Publications » Human rights and Media

IMAGE OF WOMEN IN THE MEDIA

Yu. Erdenetuya /Ph.d/

Hence the media has a certain implication on public awareness the theoreticians consider it to be one of the factor and criteria of the development.

Today the humanity talks and writes much about globalization. Changes and advancement of everything is inevitable with rapid development of communication in this era. We are, as journalists have to follow new tendencies and directions in journalism. The recent boom around TV and radio advancement has gone already and electronic networking, on-line news, FM radio and interactive TV have become the most popular.

Nowadays photo journalism, ecology journalism, investigation journalism are not new things any longer, if talk about media types and forms. Religion journalism, women journalism, communicative and cyber journalism have emerged as independent media type and category.

Women journalism deals with women's issues and women related topics. It does not mean at all the coverage of issues that pertain only to women journalists as gender-based. We know that very often men journalists can even better observe and depict women's issues in some cases. This new tendency in journalism is aimed to change the stereotyped and passive image of women and create their active and positive portrayal on the basis of gender equality.

Let us try to analyze what is written on women's issues and what image of women is made in Mongolian prints on examples of some local newspapers and publications. It should be said straightly that this is not a substantial review but only an attempt to make an overall assessment of the situation.

According to 2000 report on "Media Monitoring in Mongolia" about 260 media productions were run in the country last year. Around 200 of them are newspapers and magazines. Some of them were selected for figures, and editions that were issued in one quarter only have been taken for review. Some conclusions are made also by comparing with the outcomes of 1999 survey. The monitoring was made over Odriin sonin (Daily news) for representation of daily newspapers, Deedsiin hureelen (Upper circle), Humuus (The People), Seruuleg (The Alarm) among the weekly newspapers, aslo Zaluus (The Youngsters), Huviin soyol (Personal culture), Huviin amidral (Private life) newspapers which come out in 10-14 days and monthly newspapers Mongoljingoo, Aphrodite.

Portrayal of women in these prints can be looked over from three aspects:

1. Information capacity related to women
2. Methods and forms of writing on women's issues
3. What should be undertaken to improve the situation in the future I'll try to mention here also about situation in other countries.

One. Information capacity related to women

According to the survey conducted by the Association of Women Journalists of France in February, 2000 on World Media Monitoring (71 countries participated) the world media productions devoted to women's issues 18% of their publications. The similar survey, which was conducted 5 years ago has showed the results as 17% of the world media publications on women's issues. It might be said that if publications on women will continue to go in this way probably 160 years would be needed to bring the aforesaid figure to 50%. Publications on women in Europe have increased by 17-18%, while it has declined in North America by 27-25 % and in Africa by 22-11% correspondingly.

If talk about major focus in writing about women, the data will be as following: 26% of publications on art, 11 % on education, 10 % on poverty and 7 % on politics and sports. This is an example of the situation in regard of women image in the media of other countries of the world.

The monitoring of some newspapers and periodicals in our country has revealed the following.

If consider the total size of a daily newspaper and an average number of materials published in one edition (advertising material is not included here), news and articles about women don't exceed 3-4% of it. It should be noted that the data might be affected by a big size of publications, which is very common for our newspapers. Otherwise most likely the figure might be even less.

The picture is different from that if take weekly newspapers. In one edition of those newspapers about 23% of the newspaper size are dedicated somehow to women. Here also the figure might be made up positively due to big articles, advertising materials, placement of numerous photos.

It is very good that one of 4 materials were related to women in each edition of Zaluus, Huviin soyol, Huviin amidral newspapers that are run in 10-14 days. Beautiful illustration of girls regularly appears in front page of these newspapers. Big photos of women are placed also on advertising materials. If compare with the size of materials then it would nearly half of it.

Only two women monthly newspapers were chosen for monitoring and think there is no reason to talk about them as it is self-explanatory.

If consider the topics of 362 materials, which appeared in one month in all newspapers that had been reviewed for monitoring 43,5% of writing were on culture and art (description of pop-stars' life, interview with artists, their portrait, reporting from sport events etc), 19,7% on family issues, love affairs and sex, 18,7% on crimes and offences, 9,3% on politics, women rights, women leaders and movement, 7,2% on pension, benefits, poverty, unemployment and other social issues, and the rest 2,1% on other aspects.

Very encouraging is the fact that number of newspapers dedicates certain pages and columns to women. For instance Deedsiin hureelen newspaper has a regular page under the title "Mongolian wonderful women", Huviin soyol has a special column "Girls", "Business woman", and Mongoljingoo newspaper issues the column "Men's free voice" .

When making conclusions from the aforesaid portrayal of women and writing about women's issues in the print media it can be noted that it does not match so well to the realities, if talk about participation of contemporary women in political and socio-economic life. The reason is that not only beauties and pop-stars represent the position, activities and participation of the Mongolian women. It is regretful that priority issues of many thousand women, who devote their creative and dedicated work and efforts in health, education, business, agriculture sectors are left behind the screen.

