The media should practice what it preaches

Recent revelations that the southern African media hardly considers gender equality newsworthy raise serious concerns about the media?s claims to the principles of democracy, good governance and human rights.

Recent revelations that the southern African media hardly considers gender equality newsworthy raise serious concerns about the media’s claims to the principles of democracy, good governance and human rights.

Gender is a common thread that runs through every issue, whether one is addressing poverty reduction, HIV and AIDS, health, education, human rights, democracy and elections, good governance, or development.

Thus, revelations that gender specific news accounted for a meagre two percent of the more than 25,000 news items monitored in southern Africa as part of the Gender and Media Baseline Study (GMBS) must be a matter of concern for everyone who cares about democracy, human rights and governance in this region. In contrast, according to the study carried out by the Media Institute for Southern African (MISA) and Gender Links, a South African-based NGO, economic news constituted one quarter and sports news 20 percent of coverage.

Despite the fact that women constitute more than half (52%) of the population in the southern African region, their views and voices in the media account for only 17 percent of the total says to the study carried out in 12 countries (Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Mauritius, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe). <BR><BR>

The under-representation of women’s voices and views in the media flies in the face of the many commitments to wipe out gender inequality like those contained in the 1997 Southern African Development Community (SADC) Declaration on Gender and Development.

In addition, all the countries in Southern Africa endorsed the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which commits them to promote a balanced and non-stereotyped portrayal of women in the media.

The GMBS report shows that women featured in the media are more likely to be identified as a wife, daughter or mother, than a man is to be identified as a husband, son or father.

Is the media fraternity prepared to respond to the new challenges in this millennium? Are the media and journalism curriculum adequate to prepare media practitioners to deal with the increasing challenges of democratic governance that most governments and citizens in this region subscribe to? If not, what does that mean for all our efforts to develop good governance practices?

Democratic governance demands the promotion of human rights, gender equality, equity and justice as well as according freedom of expression to all – women inclusive.

Like one politician, the minister responsible for gender affairs in Kenya, once said: “We should not hesitate to discard traditions that hinder development and the empowerment of women.” As a journalist I am saying: “as media practitioners we should not be ashamed to move away from practices that hinder our meaningful contribution to the new challenges in our society”.

If the media in this region is to play a meaningful role as the “fourth estate”, the curriculum offered in mass communication and journalism training institutions in the region must be revisited. Gender sensitive reporting must be incorporated in the curriculum as a matter of urgency.

I am aware that more and more journalists in the region are beginning to consider gender as a newsworthy editorial content following the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. But there still exists a considerable degree of  uninformed analysis in media reports focusing on gender issues in the region.

My experience working with journalists in the region is that those who have undergone gender sensitisation training are more likely to write about gender issues and to give a voice to the marginalized.

I have no doubt that it is these who contribute to the two percent of gender specific news and the 17 percent of women’s views and voices in the media. Now, just imagine how that would improve if all journalists incorporated gender into their reporting, be it on politics, economics, sports or court reporting. That would automatically lead to a higher percentage of women’s views and voices being heard.

For this to happen, all concerned, with democratic governance – the government, the donor community, the NGOs, civil society and the private sector should back the recommendations made in the GMBS. This is the challenge.

Barbara Lopi is a journalist working as Project Manager/Editor with the Women in Development Southern Africa Awareness (WIDSAA), a gender programme of the Southern African Research and Documentation Centre (SARDC).