It is no secret that women usually get the short end of the stick when it comes to representation in the media. You may have thought that unfair representation was confined to sitcoms and reality shows, but it turns out that sexism in media bleeds over into the realm of broadcast news as well.
"Miss Representation" is a 2011 documentary that explores all of the ways women are wronged in the media, including how female news anchors are sexualized and objectified to boost ratings. As a female journalism student, I was deeply saddened by what I saw. Even as some of the top journalists in the game, these women are expected to dress for the male gaze and fall under intense scrutiny from viewers not for their journalistic capabilities, but for their appearance.
Katie Couric is a main touchstone when we think of female journalists, as she was the first to break the mold of having white males as news anchors. She was brought on to CBS's evening news program in 2006 as the first solo female news anchor in television history, and from there became a household name.
Given her impressive career, Couric was featured as a commentator in "Miss Representation," where she spoke of her excitement about this role, saying, “I thought it was an important message that a woman could be as confident as a man in an important, powerful role.” It is disheartening to see that despite her high status in the broadcast news world, she was still objectified, sexualized, and fell under intense scrutiny by male journalists and viewers.
Instead of seeing this new chapter for women in media as an opportunity to celebrate their advancements, many male journalists only criticized her for how much leg she was showing and her fashion choices.
Across channels in the media, women are portrayed in a manner far removed from reality--essentially as props or sexual objects. This trend has far-reaching implications in the real world, including increased violence against women, rampant discrimination, and self-objectification in women, which can lead to mental illnesses like eating disorders.
I firmly believe that ignorance and lack of education are what motivate these ills, so watching films such as "Miss Representation" are key to beginning to work toward resolving them. If everyone knew the extent of the damaging effects of media representation of women, I feel it would be impossible for them not to empathize and join women in demanding more humane representation. In our media-saturated society, I feel as though this film should be required watching so that we can begin to contain harmful media effects and work toward more fair treatment of women in media for the future.
