What
A list of tools and resources for journalists, broadcasters and media organisations reporting on gender issues, and guidance on how to foster more gender-balanced newsrooms.
Public broadcasters have a responsibility to reflect the society in which they function. But they also have a role in shaping public perceptions. Reporting on gender issues sensitively while out in the field and creating content for female audiences as well as committing to equal opportunities for men and women inside the newsroom ensures that a diverse range of voices and points of view are acknowledged at every stage of the content-making process: from production, to the selection of contributors and during the editorial process.
Use the tabs below to browse useful resources and guidelines sourced from public media, non-profit and media development organisations, and media regulation bodies. PMA endeavours to update this page frequently but if you have any recommendations email: editor@publicmediaalliance.org
In the newsroom
Public media organisations often outline their approaches to diversity in their mandates and policies, with some dedicating particular attention to gender inclusivity and equal representation. In recent years, many public broadcasters have launched and adopted specific initiatives to encourage greater female representation in media.
Some of the following resources provide strategies that can be useful to managers looking to improve gender balance in their workforces. These resources come from both public, private and non-profit media organisations.
Best Practices: Public media
The BBC’s 50:50 project
BBC
Announced in April 2018, the BBC’s 50:50 Project aims to seek more gender balance in its content by encouraging more female representation on air. Since its first report in April 2019, the public broadcaster has recorded 500 BBC teams getting involved in the project, from news and current affairs to drama, with a significant increase in the amount of women being included in BBC content.
Find out more:
- Recent results: The 50:50 Challenge Results
- Watch: Ros Atkins, founder of the 50:50 project, discusses the 50:50 story and what it has achieved so far in a webinar hosted by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism (RISJ)
Other public broadcasters such as Yle in Finland and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) have adopted similar initiatives.
The ABC 50:50 project
Starting in December 2018, the ABC 50:50 project is two-pronged in its approach to increasing female representation in ABC News. Firstly, it is designed to develop and commission more content that all female audiences (appreciative of geographic location, socioeconomic status and professional lives) will find interesting and relevant. Secondly, it aims to increase the number of female experts and contributors in its programming.
The CBC/Radio-Canada Women in Production Action Plan
CBC/Radio-Canada has created a framework as part of its ongoing commitment to achieve gender parity in its programming and content. The framework includes improving measurement tools and working with independent partners to better track gender parity; creating more industry opportunities for female employees as well as highlighting successes and achievements of women in the production industry.
“If your newsroom is not diverse, you will get the news wrong”
Dorothy Brynes, RISJ
Outgoing Head of News and Current Affairs of Channel Four shares her thoughts and experiences on why diverse workrooms are always better.
All Things Being Equal: Gender Equality Guidelines From Public Service Media
The European Broadcasting Union
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The EBU shares insights and best practices from its member organisations such as the BBC, RTVE and France Télévisions on equal pay and equal opportunities; visibility of women; workplace data; staff feedback and leadership. It provides guidance on how to create more gender-balanced workforces including engaging both men and women in discussions surrounding gender-balance and using workplace data.
Non-profit and media development organisations
Advancing Gender Equality in Media Industries
The University of Newcastle; The University of Padova, The University of Gothenberg, EFJ, COPEAM and GIULIA Network
The AGEMI project, a joint initiative by the University of Newcastle, the University of Padova and University of Gothenberg alongside EFJ, COPEAM and GIULIA Network have made freely available their learning resources, which include representations and news; use of language; women and leadership in media industries and gendered journalism cultures. Each unit has been curated by leading female academics and media practitioners from each of the partner organisations. You can also explore their bank of good practices “that contribute to foster gender equality in and through the media.”
Gender and Diversity
The Global Forum for Media Development
From safety guidelines for female journalists to gender equality policies and guidelines, the GMFD has compiled their own list of resources for gender and diversity in the media.
Gender Equality
European Federation of Journalists
The EFJ has a dedicated archive page for news, reports and initiatives related to gender equality in journalism.
Gender Equality
The International Federation of Journalists
The IFJ has issued the Santander Declaration, a programme which fights for equality in the workplace and beyond and which highlights key issues related to gender equality. Among the issues highlighted by the IFJ Declaration are the gender pay gap, discrimination, and violence and harassment faced by female journalists.
Gender and media
BBC Media Action
BBC Media Action’s Gender and Media toolkit offers practical advice on how to ensure more gender equality and counter gender stereotypes, particularly within media and communications for development. It explores the question: “What difference can media make?” and encourages programme makers to consider whether their programmes are ‘gender blind’ or ‘gender sensitive’, providing guidance and workshop exercises along the way for designing a project and making a programme. BBCMA share their own gender resources and recommend additional external guides and resources.
Gendered Manager in the Media
WAN-IFRA
As part of its Women in News programme, WAN-IFRA has produced this handbook “ in response to the need to sensitize managers of media organizations on gender matters. It is hoped that it will assist managers embrace gender sensitivity in their day to day management decisions from a position of knowledge.” Explore the Women in News programme to find additional resources on gender balance in the newsroom and amplifying women’s voices.
Gender and media
BBC Media Action
BBC Media Action’s Gender and Media toolkit offers practical advice on how to ensure more gender equality and counter gender stereotypes, particularly within media and communications for development. It explores the question: “What difference can media make?” and encourages programme makers to consider whether their programmes are ‘gender blind’ or ‘gender sensitive’, providing guidance and workshop exercises along the way for designing a project and making a programme. BBCMA share their own gender resources and recommend additional external guides and resources.
