Message that stands out, Daily News...
Message that stands out, Daily News
Date: January 1, 1970
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A photograph of an anti-abortion poster near a local hotel is reinforced by the headline and deep caption which promote a right to life message.
A photograph of an anti-abortion poster near a local hotel is reinforced by the headline and deep caption which promote a right to life message.
This article may be used to:
- Examine how abortion is covered in the news.
- Explore gender stereotypes and messages by studying the image, the headline and the caption.
Trainer’s notes
Gender stereotypes in the media
The image, headline and text in the
Abortion is a highly controversial issue and often comes on to the media’s agenda using the news criteria of conflict between the pro and anti-abortion groups in societies. The religious movements are at the center of access to safe abortion, and because the media does not challenge religion, a moralistic tone is often asserted in articles, images, columns, in the media on the issue. Notice that the long caption which accompanies the picture states that the billboard…”carries a message which morally stands out and speaks for itself.”
The language in the caption is generic in its reference to parents. It may be assumed that both women and men are responsible in deciding on abortion. But the use of the term parent also may be pointed at women depending on the gender biases and prejudices of the writer since the caption does not just describe the image, but goes further to comment on its message.
The total package of the image, headline and text of the case study ‘Message that stands out’ takes a stance against abortion for ‘moral’ reasons. No attempt is made to present the ‘other side’ or a balanced perspective on the emotive issue. Cleverly on a news page, through the use of an image, the media has included comment. This case study illustrates how the use of image and captions in media content can be a powerful way to send messages that reflect a gender bias.
Women are ‘blamed’ and targeted in anti-abortion campaigns as having the sole responsibility for deciding whether to be mothers or not. More than 30,000 women in Africa die each year from unsafe, often illegal abortion, which accounts for 12 percent of the maternal deaths in
The media needs to understand that the root causes of unsafe abortion are the same as those underlying the HIV/AIDS pandemic. These include lack of access to comprehensive reproductive-health information and services and women’s lack of decision-making power related to sex and reproduction.
Instead of reporting on abortion as a moral issue only, the media should begin to locate the debate on abortion within the context of health-system barriers; women’s and girl’s inability to exercise their reproductive rights; sexual violence against women; and women’s inability to exercise choice in many aspects of their lives.
Training exercise
Exercise one: Read the case study and discuss the following:
- What subtle portrayal of women is in this image and text?
- What is viewed as women’s primary role?
- What message is communicated through the image and text?
- Who is the primary target audience? Explain your answer.
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