Media representation of gender: A comparative study of EBC and FBC TV news reports.
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Date
2024-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The purpose of the study is to assess the representation of gender in news reports Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC) and Fana Broadcasting Corporate (FBC). Quantitative content analysis methodological approach has been employed to address the research questions. The data was collected through a systematic random sampling method. The period under consideration extended from September 11, 2022, to March 5, 2023, encompassing duration of six months. Following the principles of systematic random sampling, a total of 36 specific days were chosen with intervals of five days between each selection. During the designated sampling days, EBC presented 230 news stories across various topics, while FBC aired 219 news stories covering a range of different subjects. The study data collected from the digital archive of the media and website of the media. The researcher compiled a spreadsheet by attentively listened to each sampled news piece for data analysis and categorized in to ; the series of the news, the news stories topic, news source, Function of news source and the occupation news source categories. The news sampled originally Amharic version and the researcher translate into English for the analysis purpose. The finding of the study shows that representation of women is less than men in both media news reports. Women represent as a news source 15 percent in EBC and 16 percent in FBC while male 52 percent and 57 percent respectively. Men are commonly linked with roles characterized by prominent, political visibility, public whereas women tend to be associated with household tasks and environments of a home, informal nature, which are often unpaid and receive limited recognition. Women in the news report of both media framed as a beneficiary and less knowledge stereotypically; that is women dependant, dominate in soft news, lack of ability and private sphere on the other hand men are independent, dominate in hard news, able and visible to public sphere. A woman in some news topic has no role and relatively outnumber on engagement in popular opinion. Gender inequalities are existed in the news report of both EBC and FBC news reports according to the representation, the role given in the stories. Still news is dominated by men and the gender representation in the media need attention. EBC and FBC journalists and editors have to be alert of the editorial policy concerning to female representation while producing news.
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Keywords
EBC and FBC, Gender News