Women See Modest Gains in World News Media Portrayal, Coverage Still Betrays Significant Gender Bias

Toronto (ots/PRNewswire) - Women are still
significantly underrepresented and misrepresented in news media
coverage, according to Global Media Monitoring Project research in
108 countries coordinated by the World Association for Christian
Communication, despite significant change since the project began 15
years ago.

76% of the people heard or read about in the world's news are
male. The world seen in news media remains largely a male one.

The GMMP monitored 1,365 newspapers, television and radio
stations and Internet news sites, 17,795 news stories and 38,253
persons in the news in 108 countries with 82% of the world's people.

The report Who Makes the News? The Global Media Monitoring
Project 2010
(http://www.whomakesthenews.org/gmmp2010/globalreport-en) was
released today in Arabic, English, French and Spanish, along with
numerous regional and national reports.

24% of people in the news are female, compared to 17% in 1995.
44% of persons providing popular opinion in news stories are female
compared to 34% in 2005.

- News media show significant gender bias with 46% of news stories
reinforcing gender stereotypes.
- 13% of news stories focus centrally on women.
- Expert commentary is overwhelmingly male with only one female in
every five experts.
- The age of women in the news is mentioned twice as often and family
status almost four times as often as for men.

Today female reporters are responsible for 37% of stories
compared to 28% fifteen years ago, and their stories challenge gender
stereotypes twice as often as stories by male reporters.

Gender bias in Internet news is similar and in some respects even
more intense than that found in the traditional news media.

The 2010 report contains a plan of action for media professionals
and others committed to gender-ethical news media.

The GMMP is the largest and longest running research and advocacy
initiative on fair and balanced gender representation in the news
media. It is coordinated by WACC, a global network of communicators
promoting communication for social change, in collaboration with data
analyst Media Monitoring Africa, and with support from the United
Nations Development Fund for Women.

For further information: For further information:
http://www.whomakesthenews.org, Contact: GMMP National Coordinators
(http://www.whomakesthenews.org/gmmp2010/national-coordinators)

Or

gmmp@waccglobal.org, Tel. +1-416-691-1999 (English press 1)

ots Originaltext: World Association for Christian Communication (WACC)
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Contact:
CONTACT: Contact: GMMP National Coordinators Or gmmp@waccglobal.org,
Tel.+1-416-691-1999 (English press 1)