Description |
The year of 1992 was often called "The year of the Woman," but was it really? The following thesis will examine women's roles in the media and the media's role in defining society's views of women. Studies were conducted, examining the local media and then comparing the findings with an already existent study of the national media. Bylines, references and photos were looked at in both the print and broadcast mediums. The studies showed a vast imbalance in the news' coverage of men and women. Men dominate all aspects of the news, making it a masculine narrative. The following pages seek to explore how the media and society in general portray women as "other," as defined by Simone DeBeauvoir in her work The Second Sex. It will also look at women's own self perceptions and why they are influenced by popular culture. Finally this thesis make suggestions for change, both within the media and women's individual lives. Women can no longer be defined as "other." This thesis seeks to confront and raise issues important to women and men not only the media, but in daily American life. |