Two. Methods and forms of writing on women's issues

It should be stressed here that publications about women's views, equality and rights are lacking specific policy and systemized planning in this regard and mainly appear from time to time for some occasions. As far as I know, the portrayal of women as of a contributor to the society was predominant in the 1970-80-s. However after the 1990-s such image has been vanishing, although in reality women have become even more active participants in the political, economic, social and cultural life and formed the most energetic social group, which can lead the others, open the minds and has its own opinion and position. However this image, its evolution and advancement is not seen clearly in the print media. For example much is written about few women in the Parliament, if let us talk on women participation at the decision making level. Odriin sonin newspaper publishes articles of women politicians, however their views and position on urgent social problems are not sufficiently made known to the public. Nearly nothing can be found in newspapers about women participation in governing at the provincial, municipal and lower administrative levels.

Instead of writing about views and position of women politicians more focus is given in Deedsiin hureelen, Huviin amidral, Humuus newspapers on their private lives and even issues of privacy that are not true in many cases.

Family and women is one of the major topics in any of our newspapers and magazines.
It should be noted here that today importance is given in other countries to change the public stereotyped image of women in family affairs from the point of gender equality. In other words bringing up the children, care of husband, household work are understood as being the genuine responsibility of women as of their nature. This approach to women participation is called as sexism. It is very essential nowadays to change the stereotyped approach and to see the traditions in other spectrum.

In our print media minor things are written on family and women topic. For instance trivial questions are put in interviewing on family and love affairs mainly such as like how the couples met each other, what the husband likes to eat or what he prefers to give for the gift (perfume, ring), or what was the most enjoyable moment in your life etc. Almost nothing is written about equal rights and responsibilities of family members, their contribution and efforts in bringing up the children, or about psychological factors in family relationship. On the contrary wide publication is given on jealousy, lovers, sexual relations and acts, sexual harassment and addiction. It is enough to mention only the interview with Tsogzolmaa, saleswoman at the Da Huree market, which was publicized in Seruuleg newspaper, edition No 36 of 2000 under the title "My husband tortured me by hitting into the breast after I've born a child". According to the interview the husband beats and tortures the woman at nights and insists on sex afterwards for his satisfaction. Such sort of interviews, anonymous letters, invented articles are predominant in "yellow" press.

The publications on women in newspapers and periodicals are often about famous people and life of the stars. Probably it is unavoidable. Not everyone can become a star and their personality might be significant for some people to take an example for their development, self-confidence and pride. The weak side of it is that mostly art people (athletes are seldom)or models are taken for the image. It would not be an exaggeration to say that any outstanding person of any profession can be presented in this role, but the journalists themselves create such situation. In addition it can be said that method of writing about the stars is also stereotyped. Their image is constructed on wealthy and luxury lifestyle through description of what they eat, dress up, use for make-up, what car and housing they have etc. Seems more emphasis should be made on using the power and influence, ability and contribution of the well-known people and stars towards investing in priority fields as culture, education etc.

Placement of women's image in advertising is commonly practiced everywhere. The similar situation is existing with our print media. Huviin soyol newspaper advertises the "Image" art photo studio by placing big photos of young girls on its front page. Show of woman's beauty stimulates the strive to perfection and positively impacts the optimistic mood. However the beauty of woman seems to be shown in association with the young girls, but ladies of elder age are left neglected. No doubt that the image of an active, energetic, vivid and diligent women , which is presented as being worth to follow up should have positive results. We are lacking also a nice portrayal of good mothers and grandmothers. To say in general, writing about elder women has an approach to appeal for love, sympathetic attitude, care and concern. (Humuus No 44, Veteran singer Tuya of Folk dance and song group, Deedsiin hureelen No 41 Tuya, the first woman saxophone player in Mongolia etc.)

Three. What should be undertaken in the future?

1. It is needed to consolidate the efforts of women journalists, conduct specialized training among them with the purpose of changing the stereotyped approach in writing on women's issues.

2. Enhance the collaboration and activities of women and journalists' NGOs towards the formation of a new criteria amongst the journalists in creating positive, business like image of women in the print media.(For example the Holland broadcasting corporation discusses with producers the stereotyped image of women in audio and video products, works out and distributes guidelines, reports and makes presentations in this regard.)

3. The print media should change its methods of publication, which is written at the level of an ordinary mentality and it would be advantageous to focus on educative and scientific significance of more advanced, new and far going values and criteria.

4. The print media and journalist alongside with their professional ethics should pay attention to the social and psychological pressure on violators of ethical codes of conduct.

5. Professional prints, women's periodicals are needed. It would be worthy to study the possibility of bringing into Mongolia the well-known magazines for women, which are published in other countries.

6. It is necessary to improve the requirements and demands on both sides, the customer and the information provider (journalists, print media practitioners). That comes out from vast opportunity of the contemporary civilized people that they have for an access to information.

I'd like to complete my speech by saying a few words in address of a new direction in the communicative journalism, which I have mentioned at the beginning of the talk. As said by John Marilynn, the American journalism theoretician, the concept of developing the traditional American journalism into communicative journalism based on principles of freedom in a new era will be the most constructive option, which would meet the social interests and determine its real civil content.