broadcast, or spokenthat reaches a large audience. This includes
television, radio, advertising, movies, the Internet, newspapers, magazines, and so forth.
Mass media is a significant force in modern culture, particularly in America. Sociologists refer to this as amediated culture where
media reflects and creates the culture. Communities and individuals are bombarded constantly with messages from a multitude of
sources including TV, billboards, and magazines, to name a few. These messages promote not only products, but moods,
attitudes, and a sense of what is and is not important. Mass media makes possible the concept of celebrity: without the ability of
movies, magazines, and news media to reach across thousands of miles, people could not become famous. In fact, only political
and business leaders, as well as the few notorious outlaws, were famous in the past. Only in recent times have actors, singers, and
other social elites become celebrities or stars.
The current level of media saturation has not always existed. As recently as the 1960s and 1970s, television, for example,
consisted of primarily three networks, public broadcasting, and a few local independent stations. These channels aimed their
programming primarily at twoparent, middleclass families. Even so, some middleclass households did not even own a
television. Today, one can find a television in the poorest of homes, and multiple TVs in most middleclass homes. Not only has
availability increased, but programming is increasingly diverse with shows aimed to please all ages, incomes, backgrounds, and
attitudes. This widespread availability and exposure makes television the primary focus of most massmedia discussions. More
recently, the Internet has increased its role exponentially as more businesses and households sign on. Although TV and the
Internet have dominated the mass media, movies and magazinesparticularly those lining the aisles at grocery checkout
standsalso play a powerful role in culture, as do other forms of media.
What role does mass media play? Legislatures, media executives, local school officials, and sociologists have all debated this
controversial question. While opinions vary as to the extent and type of influence the mass media wields, all sides agree that mass
media is a permanent part of modern culture. Three main sociological perspectives on the role of media exist: the limitedeffects
theory, the classdominant theory, and the culturalist theory.
Limited-effects theory

The limitedeffects theory argues that because people generally choose what to watch or read based on what they already believe,
media exerts a negligible influence. This theory originated and was tested in the 1940s and 1950s. Studies that examined the
ability of media to influence voting found that wellinformed people relied more on personal experience, prior knowledge, and
their own reasoning. However, media experts more likely swayed those who were less informed. Critics point to two problems

with this perspective. First, they claim that limitedeffects theory ignores the media's role in framing and limiting the discussion
and debate of issues. How media frames the debate and what questions members of the media ask change the outcome of the
discussion and the possible conclusions people may draw. Second, this theory came into existence when the availability and
dominance of media was far less widespread.
Class-dominant theory

The classdominant theory argues that the media reflects and projects the view of a minority elite, which controls it. Those people
who own and control the corporations that produce media comprise this elite. Advocates of this view concern themselves
particularly with massive corporate mergers of media organizations, which limit competition and put big business at the reins of
mediaespecially news media. Their concern is that when ownership is restricted, a few people then have the ability to
manipulate what people can see or hear. For example, owners can easily avoid or silence stories that expose unethical corporate
behavior or hold corporations responsible for their actions.
The issue of sponsorship adds to this problem. Advertising dollars fund most media. Networks aim programming at the largest
possible audience because the broader the appeal, the greater the potential purchasing audience and the easier selling air time to
advertisers becomes. Thus, news organizations may shy away from negative stories about corporations (especially parent
corporations) that finance large advertising campaigns in their newspaper or on their stations. Television networks receiving
millions of dollars in advertising from companies like Nike and other textile manufacturers were slow to run stories on their news
shows about possible humanrights violations by these companies in foreign countries. Media watchers identify the same
problem at the local level where city newspapers will not give new cars poor reviews or run stories on selling a home without an
agent because the majority of their funding comes from auto and real estate advertising. This influence also extends to
programming. In the 1990s a network cancelled a shortrun drama with clear religious sentiments, Christy, because, although
highly popular and beloved in rural America, the program did not rate well among young city dwellers that advertisers were
targeting in ads.
Critics of this theory counter these arguments by saying that local control of news media largely lies beyond the reach of large
corporate offices elsewhere, and that the quality of news depends upon good journalists. They contend that those less powerful
and not in control of media have often received full media coverage and subsequent support. As examples they name numerous
environmental causes, the antinuclear movement, the antiVietnam movement, and the proGulf War movement.
While most people argue that a corporate elite controls media, a variation on this approach argues that a politically liberal elite
controls media. They point to the fact that journalists, being more highly educated than the general population, hold more liberal
political views, consider themselves left of center, and are more likely to register as Democrats. They further point to examples
from the media itself and the statistical reality that the media more often labels conservative commentators or politicians as
conservative than liberals as liberal.
Media language can be revealing, too. Media uses the terms arch or ultra conservative, but rarely or never the terms arch or
ultra liberal. Those who argue that a political elite controls media also point out that the movements that have gained media
attentionthe environment, antinuclear, and antiVietnamgenerally support liberal political issues. Predominantly
conservative political issues have yet to gain prominent media attention, or have been opposed by the media. Advocates of this
view point to the Strategic Arms Initiative of the 1980s Reagan administration. Media quickly characterized the defense program
as Star Wars, linking it to an expensive fantasy. The public failed to support it, and the program did not get funding or
congressional support.
Culturalist theory

The culturalist theory, developed in the 1980s and 1990s, combines the other two theories and claims that people interact with
media to create their own meanings out of the images and messages they receive. This theory sees audiences as playing an active
rather than passive role in relation to mass media. One strand of research focuses on the audiences and how they interact with
media; the other strand of research focuses on those who produce the media, particularly the news.
Theorists emphasize that audiences choose what to watch among a wide range of options, choose how much to watch, and may
choose the mute button or the VCR remote over the programming selected by the network or cable station. Studies of mass media
done by sociologists parallel textreading and interpretation research completed by linguists (people who study language). Both
groups of researchers find that when people approach material, whether written text or media images and messages, they interpret
that material based on their own knowledge and experience. Thus, when researchers ask different groups to explain the meaning
of a particular song or video, the groups produce widely divergent interpretations based on age, gender, race, ethnicity, and
religious background. Therefore, culturalist theorists claim that, while a few elite in large corporations may exert significant
control over what information media produces and distributes, personal perspective plays a more powerful role in how the
audience members interpret those messages.

How can Social Media change the world?

Technology helps People to be Accountable, Transparent

These two qualities can help save lives. Sheffield noted that every minute, a woman dies somewhere in the world, and thats
unacceptable. That costs the world lost work. Her first call to action is to take young people, young women seriously. Investing
in girls and women isnt the right thing to doits the smart thing to do.
Data is Out There, and it Leads to Job Creation
Todd Park, U.S. Chief Technology Officer of The White House was full of enthusiasm and passion when he spoke about
technology and social media (in fact, I thought he was going to fall off the podium in excitement). He echoed Joys Law
(attributed to Sun Microsystems co-founder Bill Joy) who said, No matter who you are, most of the smartest people work for
someone else.
Parks words of wisdom: dont just think of what you can do for yourself, but how you can enable everyone else in the world to
move with your mission. There is great truth to this because at the end of the day, no social good can come out of something
thats not innately social. In order to achieve something big, tangible and impactful (and maybe even lasting), we need to
motivate others to share that passion and help our cause.
Park spoke about how plentiful data was, and how that data is leading to job creation. Check out data.gov and youll see what I
mean. This data helps create jobs for those who are inspired to take it, sift it and find a use for it (e.g. developing apps, writing
content, elucidating the data to the public). Park is also realistic about datas uses: I cant pour data on a broken bone and fix it, I
cant pour data on a wound and cure it. Data is only useful if you apply it.
Social Media and Diplomacy
Diplomacy too, has changed quite a bit with the advent of Social Media channels. Victoria Essner, Deputy Assistant Secretary for
Digital Strategy, U. S. State Department says that she tweets a lot, and that scrutiny and tweet checking are not something that
would apply these days. The 21st century is a terrible time to be a control freak, she says.
While corporations can sometimes struggle to maintain the quality of tweets, the worry of someone going rogue is on a different
scale if youre using State and National Social Media accounts. Its a way of connecting with people, says Essner and its a
critical part of diplomacy no matter which country youre from. You cannot manage tweet at a time, or you wont be authentic to
the community youre trying to cultivate.
Arturo Sarukhan, Ambassador of Mexico to the United States, says that diplomats are comfortable with the fact that his personal
tweets are not approved by the Foreign Ministry. While it is not a substitute for regular diplomacy, he says that its definitely a
unique tool for engagement. And most of his tweets are bilingual, and reaches an entirely different audience.
The bottom line, the point of diplomacy is to provide unique opinion and motivate the community that follows you.
Text Messaging for Birth Control
Dr. Jenny Francis, Global Health Fellow at Mount Sinai Medical center, uses text messages to improve birth control options.
Since 88% of teens used their phones just for their text messages and since the US has the highest rates of teenage pregnancies
(much more than any other developed countries), smartphones become an effective way to give and receive birth control
messaging to this population. Unintended pregnancies are a big deal because studies show that this population is less likely to
enter the workforce, and only half of the women who have unintended pregnancies use birth control.
In one study at the Mount Sinai, the enrolled participants (around 150) are not just sent reminders but encouragement to use their
birth control effectively. Francis says that all the participants are excited about using technology for birth control use.
Social Media Eliminating Pediatric AIDS
Every 90 seconds a girl is born with HIV. And 90% of these children are in sub Saharan Africa. Many will will die before the age
of 2, and a pregnant women with HIV without care has an increased risk of disease transmission and death. HIV testing is
therefore critical in reduce maternal deaths.
Anu Gupta, Director in Corporate Contributions, Johnson & Johnson says that she has seen a transformation in these children and
women from a death sentence to a life manageability. If were going to get to zero percent, the game changer is a mobile phone,
and mobile phones ARE changing the pediatric AIDS change the landscape, she says.
But how can a phone change lives?
There are a billion people who will never see a doctor in their lives. The statistics there dont make sense and the villagers trudge
hundreds of miles to just get care. Medic Mobile, which provides care to these women and children, equipped a hospital in
Malawi with solar panels and phones, and soon these womenwere tweeting and documenting cases through their phones. Data is
important because it has a direct parallel to cure, says Josh Nesbit, CEO, Medic Mobile. In India, with a smartphone
intervention we put basic profiles for kids, and if the kids missed their appointment they were sent another automated alert. In a
15 month study, vaccinations jumped from 15% to 90%.
Google Earth & Global Culture

