 The fourth Asia Media Summit, (AMS), a global platform for intercontinental media met in Kuala Lumpur to address crucial challenges in media. More than 400 broadcasters reviewed issues of participatory media, future of public service broadcasting, community radio, changing television formats, soap operas and reality shows and reporting the world through a gender lens. Case studies and research on mobilizing the airwaves against poverty, climate change and ethics in public life were inspiring. Interactive and open space sessions added colour to the deliberations enabling everyone to participate
One of the key sessions was on, “Reporting the World through the Gender Lens” which analysed recent media studies on political coverage, disasters and conflict from the gender perspective. The session emphatically demonstrated the need to monitor media and train media professionals to reflect the interests, concerns, experiences and perspectives of women .With sensitization tools, media professionals can produce more effective stories that reflect the diversity of our societies. Margaret Gallagher illustrated her presentation with excerpts on gender and television from the media toolkit, Portraying Politics. The toolkit shows who is being discriminated and how. The invisibility of women in news and how to rectify the absence and turn the story to make greater impact was demonstrated with visual excerpts. Media monitoring has resulted in changing policy in many countries but the implementation mechanisms in many organizations is lacking. The changes when implemented because of monitoring leads to accountability and rewards. The power to shake public perceptions on political issues and priorities by the media is well documented. Ammu Joseph highlighted the gender perspective in coverage of the tsunami .She focused on the importance of taking women’s experiences, opinions, needs and resources into account in relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction process.
 Colleen Loew Morna from (SA) observed that the newsroom are microcosms of gender blind societies and have the same of power and eschewed social values.
The need is for strategic advocacy and cajoling in the newsroom and we should not wait for the government to lead change.
Another study on radio showed that women issues are under represented in radio content even though radio is the most acceptable and accessible to women.
Jai Chandiram presented an analysis of Indian television soaps that had opened up taboo areas, rape, infertility, domestic violence etc for public discourse and how some women are using media as a last recourse for justice. She also highlighted the need for training and mechanisms for policy implementation through agenda setting, audit procedures, awards and sensiitization workshops.
There is need to renew and refresh the view with hard facts that the knowledge of gender is great for business and there is need for continuous monitoring and sensitization in this area to achieve results ensuring that the media reflect and highlight the pluralities of human identities in a world interconnected and interdependent driven by globalization and information technologies.
The AMS was organised by the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD) in partnership with UNESCO, ABU,ASBU, EBU, AMIC,SABC, GKP,RTM, TVE , FES and many others contributed to this annual meet. |