UNESCO’s Gender-Sensitive resources
UNESCO
In keeping with its commitments to achieve gender equality, UNESCO has made available a number of resources and tools for media practitioners to utilise in the newsroom including guidelines on gender-neutral language and Gender-Sensitive Indicators for Media (GSIMs).
Who Makes the News?
IFJ and WACC
“Who Makes the News (WMTN) is a knowledge, information and resource portal on media, gender and other axes of discrimination. It hosts the Global Media Monitoring Project (GMMP), the world’s largest and longest running research and advocacy initiative that seeks to advance gender equality in and through the news media.”
Its Learning Resource Kit for Gender-Ethical Journalism and Media House policy aims to “redress gender disparities in news media content.” Written in collaboration with the International Federation for Journalists (IFJ) and the World Association for Christian Communication (WACC), the journalism kit is available in Arabic, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
We are all biased, so how can we make journalism more inclusive?
European Journalism Centre
In this article, the European Journalism Centre shares eight key tips and advice on how to make newsrooms more diverse by including more diverse voices.
In the field
This section is aimed specifically at journalists and media practitioners with guidance on how to report on gender issues sensitively to ensure that women – or issues relevant to women – are not misrepresented or under-represented in news reports and programming.
A Journalist’s Guide To Inclusive Reporting For Journalism Students
Broadcasting Journalism Training Council (BJTC) and Birmingham City University
This handbook is intended to aid students in overcoming the limits of learned stereotypes and also to avoid doing token diversity stories. Told through the experiences of those from the field, it is intended to ensure that there is holistic and inclusive reporting, reflecting all of society.
Getting the balance right: gender equality in journalism
UNESCO
Gender equality is a main priority for UNESCO. The organisation believes that all forms of gender discrimination is a violation of human rights. This handbook was developed to furnish journalists with the tools and in depth knowledge to report accurately and comprehensively on gender issues across the globe. The handbook is available in English, French, Spanish and Croatian.
Guidance on researching and reporting stories involving transgender individuals
The Independent Press Standards Organisation
IPSO has produced a guideline on how to research and report stories that may involve transgender issues, with advice on relevance, language, publicity and terminology. The guidance also includes case studies and additional resources.
Media, remember gender in your COVID-19 coverage
International Media Support
In this article, “Emma Boberg Lygnerud, IMS Global Response Department Gender Adviser, encourages media to make it more of a priority to provide a diverse, balanced and gender sensitive coverage.”
Reporting Diversity – How Journalists Can Contribute to Community Cohesion
Society of Editors
This guide is geared towards giving practical advice to journalists on how to cover communities that are dynamic in all of their socio-cultural aspects. This handbook examines multi-faith communities in particular, outlining the proper language to be used when reporting on such communities.
UNESCO’s handbook for the media on how to report on violence against women and girls
UNESCO
In collaboration with the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, the Permanent Delegation of Canada to UNESCO and France Médias Monde, UNESCO launched this handbook to emphasize the potential impact the media can have with regards to abolishing gender based violence. The guidebook provides knowledge on cyberbullying and online harassment of women journalists, gender-specific foeticide and infanticide as well as violence against women in conflicts. It also advises journalists on how to cover and frame issues of violence against women and girls.
Other recommended reads
This final section consists of reports and empirical research relating to gender equality in the workforce, gender balance in programming and combating harmful representations of women portrayed in the media.
Gender Equality and Social Justice in Public Media
The International Association of Women in Radio & Television
This 2015 report by the IAWRT shares media monitoring research conducted in eight countries across four continents. IAWRT has conducted content analysis across the main public television and radio stations in South Africa, Poland, Kenya, India, Tanzania, Cambodia, Moldova and the US “to examine how diverse and inclusive public media programming is in regards to gender equality and other social justice aspects.”
Gendered Media: The Influence of Media on Views of Gender
Julia T. Wood – Department of Communication, University of North Carolina at Chapel
In her report, Wood explores the effects of gender representations and misrepresentations on audiences, analysing some of the more harmful stereotypes of women portrayed in the media.
Media and gender: a scholarly agenda for the Global Alliance on Media and Gender
UNESCO
This extensive report is a significant scholarly contributions to knowledge and action towards expanding women’s participation in all communication platforms. According to the authors this volume “proposes a pragmatic research agenda for the Global Alliance on Media and Gender (GAMAG), looking back, building on the past and looking to the future.”
OFCOM report on Diversity and equal opportunities in radio
This OFCOM analyses 16 UK-based radio broadcasters and compares them against the diversity statistics of the three largest UK broadcasters, the BBC Radio, Bauer, and Global. The report analyses more broadly how diverse these three broadcasters are.
See also: OFCOM Diversity and inclusion programme update 2018/19
Report on Diversity in Journalism
NCTJ
The National Council for the Training of Journalists provides high calibre training for journalists. This report was commissioned to examine the connection between how journalists come into the field and their career progression. Some of the findings suggest that the lack of diversity arises from “employers mainly recruiting a graduate-only workforce” or “unconscious selection bias”.
Statement: media play a crucial role in achieving gender equality
Free Press Unlimited
Read Free Press Unlimited’s statement to the Commission on the Status of Women 64 on the crucial role that the media can play in achieving gender equality, which also covers violence against female media workers. The statement was submitted in collaboration with nine other non-profit and media development organisations.
This list of recommended guidelines and resources has been compiled by the Public Media Alliance team. We aim to frequently update this page.
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