The Learning Resource Kit for Gender-Ethical Journalism and Media House Policy

In an effort to promote fair gender portrayal within media houses and the journalistic profession, this kit has been developed based on the insights of media practitioners, educators, and communication researchers from around the globe. The goal of this publication is to encourage dialogue within media structures and self-regulatory bodies together with civil society groups, and in so doing, help media decision makers, media professionals, and engaged media audiences increase the pace of change towards fair representation and portrayal of women in reporting.

The kit is organised in two books. Book 1, designed to appeal to media decision makers and civil society actors interested in gender media policy adoption or improvement, concentrates on conceptual issues about gender in news reporting, such as the impact of adopting a gender lens when reporting a story, ways in which gender ethics are critical to media practice, and to what extent media codes of ethics prescribe the integration of gender concerns.  Case study examples are also provided, documenting experiences in gender equality with respect to media practices.

Book 2, designed to be of interest to media practitioners, presents gender-ethical thematic guidelines on reporting climate change, disaster, economic news, sexual and reproductive health, human trafficking, peace and security, politics, and sexual violence. The guidelines, according to the authors, are intended to be adaptable for varying social contexts and realities, with the basic principles being useful to inform the development of gender-ethical approaches to covering stories in other thematic areas.