3 - Gendered Portrayal of Political Actors in Nigerian Print Media: What Impact on Women’s Political Participation?
Corresponding Author(s) : Idongesit Eshiet
Africa Media Review,
Vol. 21 No. 1-2 (2013): Africa Media Review, Volume 21, n° 1 & 2, 2013
Abstract
The objective of this paper is to investigate the gendered portrayal of political actors in Nigerian print media and its impact on women’s political participation based on an empirical study. The study adopted a combination of methods – content analysis and cross-sectional survey. A case study of the coverage of the corruption charges of two former Speakers of the lower legislature (male and female, respectively) during the 2007-2011 administration was conducted on two purposely selected daily newspapers – The Punch and The Guardian. To complement the findings of the content analysis, a cross-sectional survey was conducted on a sample size of 100 respondents on their perception of media portrayal of female politicians. Findings of the content analyses revealed that the coverage of the cases was gendered, with the female Speaker’s case being sensationalised, hyped and trivialised. However, the findings of the survey indicate that a majority of the respondents saw the coverage as justifiable, believing the media simply reported the truth about the female Speaker.
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- Braden, M., 1996, Women Politician and the Media, Lexington: University Press of Kentucky.
- Corner, J., 2003, ‘Mediated Persona and Political Culture’, in J. Corner and D. Pels, eds., Media and the Restyling of Politics, London: Sage. pp. 67-85.
- FORBES, 2012, Snapshot of Female Politicians Around the World. (www.forbes. com/2010/03/05/women-government-power-forbes-woman-power-women- quota.html). Last accessed 23 May 2012.
- Global Media Monitoring Project, 2010, Who Makes the News? Canada: World Association for Christian Communication (WACC).
- The Guardian Newspaper, Friday 24 August 2007, ‘Reps Defend Charges Against Speaker, Allege Sabotage’, Front page.
- The Guardian Newspaper, Friday 28 September 2007, ‘Etteh, Wounded Speaker, Walks on Moral Stilts’, p.51.
- The Guardian Newspaper, Sunday 30 September 2007, ‘Letter to Patricia Etteh’, p.54.
- The Guardian Newspaper, Friday 31 October 2008, ‘Arewa Youths Flay Reps over Alleged Scam’, p.9.
- Haines, J., 1992, Suffrage to Sufferance: 100 Years of Women in Politics, Sydney: Allen and Unwin.
- Jenkins, C., 2002, ‘The More Things Change: Women, Politics and The Press in Australia’, ejournalist, Vol.2 No.1, pp.1-22. (http://www.ejournalist.com.au). Last accessed 21 May 2012.
- Kahn, K. F., 1994, ‘Does Being Male Help? An Investigation of the Effects of Candidate’s Gender and Campaign Coverage on Evaluations of U.S. Senate Candidates’, Journal of Politics, Vol. 54, No.2, pp. 497-517.
- Lake, M., 1994, ‘Personality, Individuality, Nationality: Feminist Conception of Citizenship 1902-1940’, Australian Feminist Studies, Vol. 19, pp. 25-28.
- Lawrence, C., 2004, Media Representation of Politics and Women Politicians. (www. rationalist.com.au/archive /49/p27-32.pdf). Last accessed 21 May 2012.
- McCombs, M. E. and Shaw, D. L., 1972, ‘The Agenda-Setting Functions of Mass Media’, Public Opinion Quarterly, Vol. 36, No. 2, pp. 176-187.
- Media and Gender Monitor, 2011, The Global Media Monitoring Project: An Agenda for Action Towards Gender-Ethical News Media, Canada: World Association for Christian Communication (WACC).
- Media Monitoring Project, 1999, A Snap Shot Survey of Women’s Representation in the South African Media at the End of the Millennium, Johannesburg: Media Monitoring Project (MMP).