Rebecca Moore, Engineering Manager, Google Earth Outreach & Earth Engine Google, Inc showed us several imagery where
Google Earth is mapping forests, showcasing mines (in an area where children go to school each day) and how the Surui Tribe in
the Amazon showcases their cultural footprint on the screen. The David Sukuki foundation uses Google Earth to calculate the
value of nature in their communities.

Q2.
Role of female in print and electronic media
Globally, neither the mainstream nor alternative media has shown much interest in womens
issues nor whatever has been covered mostly is rather negative and wrongly projected. The
media does not seem to have given adequate attention to important issues that concern
women's welfare. In general, on women's issues the media has been at best elitist and at
worst sensational and irresponsible.
According to a survey on women in the media, it is estimated that women represent fewer
percent of employees in newspapers and magazines, films, and radio broadcasting in most
of the countries in the world. Furthermore, a smaller percentage is engaged at the
managerial level. One of the main reasons for limited involvement of women in the press
and in the field of writing may be their isolation from exposure and exchange of ideas with
the outside world.
Many women deliberately avoid this because they think journalism means hard work and
less pay. Hence, it seems that we at first must direct its efforts to make the print media
stand on its feet. Since the fourth estate remains one of the pillars of democracy, all
possible help must be rendered to the print media for its healthy growth. This being the
reality, it has always been difficult for the media to flourish.
As there is no adequate representation of women journalists in the media, more and more
women should be encouraged to join the profession.
Women's participation in mass media began as early as some years ago. Since then,
different women personalities have been persevering to raise the female cause in the media
almost on a regular basis. But still women's participation in the existing media as
journalists, editors, reporters, writers, and script writers is very nominal. This applies to
both print and electronic media.

PORTRAYAL OF WOMEN IN PRINT MEDIA

INTRODUCTION
Media is all pervasive; its functioning is very subtle. Media plays a vital role in dissemination of information. It is called the
fourth pillar of democratic polity. The impact of media on our lives is a point which does not have to be laboured any longer.
Radio, television, films and the printed word reach all of us in this age of information and each strives to perfect its modes of
communications to become more effective as a medium. The roles of various media however, have stretched far beyond the
supply of information now, because of the outreach and technological sophistication. In effect this gives them the power to create
reality. Media is shaped by existing social reality. By gradually shaping public opinion, personal beliefs and even people's self
perceptions, media influences the process of socialization and shapes ideology and thinking. The power of creating media reality
is concentrated in the hands of a few people and their biases and their profit motives operate in the creation of a reality which is
often distorted.
WOMEN AND MEDIA
Indian society is full of diversified cultures, traditions and beliefs. Our mass media's role as a social constructor and
representative of people has greater responsibility in binding these complexities of culture and processes with the people of the
society.
According to P. Anbarasan (1995), in India as a whole the status of women is undergoing a perceptible change. Women entering
the labour market are on the rise, there is increase in the number of educated women, and heightened awareness of their
mobilization to fight discrimination.

The role of women in the family life has undergone significant changes. As an educated housewife or as a working woman she
has acquired a respectable place in society. Today's women are increasingly aware. Magazines especially women's magazines
carry a lot of information on social issues and personal family issues.
ACCESSIBILTY OF MEDIA TO WOMEN
The relationship between the media and about 51% of our population is a two way traffic- the access of women to the media or
the lack of it, and the cognizance by the media of women or the absence of it. The presence of women in media both in terms of
numbers, whether absolute or in comparison with men, and their status in terms of the position they occupy is strongly influenced
by the scene, not of their choice, but on account of the social and religious taboos which operated as legal sanctions, and even
today operate as such, in many regions and communities, the constitution and laws notwithstanding. Even in those regions and
communities where the social and religious taboos can no longer be enforced poverty, illiteracy, discrimination and male
domination keep a vast majority of women away from the print media even as readers. As regards the electronic media, even
where the community radio and television are available, either they are crowded out by the men, or on account of social
inhibitions, women are unable to view or listen (Sawant ; 1998).
Media has therefore largely come to be confined to the women in the middle and the higher classes, whether in the rural or urban
areas, and more particularly in the urban areas- whether as passive consumers or as active players.
PORTRAYAL OF WOMEN IN MEDIA
Over the years, and especially during the last decade, India has developed a fairly extensive communication infrastructure. The
subject of portrayal of women in Indian media has drawn the attention of media critiques in the present times. It arises especially
when our society is going through a period of social change. Women have been portrayed as men would like to see thembeautiful creatures, submissive mothers of their children, efficient house keepers, but nothing else.
The positive sides of women's progress and their contribution for national development have not been adequately discussed in the
media of communication. The emphasis on stories about women, about their struggle for recognition is only the surface
trimming. The actual message to audience still is that society opposes the liberation of women.
R. Akhileshwari (1988) makes a scathing attack on the negative aspects of the portrayal of women in Indian mass media. Thus
for instance, the image of the educated woman is typecast as arrogant, insensitive, self- centered, willy or the economically
independent woman is shown as domineering, hard, ruthless and the cause of all the suffering around her. Perhaps the most
damaging portrayal of women is in advertisements and commercials.
The various types of media the researcher would like to discuss are :
1.
2.

Electronic (Radio, Television etc.)

Print

ELECTRONIC MEDIA
Radio and Television combined with satellite channels provide wide coverage on almost important aspects of life. Doordarshan
& All India Radio have captured good audience size not only in cities but also even in semi-urban and rural areas. The program
contents of both All India Radio (AIR) and Doordarshan give priority mainly to entertainment- based programmes. Women
issues and their development programmes are reflected poorly in both the media. Lack of adequate planning and importance to
women's programmes loses the target audience group.
The Indian television programmes on women are generally based on the lives and cultures of urban society. In quantity there
have been very few, in quality very poor programmes are concerned with the problems of women in rural areas. The main reason
behind this is the commercial nature of Doordarshan, commercial sponsors and advertisers do not prefer women issue
programmes, which they think are not very popular and or are liked by few audience (Dhar, Pattnaik ; 1996).
Television has been called the most real form of media. It is the real representation of women in TV and it affects the mindset of
those who watch the television, specially the negative and debasing image of women as represented through money-spinning
advertisements and serials. The systematic oppressions of women by men is being projected by television. Many argue against
the current trend of female TV characters opting to give up their career. A social activist comments, "No matter how television
producers justify their stand, the fact remains that media influences women the most. All of us have a social responsibility. Since
serial makers are ignoring theirs, it is up to the common people to raise their voice against the negative portrayal of women in the
so-called family dramas." Sex stereotype is also very much evident in television portrayal of men and women in their appointed
roles.

