Men continue to dominate the Australian media, from the newsroom to the boardroom. The Insights team has discovered that there is a severe under-representation of women in terms of media coverage.
The Women in Media (WIM) Gender Scorecard reports on the portrayal of women featured in the news and used as sources and experts. The scorecard reveals that men comprise 70% of sources quoted and a similarly high proportion accounted for expert sources.
As part of a research partnership, Isentia worked with WIM to publish the Gender Scorecard. WIM is a 6000-member organisation for women working in all facets of the media. The Gender Scorecard identifies core areas in media analysis (bylines, sources, experts) to monitor change and positive or negative shifts towards achieving parity for women.
Our Insights team analysed 18,346 press, radio and TV news reports over a 14-day period, 18-31 July 2022, in compiling the research. The Gender Scorecard defines male-female parity as ‘100’ with any number under 100 showing an under-representation of women.
We also carried out other extensive analysis and methodologies such as:
In-depth analysis of content and programmes to identify the gender of journalists, reporters and hosts.
Individual categorisation and tagging of topics and content discussed.
Extensive assessment of content to identify the gender of spokespeople and experts that were quoted or paraphrased
Gathering the various gender parity rates in the sampled data and calculating the scorecard
More voices for women in media
Key findings of the Women in Media Gender Scorecard
Isentia’s ANZ Insights Director Ngaire Crawford noted, “this research highlights the 14-point gap that exists between male and female representation. Having an industry measure like the Gender Scorecard provides tangible data and transparency on the issue of gender representation in the media."
Notably, the latest Gender Scorecard of 86 out of 100 is up 8 points on the 2016 ranking, true parity with men remains a distant goal, according to WIM Strategic Advisor, Petra Buchanan.
The research shows that the inclusion, portrayal, and projection of women in Australian media had a way to go. And based on its current trajectory, the Gender Scorecard will not achieve media gender parity until 2034.
This timeline is too long to wait for equal representation of women as authors, sources and experts. She said immediate action is needed to meet this important goal of gender parity in the media.
“Action in key sectors including retail, sport, health, social issues and education will drive us towards achieving that objective sooner.”
Next steps for change
WIM and Isentia want to see and hear more women in the media and be called on for their leadership and expertise. More women should be commenting on issues and sharing their opinions as a fair representation of Australian society.
To learn more about the the Gender Scorecard and other aspects of the study, you can fill up the form below and download the full report.
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