- Mervi, P., 2006, Gender, Politics and Media: Challenging Stereotypes, Promoting Diversity, Strengthening Equality. (http://www.portrayingpolitics.net/research3/ php). Last accessed 16 April
- Motion, J., 1996, ‘Women Politicians: Media Objects or Political Subjects?’, Media International Australia, May, Vol. 80, pp. 110-117.
- Norris, P., 1997, ‘Women Leaders Worldwide: A Splash of Colour in the Photo Op’, in Norris, P., ed., Women, Media and Politics, Oxford: Oxford University Press. Punch Newspaper, Sunday 9 September 2007, ‘Etteh: Probe Panel Confronts Many Odds’, p. 43.
- Punch Newspaper, Saturday 22 September 2007, ‘Etteh Cannot Lead Reps’, p. A3. Punch Newspaper, Tuesday 25 September 2007, ‘Editorial- Etteh: Matters Arising’, p. 9. Punch Newspaper, Thursday 27 September 2007, ‘Re: Before We Crucify Etteh’, p. 14. Punch Newspaper, Sunday 30 September 2007, ‘Yaradua Must Ask Etteh to Go Now’, p. 7.
- Punch Newspaper, Tuesday 2 October 2007, ‘It’s Time to Go Madam’, p.13.
- Punch Newspaper, Thursday 18 October 2007, ‘N 628m Scam: A House in Disar- ray’, p. 43.
- Punch Newspaper, Saturday 20 October 2007, ‘Etteh Steps Aside Wednesday’, p. 9.
- Punch Newspaper, Saturday 27 October 2007, ‘Under Fire from Stray Bullet’, p. A5.
- Punch Newspaper, Tuesday 21 October 2008, ‘Reps Refer Purchase of N2.3bn Cars to Ethics Panel’, Front page and p. 8.
- Punch Newspaper, Friday 7 November 2008, ‘N2.3bn Car Scandal: Group Accuses Six Law Makers’, p. 6.
- Schmitt-Beck, R., 1996, ‘Mass Media, the Electorate and the Bandwagon. A Study of Communication Effects on Vote Choice in Germany’, International Journal of Public Opinion Research, Vol.8, No. 32, pp. 266-291.
- Sreberny-Mohammadi, A. and Ross, K., 1996, ‘Women MPs and the Media: Repre- senting the Body
- Politic’, in J. Lovenduski and P. Norris, eds.,Women in Politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Tuchman, G., 1978, ‘Introduction: The Symbolic Annihilation of Women by the Mass Media’, in G.
- Tuchman, A. K. Daniels and J. Benet, eds., Hearth and Home: Im- ages of Women in the Mass Media,New York: Oxford University Press.
References
Braden, M., 1996, Women Politician and the Media, Lexington: University Press of Kentucky.
Corner, J., 2003, ‘Mediated Persona and Political Culture’, in J. Corner and D. Pels, eds., Media and the Restyling of Politics, London: Sage. pp. 67-85.
FORBES, 2012, Snapshot of Female Politicians Around the World. (www.forbes. com/2010/03/05/women-government-power-forbes-woman-power-women- quota.html). Last accessed 23 May 2012.
Global Media Monitoring Project, 2010, Who Makes the News? Canada: World Association for Christian Communication (WACC).
The Guardian Newspaper, Friday 24 August 2007, ‘Reps Defend Charges Against Speaker, Allege Sabotage’, Front page.
The Guardian Newspaper, Friday 28 September 2007, ‘Etteh, Wounded Speaker, Walks on Moral Stilts’, p.51.
The Guardian Newspaper, Sunday 30 September 2007, ‘Letter to Patricia Etteh’, p.54.
The Guardian Newspaper, Friday 31 October 2008, ‘Arewa Youths Flay Reps over Alleged Scam’, p.9.
Haines, J., 1992, Suffrage to Sufferance: 100 Years of Women in Politics, Sydney: Allen and Unwin.
Jenkins, C., 2002, ‘The More Things Change: Women, Politics and The Press in Australia’, ejournalist, Vol.2 No.1, pp.1-22. (http://www.ejournalist.com.au). Last accessed 21 May 2012.
