The Image of Women in Media

The image of women in media is getting stronger in recent years. Among the topics that receive the most media coverage are the role of women in the labor market, their health, and various aspects related to gender equality, according to a recent study on the topic announced by Christina Totseva, managing director of Media Analysis at Commetrik Bulgaria during the final panel of the Global Women Leaders’ Forum, which was held for two days in Sofia.

Organizer and coordinator of the final discussion in the event, which gathered distinguished and remarkable women leaders in business, politics, culture and science was Manager magazine.

The topic of women and violence receives more and more publicity in the media. Among the topics raised have recently been the differences in pay, flexible working time as a policy to support working mothers. Lately, there are many articles that explore the position of women in governance and management in the public and private sectors; it became clear from the figures presented by Totseva.

The monitoring of Bulgarian electronic media in the past year generally shows trends that unacceptable behavior is not imposed, there are no sneak messages or stereotypes associated with the unequal role of women, Deputy Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Culture and Media Irena Sokolova said who was among the main participants in the media panel.

She made an interesting interpretation to one of the key issues in the overall theme of the forum – when one sector is feminized. There are two obvious answers at the moment: when the wages are low and when there is a creative approach required. The second answer is the explanation why journalism is one of feminized occupations in Bulgaria.

Several studies have suggested that women, particularly women journalists, are more oriented to details and hence are better at reaching the truth, professor Liu Jinan, honorary president of the Communication University of China added another possible explanation for the increasing role of women in media.

By changing the gender structure in the history of media, women have changed their role from objects and passive listeners to active persons asking questions, she added, but stressed that gender inequality is also reflected in media. Still there are fewer women on management positions in the fourth power, Prof. Jinan said. Meanwhile, the media have the power to work for the equality of women. It’s an important platform that can give and guarantee women the right to be heard in society and for the improving their leadership positions, she summarized.

The situation in Bulgaria concerning the representation of women in media disproves the global trends, Didier Stoessel and CEO of New Broadcasting Group confirmed the general observations. Women definitely prevail on not just ordinary professional positions and in management – in most major media groups in our country women are on average about 50%, and in some places more on key management positions, said he. Even the percentage of leading television broadcasts in our country is in favor of women, while in countries like the US and Britain is the opposite, Stoessel added with the remark that perhaps only the coverage of sporting events is still done mostly by men.