We need this kind of an inquiry here in the US!

[redqueen]

The Leveson inquiry was started to get information about the phone hacking scandal.

Guess what else they found?

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/markets/article-24025156-unexpected-result-of-leveson-has-been-to-expose-sexism.do

Unexpected result of Leveson has been to expose sexism
Roy Greenslade
4 Jan 2012

THE LEVESON inquiry has opened the door to a far broader reconsideration of what is published in our newspapers than its original remit implied. The latest charge is that many papers are guilty of sexism.

Four separate groups - End Violence Against Women, Equality Now, Object and the rape charity Eaves - have called on Leveson to look at how papers treat women.

EVAW's 27-page submission refers to "poor reporting of violence against women stories which were either intrusive, inaccurate, which misrepresented or were misogynistic, victim-blaming or condoning violence against women and girls".

(snip)

There cannot be a shadow of doubt that women are routinely presented as sex objects across the media - in films, on TV shows, on billboards, in hundreds of magazines and in newspapers. What is at issue, however, is whether this prompts men to act violently, or merely badly, towards women.

(snip)

[dipsydoodle]

1. That's an article which refers to pre-New Year events

This might be the original from 29th December - enquiry wasn't sitting across the holiday period :

Leveson inquiry should address media sexism, women's groups demand.

Lord Justice Leveson should widen his investigation into the practices and ethics of the British press, and tackle the sexual objectification and damaging representation of women in the media, says a coalition of women's groups.

The Leveson inquiry will "not be doing its job properly" if it does not examine the portrayal of women in the media, according to End Violence Against Women (EVAW), Equality Now, Object, and the rape charity Eaves. They argue in detailed submissions to the judge that reporting in tabloid and in some cases broadsheet newspapers perpetuates violence and even prevents some women reporting rape to the police.

"Leveson is not just charged with looking at phone hacking but for the entire relationship between the press and the public," said Jacqui Hunt, director of Equality Now.

"Women make up 50% of that public but too often in the tabloid press are portrayed as sexualised objects or victims who are somehow to blame for the violence committed against them. When older women are pushed out of the media, when they are not used as expert commentators, when women are not seen as equal partners – this has a negative effect all the way through society."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/dec/29/leveson-inquiry-should-address-media-sexism Thursday 29 December 2011 18.31 GMT

Leveson told to include sexism in investigation

Jacqui Hunt, director of Equality Now, said: “Leveson is not just charged with looking at phone hacking but for the entire relationship between the press and the public.

“Women make up 50 per cent of that public, but too often in the tabloid press are portrayed as sexualised objects or victims who are somehow to blame for the violence committed against them.

“When older women are pushed out of the media, when they are not used as expert commentators, when women are not seen as equal partners – this has a negative effect all the way through society.”

The four groups have sent detailed submissions to the inquiry’s Lord Justice Leveson in which they argue that abuse and violence against women is often trivialised by newspapers.

http://www.scotsman.com/the-scotsman/uk/leveson_told_to_include_sexism_in_investigation_1_2031688

[redqueen]

2. Somehow it's really not surprising

that it wasn't a happy accident, but had to be specifically mandated that this be evaluated.

Oh well, it was done, and that's the important thing.

[seabeyond]

3. words matter. nt

[redqueen]

4. Indeed. (nt)

[dipsydoodle]

5. There are two parts of the Leveson enquiry

The current one concerns the media in general and the second part will consider the hacking issues. The second part cannot take place place until all relevant trials have taken place in a year so to help avoid issues of sub judice.

This particular issue doesn't just cover our newspapers here - its the media in general and includes such aspects as ageism.

See here for example : http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jan/11/countryfile-miriam-oreilly-tribunal

It is visibly obvious on our TV news channels that male news announcers stay far longer than their female counterparts.

[redqueen]

6. Thanks for providing more context about this.

Your comment about ageism on the news immediately reminded me of Regis and co-host. Or this Spanish language morning show that's the same thing (old guy, young attractive female).

[dipsydoodle]

7. Subject actually came up excatly year ago in our media

When a male newsreader gets older, he becomes an authority; when a female newsreader gets older, she becomes a problem. Harriet Harman, equalities minister, says she heard this gem from a former senior executive at the Beeb. It's probably true, but hopefully it won't be for much longer. Last September, the BBC director general, Mark Thompson, decided that the real problem was not enough older women on the telly – and urged his news chiefs to employ more of them. Suddenly, from being a problem, 50-something women news anchors were in demand.

Now four of them are back in jobs. Just before Christmas, the BBC confirmed the appointments of Julia Somerville, Zeinab Badawi, Fiona Armstrong and Carole Walker . But why hadn't news bosses realised sooner that older women were perfect as news anchors? In many cultures, after all, older women are seen as the fount of wisdom and authority — who could be better for a job that requires lashings of both?

Too many of the top bosses at the BBC seemed to have believed in the ancient idea that the "cocktail" for a TV news programme was an older, male "authority figure" sitting beside a younger, female "eye candy" figure. Finally, that looks set to change – at least in theory.

So will this be a flash in the pan? Or might this be a real change? I think it really could. Not only is it cheering that the BBC's head of news, Helen Boaden is herself, wait for it, a 50-something, but when you look Stateside you see a TV landscape in which older women news anchors have every bit as much status as older men (and a lot more, given their experience, than younger women). I'm thinking of women like Christine Amanpour, Diane Sawyer and Katie Couric. For me, one of the joys of trips to the States is the chance to see these great women in action on the box in my hotel room.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2010/jan/04/bbc-older-women-news

Julia Somerville is cool - she'll be 65 in July and sort of reminds me of my wife who died twenty odd years ago when she was 46.

Julia Somerville a year ago :

[redqueen]

9. I think it is the start of real change.

At least I very much hope so.

And, my condolences on the early passing of your wife. That is much too young.

[dipsydoodle]

10. Another from 2 years ago

Axed BBC newsreader Moira Stuart to narrate C4 documentary on ageism.

Stuart, 59, will voice a Channel 4 Dispatches programme, called Too Old to Work, looking at ageism in the jobs market.

The programme will go undercover to show how workers over 45 are more likely to lose their job and fail to secure another position.

It will be Stuart's first significant broadcasting job since the BBC confirmed in October 2007 that she would not return to news reading, after leaving Andrew Marr's Sunday morning show.

Her departure reignited the row over ageism in the BBC as she announced she was quitting the corporation after more than 30 years.

2:48PM GMT 06 Feb 2009 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/4538322/Axed-BBC-news-reader-Moira-Stuart-to-narrate-C4-documentary-on-ageism.html

Moira's a gem : real funny with a lovely laugh too. She's since found a nice little niche doing the news and other chatter on an early morning BBC Radio 2 "animal show" - music and humour presented by a group of presenters.

[spanone]

8. k&r...