Women’s Voices in the Media
A special issue of Social Sciences (ISSN 2076-0760). This special issue belongs to the section "Gender Studies".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 1341
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Women’s voices are marginalized in various forms of media around the globe. Their perspectives and experiences are under-represented and, when women are included, they are often portrayed in ways that reinforce gender stereotypes. High-achieving women in areas such as politics and sport are more likely to experience negative and critical media attention than men in similar roles.
The dominance of male voices is particularly pronounced in the news media. Approximately 70% of people quoted, heard and seen in the news are men. The most recent Global Media Monitoring Project, which analyses gender in news coverage from more than 100 countries every five years, found in 2020 that women made up just 26% of sources in newspapers, 26% of television news sources, 23% of radio news sources and 28% of online news sources. Overall, women were the focus of just 6% of stories in traditional media and 9% in online news sites. Women of color, women with disabilities and older women were largely absent. Studies from around the world have consistently confirmed this persistent gender imbalance in news coverage.
Inclusion and representation matter. Research has shown that media attention influences public perceptions about what issues are important and can shape understandings and expectations. If women’s voices and perspectives are not included and articulated, they are silenced and disempowered. Conversely, media coverage that portrays women’s expertise and experiences normalizes women as authority figures and promotes gender equality.
Other gender disparities also affect media industries. Despite increases in the number of women working in the media, research has found most of the leadership, decision-making and prestigious roles continue to be held by men. Within journalism, women are more likely to report on so-called ‘soft’ topics, while men dominate the reporting of perceived high-status topics such as politics and business.
This Special Issue aims to help shift more attention to this important yet under-researched area. It will explore the inclusion and portrayal of women in the media, with a particular focus on identifying solutions that encourage and support women as media workers and contributors.
Dr. Kathryn Shine
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- news media
- women in the news
- gender
- gender equality
- news sources
- news representation
- diversity
- journalism practice
- interviewing
- journalism education
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