Media’s Portrayal of Ghanaian Women in Governance. A Study of Primetime News Programs of Selected Media Houses

Abstract

The media play a critical role in the construction and re-construction of perceptions and stereotypes against women. The narrative regarding media’s portrayal of women’s involvement in politics and governance positions are presented in stereotypic ways despite increased women’s involvement in politics and economic development. The media cover women in politics less than their male counterparts and also tend to trivialize issues concerning women in politics when giving them limited reportage. Studies indicate that the media portrays women who are involved in politics as unable to hold political offices, people who only possess soft skills and women who cannot get married due to their chosen careers. It is thus essential to study how the media represents and portrays women in political and governance positions. The study adopts the quantitative content analysis approach to study this phenomenon. The study samples a total of 120 7pm news programs from GTV and Citi TV across April to July to assess media’s portrayal and representation of women in politics and governance. The paper concludes that it is essential to study how the media portray women’s involvement in politics and governance in order to empower them appropriately. This study will be crucial to literature concerning the general media landscape in Ghana. Furthermore, this study will hold immense benefit to studies regarding how the media represents and propagates stereotypes against women.