#IAmWomen: The Representation of Women in Media

Original Post By: Jinsook Kim

Author: L.C.

Editors’ Picks writes, “Women, get to know your sex language,” and People magazine emphasizes that “Blake Lively is 'Back to Business' posing in plunging pantsuit.” These are articles from various digital media consumers that have been at the top of the Apple News app in the last day. Stories that have been less present in mainstream media yet, happen to be released around similar times of the articles previously mentioned include, “Rape Rates Highest in India as Women Don't Wear Hijabs” from the Times of India, and the “Taliban have detained 29 women in Kabul” written by the Guardian. In a society with instant digital access to various global, political, and social issues, why are the most advertised articles on a news app that is a go-to for most Apple users undermining the multitude of events impacting women daily? Why are misogynistic headlines with a lack of critical understanding of gender at the forefront of our news apps? Why are the conversation of censorship and inaccurate portrayal of women's issues still not being held in-depth? Jinsook Kim's article highlights the convergence of online and offline political activism whilst questioning the media's misogynistic portrayal of gender-based attacks. This influential article on"sticky note activism" was written following the 2016 Gangnam Station murder in South Korea.

As a young female consumer of digital media, it is a known fact that one must develop a strong awareness and conscience to see through the under and misrepresentation of women in the media. The portrayal of females and femininity in digital media remains toxic, whether that is the over-sexualization of women or the lack of truth expressed in various events. Regarding the Gangnam station murder, Kim notes that the crime was originally portrayed as "a random killing" or a "motiveless crime" that was presumed the result of paranoia, not misogyny prior to the activism led by the women of South Korea. It is not unusual to see these inaccurate portrayals of crimes against females in media, such as the numerous missing and murdered Indigenous women.

Missing and murdered Indigenous women have been a growing topic of discussion in recent news due to the evolving awareness and activism surrounding Indigenous issues in Canada. It is reported that approximately 1,017 women and girls identified as Indigenous were murdered between 1980 and 2012 even though there was little to no depiction of this information in the news. It wasn't until 2014 when an RCMP report titled "Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women: A National Operational Overview" found that more than 1,000 Indigenous women were murdered over 30 years. A significant factor in recognizing these murders happened through the activism of Indigenous females. Through protests and the act of placing a red handprint over their mouths in solidarity with the missing and murdered women (figure 1), similar to the concept of the sticky notes used by the women in Korea. Through this public display of strength, sadness, and solidarity, media coverage of missing and murdered Indigenous women has increased and has gained recognition by the Canadian government.

As Kim states, these acts of "alternative media" work to expedite the mobilization of counter hegemonic and alternative visions for the representation of women in media (Kim).” She refers to this "stickiness" as the capacity of media to attract and hold individuals' attention and engagement, ultimately working to counter dominant patriarchal views in the media. Although the act of protest using sticky notes and red handprints plays a critical role offline by occupying the physical and public space, Kim emphasizes the importance of mixing the use of these forms of "old" or (analog) and "new" (digital) media, such as the use of hashtags. An example of this would be the use of the hashtag #MeToo (Figure 2).

The #MeToo movement allowed women of various professions, backgrounds, and socioeconomic positions to share their experience through a digital space similar to the #saranamatda hashtag created during the Gangnam Station murder. Kim stresses that ‘hashtag activism’ effectively connects and amplifies feminist and anti-racist ideas and activities, as well as advancing narratives that counter those generally favoured by the mainstream media (Kim). As Women share their personal stories through #MeToo they are partaking in what Kim considers "the best form of contemporary activism" as it creates a sense of solidarity among women as they call for change.

Ultimately, the portrayal of female news in both analog and digital media will continue to be subject to repression and censorship. Although we have an incredibly long way to go before female representation in the news is even remotely parallel to its male counterparts, the use of contemporary activism and alternative media may be a solution to the predominantly misogynistic narratives expressed through media.