RoshniK
18th October 2011, 17:56
The media industry is such a powerful medium that all of us are primarily dependent on it. Not only does it serve as a message to the masses, it is also the messenger of the message it sends. According to studies, American teenagers spend approximately 10 hours every single day on variant media channels (television, mobile phones, facebook etc). I shall not be speaking of new media trends such as social networking website but the media as a whole.
The media has seen radical changes from time to time. Now the question comes, what is the media’s perception of women in the current scene? Most media companies depict or objectify women according to their physical externalities. It is all about the women body, good looks etc. Have we ever seen the media speaking or advocating of women from a different angle? We surely have, but how often how women depicted in a non-objectified manner?
Let us look at the American media as a fine example. American media has downgraded and undermined all types of women in politics. During the election period in 2007, both Hilary Clinton and Sarah Palin were heavily scrutinised for their actions just being of their gender. I did not see this heavy sense of scrunity for the male candidates.
So why is the American media so judgmental towards women leaders and advocates?
It seriously appalls me because America is suppose to be one of the largest liberal democracies in the world. It surely is but due to its freedom of expression, its largely open constitution it has given the media far too much freedom especially in terms of criticising and painting a black picture of certain people it tries to target.
Let us not forget that the primary purpose of any media company is to make large chunks of money regardless however the news and recent happenings are sent to people. Though companies and organisations are compelled to principles of CSR no media company spares a single bit of information that can help it make bigger profits and monetary income. Look at the Murdock scandal, the CEO was alleged to hacking into the personal accounts of politicians, business men and other high profile individuals for the sake of “media prosperity”. If the media has proven itself to be such a facade and dishonest industry, why do we still rely on it for news?
A nd if we do not rely on it for news and current updates, who do we shift our reliance to?
There seriously needs to be a paradigm shift in the approach taken by media organisations especially when it concerns the picture they paint of women all around the world.
The media has seen radical changes from time to time. Now the question comes, what is the media’s perception of women in the current scene? Most media companies depict or objectify women according to their physical externalities. It is all about the women body, good looks etc. Have we ever seen the media speaking or advocating of women from a different angle? We surely have, but how often how women depicted in a non-objectified manner?
Let us look at the American media as a fine example. American media has downgraded and undermined all types of women in politics. During the election period in 2007, both Hilary Clinton and Sarah Palin were heavily scrutinised for their actions just being of their gender. I did not see this heavy sense of scrunity for the male candidates.
So why is the American media so judgmental towards women leaders and advocates?
It seriously appalls me because America is suppose to be one of the largest liberal democracies in the world. It surely is but due to its freedom of expression, its largely open constitution it has given the media far too much freedom especially in terms of criticising and painting a black picture of certain people it tries to target.
Let us not forget that the primary purpose of any media company is to make large chunks of money regardless however the news and recent happenings are sent to people. Though companies and organisations are compelled to principles of CSR no media company spares a single bit of information that can help it make bigger profits and monetary income. Look at the Murdock scandal, the CEO was alleged to hacking into the personal accounts of politicians, business men and other high profile individuals for the sake of “media prosperity”. If the media has proven itself to be such a facade and dishonest industry, why do we still rely on it for news?
A nd if we do not rely on it for news and current updates, who do we shift our reliance to?
There seriously needs to be a paradigm shift in the approach taken by media organisations especially when it concerns the picture they paint of women all around the world.