Kahn, K. F., 1994, ‘Does Being Male Help? An Investigation of the Effects of Candidate’s Gender and Campaign Coverage on Evaluations of U.S. Senate Candidates’, Journal of Politics, Vol. 54, No.2, pp. 497-517.
Lake, M., 1994, ‘Personality, Individuality, Nationality: Feminist Conception of Citizenship 1902-1940’, Australian Feminist Studies, Vol. 19, pp. 25-28.
Lawrence, C., 2004, Media Representation of Politics and Women Politicians. (www. rationalist.com.au/archive /49/p27-32.pdf). Last accessed 21 May 2012.
McCombs, M. E. and Shaw, D. L., 1972, ‘The Agenda-Setting Functions of Mass Media’, Public Opinion Quarterly, Vol. 36, No. 2, pp. 176-187.
Media and Gender Monitor, 2011, The Global Media Monitoring Project: An Agenda for Action Towards Gender-Ethical News Media, Canada: World Association for Christian Communication (WACC).
Media Monitoring Project, 1999, A Snap Shot Survey of Women’s Representation in the South African Media at the End of the Millennium, Johannesburg: Media Monitoring Project (MMP).
Mervi, P., 2006, Gender, Politics and Media: Challenging Stereotypes, Promoting Diversity, Strengthening Equality. (http://www.portrayingpolitics.net/research3/ php). Last accessed 16 April
Motion, J., 1996, ‘Women Politicians: Media Objects or Political Subjects?’, Media International Australia, May, Vol. 80, pp. 110-117.
Norris, P., 1997, ‘Women Leaders Worldwide: A Splash of Colour in the Photo Op’, in Norris, P., ed., Women, Media and Politics, Oxford: Oxford University Press. Punch Newspaper, Sunday 9 September 2007, ‘Etteh: Probe Panel Confronts Many Odds’, p. 43.
Punch Newspaper, Saturday 22 September 2007, ‘Etteh Cannot Lead Reps’, p. A3. Punch Newspaper, Tuesday 25 September 2007, ‘Editorial- Etteh: Matters Arising’, p. 9. Punch Newspaper, Thursday 27 September 2007, ‘Re: Before We Crucify Etteh’, p. 14. Punch Newspaper, Sunday 30 September 2007, ‘Yaradua Must Ask Etteh to Go Now’, p. 7.
Punch Newspaper, Tuesday 2 October 2007, ‘It’s Time to Go Madam’, p.13.
Punch Newspaper, Thursday 18 October 2007, ‘N 628m Scam: A House in Disar- ray’, p. 43.
Punch Newspaper, Saturday 20 October 2007, ‘Etteh Steps Aside Wednesday’, p. 9.
Punch Newspaper, Saturday 27 October 2007, ‘Under Fire from Stray Bullet’, p. A5.
Punch Newspaper, Tuesday 21 October 2008, ‘Reps Refer Purchase of N2.3bn Cars to Ethics Panel’, Front page and p. 8.
Punch Newspaper, Friday 7 November 2008, ‘N2.3bn Car Scandal: Group Accuses Six Law Makers’, p. 6.
Schmitt-Beck, R., 1996, ‘Mass Media, the Electorate and the Bandwagon. A Study of Communication Effects on Vote Choice in Germany’, International Journal of Public Opinion Research, Vol.8, No. 32, pp. 266-291.
Sreberny-Mohammadi, A. and Ross, K., 1996, ‘Women MPs and the Media: Repre- senting the Body
Politic’, in J. Lovenduski and P. Norris, eds.,Women in Politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Tuchman, G., 1978, ‘Introduction: The Symbolic Annihilation of Women by the Mass Media’, in G.
Tuchman, A. K. Daniels and J. Benet, eds., Hearth and Home: Im- ages of Women in the Mass Media,New York: Oxford University Press.