PRINT MEDIA
The print media which include newspapers, periodicals, newsletters and other channels are relied upon by the people as credible
source of information, education and entertainment. The print media are known for fearless criticism and service.
According to P. Kumar; 1995, the media reflects events taking place in society and provides a platform for dialogue and debate
on issues which can generate social changes. While electronic media carries more immediate weight on focusing attention on
various issues, it is print media which has more persistent and lasting effect. It is felt that the way women are being projected in
the print and electronic media is a reflection on the whole society.
Though there is no authentic research done in this area it is estimated by those working in this field that print media, both daily
and weekly, that only about 7 to 10 % of the total coverage on women's issues and about half of these are related to sex,
prostitution, glamour, entertainment and crime. In the past few years there has been an improved and increased reportage of
issues related to women in the media particularly in the print. News related to women though still marginal have started to
occasionally occupy important slots like the editorial, feature news, front-page news etc. However, women's visibility in the news
is still dominated by sensational stories of glamour, sex, domestic violence and other forms of violence. Stories like women
coping with adversity or building their lives are largely missing. Issues affecting women, their vast experiences and their lives,
barely find their way into the mainstream media. Likewise, very few informative pieces or feature columns are published for
women informing them about their legal rights, or about their potential for political activity. Many other studies have also
established that when women appear in the news, they are mostly projected as passive victims or passive reactors to public events
in news media. They hardly appear as speakers or participants in public event.
There have been several studies of print media with regard to women which have found the print media guilty of sexism,
distortion of image of women and propagation of sex stereotypes: mothers, housewives, dependant, passive, etc. The other side of
such misinterpretation is that in most popular print media women are seldom shown as working women- capable professionals,
labourers, farmers. Rather the predominant image is that of the self-sacrificing housewife. Analysis done of the so-called
educational media like children's books, adult literacy primers for women shows that they are sexist and they perpetuate sexstereotypes.
In the words of a leading daily's news editor, "It is tragic that women are being mistreated but there is not much that we can do."
A media critic says, "When I started my career my writings were idealistic and emotionally charged. But I later realised that it
does not help the society in the long run. How many people read my story on the rape victim? Or even if some even read it, do
people stop raping? Our readers are fed up with soft stories about women." (Source:http://www.thehoot.org)
The Print Media has also seen a growth spurt in the recent years particularly with regard to women and development magazines.
The journals are mostly qualified for modern society and could be said to be positively harmful to the development of women as
conscious individuals aware of themselves and aware of the society around them. If a woman wins a beauty contest, magazines or
newspapers in particular give much importance to the news and even take her photographs on cover page but, at the same time if
a woman gets the Nobel Prize she gets limited coverage. Here the difference of judgment in women's issues is quite marked in
our media. Similarly the daily newspapers rarely put women's news and their development. Rather they prefer reporting on rape,
atrocities, crime, sexual harassment and abuse of women prominently in their columns. Besides Sunday and Saturday special
glossy editions on women's leisure, fashion, beauty and other luxurious news items with erotic photographs are issued from time
to time by daily newspapers (Dhar, Pattnaik ; 1996).
However the scenario is not so depressing and some researchers hold a more encouraging view. According to Joseph, Sharma,
1991, the advent of women reporters and the presence of some senior women journalists in positions of responsibility have made
a significant difference to the coverage of women's issues in the press. They have observed that in the past ten years, women's
issues have increasingly, though sporadically begun to make news and to be considered worthy of comment. This is due to the
growth of the contemporary, women's movement in India, with women's groups becoming steadily more active and vocal. While
these changes could be perceived through the print media they were particularly evident in the English language press, which
occupies a position of special privilege and eminence in India, although its audience is substantially smaller than that of the
regional language press.
The English press and the language papers in India have been doing well as far as the coverage of women is concerned. Lead
reports, articles, editorials, features and news analysis have been published on women's issues. Nonetheless the last decade has
seen the setting up of women's publishing houses (Kali, Mandira, Horizon and others), some of which publish exclusively on
women.
A comparative study of the relevance of print media in view of the present electronic media conducted by IIMC Delhi by Yadav,
1994-95, gives the following findings:

Educated and career women regularly consume print medium though they are particular about consuming T.V. too.
Readers observe innovations more in print. Also the retention of the total message is greater from print.
T.V. has greater irritation potential than print
Niche Magazines have extremely important role to play.
Print is more popular among males whereas T.V. in females.

The researcher would now like to discuss the portrayal of women in print media under the following categories:
1.
2.

Newspapers
Magazines

NEWSPAPERS
The lack of gender sensitivity in the media is evidenced in the failure to eliminate gender-based stereotyping. Generally, the
media do not provide a balanced portrayal of women's diverse lives and their contributions to society in a changing world, often
reinforcing stereotyped images of women and their roles in society. It is a common practice additionally to assess the professional
success of a woman through questions and claims about her related to being a good mother and a wife. This is exactly the type of
writing in the media that undermines the efforts of activists, who aim to establish gender equality in all areas of society.
The prevailing portrayal of women in mainstream daily newspapers has the following characteristics:

Positive images of women have a narrow scope and are based on new stereotypes of women's success: a pop star, a
beauty queen, and a sport's woman with an outstanding result.
There is an absence of the image of an active, assertive workingwoman, of a successful businesswoman, or a positive
image of a woman politician.
Average women are nearly always portrayed as victims of poverty, social injustice, domestic violence, and organized
crime.
Misogyny in the form of rude jokes, mockery or open verbal aggression have become an accepted way of a systematic
backlash against women activists working for women's political empowerment or individual (freedom of abortion,
freedom of sexual orientation) human rights.

Day after day we read and imbibe skewed images of womanhood in print and these images are incorporated and in our
experience of living. Newspapers have a very important role to play in the society.
Since politics is the staple of our newspapers, it follows then why are women are being pushed into the background in the dailies.
It is the culture pages that help to round out the portrayal through the reviews of exhibitions by women artists, performances by
female musicians, critiques of plays produced or acted by women, but here too is the seductive Swapnasundaris and Malika
Sehrawats or the sexy silk Smithas and the razzle dazzle Kareena who the camera and the pen focus on. Only the sports pages
carry some positive news of the achievements of women athletes and players (Sania Mirza). Yet even here, when women achieve
positive or even spectacular results, men find ways of undermining or ridiculing their success.
The presence of women in media both in terms of numbers, whether absolute or in comparison with men, and their status in terms
of the position they occupy is strongly influenced by the scene, not of their choice, but on account of the social and religious
taboos which operated as legal sanctions, and even today operate as such, in many regions and communities, the constitution and
laws notwithstanding. Even in those regions and communities where the social and religious taboos can no longer be enforced
poverty, illiteracy, discrimination and male domination keep a vast majority of women away from the print media even as
readers.
The subject of portrayal of women in Indian media has drawn the attention of media critiques in the present times. It arises
especially when our society is going through a period of social change. Women have been portrayed as men would like to see
them - beautiful creatures, submissive mothers, efficient house keepers, but nothing else (Abraham;1988).
The positive side of women's progress and their contribution for national development has not been adequately discussed in the
print media. The emphasis on stories about women, about their struggle for recognition is only the surface trimming. The actual
message to audience still is that society opposes the liberation of women.
MAGAZINES AND JOURNALS
Magazines differ markedly from newspapers in content, time element and methods of operation. In contrast to daily newspaper
with its hurry-up headlines, magazines are published weekly, fortnightly, monthly or sometimes quarterly, because these
publications usually deal with subjects in greater depth than newspapers do.
Magazines fulfill four major purposes in our lives. They inform, guide and entertain the average reader. They also assist
commerce through advertising. Information is imparted chiefly by printing news, while in depth articles and features help to give
the reader the background necessary to understand intelligently current events and ideas. Entertainment is provided through
numerous articles, jokes and cartoon strips ( Sinha; 1992).
A magazine is regarded as a strategic information, educational and cultural institution (Chabbra; 1986). A newspaper is designed
for family reading while magazines in most instances aim carefully at special interest audience.

