Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Women's Views on News

Women's Views on News

Here is the news – read by a young, attractive female (again)

Posted: 07 May 2012 07:30 AM PDT

Jackie Gregory
WVoN co-editor 

Turn on the TV news in Britain or the USA and it is likely to be the same story; a distinguished, grey-haired experienced male broadcaster sitting beside a younger and pulchritudinous female presenter.

It is a programming formula that television companies have been employing for the last three decades at least, and two researchers have found little sign of it changing.

Claire Wolfe, journalism lecturer, and Dr Barbara Mitra, media and cultural studies lecturer, both at the University of Worcester in England, say women still face much greater pressure than men to present an attractive physical appearance.

Their research suggests that where glamour is important, intelligence is depreciated.

It seems that women are still selected on the basis of how they look, and that they also self-select themselves out of jobs if they do not believe they are attractive enough.

In a paper entitled: “Newsreaders as eye candy: the hidden agenda of public broadcasting” published by the Association for Journalism Education, Wolfe and Mitra conclude that this phenomenon is a reflection of the entrenched patriarchal structure in our society.

They write: “The way female newsreaders are presented, supports and reinforces patriarchal norms and specific discourses of gender, despite the advances made by feminism in the 20th and 21st centuries.

“They also reinforce the dominant (male) discourses of beauty which provide limited role models for women.

“The pressure on female newsreaders to look physically attractive and young is part of the wider patriarchal power structures that dominate our society, as well as media organisations.”

During the research they carried out eight interviews with senior broadcast journalists, and 20 interviews with people who watch the news on TV. A total of 167 questionnaires were completed.

One former ITV producer said that women presenters felt under pressure to have Botox, teeth whitening and veneers. She is quoted in the report as saying: “It’s like Stepford Wives, making everyone look bland.”

Another former newsreader said that she was dropped from her role in favour of a younger woman.

Because the culture of youth and beauty is so dominant, others commented that women felt they had to leave a presenting role, or resigned themselves to not getting one, once they hit 50.

A former male BBC editor commented to the researchers: “You may get a woman who goes off because she says she’s made to feel she can go no further. Has she been told this or does she feel this herself?”

Wolfe and Mitra conclude that the because these discourses are so prevalent, women do not feel confident enough to challenge them on their own, and so opt for other alternatives, and what is happening in the news industry is a reflection of norms in society.

“We wonder, therefore, whether we will ever see a woman with grey hair reading the news,” they said.

It is a question that AA Gill and Samantha Brick seemed to answer with a ‘No’ last week.

Gill, a male writer and reviewer, said broadcaster and history academic Mary Beard should be kept away from the cameras because of how she looked.

Samantha Brick, who was at the centre of a Twitter maelstrom last month for saying women hated her because of her beauty, agreed in another article for the Daily Mail entitled ‘Sorry some women ARE too ugly for TV’ .

Beard replied in The Guardian to Gill’s criticism saying: “Throughout Western history there have always been men like Gill who are frightened of smart women who speak their minds, and I guess, as a professor of Classics at Cambridge University, I'm one of them.”

Politics and women: how to get involved

Posted: 07 May 2012 06:00 AM PDT

Fiona Pashazadeh

Jane Osmond
WVoN co-editor

As a committed voter I regularly stay up  all night to watch the election results coming in, whether at local or national level.

The first thing that struck me about the coverage of the English local council elections last week was the unremittingly male picture presented by the BBC, despite the recent criticism about the lack of women on the BBC's Today Show.

In response, the BBC said: ‘Women of all ages feature prominently throughout the BBC’s schedules on radio and television. There is of course always more we can do to improve gender balance and it is an issue we take seriously.’

Hmmm.

The lack of women in election coverage was also mentioned in the recently updated Hansard report Women at the Top which found that there were no women on the platform during the televised party leaders’ debates during the 2010 general election.

Further, all the interviewing journalists were male, and of the nine Daily Politics debates in the run up to the election, only two of the 29 participants were female.

It also pointed out that the number of women councillors in England in 2010 was around 30.6%, but even this figure is not reliable because ‘Collection of data on the gender of councillors is patchy – there is no formal system monitoring the diversity of either local election candidates or local councillors.’

One woman trying to redress the gender imbalance on Coventry City Council (average 23.5% women) was Fiona Pashazadeh, who stood as a Socialist Alternative candidate in last Thursday’s elections.

I spoke to Fiona about why she decided to stand, particularly in a ward that had historically switched between Tory and Labour (men, of course) meaning she had little chance of winning:

‘Looking at the past few years in this area it has always been men standing, so that is part of the reason.

‘Also, given that the existing Labour Council in Coventry has tended to rubber-stamp government cuts, the local Socialist Party decided that it wanted everyone in the city to have the option to vote for a party against the cuts and thus give them a choice on the ballot paper.’

She found that people (particularly women) were positive about a woman standing for council and although people disagreed with her political stance when she was out campaigning, she did not experience any negativity because of her gender.

