Media Representation of Women and SDG 5: A Gender-Sensitive Journalism Framework Analyzing stereotypes and narratives in global news coverage

Abstract

The media has a key role to play in most societies in changing the perception of gender and the promotion of the mission of Sustainable Development Goal 5 (SDG 5) that aims to achieve gender equality and to empower all women and girls. Research also indicates that the media construction of news tends to strengthen stereotyping, give less voice to women and place women in definite classes, i.e. victims, caregivers or agents of morality. The article examines the implication of media image of women based on the gender sensitive journalism theory observation of the recurring stereotypes it advances, the quality of diversity in narration it presents and the consequences of this gender equality. Drawn on the findings of qualitative and quantitative research, it points to some ongoing issues like the lack of female experts presence, appearance over competence pattern, and cultural bias promoting patriarchal standards. The paper methodologically reviews cross-national comparative research and media contents analysis to permit an assessment of the trends in the way women are portrayed in the context of different countries. Findings indicate that reductive and outdated stereotypes of women consistently appear as either leaders or entrepreneurs or changemakers, among other things, and that, hence, the overarching objectives of SDG 5 are not being served. The discussion highlights the need to embrace gender-compound editorial solutions, come up with newsroom training, and to employ intersectional constructive perspectives in reporting. The paper ends with an acceptance of some of its limitations, which are practical in nature, allowing regional media infrastructures and cultural contexts to influence the scope of the recommendations, and suggestions of how future research directions can be arrived at including exploration of artificial intelligence techniques in tracking media narratives and more participatory methods where women themselves develop or co-create the narratives to promote more presence and realness.