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Women

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Submitted By shannancoelho24
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Media representation of women
Media have been reflectors of dominant values and work as an active agency aiming at reinforcing and strengthening dominant value structure. There is no doubt that mass media like TV, film, radio newspapers and magazines mould opinion, thinking, attitudes and behaviour.
TV and films are more powerful as their reach and impact is greater than that of other media. All of these media have greater reach among men than women, but what catches the attention of the feminists and other concerned people is the unrealistic, negative portrayal of women in these media.
Mass media do give coverage to women and their issues but damage done by media to women is more than the help offered to them. The role of media in the development of women and enhancement of their status in the society is very depressing.
All mass media are being blamed for this. Mass media have been powerful agents of social influence but they have not been effective in portraying women in meaningful, respectable and positive manner.
In 1978, a major UNESCO study on the portrayal and participation of women in the media found that the portrayal of women in the mass media globally was consistently poor. The study also confirmed that there was severe under-representation of women in the upper cadres of all media organizations, and that the average media woman earns less than her male counter-parts.
Studies carried out in South Asia in 1986 confirm that women are portrayed either as docile, home loving and sexless, or as the object of male desire. Mass Media's presentation of women is contradictory to reality.
This does not mean that mass media are expected to represent reality with accuracy. But, as pointed out by Joshi (1991), "Consistently and systematically women are being exploited to the advantage of men's self-esteem."
According to her, one important reason is that its

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