Gender and Media in the Czech Republic

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Gender and Media in the Czech Republic

• Hana Maríková
• Marta Kolárová
• Institute of Sociology, the Czech Academy of
  Sciences, Prague, CR

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Structure of presentation

• Presentation of research projects
• Research results
• Positive examples of gender representation in
  media
• Negative examples (fathers on parental leave)
• Role of the State
• Recommendations

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Research projects1. Women and Media Research
Project2. Analysis of the Representation of
Women in the Media3. The image of Women in
the Media and Commercials and its Influence
on Public Opinion Concerning Equality of Men
and Women
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Ad 1. A media analysis of the representation of
women and men in news programmes

• The objective of the analysis
• show mirroring of gender stereotypes related to
  the roles of women and men in society and in the
  selected media
• the percentage of women and men as news subjects
• the role and function of women in news programmes
• the percentage of quoted and described women and
  men in media content

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Ad 2. Analysis of the representation of women in
the media

• Objectives
• the percentage of quoted women and men in media
• the types of issues presented by women and men
• the percentage of items about women over time
• the space given to women and men by political
  parties
• the role of women in television news programmes
• an international comparison

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Ad 3. The image of women in the media and
commercials and its influence on public opinion
concerning equality of men and women

• interest in gender issues
• opinions of the population regarding the position
  of men and women
• sources of information about gender issues
• the importance of the media as the source of
  information about womens issues
• assessment of media information
• assessment of female figures in the media
• perception of attributes of women and men

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Research results

• 1. There is a general opinion that there should
  be equality of the genders in the CR.
• 2. Most of the population is interested in
  gender issues but this interest is not very
  intensive. The issue of the equality of women and
  men is considered to be a womens issue.
• 3. The representation of men is much higher
  than representation of women and womens issues.
• 4. The representation of women in the media is
  often stereotypical. Women are usually presented
  in traditional settings regardless of their
  professions. Women are also often presented as
  sexual objects (especially in commercials).

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6. Women in television are associated with
the issues of education,
healthcare, society, culture
mens topics are international affairs,
defence, NATO, the Czech Republic, the EU,
globalization.5. The image of women by women
authors is more positive than the image of
women in the public opinion. 7. More than
85 of the decisions on the media agenda is
still in the hands of men.
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Positive examples

• radio broadcasting (CRo 6 Na Belidle, CRo 1
  Bona Dea)
• television broadcasting
• daily press (Hospodarske noviny)

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Fathers on Parental Leave

• A negative example of gender representation
• The erosion of stereotypes of man as a
  breadwinner versus the reinforcing others (e.g.
  fathers lower competence in nurturing, mothers
  as raven mothers etc.)

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Fathers on Parental Leave

• as someones non obvious and extraordinary
• They are rare as saffron
• They are white crows
• Fathers on maternal leave are suspicious

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The Reproduction of Mens Dominance

• The mens distance from household tasks
• (e.g. the lower status of household tasks)
• The economy of gratitude
• Positive evaluation of men taking parental
  leave by others

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Role of the State

• Priorities and Procedures of the Government in
  the Implementation of Equal Opportunities for Men
  and Women - does not explicitly address the
  representation of gender equality in the media
  and advertising
• The Ethical Codex of the Council for Advertising
• Ethical codex of the Council for Radio and
  Television Broadcasting the both documents
  without the term discrimination based on
  sex/gender

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Recommendations

• show active interest in education and cultivate
  the understanding of gender issues
• shape and contribute to social discussions of
  this topic
• critically assess and give attention to the
  hierarchical organisation of institutions (the
  labour market, politics, the media etc.)
• not to abuse the female body in the media (often
  as a decoration for products)
• build journalists networks, including
  international, for information and some exchange
  of experiences, etc.
• influence the public, including political
  representation to approach media and commercials
  critically