Indian Magazines contain primarily and predominantly volumes of advertisements and sexist writings. According to Guru
(1996), vast majority of Indian Magazines are known for the portrayal of women as sex objects, consumers and slaves. Women
journals are mostly elitist and sexist. They are not in a position to advocate the course of women and rejuvenate our sociopolitical economic and cultural orders. The targeted readerships of these magazines are the upper and lower middle classes living
in cities. A study carried out for the Second Press Commission of the contents and performance of women's journals says that,
most of women's journals consistently seek to direct women's energies into a narrow channel to define their concerns, preoccupations and aspirations with an arbitrarily imposed 'feminine framework'. The study says that the impression created is that
the outside world belongs to men and the issues which arise there do not affect women except indirectly through the men related
to them.
M. Fergusen (1983), in her book entitled 'Women Magazine and Cult of Feminity' has said that, women's magazine collectively
comprise a social institution which serves to foster and maintain a cult of Feminity. This cult is manifested both as a social group
to which all those born female can belong, and as a set of practices and beliefs, rites and rituals, sacrifices and ceremonies whose
periodic performance reaffirms a common Feminity. In promoting Feminity these magazines are not merely reflecting the female
role in society; they are also supplying one source of definitions of and socialization into that role.
Women's magazines confer status on women as a group and make womanly things a serious business. They provide a public
platform and a symbolic social order which consistently offers a woman cheap and accessible source of positive evaluation
alongside practical directions for fulfilling her potential as a consumer. They also preach the ideal of a woman's power of self
determination by their overwhelming emphasis on self- help.
The print media mould the opinion, thinking and attitudes of women as at times the position of women portrayed in articles and
stories is similar to their position.
Image of Women in Magazines
Women's image has gone through several unjust projections at the hands of the media. In a study conducted on 'reading habits
and perception of portrayal of women' by Nidhi Mittal (1999) where she found out that the respondents themselves felt that there
is a need to change women's portrayal in magazines as they were shown more in subdued roles.
Indecent posters and boardings displayed everywhere are the crude reminders of distorted images and attitudes to women.
Popular magazines with large circulations like 'Sunday' and 'India Today' flash vulgar and obscene glossy photographs on their
cover pages. The advertising world continues to use women to peddle its products and to present women as sexual object. The
image of the educated woman is typecast as insensitive, self-centered and uncaring. The economically independent woman is
shown as domineering and ruthless. The woman is considered ideal only when she is in her nurturing roles and as a supportive
supplement to man (Gupta, Rana ; 1995).
The coverage of women issues in the English print media and in the Indian language press differs in a number of ways. This is
quite expected due to the very difference of readership profiles and other characteristics. According to Dua (1995); the regional
language press has its compulsions to be biased, inflammatory, sensational, communal and partisan. This is so, as it serves only a
small segment of readers who are 'conservative' and 'traditional' and read such papers only to replenish and refresh their
established beliefs and credos.
An extensive study of three national women's magazines was carried out in 1978-79 by ManushiCollective, all the issues of
Femina, Eve's Weekly and Sarita were analysed over a period of year. Despite their claim to be 'concerned', 'involved' and 'alive'
the magazines were found without exception, to foster traditional patterns of female subordination although wrapped in
deceptively modern trappings.
In the opinion of S. Mukherjee (a supervisor in an Advertisement agency) as quoted by Kumar (1995) - "It is possible to depict a
woman as career oriented people but this would not be accepted. So, we try to project this image of a very smart woman. She is
not as mundane as you and me, even if she is a housewife. We try and put that through in very beautiful manner". She further
remarks- "the idea of new woman is actually a myth". In real life a working woman is as overworked as a housewife if not more.
All these women's magazines talk about the 'woman of substance', but this is their concept which they are putting forth and
expect everybody to accept that as the picture of the 'new woman'.
On the other hand, media can be utilized for projecting the true and positive image of women and to wipe out her traditional
passive image that has been imprinted on the mind of the society as a whole, including the women. The potentiality of media as a
powerful instrument of social change has first to be used to restore 50% of the humanity to its proper pedestal. Change has to be
brought about not only in the status of women but in the attitude of the society towards them. Priority has therefore necessarily to
be given to changing image of women, from a passive onlooker and recipient, to that of a positive doer and achiever (Sawant ;
1998).
Literacy creates quest for information, self learning and reading, thereby generating a demand for print media (Batra, Grover;
1994). Inspite of the boom in electronic media, coming of the satellite television and high-tech information explosion, the
traditional print media remain unvanquished. It carries credibility and weight and still moulds the opinion of many. While the
Audio-visual medium is largely a medium of entertainment, magazines and newspapers are medium of information. The written

word still has an aura surrounding it, particularly in India, where they have always been considered as gospel truth (Shiv Kumar;
1996).
The print also provides the syllabus and step-by-step instructions which help to socialize their readers into the various ages and
stages of the demanding but rewarding state of womanhood. They still define norms for what their followers should think, say,
do, wear, cook, read, explore, ignore or care about. The medium is still a message in itself and that message continues to be thatwomen are uniquely different; they require separate treatment and instruction in ways that men do not. The prints mould the
opinion, thinking and the attitudes of the women as at times the position of women portrayed in articles and stories is similar to
their position in the society.
THE WIDESPREAD IMPACT OF DISTORTED PORTRAYALS
What impact does this kind of distortion have on the position of women in society and their development?
The impact is different at different levels:
1.

The perpetuation of inequalities in the home-

Statistics tell that women and girls are more undernourished and uncared for than men and boys. Our media provides the
necessary ideology for this to the society.
2.

Creating a distorted self-image-

Media does not only influence the social image of women but also their self-image. Most women are themselves uncritical
consumers of anti-women media. Media affects their socialization process, it influences their choices regarding what they
consume and wear, how they behave, what they learn, and to what they ultimately become.
Media is therefore not only helped women and society to redefine their own and men's roles; it has also ignored, even trivialized
whatever attempts women have made to redefine their roles, to create alternative behaviour patterns and life styles. By doing so
media has clearly discouraged the emergence of a new woman, a new man and a new relationship between them.
Such a treatment of women by the media instead of reducing their isolation, increases it further. Instead of empowering women,
it weakens them. Women remain unheard, unrepresented and more 'uncommunicable' than before. The print media succeeds in
depoliticising women's miseries and issues.
3.

Reinforcing biases in development plans-

It has been already stated, media reinforces the conservative view of women and ignores their economic participation and
contribution especially that of rural women, over 50% of whom are directly involved in economic activities, in addition to
housework and childcare. All this means that media, instead of challenging the view that women are inferior, subservient,
unimportant, reinforces it and it establishes man as the active force, the doer, the one who matters. The needs and concerns, the
problems they face are not articulated publicly, no public thinking and debates are initiated on their real concerns. Because their
concerns and interests remain unarticulated in the print, women also remain neglected.
There is indeed a 'symbolic annihilation' the consequence of a combination of condemnation, trivialization and absence as far as
communication support to women's developments in India is concerned. Mass media have a social responsibility to promote well
being of women in particular.
CONCLUSION
The portrayal of woman in the print media is quite degrading more often than not depicting her as commercial commodity. It is
necessary that public should be motivated and sensitized to the issue of criminalization, politicization, and commercialization of
women vis--vis their projection in the media in a healthy manner (IIMC & Press Council of India Publication;1998).
Information in the print reinforces the stereotype and traditional roles of women in society. In order to enhance the status and
position of women in society the information/ messages should portray women in career oriented, lead roles and in a holistic
image, which is truly representative of Indian culture and ethos. Media is an issue is related to all women's issues and it affects
not only urban women but all women and all men. By reinforcing sex stereotypes and constantly glorifying motherhood and subservient wifehood the print media makes it difficult for women to break out of these prescribed roles, norms and behaviour
patterns. Such conservative depictions reduce the few statements about sex equality and equal participation of women contained
in the Constitution to mere window dressing.
This is not a plea of literary writing for women to be scoured but to redress the enormous harm done by existing portrayals and
images in print media. Women must resist being sold in this manner and it is time they took the power of this medium in their

own hands to create truth in their idiom or the pressures of the mass market will make their struggle for change increasingly
difficult. The sex-class bias simply invisiblises women. As we unite to struggle against sex oppression, we must struggle too for
equal space in the media. We must make media work for us and not against us.
The status of women has not improved noticeably despite the government's and the media's claim about social justice towards
women. What is needed is a wider change in the social outlook.
The cumulative and unconscious impact of these media messages, or lack thereof, can very often exacerbate gender
discrimination. I think, in general the lesson girls learn from this is that they're not encouraged to speak up or speak out or take up
leadership roles. The mass media could exercise significant influence in helping to remove such prejudice and promote processes
as equal partners.
Clearly, the media does not provide a balanced picture of women's diverse lives and contributions to society in a changing world.
Much remains to be done with regard to the "participation, portrayal and access of women to the media and its impact on and use
as an instrument for the advancement and empowerment of women". What our country needs in the present context are minimum
regulation and more enablement.
However for media to promote balanced and non-stereotype portrayal of women in their multiple roles, it is imperative that
government, media, NGOs and private sector should come together and forge joint strategies to promote gender equality and
gender justice. However this presupposes gender sensitivity among media owners and managers. In its new-found expansive role,
media should foster a broad ethical content and moralizing impulse in the society so essential for the emergence of a civil society.
Moreover for the society's abiding benefit media must nurture and transmit humane values of civilization. They must take upon
themselves the proactive role of a protector and a promoter of human rights, gender justice and democratic order.

The role and portrayal of Women in the media

Introduction
Media is considered as a traditionally male job and generally it is thought that women journalists can not skip the glass ceiling
phenomenon. Pakistan is another minefield of challenges for journalists, especially female journalists. The problem prevails
mostly in electronic media scenario as women are making more appearances on screen with the boom of private TV channels.
They are considered less prominent. Female journalists working in developed countries are also facing such problems but
Pakistani female journalists are in the initial stages towards progress.
In Pakistan, with the advent of increasing number of private TV channels, female journalists quite often appear on our television
screens. Anchor women, foreign correspondents, and special correspondents are omnipresent in the main broadcast news shows
and in current affairs programs. They are considered beautiful and successful women, as well as trend-setters with respect to
clothes, make-up and hairstyles. Print journalism, where the physical image is replaced by the reporter's name, this phenomenon
is much less prominent than electronic media.
In spite of the large entrance of female personnel into the professional work of information, women on top of editorial staff are
still a scanty minority: this is, however, no different to Western countries. Thanks to television, female journalists have acquired
great visibility.
Recently The International Womens Media Foundation announced that Rabia Mehmood, a journalist in the Lahore bureau of
Express 24/7 Television in Pakistan, has received its 2010-11 Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship. Mehmood is the sixth recipient of
the annual fellowship, which gives a woman journalist working in print, broadcast or online media the opportunity to focus
exclusively on human rights journalism and social justice issues. Throughout her career, Mehmood has reported on topics such as
womens rights, freedom of speech and political unrest. She has covered the survivors and victims of terrorist attacks, suicide
bombings and hostage sieges carried out by militants in Lahore. Mehmood has also reported on internally displaced people who
left Northwest Pakistan as a result of insurgency by terrorists and military offensives.

