Media representation of South Africas female politicians : the case of the Mail & Guardian – 2010 to 2011

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study is a feminist investigation of the reporting on the female politicians in theMail & Guardian using the SADC Protocol on Gender and Development media requirementson content as the yardstick. The Protocol is a regional policy adopted in 2008 by regionalgovernments aimed at achieving gender equity in key sectors by 2015. The Protocol is aregional instrument set up to assist in meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).The study investigated whether the Protocol's media requirements were being observed bythe Mail&Guardian. The media's role of providing information can assist the MDGs to bemet. These requirements encourage the media in the region to reach gender parity in the useof news sources and writing of news reports that help to reduce gender-based violence andthe portrayal of women that is not stereotypic and oppressive. The themes of the study, whichwere 'gender-based violence, 'gender oppression and 'stereotypes against women wereinfluenced by these requirements. Gender-based violence is a major impediment todevelopment in Africa because of the heavy financial burden it puts on governments andcommunities to treat victims and offer them shelter and counselling. Gender-based violenceaffects women's full productivity in society because it results in death or victims remainingabsent from work while they seek treatment. Stereotypes and gender oppression are viewedas dangerous because not only do they deny younger generations role models but theyperpetuate the insubordination of women in society. The study linked the themes to femaleparliamentarians because being legislators and policy makers, they have a strategic and critical role to play in helping to achieve gender equity. There is a perception that femalepoliticians offer different perspectives to issues. The media can be a vehicle through whichthese female politicians can express their opinions. This is because the media is supposed tooffer freedom of expression to all its citizens regardless of gender. In order to examine if thefemale ideology had a place in the Mail & Guardian a feminist theoretical approach was used.The study employed a triangulation approach in which both the qualitative and quantitativeresearch methodologies were used. The quantitative method was employed to a small extentto quantify the coverage of female politicians. Triangulation in data collection entailed usingboth the content analysis and in-depth interviews. Findings of the study showed a violation ofthe Protocol's media requirements. News reporting about female politicians centred onscandals and controversies and journalists and editors were ignorant of the Protocol's mediarequirements.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University