Within the Socialist Party itself, there is the national Socialist Women's Group which meets regularly for 'Day Schools' which encourage women to put forward ideas for action by the party in general.

Over the last year, the group has marched in Sheffield again sexism and cuts, gone on pro-choice marches in Worthing and London, put on events for International Women's Day (which included a protest against the sexism in Nuts Magazine), and as far back as 2009, has been campaigning against Lap Dancing Clubs.

For women who were interested in standing as councillors or MPs, Fiona has this advice:

‘If women want to get involved just go for it – depending on the strand of politics they want to be involved in there will be different ways in.  Get involved with people and issues in your area that affect women, such as women's services being cut.

‘Also, it is not all about elections, it is about continual campaigning work trying to engage and help local communities to have a voice about the issues that affect them.

‘A recent example is the protest against the closure of a local community swimming pool: we encouraged the campaigning group to put forward a candidate for the local elections. We are not out to power play: it is genuinely about getting people in the community to stand.’

Fiona's route into politics began as a young woman when she joined the RSPCA to campaign for animal rights, followed by a stint in CND whilst at university.  A politics module she took at the same time opened her eyes to a power structure that privileges profits at all costs.

‘I joined the Socialist Party at University nearly eleven years ago and have been involved and active since then, apart from breaks to have children.  It appealed to me because it is about not just identifying the problems that a lot of people in our society suffer under a capitalist system, but it is also about trying to find solutions.’

As the mother of two young children, I asked Fiona how she coped with the demands of campaigning. She acknowledged that people will have competing priorities, such as managing fulltime work, having caring responsibilities, being disabled.

For this Fiona recommends either joining an existing party, or putting together a reliable team of volunteers who can cover for each other. When standing for election, whether locally or nationally, this team of volunteers will be the ones who knock doors, deliver leaflets and raise campaign funds.

However, according to Tweeddale West councillor Catriona Bhatia, once elected, the demands are easier:

‘Being a councillor is a very flexible job to have for a working mother as a lot of the council meetings are during the day when the kids are at school and for meetings at night a childminder can be used. It is much easier than a 9 to 5 job in that respect.’

Sadly (although not unexpectedly), Fiona was not elected, but then nor was the well-respected Socialist Alternative councillor Dave Nellist, who was outed from his position by a successful Labour campaign in his Coventry ward.

But these defeats are not going to stop Fiona, Dave Nellist or the party from continuing to campaign:

‘For many people the current political options seem to consist of choosing the lesser of two evils, spoiling a ballot paper or staying at home.  We are trying to create a viable alternative, anti-cuts candidates standing as part of the Trade Union Socialist Coalition for people who are fed up with the current system.

‘It might take time, but we are determined to give the working class the chance to get their voices heard, not just locally but nationally.  Given the severity of the cuts which, as we know are having a disproportionate impact on women, we have to act before it is too late.’

You can find more information about standing as a councillor here.

You can find more information about the Socialist Party here.

You can find more information on the Trade Union and Socialist Coalition (TUSC) here.

No women to be seen

Vogue: setting a model example

Posted: 07 May 2012 04:30 AM PDT

Brogan Driscoll
WVoN co-editor 

The fashion magazine, Vogue, has taken a stand against eating disorders and the use of underage models in the fashion industry.

All 19 international editions of the Condé Nast media giant are involved in a call for change that is long overdue.

A six-point health initiative to encourage a healthier attitude to body image and obey child labour laws was published in the June issue (see below).

“As one of the fashion industry’s most powerful voices, Vogue has a unique opportunity to engage with relevant issues where we feel we can make a difference,” British Vogue editor, Alexandra Shulman, explained.

It’s not the first time she has spoken out about weight and health issues within the industry. In June 2009, Ms Shulman wrote a letter to major fashion houses criticising their ‘minuscule’ sample sizes resulting in the use of underweight models. Sadly, her letters – as Shulman herself admits – had very little impact.

But that seems to have been about the only stand Vogue has ever taken  to tackle the issue. This is a sad reality for a magazine whose US edition has been in publication since 1892, its British counterpart since 1916.

Worse still, it’s outrageous that any of us need to say these things in the first place. Surely there should be unwritten rules – thou shalt not work with children. Thou shalt not work with models who are suffering from an eating disorder.

It’s logical.

It’s humane.

It’s plain common sense. You’d think so, at least.

In fact, many world-famous supermodels were ‘discovered’ under the age of 16. Kate Moss was scouted at 14 and appeared on the first cover of British Vogue at 16, making the emaciated ‘heroin chic’ look famous. Karlie Kloss, the 19-year-old currently taking the fashion world by storm was spotted at just 13.  Lara Stone was 12 and Gisele Bundchen was 13.

Just recently in the UK, 19-year-old model Bethany Wallace, a cover girl for glossy teen magazines who was blighted by anorexia, died in her sleep weighing just six stone.

Clearly, Vogue’s initiative is a step in the right direction but it (and the industry as a whole) has a long way to go.

