Women’s voices continue to be underrepresented in the global news media. “The Missing Perspectives of Women in News,” commissioned by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and authored by Luba Kassova, examines women’s representation in newsrooms, newsgathering, and news coverage in India, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, the UK, and the US. Analyzing three audiences – journalists, decision makers, and the public – the report seeks to understand the status of women in the news media through the political, economic, socio-cultural, regulatory, technological and news consumption contexts of each country.
The report finds that women’s representation in the news has flatlined – if not reversed – in the 21st century. This alarming marginalization is clear in all areas of the news media: women are underrepresented in newsroom leadership, gender equality stories are going untold, and men remain the vast majority of quoted experts and sources.
These issues are particularly clear in 2020. An accompanying special report, “The Missing Perspectives of Women in COVID-19 News,” finds that though women are disproportionately affected by the economic, social and political impacts of COVID-19, coverage of the virus remains dominated by male voices.
To address the challenges uncovered by this research, the report offers 50 evidence-based recommendations and a checklist for newsrooms to use as they work to increase women’s representation, challenge biases and work to achieve gender parity. With these recommendations, the journalism industry can further its work to uplift women’s voices and create a more diverse, free global news landscape.