It’s time to transform journalism through gender mainstreaming

Gender inequality remains to be an issue in every sector, especially those that were historically deemed as male-dominated professions.

A depiction of journalism in the early 19^th century consists of women being told their place of work was at home. Any woman with the aspiration of being a journalist was struck down and told it was an unsuitable profession for her.

Although times have moved on from this premise as more female reporters are part of the ecosystems that make the media industry now, the opportunities to obtain higher positions than their male counterparts are slim to none.

In 2021, South African newsrooms were praised for having 47 per cent of female editors, this was the highest number out of 10 other countries which were included in the analysis conducted by the Reuters Institute and Code of Africa.  Countries from the likes of the UK, Mexico, Japan, the US and several others were included in the list. Japan- which had zero female editors and Mexico which had 6 per cent were two of the lowest.

The study was a clear indicator of how some countries are progressing in their efforts for gender equality but across the board, more work needs to be done.

When female journalists are in higher positions, they get to control the narrative and make decisions that better the way gendered stories are told as well as the experiences of other female reporters. Employing them as editors, directors and managers is a step forward in the right direction.

Researcher Brown Made once said: “To transform gender relations in the media, we need to start with the journalists of tomorrow.”

Gender mainstreaming is an approach that looks at incorporating gender at all levels of journalism instead of just one aspect. It looks at supporting and helping those within journalism already, but also those aspiring to be incredible journalists that take ethical measures when reporting the news.

Through applying pressure to institutions teaching journalism principles and practices the importance of including gender relations within the curriculum is a fundamental way for the industry to experience a shockwave of transformation.

One of the reasons why gender stereotypes are still reinforced in news stories today is due to a lack of awareness and understanding of reporting gender cognizant stories. As much as employability opportunities for female journalists need to advance also, the issue of misrepresentation based upon gender characteristics and inaccurate notions will remain to be seen.

Education serves as a tool to transform the minds of people. Without knowledge, there is no power in making a difference.

Having gone to university in the UK as a Journalism student for both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, I can retrace every module that I completed. Not one of them included a form of gendered news reporting. Ethical journalism being a core aspect of the field was included in the curriculum but placed more emphasis on journalism law, accuracy, and integrity which in their respect are key elements to consider for news reporting.  But what was missed within those lessons is how important of a role they play in gender relations.

For journalists to be accurate and truthful in their news reporting of different genders they need to understand their sources, to let their sources speak from their perspective without clouded stereotypes of what a woman, man, non-binary, transgender, or an LGBTQ person should be.

Objectivity is the counterargument to such stereotypes

Now as a trained journalist continually learning the art and value of gender cognizant reporting, I can identify how relevant traditional principles of journalism are in telling gendered stories with impact. Not only are they inherently valuable for the protection of the people we interview and the audiences we write for but for fulfilling the bigger picture of creating awareness of those who are unheard by industry systems in place because of their gender amongst other factors such as race and social class.

Currently, there are initiatives which have started to introduce gender mainstreaming measures. However how effective they are can be put into question: A  study from 2020, analysing media departments in Uganda, Rwanda and Ethiopia found very minimal, uncoordinated, and unclear gender mainstreaming approaches within policies, assessments, curricula, and research.  Thus, Institutes and newsrooms within the African continent need to enlarge their efforts in gender mainstreaming with full impact to make a real difference.

It is for the better of humanity, that gender mainstreaming is taken seriously as it has the power to make journalism inclusive and ethical. Alike with large corporations, journalists too, have a social responsibility to their audience. Seeing examples of gender equality within the media can be the key shift to transforming how society accepts all genders.