The document discusses the role of media in addressing pressing issues faced by women and girls. It examines how media can help prevent and raise awareness of issues like catcalling, sexual objectification on social and traditional media, unrealistic portrayals of relationships, domestic violence, and normalization of sexual harassment and rape. However, media must ensure it provides support to victims and does not further marginalize women. Regulations may be needed to curb inappropriate behavior online and responsible reporting is important when covering issues like domestic violence.
The document discusses the role of media in addressing pressing issues faced by women and girls. It examines how media can help prevent and raise awareness of issues like catcalling, sexual objectification on social and traditional media, unrealistic portrayals of relationships, domestic violence, and normalization of sexual harassment and rape. However, media must ensure it provides support to victims and does not further marginalize women. Regulations may be needed to curb inappropriate behavior online and responsible reporting is important when covering issues like domestic violence.
The document discusses the role of media in addressing pressing issues faced by women and girls. It examines how media can help prevent and raise awareness of issues like catcalling, sexual objectification on social and traditional media, unrealistic portrayals of relationships, domestic violence, and normalization of sexual harassment and rape. However, media must ensure it provides support to victims and does not further marginalize women. Regulations may be needed to curb inappropriate behavior online and responsible reporting is important when covering issues like domestic violence.
The document discusses the role of media in addressing pressing issues faced by women and girls. It examines how media can help prevent and raise awareness of issues like catcalling, sexual objectification on social and traditional media, unrealistic portrayals of relationships, domestic violence, and normalization of sexual harassment and rape. However, media must ensure it provides support to victims and does not further marginalize women. Regulations may be needed to curb inappropriate behavior online and responsible reporting is important when covering issues like domestic violence.
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QUIZ 4
Abante, Babae: The Role and Position of Media on Women-Pressing Issues
“Media play a powerful role in establishing and perpetuating social norms.” —Jackson Katz, an American author
The press and the news media, which is often regarded as the fourth estate of every democratic government, has instilled considerable influence in various societies in the world. It helps in creating public awareness and shaping public opinion vis-a-vis the issues that most impact people in their daily lives. Hence, in this essay, I will describe the indispensable role of media in tackling some of the most pressing issues of the women and girls of today through examining relevant literatures and studies.
I. Catcalling
Angermann (2022) defined catcalling as the unwarranted sexual attention from strangers to women where it involves uncomfortable, intimidating, creepy, and downright frightening comments. This unforgiving practice has become rampant thus modern media has a sacred duty to prevent it. In fact, according to Fisher et al. (2019), online media may have a key role in the prevention of online violence and harassment, such as catcalling Moreover, social media provides the platform and avenue for victims to express their experiences and contact their loved ones (Nguyen, n.d.).
Here, we can see how powerful media is in terms of preventing catcalling. Of course, it must always provide haven to victims. I have also realized that despite its potency, it should still be utilized within moral and legal means. Using social media, for instance, to invalidate the struggles of the victims will only worsen their situation, especially their mental health.
II. Sexual objectification on social media
According to Stock (2015), sexual objectification, in the broadest terms, involves (at least) treating people as things. In the world of social media, this has also become prevalent. In the study of Zainal (2022), the respondents, who are victims of sexual objectification, explained that there were some fake accounts, such as on Instagram and Twitter, asking them to dress appropriately, and some commented through sexual remarks.
In this example, I have pondered the thought of how social media regulates such kinds of rude and unacceptable behavior. Do they have any effective mechanisms to curb these? Are their moderation teams doing an excellent job in combatting sexual objectification on their respective platforms?
III. Sexual objectification on media
Like on social media, women are also being sexually objectified on traditional media. In fact, 45.5% of young adult female characters on prime-time television have been portrayed sexually, while 50% of female cast members have been victims of sexual objectification on reality programs (Ward, 2016, as cited in Arbeit, 2018).
For the victims, it must be very demoralizing that they have experienced these horrible things. Of course, they do not deserve these at all. What they deserve is a safe space for them where they can work and fulfill their dreams without the threat of sexual objectification.
