Lack of diversity in media ownership
In 1983 approximately 50 corporations controlled 90 percent of all news media in the United States; overtime this number has decreased to a surprisingly number of 6 corporations.
Today, these corporations are ran by six men who have control over the American media including magazines, books, music, news feeds, newspapers, movies, radio and television. The big six are:
Comcast, CEO Brian L. Roberts
The Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger
Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman
CBS CEO Leslie Moonves
News Corporation CEO Rupert Murdoch
Time Warner CEO Robert D Marcus
If you notice, not one woman is listed among these powerful media conglomerates, and here is where the issue lies, the barrier that women face in the media landscape is alarming. Women are vastly underrepresented, in a sixth month study of the 2012 election year coverage found that major American newspapers and TV news programs featured up to seven times as many quotes from men than women. This even held true even when "women's issues" were the subject such as abortion, birth control, and planned parenthood. All this narrows down to media consolidation which cuts back and makes it harder for women to have chances to become media owners and present diverse programming. Women and other minorities have been kept at low levels. The fact is that women make up 51 percent of the nations population, but only own six percent of radio stations and five percent of TV stations. It is important to keep in mind that every four years the FCC conduct a quadrennial review where different issues pertaining to ownership limits and ensuring enforcement on those limits are discussed. Although conversations about improving diversity in media ownership have started, unfortunately official policies that would boost ownership among women have not come into effect.
Women and Media Ownership
predominantly
predominantly
Some women have taken the lead in becoming some of the first CEO's in this predominantly male controlled world, the old term "glass ceiling" which describes the barrier women face from being promoted to higher positions. One of the earliest examples was in 1961 when Lucille Ball became the first female CEO of a major television and movie production company after buying out her ex husband out of Desilu Productions. A more contemporary case of media ownership by a female figure is Oprah Winfrey as the CEO of her very own network called OWN. But there are a few other women that have also taken the lead in narrowing the gap between men and women in obtaining higher positions, and they are former CEO for Oxygen Geraldine Laybourne and former CEO for NPR Vivian Schiller, they stepped up to positions where women leadership is at an alarming low percentage compare to men.
Paula Kerger has managed to keep the integrity and educational value in PBS programming in a CEO world full of men at time when the main networks are focusing on reality TV and programs that are geared towards entertainment rather than education. In the course of a year, nearly 90% of all television households in America watch PBS, and over 80% of children watch PBS. In 2013, Americans views more than three billion videos across all PBS digital platforms. Among her accomplishments are the pop-culture phenomenon “downtown Abby” which is the highest rated drama in PBS history; The 2012 documentary “ The Dust Bowl” and many acclaimed children’s programs.
Lack of Diversity for Women of Color in Media
Currently, reality shows are very popular on television. Shows such as Oxygen’s Bad Girls Club, Bravo’s the Real Housewives and VH1’s Love and Hip Hop receive top ratings. Women of color make up the majority of the casts on these shows. Disrespect and violence are at the core of these “reality” shows that are being produced by other women of color.
On scripted television and online-based shows there is a small breakthrough of role diversity for women of color. Shonda Rhimes creator of Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal and How to Get Away with Murder is an example of a woman creating diverse characters for television.
On scripted television and online-based shows there is a small breakthrough of role diversity for women of color. Shonda Rhimes creator of Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal and How to Get Away with Murder is an example of a woman creating diverse characters for television.
The Centric Network owned by Debra Lee is said to be rebranding for the fall of 2014 as the first network designed for black women. Will this network provide diverse and positive content for women of color or will a media conglomerate eventually buy it out?
Why most women will never become CEO?
http://www.forbes.com/sites/quickerbettertech/2011/10/31/why-most-women-will-never-become-ceo/
Why most women will never become CEO?
http://www.forbes.com/sites/quickerbettertech/2011/10/31/why-most-women-will-never-become-ceo/
Why do female CEOs get fired more often than male ones?
http://www.bostonglobe.com/magazine/2014/10/22/why-female-ceos-get-fired-more-often-than-male-ones/h5xII63gdClkhVn8innf4J/story.html
FCC Media Revelas Lack of Diversity
Men Rule Media Coverage of Women's News
Who owns media?
http://www.freepress.net/
Why You Should Care About Media Diversity
Cancel VH1’s Basketball Wives Reality Series
Cancel Love & Hip Hop Atlanta (and all similar shows)
Creators of ‘All My Babies Mamas’
Is Television Targeting Black Women?
Are TV Networks Finally Starting to Realize the Ratings & Potential in Producing Content for Black Women?
Shonda Rhimes Rules Thursdays As How To Get Away with Murder’ Opens Big, ‘Scandal’ Hits Highs- Rating Rat Race
Premiere-Week Ratings: Black-ish Beautiful, The Goldbergs Successfully Lands on Wednesday
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.