New Study reveals Gender Gap in Foreign Affairs Reporting

A new study has been published i.e., Women for Media report’s 6^th edition on women’s representation in the media, exposing a persistent gender gap. It is the largest-ever one in Australia. This is the one that affects both who reports on the day’s top stories, who gets quoted in them.

This report identifies foreign affairs as well as international security, considering it as one area where males dominance over news and opinion coverage stays. In addition, males account for a total of 60% in the reportage of foreign affairs, across news landscape i.e., radio, print, online, and TV.

Bringing political scientists and media scholars together, the study reveals that the gender divide is majorly pronounced in front-page foreign affairs stories along with opinion articles. Men also write around 73% of these articles in specific having 13 points higher than the male bylines’ overall share across all front-page stories. Considering the gap, it expands even further on opinion pages where male account for 86% contributors on these issues which is 15 points higher than share of male bylines with all opinion pieces.

While in comparison, females are over represented in “soft news” that includes well-being, lifestyle, celebrity and the arts stories.