IV. Relationships bound on flings and infidelities
Romantic relationships are often portrayed on various forms of traditional media, such as on television programs. However, Gibson (2022) noted that viewers of television series exhibiting unrealistic love stories would end up less committed to their partners and the latter’s alternative version would be more attractive. Further, Thompson (2015) emphasized the role of social media in shaping the public option of celebrity couples and the people’s responses when something notable happened to those couples.
Here, we can see the considerable impact of any forms of media on its users when it comes to this kind of topic. Therefore, we must always be wary of our words and actions towards our romantic partners and loved ones because not everything we see in the world of media is true.
V. Domestic violence
Domestic violence is a crucial topic that everyone must be serious about. It involves the use of physical, verbal, and psychological violence towards a person. Domestic violence is quite often depicted in corporate media products, including news broadcasts, television shows, and films and unfortunately, the press tends to imply that women are somehow culpable when they are being beaten, even murdered, by their partners (Chesney-Lind & Chagnon, 2017).
Consequently, I think that news outlets, for instance, must always be responsible on how they portray women in such cases. They should empower them instead in terms of providing them with awareness on how to access help from various kinds of people.
VI. Sexual harassment and rape
Sexual harassment and rape have been perceived to be one of the most pressing and sensitive issues that women and girls face today, especially that different forms of media are evolving which sometimes enable such horrible acts. In fact, Walrath (2017) acknowledged that rape culture has been in TV commercials, even in the so-called “progressive” 21 st century and these commercials are often using rape as a hook to buy their products, and at the same time, turning sexual assault, harassment, and rape into something “cool” or “fun.”
Here, we can see how sexual harassment and rape have been normalized on traditional media. Of course, it is indeed alarming how some companies profit from exploiting women’s bodies. This must be stopped at all costs and governments must do something to genuinely resolve it. References:
Angermann, M. (2022, March 17). What is Catcalling and What You Can Do About It. Utopia. https://utopia.org/guide/what-is-catcalling-and-what-you-can-do-about-it/
Arbeit, M. (2018, May 3). 5 Ways Sexual Objectification in Mainstream Media can Impact Adolescent Viewers. MimiArbeit.com. https://www.mimiarbeit.com/2018/05/03/sexual- objectification-in-media/
Chesney-Lind, M. & Chagnon, N. (2017, April 26). Media Representations of Domestic
Violence. Oxford Research Encyclopedias. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264079.013.103
Fisher, S., Lindner, D., & Ferguson, C.J. (2019). The Effects of Exposure to Catcalling on Women’s State Self-Objectification and Body Image, Current Psychology, 38(6), 1-8. DOI:10.1007/s12144-017-9697-2
Gibson, D. (2022, July 17). Can You Believe It? How TV Portrays Love. For Your Marriage. https://www.foryourmarriage.org/blogs/can-you-believe-it-how-tv-portrays-love/
Nguyen, Q. (n.d.). What is Catcalling? Why online catcalling is getting worse? 3 mins knowledge for parents. Cyber Purify. https://cyberpurify.com/knowledge/what-is-catcalling/
Stock, K. (2015). Sexual Objectification, Oxford Academic, 75(2), 191-195.
https://doi.org/10.1093/analys/anv014
Thompson, J. (2015, August 26). The Media’s Portrayal of Marriage. Odyssey.
Walrath, G. (2017, April 19). The Presence of Rape Culture in Media: Pop Songs, TV Commercials, and Movies. Cuny Academic Commons. https://lysistrata.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2017/04/19/the-presence-of-rape-culture-in- media-pop-songs-tv-commercials-and-movies/
Zainal, R. (2022). Sexualization, Harassment, and Objectification of Women on Social Media
Towards Gender Inequality. Research Gate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/358187181_SEXUALIZATION_HARASSMENT _AND_OBJECTIFICATION_OF_WOMEN_ON_SOCIAL_MEDIA_TOWARDS_GENDER _INEQUALITY