But this is not the case of every female journalist. Most of them are assigned to cover social, cultural, soft stories, day's events, or
light events. But male journalists get the preference to get a significant assignment, stories which might be lead stories. With the
evolution of time and in order to follow the west, Pakistani media is giving important posts to female journalists but in fact the
power still lies in the hands of dominant males. Editorial Boards mostly consist of male members.
Gender discrimination in journalism is very distinct and they are given the same benefits as to their male colleagues.
Theoretical Framework
Gender Role Theory:
Gender role theory posits that boys and girls learn the appropriate behavior and attitudes from the family and overall culture they
grow up with, and so non-physical gender differences are a product of socialization.
Social role theory proposes that the social structure is the underlying force for the gender differences. Social role theory proposes
that the sex-differentiated behavior is driven by the division of labor between two sexes within a society. Division of labor
creates gender roles, which in turn, lead to gendered social behavior.
The physical specialization of the sexes is considered to be the distal cause of the gender roles. Mens unique physical advantages
in term of body size and upper body strength provided them an edge over women in those social activities that demanded such
physical attributes such as hunting, herding and warfare. On the other hand, womens biological capacity for reproduction and
child-rearing is proposed to explain their limited involvement in other social activities. Such divided activity arrangement for the
purpose of achieving activity-efficiency led to the division of labor between sexes. Social role theorists have explicitly stressed
that the labor division is not narrowly defined as that between paid employment and domestic activities, rather, is conceptualized
to include all activities performed within a society that are necessary for its existence and sustainability. The characteristics of the
activities performed by men and women became people's perceptions and beliefs of the dispositional attributes of men or women
themselves. Through the process of correspondent inference, division of labor led to gender roles, or gender stereotype.
Ultimately, people expect men and women who occupy certain position to behave according to these attributes.
These socially constructed gender roles is considered to be hierarchical and characterized as a male-advantaged gender hierarchy.
The activities men involved in were often those that provided them with more access to or control of resources and decision
making power, rendering men not only superior dispositional attributes via correspondence bias (Gilbert, 1998, p.**), but also
higher status and authority as society progressed. The particular pattern of the labor division within a certain society is a dynamic
process and determined by its specific economical and cultural characteristics. For instance, in an industrial economy, the
emphasis on physical strength in social activities becomes less compared with that in a less advanced economy. In a low birth
rate society, women will be less confined to reproductive activities and thus more likely to be involved in a wide range of social
activities. The beliefs that people hold about the sexes are derived from observations of the role performances of men and women
and thus reflect the sexual division of labor and gender hierarchy of the society.
The consequences of gender roles and stereotypes are sex-typed social behavior because roles and stereotypes are both socially
shared descriptive norms and prescriptive norms. Gender roles provide guides to normative behaviors that are typical, ought-tobe and thus likely effective for each sex within certain social context. Gender roles also depict ideal, should-be, and thus
desirable behaviors for men and women who are occupying a particular position or involving in certain social activities. Put is
another way, men and women, as social beings, strive to belong and seek for approval by complying and conforming to the social

and cultural norms within their society. The conformity to social norms not only shapes the pattern, but also maintains the very
existence of sex-typed social behavior.
In summary, social role theory treats these differing distributions of women and men into roles as the primary origin of sexdifferentiated social behavior, their impact on behavior is mediated by psychological and social processes including
developmental and socialization processes, as well as by processes involved in social interaction (e.g., expectancy confirmation)
and self-regulation
Social Construction of Gender Difference
This perspective proposes that gender difference is socially constructed. This perspective believes that gender is socially
constructed. Social constructionism of gender moves away from socialization as the origin of gender differences; people do not
merely internalize gender roles as they grow up but they respond to changing norms in society. Children learn to categorize
themselves by gender very early on in life. A part of this is learning how to display and perform gendered identities as masculine
or feminine. Boys learn to manipulate their physical and social environment through physical strength or other skills, while girls
learn to present themselves as objects to be viewed. Children monitor their own and others gendered behavior. Gendersegregated children's activities create the appearance that gender differences in behavior reflect an essential nature of male and
female behavior.
Judith Bulter contends that being female is not natural and that it appears natural only through repeated performances of
gender; these performances in turn, reproduce and define the traditional categories of sex and/or gender. A social constructionist
view looks beyond categories and examines the intersections of multiple identities, the blurring of the boundaries of essentialist
categories. This is especially true with regards to categories of male and female that are typically viewed by others as binary and
opposites of each other. By deconstructing categories of gender, the value placed on masculine traits and behaviors disappears.
However, the elimination of categories makes it difficult to make any comparisons between the genders or to argue and fight
against male domination.
Feminism, masculinism and religious views
Some feminists see gender differences as caused by patriarchy or discrimination, although difference feminism argues for an
acceptance of gender differences. Conservative masculists tend to see gender differences as inherent in human nature, while
liberal masculists see gender differences as caused by matriarchy and discrimination.
History of the struggle of female journalists:
Since the 1960s, feminists have argued that "it matters who makes it." When it comes to the mass media, "who makes it"
continues to be men.
Women working in the media have made some inroads. In 2001, the International Federation of Journalists reported that around
the world, 38 per cent of all working journalists are women. Studies conducted by Canadian researchers Gertrude Robinson and
Armande Saint-Jean have found that 28 per cent of newspaper editors are female. And according to San Diego State University
communications professor Martha Lauzen, 24 per cent of American television producers, writers, and directors are women.
Denis Monire, political analyst and professor at Quebec's University of Montreal maintains that even if the visibility of female
journalists has grown in the last ten years, we shouldn't be too quick to shout victory. In 2002, the Canadian Newspaper
Association reported that 43 per cent of Canadian newspaper employees are women. However, they account for only eight per

cent of editors-in-chief and twelve per cent of publishers. Women employed in the sector tend to work in "pink-collar ghettos";
they make up 70 per cent of the advertising department, and 80 per cent of the accounting and finance staff.
In addition to being un-represented in positions of authority, Monire thinks women are also under-utilized in covering the
subjects considered most importantpolitics, economy and social trends. And when it comes to the evening news, women are
almost invisible. The posting of Sophie Thibault in 2002 as the ten o'clock news anchor for the national French-language channel
TVA is a "first" for Canada. Most often, women are consigned to noon-hour shows, local newscasts, "fill-ins" and weekend
spots.
However, men continue to occupy approximately 75 per cent of the positions of power in the mass media.
The 2001 study conducted by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania is equally damning. The
Center reports that only 13 per cent of the top executives of American media, telecommunications and e-companies are female.
And that 13 per cent is not concentrated at the top: women constitute only 9 per cent of the boards of directors for these
companies, and they hold only 3 per cent of the most powerful positions.
CURRENT SITUATION:
Women in Islamic nations are increasingly being heard, seen and listened to, thanks in part to leading female voices determined
to make a difference, despite challenges ranging from motherhood to threats on their lives.
One of the hostesses of a popular Saudi program called "Speaking Softly" says that until recently, she did not see people like
herself on television.
Muna Abusulayman is one of four anchorwomen on the show that deals with various issues in a talk format. Of the four,
Abusulayman is the only one who wears a hijab, or headscarf. She is also divorced and lives alone with her child in Saudi Arabia.
Women in the Middle East actually make up the majority of anchors and presenters on television. But, Abusulayman says, they
are much less prominent behind the scenes and in other media like print and radio.
Tasneem Ahmar, who runs a media and advocacy group in Pakistan as well as producing radio programs on women's issues,
agrees with Abusulayman.
With more than 25 years experience as a journalist, Ahmar says that, not unlike the West, most decision-making jobs, top
executive positions, and "tough" assignments are given to men.
"Women normally are assigned very soft issues - social issues, cultural issues," she said. "There are very few women, you'll find,
who are doing hard political stories or economic stories or current affairs programs."
Tasneem Ahmar thinks positive changes for women in the Middle East and the Islamic world are on the horizon. She predicts
that a new wave of young women in the Pakistani media will have an impact in five to ten years in her country.
"These young girls who have come in, they're very ambitious and they're very hard working and I don't think anything is going to
stop them from going to the top positions."
While there is still a lot of work to be done, the women hope that their efforts and successes in the media will inspire not only
women but men too. Or maybe there is truth to the old adage, "the best man for the job is a woman."
One woman in the Middle East who does cover tough stories and speaks out is May Chidiac. She is the host of a Lebanese TV
program called "With Audacity."

