Representation of women on the main South African public television news bulletins 1999-2005: a critical analysis of representation of women on Women's Day
Date
2010-07-27T12:32:38Z
Authors
Nxumalo, Frank Miyane
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Abstract
Abstract
This study investigates the representation of women on the main South African public television news bulletins between 1999 and 2005. The study focuses on the representation of women on Women’s Day in South Africa as a case study of the representation of women in television news. A nuanced, complimentary theoretical framework of theories of news production, discourse and semiotic analyses is used. The study uses quantitative content analysis as a stepping stone to make qualitative judgements about media texts. The findings of the study reveal that women are represented in stereotypical roles as mothers, housewives, victims, people in need of government assistance, or passive crowds at national gatherings. The findings of the study also reveal that the news media trivializes and ridicules issues of concern to women and does not treat them as legitimate and significant. Overall the study reveals that television news is a masculine narrative that reinforces negative frames of meaning about women.