Women and Media

Abstract

Difficulties that women face in the media professions and discrimination against women's access to decision-making posts within the media is a problem that transcends national borders. Becoming a greater part of this particular workforce would help to expand both the amount and quality of visibility for women – in news, television, and public sphere in general. Public service media (PSM), as broadcasting, made, financed, and controlled by the public and for the public, with the output designed to reach everyone and reflect all voices, should treat gender equality with the utmost importance. The existing data indicate however that, although some progress have been made, there is a lot to be done: while women among European PSMs represent 44% of the workforce, the number falls to less than 25% at the higher and executive positions. This chapter analyses the efforts made by the European Broadcasting Union's members and the measures they recommend.