Vogue’s six part-plan:

1. We will not knowingly work with models under the age of 16 or who appear to have an eating disorder. We will work with models who, in our view, are healthy and help to promote a healthy body image.

2. We will ask agents not to knowingly send us underage girls and casting directors to check IDs when casting shoots, shows and campaigns.

2. We will help to structure mentoring programmes where more mature models are able to give advice and guidance to younger girls, and we will help to raise industry-wide awareness through education, as has been integral to the Council of Fashion Designers of America Health Initiative.

4. We will encourage producers to create healthy backstage working conditions, including healthy food options and a respect for privacy. We will encourage casting agents not to keep models unreasonably late.

5. We encourage designers to consider the consequences of unrealistically small sample sizes of their clothing, which limits the range of women who can be photographed in their clothes, and encourages the use of extremely thin models.

6. We will be ambassadors for the message of healthy body image.

Feminist French president?

Posted: 07 May 2012 03:03 AM PDT

Jane Osmond
WVoN co-editor

Left-winger François Hollande has won the French general election.

Hollande, who got 51% of the vote, is a moderate social democrat, and was ushered in after an astounding (to the UK anyway) 80% of the electorate voted.

According to the Guardian he identifies as a feminist, although perhaps his current partner helps to keep him on the straight and narrow. A political journalist for the magazine Paris Match, Valerie Trierweiler allegedly slapped a male colleague when he made a sexist comment.

Although his first task is to rework a deal on France's government debt, Hollande made some pretty impressive pre-election promises:

-guarantee an equal number of men and women in his cabinet

-reintroduce a ministry of women’s rights

-pass a law on sexual harrassment

-raise taxes for corporations and those earning over 1m euros a year

-raise the minimum wage

-hire 60,000 teachers

-lower the retirement age for some workers.

This all sounds fantastic, and, if he keeps his promises, the rest of the world will look on with awe and hope for the future.

Even better, if a man can get elected using social justice and feminist credentials, then maybe, just maybe, we might see actual women being elected to the top jobs in Europe some day soon.

Women journalists honoured for their courage

Posted: 07 May 2012 01:26 AM PDT

Jackie Gregory
WVoN co-editor

An imprisoned journalist in Ethiopia, a secular Palestinian feminist blogger and a radio reporter in Azerbaijan, have been honoured for their work despite threats to their lives and liberty.

Each year the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) honours female journalists for their courage in reporting news under dangerous circumstances.

The three winners for 2012 are :

Reeyot Alemu, 31, an Ethiopian columnist, currently imprisoned on charges of terrorism after writing critically of her country's government;

Asmaa al-Ghoul, 30, a Palestinian blogger and freelance writer who has received death threats for her commentary on the culture and politics of Gaza;

Khadija Ismayilova, pictured, a radio reporter from Azerbaijan who was blackmailed and threatened after her investigation into charges of misconduct against members of the Azerbaijani president's family;

Zubeida Mustafa of Pakistan was given a lifetime’s achievement award for her work with Dawn, the country’s popular English language newspaper.

IWMF co-chair, Theodore Boutrous, Jr, said "A free and independent press is vital to freedom and liberty. The IWMF believes that no press is truly free if women do not share an equal voice.”

Alemu is currently serving a 14-year prison sentence having been accused of conspiracy to commit terrorist acts and participation in a terrorist organisation.

She worked as a columnist for the independent newspaper Feteh and was the only female reporter who wrote with a critical eye about Ethiopia’s politics.

She was arrested in June last year (see WV0N story), and her articles, together with telephone conversations with peace protesters, were used in evidence to convict her.

Although she is ill, she has refused offers of freedom if she testifies against her colleagues.

Al-Ghoul, 30, was threatened with death by her uncle, a commander with Hamas, after she wro†e an open letter questioning the methods of some groups claiming to seek peace for Palestine. Her stories on her blog focus on the ongoing divisions among Palestinians and abuses of civil rights by internal and external forces in Gaza.

She has received other death threats to herself and her son and for a while slept in her office for fear of being killed on her way home.

A profile of her, which includes her feminist activism, can be found on MotherJones.

Radio reporter Khadija Ismayilova, 35, investigates corruption and abuse of power in Azerbaijan.

The Azerbaijani president has tried to have her fired and she has been blackmailed over pictures taken by a surveillance camera showing her having sex with her partner (to read more, go to Article 19).

Although she constantly lives with threats to discredit her, she carries on broadcasting for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Azerbaijani service.

Awarded the Lifetime achievement award, Zubeida Mustafa, aged 70, has spent more than three decades working for Dawn. She was the first woman to be appointed to the paper in Pakistan and she has helped to form policies to promote equality in the newsroom. Many of her articles in Dawn focus on inequality and giving women more of a voice.

Katty Kay, co-chair of the IWMF, said when the awards were announced in Washington: "I am humbled to work in the same profession as these heroic women..

"It is my honor to be involved with the IWMF as it recognizes their dedication and bravery. It is journalists like Reeyot, Asmaa and Khadija who set an example for all of us."