Around the world, women are far less likely than men to be seen in the media. As subjects of stories, women only appear in a quarter of television, radio, and print news. In a 2015 report, women made up a mere 19% of experts featured in news stories and 37% of reporters telling stories globally. As behavioral scientists studying women’s underrepresentation in the workplace, we know that this gender-imbalanced picture of society can reinforce and perpetuate harmful gender stereotypes. It is clear that the media must change how it reflects the world – but who can change media itself?
Tackling the Underrepresentation of Women in Media
Around the world, women are far less likely than men to be seen in the media. This gender-imbalanced picture of society can reinforce and perpetuate harmful gender stereotypes. For over two years, journalists and producers across the BBC have been tackling the gender representation issue by rethinking whom they put in front of the camera, with the goal of achieving 50:50 gender representation every month. 500 BBC shows and teams have joined the so-called 50:50 Project. In April 2019, 74% of the English-language programs that had been involved in 50:50 for a year or more reached 50%+ female contributors on their shows. How did an initiative that started in the news room (not the board room), by a white British man (not a D&I expert), come to thrive in an organization that has ongoing, public challenges related to gender equity (e.g., their gender pay gap)? Three key lessons are relevant for any manager or leader aiming to shake up the status quo and improve diversity, equality and inclusion in their organization. First, start with yourself. Second, follow the data. Third, believe in others’ ability to change.