Chidiac is known all over the Arab world for her tenacious journalism. A victim of an assassination attempt by suspected Syrian
agents, she lost a hand and a leg in a car bombing in September 2005. After numerous surgeries, she went straight back to work.
Reporter of an English Newspaper from Dhaka says that in most cases, chief reporters/assignment editors (almost everyone are
male) do not assign them something special/important or significant reports. They are still assigned soft stories, day's events, or
light events. But male journalists get the preference to get a significant assignment, stories which might be lead stories.
But the interesting point is that, many female journalists in our country now protesting this kind of attitudes and they are getting
serious kind of assignment after fighting with their bosses.
In Bangladesh, this is a very new phenomenon to appoint female journalists in electronic media, However, critics pointed that as
female is more attractive then male in electronic media, so the media owners appoints the female journalists to attract audiences.
About 15 percent female journalists are now working in country's 11 state and privately run TV channels.
On the other hand, in print media, we are very few female reporters are which any working journalist can count within 10
minutes.
There are some other sectors of the media where female are more visible then reporting like hazardous and glamorous job for
unknown reasons.
Anam Istafa, Sub editor, National Herald Tribune openly admits that female journalists are usually assumed to be dumb and so
tender hearted for Hard news coverage especially of blasts and natural disasters. She says that very rare females are at the
executive positions in media news media business. Most of them usually follow guideline and policies by their male bosses.
Policy and decision makers are predominantly men.
Despite the increase of womens visibility in media organizations, journalists in South Asia are hardly seen in the decisionmaking positions.
This was one of the several issues highlighted by more than 200 women working in the media from every SAARC country, who
came together for the first time in Lahore, Pakistan, for a two-day meeting on Women in Media - Challenges, Opportunities and
Partnership.
Women media persons from Maldives, Bhutan and Nepal pointed out that none of the print media in their country has ever had a
female journalist heading the newsroom. Participants from India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka raised similar concerns,
and also pointed out that man in their media organizations outnumbered women.
Most of the participants cited long and difficult working hours, lack of incentives and appreciation to keep women working in the
media, fulfilling household obligations and unequal wages as some of the reasons why women in the media are under-represented
at various levels in South Asia. These were also some of the reasons why most female media persons, after working for few
years, leave the profession for other jobs.
Portrayal of women in the media as victims was also discussed extensively. Some of the participants pointed out that women
make news in several South Asian news media only when they are victims of conflict, crime, natural disasters or terrorism.
However, one of the guest speakers, Pakistans federal information minister, Qamar Zaman Kaira, said: Women journalists play
an important role in voicing concerns of the victims in conflict areas, who are often women and children. Some of these victims
are more comfortable sharing their experiences with female professionals. He urged women media persons to also take up more
serious and hard-hitting issues relating to politics, security and conflict.

Senior journalist in Pakistan, Shehar Bano, said at the conference that international research studies indicate transformation in
news content brought on by an influx of women into the news media. Issues such as health, education, child care and women
workers have gained prominent slots in newspapers, she said.
Bandana Rana from Nepal said, however, that there are also many female media persons, who are confined to covering only
feature articles on art, culture and lifestyle and very few female reporters are assigned business, economics or political stories.
It was resolved during the meeting that female media persons should be given training opportunities to enhance their skills to
cover all issues, along with mentorship programmes between senior and junior female journalists.
Former Chairperson, Department of Mass Communications at University of Karachi, Professor Shahida Qazi said she is happy
that more and more Pakistani women are now joining media. She recalled when in 1966 she had joined Daily Dawn Karachi as a
reporter, many people were surprised. She said now more than 70 percent of Karachi University students are women. She said in
the Department of Mass Communications, there are more female students than males.
Former Secretary Information Department, and TV compere Mehtab Akbar Rashdi said declaration of the state of emergency and
curbs on media in Pakistan have shocked journalists, writers and human right activists. She said the dream of gender justice and
equality could not materialize until change of mindset in male population. She said even today in the practical field female
journalists face many problems due to this dogmatic thinking.
Rashdi said steps for empowerment of women should be taken from the home. She said parents should encourage their daughters
to get higher education and work in every walk of life.
Electronic media in Pakistan is highlighting gender-related issues in a better way in comparison to print media, because more
women journalists work in TV channels. Pakistani women have entered the field of journalism after a tough competition. Now
women journalists and photographers could be seen working in Pakistani society and it is a welcome change.
Association of Television Journalists (ATJ) only has some 50 females among its 700 or so members around the country, but
nearly half of them are concentrated in the business capital of Karachi. Women are highly visible in the Pakistani media as
anchors and talk show hosts on dozens of private radio and television channels in various regional languages, besides English and
Urdu.
Women are paid less than their male colleagues for equal work and have to fight harder for the political or other high profile
assignments Most identify sexual harassment as their biggest concern, according to Zebunnisa Burki, who has been coordinating
South Asian Women in Media (SAWM)
EFFORTS /STEPS TAKEN TO PROMOTE ROLE OF WOMEN IN MEDIA
Gender Equality Beyond 2005: Building a more secure future for women reporters
To mark International Womens Day on 8 March 2005, UNESCOs Director-General, Kochiro Matsuura, launched for the
fourth time the global initiative Women Make the News. UNESCO appeals to all media producing daily news to hand over
editorial responsibility to women to cast the news on that day.

UNESCO Supports Gender in Journalism Awards in Pakistan

The Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) organizes the "Gender in Journalism Awards" to honour excellence in gender sensitive
reporting in the country. UNESCO supports the two awards, each carrying a cash prize of Rs 25,000 (US$ 400), that will be
given to Pakistani journalists.
One award recognizes models for excellence and best practices in coverage of gender related issues. It is open to both male and
female journalists. The second award honours outstanding coverage of any issue by a female journalist. Its aim is to promote role
models for women entering or planning to enter the journalism field. Journalists working in print media may nominate their own
work, or editors and others may nominate articles that promote the objectives of the awards.
Fiji Women Community Radio Initiative
femLINKpacific (Media Initiatives for Women), a women's media NGO, launched in 2004 femTALK 89.2FM, a mobile
women's community radio project. In January 2005, as a result of the grant of UNESCO's Intergovernmental Programme for the
Development of Communication (IPDC), the femLINKpacific is taking the suitcase radio to women in their communities.
The aim of the femTALK 89,2FM project is to not only create a new space on the radio waves for community based discussion,
but also to provide practical opportunities for women within their own communities to highlight and address issues relevant to
them.
The main focus of femLINKpacific's range of community media initiatives is "women speaking to women for peace". The
decision making structures still lack equal representation by women and the capacity of women, especially from the rural
population and the poor, to communicate openly on common matters should be increased.
International Womens Media Foundation
Since its founding in 1990, the International Womens Media Foundation has conducted training programs on five continents, in
26 countries and over the Internet with the goal of strengthening the role of women in the news media worldwide.
The IWMF supports women in the media through groundbreaking projects, and innovative research and training designed to help
women develop their skills and become leaders in their profession. Since 1990, the IWMF has honored more than 50
extraordinarily brave and hardworking journalists with Courage in Journalism Awards. The only international awards designed to
recognize the contributions of women on journalisms front lines, the Courage awards recognize women who have faced physical
attacks, prison terms, beatings, rape, and death threats to themselves and their families.
Training Women Media Professionals
Internews is one of the worlds leading trainers of female media professionals, training more than 25,000 women in media skills
since 2003 alone.
Internews helps women get on the air and in the newsrooms in societies where their participation has been marginalized, allowing
for reporting on all issuesnot just womens issuesto be done through the voices of women in that society.
Mainstreaming Womens Issues
To ensure that the media meet the needs of all audiences, Internews works to foster womens leadership in the media industry so
that issues of vital concern to women are mainstreamed, integrated across all programming and not relegated to a niche market.

