Spring Break
Community forum: sexism in media
Issue date: 2/25/08 Section: Forum
On Feb. 19, seven people - students, faculty, Barometer staff and Mary Zelinka, assistant executive director of the Center Against Rape and Domestic Violence - sat down in the conference room of the Barometer to discuss sexism in media.
This is the first part of the forum series, which is about "-isms" in media. The series addresses the media's involvement in legitimizing and spreading issues within our culture and communities.
The attendees came with stories of articles they read, people they know, advertisements they see and of theories they discuss.
They laughed at some, rolled their eyes at others and frequently exclaimed the pervasiveness of the problems.
What was most clear from the participants is they are all - whether they identify as male, female or other - affected by sexism and they are tired of it.
Maslow's hierarchy of needs was offered as evidence of these problems affecting everybody - disadvantaged groups struggle to fulfill the bottom of the pyramid (physiological and security needs) while those in privilege fail to reach self-actualization.
Participants shared specific examples of sexual and domestic violence, distorted body ideals, psychological and behavioral problems, communication errors, distorted goals and roles of power, condoned or ignored social ills, economic struggles, reduced job opportunities and a loss or devaluation of specialized knowledge.
In the forum on Feb. 19, four common topics of sexism in media were discussed and critiqued:
1. Women who are in headlines for their sensational, atypical gender behavior,
2. Editorial decisions of newsworthiness for gender-specific news,
3. Photos and/or quotes that fit gender stereotypes,
4. The process of sports reporting and the gender-specific contents of sports reports.
With the first common occurrence - identifying gender as a key aspect of a story - journalists may create a "survivor and victim" duality.
This is the first part of the forum series, which is about "-isms" in media. The series addresses the media's involvement in legitimizing and spreading issues within our culture and communities.
The attendees came with stories of articles they read, people they know, advertisements they see and of theories they discuss.
They laughed at some, rolled their eyes at others and frequently exclaimed the pervasiveness of the problems.
What was most clear from the participants is they are all - whether they identify as male, female or other - affected by sexism and they are tired of it.
Maslow's hierarchy of needs was offered as evidence of these problems affecting everybody - disadvantaged groups struggle to fulfill the bottom of the pyramid (physiological and security needs) while those in privilege fail to reach self-actualization.
Participants shared specific examples of sexual and domestic violence, distorted body ideals, psychological and behavioral problems, communication errors, distorted goals and roles of power, condoned or ignored social ills, economic struggles, reduced job opportunities and a loss or devaluation of specialized knowledge.
In the forum on Feb. 19, four common topics of sexism in media were discussed and critiqued:
1. Women who are in headlines for their sensational, atypical gender behavior,
2. Editorial decisions of newsworthiness for gender-specific news,
3. Photos and/or quotes that fit gender stereotypes,
4. The process of sports reporting and the gender-specific contents of sports reports.
With the first common occurrence - identifying gender as a key aspect of a story - journalists may create a "survivor and victim" duality.
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