Ethical Issues In The Media IndustryHow women are represented

What is the issue? The issue of this presentation is the way women in the media are represented. These are not usually the way women would want to be portrayed. Instead of being represented as strong, smart, role models; They are shown as sex symbols. From the images shown to us in the mass media, it is assumed that we have been encouraged to mould ourselves into a set ideal. For women, that means having beauty, elegance and good domestic ability and for a man that means being tough, ‘rough n’ ready’, competitive and business minded.

It is important to understand both sides of this ethical issue. From the woman's point of view we could ask why women are always represented as sex symbols and why are they never shown to be anything more than housewife's and mothers. Where as men get show to be dominant and powerful. This happens right across the media. From films to TV, across magazines and even through advertisements on the radio. From the very early on, society is brainwashed to thinking we have to fit these ‘roles’. For example, even Disney princess films make you believe that to be the perfect woman you have to be thin, beautiful and rich. The main princesses in these films are shown as being thin, rich and beautiful, also they are always shown as damsels in distress. This is where the men’s role as being dominant, fit and powerful is enforced as they always seem to be the hero. They are shown in the eyes of a princess as perfect as they arrive on a stallion, muscly body and perfect hair. These film make us think this is how we should look and act to be ‘perfect’. It’s quite scary really as these films are made from children from ages as young as 3. We probably don’t realise these things, but even the Disney princesses are shown as sex symbols, and their main goal is to get the prince.

Being a woman working in the media…

Many laws get broken when it comes to women working in the media. Equal rights are not reached, this is where the laws are broken. Laws such as; Equal rights. This includes equal pay, age discrimination and sex discrimination.