In communities where specific gender issues are underreported, such as gender-based violence or womens health, Internews has
developed special programs produced by and for women.
Pakistans First Radio Program by and for Women
In Pakistan, where only three percent of journalists are women, Internews has worked to increase the number of women working
in media, training women at journalism programs established by Internews at universities from Peshawar to Rawalpindi to
Balochistan. Internews launched Meri Awaz Suno (Hear My Voice), the countrys first independent syndicated program that
features women as both producers and subjects.
In 2003, Internews built a state-of-theart independent radio production facility in Islamabad where women journalists are trained
in radio reporting and production and work on Meri Awaz Suno.
The radio show airs on 19 independent radio stations across the country, and focuses on issues such as politics, education and
health. Before Internews training, most reporters working on Meri Awaz Suno had little experience working in radio or
journalism. Now they are leaders the first women in Pakistan to work as independent broadcast journalists, and role models for
young women.
Establishment of Forum Named :Women Journalists Pakistan (WJP)
The women journalists of twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad formally announced Women Journalists Pakistan (WJP) forum
to address professional problems faced by them and find out ways to nurture their skills.
The ceremony was organized at the National Press Club, Islamabad in which Javed Akhtar, Director News Associated Press of
Pakistan, Absar Alam, Anchor person Aaj TV, Qatrina Hussain, Anchor person Express TV and Fozia Shahid Anchor Person
ATV shared their through provoking ideas and views with a large number of female journalists present there.
According to WJP members, the body is a non-political and intellectual-based forum that aims to provide platform to working
women journalists in the print and electronic media.
In addition to raising a collective voice on issues faced by women journalists, the forum will initially focus on two basic aspects networking and facilitating journalists avail media-related career-building opportunities.
The WJP hierarchy is:
Myra Imran of The News (Convener); Saadia Khalid, The News and Humaira Sharif of APP (Resource persons).
Working Group: Ayesha Habib (Dunya TV); Sehrish Majid (Apna TV), Anila Bashir- (Samaa), Asma Ghani (The Nation),
Maimoona (Khabrain), Siddrah Bokhari (APP), Naheed Akhtar (APP), Shumaila Noreen (APP), Zahida Mahmood (APP),
Ghazala Noreen (News-One TV), Saadia Masood (Rohi TV), Nazia Hameed (Channel 5), Afshan Qureshi (Ausaf), Rukhsana
Mussarat (Radio Pakistan), Shazia Seher (Apna TV).
The WJP Advisory Board comprises the following:
Qatrina Hussain (Anchorperson, Express TV); Absar Alam (Anchorperson Aaj TV); Ghazi Salahuddin (Member Editorial Board,
Jang Group of Newspapers); Javed Akhtar (Director News, APP); Muhammad Ziauddin (Executive Editor, The Express
Tribune); Shamsul Islam Naz (Secretary General, Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists); Asma Shirazi (Anchorperson Samaa
TV); Mazhar Arif (Executive Director, Alternate Media) and Fozia Shahid (ATV).

Establishment of Aasha (the Alliance Against Sexual Harrasment) and a code of conduct for workplace
WWO is among the civil society organisations which got together a few years ago to form Aasha, the Alliance Against Sexual
Harassment (www.aasha.org.pk) in collaboration with the International Labor Organisation (ILO) and Pakistans Ministry of
Women Development.
Aasha developed a code of conduct for the workplace and a procedure to deal with harassment and discrimination. Geo TV, the
largest private television network in Pakistan is among the few media organisations Aasha lists as a progressive employer.
"Its not necessary for every case to be a federal issue," commented a television producer who worked with Geo when Aasha
started. "Often the tension arises because of the widespread gender segregation in our society - many of these youngsters dont
know how to interact with each other. This leads to misunderstandings that the code helps to clear up."
Another reason for growing sexual harassment may be that, with education, more people are crossing class barriers.
"Women coming into journalism earlier were relatively well-connected and self-confident. Many now come from lower-middle
class backgrounds and have less confidence. Men find it easier to take advantage of or intimidate them," observed a senior
journalist.
Problems Faced by Female Journalists
(Pakistan)
It is an established fact that women are an integral part of the Pakistani media. Professionally, they match their male colleagues
and their analytical and investigative skills are quite impressive. With their distinctive approach to political, economic and social
issues, women journalists have successfully highlighted the human angle that had previously remained neglected. They have
proven themselves, both in the print and the electronic media.
Less than a decade ago, there were very few women in journalism. But things have now changed and with the opening of a string
of television channels, many new faces have joined in. These motivated girls have been a valuable addition to the Pakistani
media. Viewers, readers and listeners, have all appreciated their work.
However, unfortunately the working conditions in the media houses have remained unchanged. Low salaries, downsizing, lack of
professionalism, non-existence of basic facilities for employees like health, old age benefits etc, no job security and nonconducive work environment in majority of media organizations especially in the Urdu print media are indeed big hurdles.
This has greatly affected women journalists because they are often the first ones to become victims of downsizing. Mainly due to
social pressures, they cannot work in two or three places like their male colleagues and unlike their male colleagues women are
reluctant to seek favors.
The constraints they face due to overall environment in media industry become a hurdle in their way to assume journalism as a
career but another dimension of this issue is the problems female journalists face within their community - the biggest is their
continuing struggle to become registered journalists within media bodies.
Unfortunately, majority of the women journalists have only been granted associate membership which is actually not regular
membership. The condition is worst in under developed areas where women, in most of cases, dont apply for membership.

This apparently small problem has long lasting effect on the overall situation of female journalists and their growth in media
industry. Due to non-registration and inadequate data available of women journalists, they are almost always ignored in capacity
building initiatives.
Women journalists are considered fair game by their male colleagues and others as objects for twisted fantasies and sexually
oriented remarks and innuendo. Sometimes it goes up a level or two.
Take the Maheen Usman saga, for example, which forced the senior Dunya TV broadcaster to resign this June after she was
hounded and ostracized for alleging sexual harassment by the channels Managing Director, Yousaf Baig Mirza. At least she had
the guts to bring it out in the open. Many others dont and continue to suffer on a daily basis.
True the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) defended her, although their attempts to do so were met with a stone wall
and even found to be quite hilarious in some quarters. The case did, however, move the director of current affairs at Dunya TV,
Naseem Zehra, to defend Maheen. Try as she did though, Naseem was unable to get colleagues to sign a petition in favor of
Maheen, speaking volumes for the apathy with which such things are treated in Pakistani newsrooms.
Although the affair seems to have died down, it continues to surface in various online forums with all sorts of accusations and
counter accusations flying around. Even the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) stepped in, but in the end nothing really
got done. The bigger picture remains untouched.
Female journalists continue to get crank calls and text messages on their phones. These are usually suggestive in nature. While
some messages ask female journalists to become a friend others usually consist of smutty jokes and comments or poetry that
greatly disturb the receiver because of their obvious nefarious nature.
One female journalist in Islamabad, who did not wish to be named, even received death threats if she did not comply with the
wishes of a person who constantly barraged her with sexually explicit phone calls and messages.
Other female journalists have received messages from senior male journalists offering them better jobs but if only they would
accept their friendship.
Such messages and attempts are not only generated by male journalists but also by politicians and men in positions of power.
While many female journalists try to ignore such attempts at unsolicited friendship, it is easier said than done. When I get such
messages, I get so angry that I cannot function properly, remarked one female journalist who works for a top television channel.
It comes in the way of my work.
Many young female journalists are married and support their husbands to run their homes. Its impossible to run the home with
a single salary these days, one of them observed, but these animals dont take that into consideration. They think were here to
have fun and games. This is so wrong. We are professionals and have ambitions to do better in our work, but not like this.
Although Pakistan has a sexual harassment law many young women journalists feel it is never implemented and that rather than
side with the complainant one becomes a victim to a never ending investigation that usually results with the victim resigning
from her job with an uncertain future ahead. (http://journalismpakistan.com/stories/120.html)
Various studies reveals that though the participation of women in journalism has been increasing gradually but their participation
in decision-making process is still insignificant. The study reveals that though the participation of women in journalism has been
increasing gradually but their participation in decision-making process is still insignificant.

According to the findings of the study, around 23 percent of women felt that men and women journalists of equal competence get
equal opportunity in the media industry. Meanwhile, 80 percent women respondents felt that women journalists do not get equal
priority compared to their male counterparts in matters of getting assignments.
The study found that there was no specific maternity policy in media and authorities permit the maternity leave as per their wish.
Provision in law regarding protection of women
According to Protection of Women (Criminal Laws Amendment) Act, 2006, it is necessary to provide relief and protection to
women against misuse and abuse of law and to prevent their exploitation.
Article 14 of the Constitution ensures that dignity of man and, subject to law, the privacy of home, shall be inviolable;
WHEREAS Article 25 of the Constitution guarantees that there shall be no discrimination on the basis of sex alone and that the
State shall make provisions for the protection of women;
AND Article 37 of the Constitution encourages promotion of social justice and eradication of social evils.
Code of Ethics:
Pakistan has adopted a Code of Conduct for Gender Justice in the Workplace that will deal with cases of sexual harassment. The
Alliance Against Sexual Harassment At workplace (AASHA) announced they would be working with the committee to establish
guidelines for the proceedings. AASHA defines sexual harassment much the same as it is defined in the U.S. and other cultures.
The Alliance Against Sexual Harassment (AASHA) has welcomed the decision of the National Assembly in unanimously
passing the bill;The Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplace 2009.
This is landmark legislation in providing a safe working environment so that men and women can earn their livelihood with
dignity without any fear and intimidation from each other. And the passage of the Pakistan Penal Code Amendment to section
509 to define sexual harassment as a crime by both the National Assembly and the Senate.
The passing of these legislations by the National Assembly will make it essential for the management of the organizations to
adopt the Code of Conduct and form a three member inquiry committee to deal with the complaints of sexual harassment within
their organizations. The management will have to form the committee and notify the employers of the Code of Conduct within
one month of the passage of the bill. Any management that fails to get the Code of Conduct instituted within their organization or
to establish a three member enquiry committee can be taken to court and can be fined up to Rs. 100,000.
In case the perpetrator is too senior or is the owner of the business himself and the victim is not satisfied with the decision of the
committee or feels that the committee cannot do justice can go to an Ombudsperson which will be established only for this
purpose.
The Alliance against Sexual Harassment has been working since 2002 in instituting the Anti Sexual Harassment Policy in
organizations over 300 organizations have adopted the code.
Three main types of sexual harrasment defined by Equal Employment Opportunity Commission EEOC are
Quid pro quo sexual harassment
Quid pro quo means "this for that". In the workplace, this occurs when a job benefit is directly tied to an employee submitting to
unwelcome sexual advances. For example, a supervisor promises an employee a raise if he or she will go out on a date with him

