It requires us to ask questions such as:
- who gets coverage?
- from what perspective?
- through which lens?
- reflecting which stereotypes about people?
- are stories helping to advance gender equality and equity in society or are they angled in a way that upholds traditional attitudes and values?
- are women's or men's concerns being separated from the concerns of society in general?
In news stories stereotypical labels may be used to describe women, such as 'mother of three' or 'someone's wife, as though these were the only relevant facts about the woman. When writing about men it's very unlikely that the number of children they have would be mentioned. They will be defined by their job, or by their position.
Very often the word 'feminist' is used to describe women working for gender equality and used in a way that suggests that the woman is not acting according to traditional gender roles. A woman Member of Parliament or a woman in some other position of influence will often have her clothes and hair described in minute detail, her male colleagues on the other hand are defined by their achievements not their physical appearance.
Often women are pigeon-holed, based on traditional perceptions about their roles, thus 'hard' news - such as politics, wars, economics, becomes the domain of male journalists, and 'soft' news - such as social issues and environment, becomes that of female journalists.
There are a number of web sites that offer advice on good reporting and gender sensitive language, a useful one is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). 'Guidelines on Gender-neutral Language' . This also offers alternatives as in the following example. As you go through the list, see if you can think of the equivalent gender-neutral terms in your own language.
Avoid using "man" as a generic noun
The English language tends to use "man" as a generic noun. It is as if men represent the whole human race.
Avoid associating men and women with certain professions
It's common to associate men and women with certain professions. Try to use gender-neutral terms to name these professions.
The entire handbook can be downloaded from UNESCO's Women and Gender Equality site:
www.unesco.org/women/index_en.htm