or her, or tells an employee he or she will be fired if he or she doesn't sleep with him or her.[27] Quid pro quo harassment also
occurs when an employee makes an evaluative decision, or provides or withholds professional opportunities based on another
employee's submission to verbal, nonverbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature. Quid pro quo harassment is equally unlawful
whether the victim resists and suffers the threatened harm or submits and thus avoids the threatened harm.
Hostile environment sexual harassment
This occurs when an employee is subjected to comments of a sexual nature, unwelcome physical contact, or offensive sexual
materials as a regular part of the work environment. For the most part, a single isolated incident will not be enough to prove
hostile environment harassment unless it involves extremely outrageous and egregious conduct. The courts will try to decide
whether the conduct is both "serious" and "frequent." Supervisors, managers, co-workers and even customers can be responsible
for creating a hostile environment.
The line between quid pro quo and "hostile environment" harassment is not always clear and the two forms of harassment often
occur together. For example, an employee's job conditions are affected when a sexually hostile work environment results in a
constructive discharge. At the same time, a supervisor who makes sexual advances toward a subordinate employee may
communicate an implicit threat to retaliate against her if she does not comply.
"Hostile environment" harassment may acquire characteristics of "quid pro quo" harassment if the offending supervisor abuses
his authority over employment decisions to force the victim to endure or participate in the sexual conduct. Sexual harassment
may culminate in a retaliatory discharge if a victim tells the harasser or her employer she will no longer submit to the harassment,
and is then fired in retaliation for this protest. Under these circumstances it would be appropriate to conclude that both
harassment and retaliation in violation of section 704(a) of Title VII have occurred."
Retaliation
Retaliation has occurred when an employee suffers a negative action after he or she has made a report of sexual harassment, file a
grievance, assist someone else with a complaint, or participate in discrimination prevention activities. Negative actions can
include being fired, demotion, suspension, denial of promotion, poor evaluation, unfavorable job re-assignmentany adverse
employment decision or treatment that would be likely to dissuade a "reasonable worker" from making or supporting a charge of
discrimination. Retaliation is as illegal as the sexual harassment itself, but also as difficult to prove. Also, retaliation is illegal
even if the original charge of sexual harassment was not proven.
Feminism
The basic assumption shared by all feminists is that women suffer certain injustices on account of their sex. Feminists stress the
importance of gender divisions in society and it portrays these divisions as working to the overall advantage of men. Although
feminists are united with their common desire for sexual justice and their concern for womens welfare, there is a range spectrum
of feminist views.
Liberal feminism focuses on equal rights; radical feminism focuses on the sex war and separatism (they see patriarchy as built
into the structure of society); Marxist/socialists feminism focuses on the impact of capitalism while black feminists focus
on racism and ethnicity.

Two of the more famous proponents of feminism are:

Ann Oakley, a British sociologist and writer, born 1944. Her works include Women Confined: Towards a sociology of
childbirth.(1980) and Whos afraid of Feminism? (1997). Her father was a social policy theorist.
Claire Wallace, a British sociologist and writer. Wallace was a professor at Aberdeen University. Her most famous work is An
Introduction to Sociology: Feminist Perspectives (1990). Wallace was president of the European Sociology Association 200709.
Feminism has five major concepts embedded into it:
Patriarchy - the dominance of men in society, and the oppression of women for mens gain. Example: The family is patriarchal
because women must do housework without pay.
Discrimination - unfair/unequal treatment of women i.e. by the law. Example: Women paid less than men until Equal Pay Act
1970.
Gender stereotypes - negative generalisations/misconceptions about women. These are perpetuated in the media, as well as the
education system. Example: Man are better drivers then women.
Economic dependency - women giving up work to take care of childcare/housework responsibilities, thus becoming dependent
on their husbands for money.
Emotional work - women are expected to do the majority of emotional care for their family, on top of their job and housework;
the so-called triple shift.
Feminism and Education: feminists believe that education as it stands promotes male domination; that there is gendered
language within education, education produces stereotypes, education misses women from the curriculum, girls and boys
subjects have been allowed to develop eg: (girls do Food Tech while boys do Woodwork). Feminists believe that the education
system is patriarchal; they believe that the Hidden curriculumreinforces gender differences. Girls tend to do better now,
although boys demand more attention from teachers. Men dominate top positions in school (head teachers ect.) Liberal
feminists: want an equal access to education for boys and girls. Marxist feminists: want to consider gender inequalities
combined with inequalities of class and ethnicity. Radical feminists: men are a bad influence and we should have female-centred
education. Illich 1971: get rid of school completely. He wanted to de-school society as the functions it performs are not good
enough to run schools and schools do not create equality or develop creativity.
Feminism and Family: Feminists believe that the family is patriarchal, dominated by men and it exploits and oppresses women.
The family supports and reproduces inequalities between men and women. Women are oppressed because their socialised to be
dependent on men and remain in second place. They reject the new rights view of the separate roles, and also reject the march of
progress 'view in that society has not changed and it is still unequal. Feminists believe that marriage remains patriarchal and that
men benefit from wives. Feminists reject the idea of one best family type, they welcome freedom and diversity.
Feminism and the Media: Feminists believe that the media often presents women as cleaners, housewives, domestic servants
providing comfort and support for men, a mans sex object to service mens sexual needs, ect. Feminists believe that this gender
representation is an aspect of patriarchy. Feminists believe that the media suggests these roles are natural and normal. Feminists
see this as an example of patriarchal ideology- a set of beliefs which distorts reality and supports male dominance.
Feminism and Crime: Feminists argue that the behaviour of women when criminality is involved can only be understood in the
context of male dominance. Pat Carlen argues that womens crimes are largely crimes of the powerless. She draws on control
theory, arguing that working-class women turn to crime when the advantages appear to outweigh the disadvantages. Feminists
believe that women have been socialised to conform; womens socialisation and domestic responsibilities plus the controls
imposed on them by men discourage deviance from social norms. Frances Heidensohn believes that the most striking thing about

womens behaviour is their conformity to social norms. She explains this in terms of their socialisation and control over their
behaviour by men. As a result women have less inclination, time and opportunity for crime.
Feminism and Religion: Feminists believe that religion is a patriarchal institution. They criticise the sacred texts as in almost all
the worlds religions, the gods are male. (Hindus come close to being an exception, with its female goddesses). Feminists have
also been written and interpreted by males by incorporating many traditional male stereotypes and biases. Supernatural beings
and religious professionals are overwhelmingly male, and in many religions, women play a secondary role in worship. In strongly
religious societies, women tend to have fewer options and less favourable treatment.
Feminist methodology: There are a number of feminist methodologies. The weak thesis states that overgeneralisation is found
in all aspects of the research process. Research methods, in and of themselves, are not sexist. Once researchers learn to use them
in a non-sexist way, the problem will be solved. Some feminists see womens struggle and feminist methodology as inseparable.
The feminist researcher should be consciously partial and actively participate in women's liberation. Postmodern feminism rejects
pre-set, pre-determined categories. It emphasises diversity and variation. It argues that there are multiple interpretations of any
observation and that this should be reflected by multiple voices in research reports.
Critics of feminism:
Critics argue that there is too much focus on negative aspects, and that feminists sometime ignore recent social changes . Critics
claim that feminists portray women as passive victims, as if they are unable to act against discrimination. The same critics
believe that feminists focus on one specific group, ignoring women from other cultures and ethnicities (black feminism).
Sociological stance on feminism:
Feminism is a structuralist (top-down) theory. Postmodernist sociologists argue that society has fragmented since the modern
era and can no longer be explained with rigid rules and structures. Instead, postmodernists believe in social action (bottom-up)
theory.
Marxism shares some similarities with feminism: it argues that society is unequal and that it is characterised by oppression.
However, Marxists believe that the oppression is of the proletariat by the bourgeoisie.
Functionalist sociologists disagree with feminists. Unlike feminists, they emphasise the positive aspects of society. Functionalists
believe that societys institutions (education, media, religion etc.) are vital so that society can function. However, functionalists
are often criticised for ignoring negative aspects of society, such as domestic violence