Turkey: “Media Can Show Solutions”
How newsrooms need to organise to boost gender equality.
Women journalists working in the Turkish media face multiple challenges, including prejudice, exclusion and harassment. İdil Engindeniz, vice dean of Galatasaray University's faculty of communication, explains how representation, solidarity and support – as well as workplace organisation – are key to addressing sexist attitudes and discrimination.
How can women journalists best struggle against sexist attitudes and discrimination in the workplace?
Journalists are not independent of society. Women face various forms of discrimination in work and social life, and we have developed coping mechanisms. The same is true in the field of media.
Compared to the past, there are now units in professional organisations for women and LGBTI individuals which is very empowering and supportive. Knowing that such groups exist is very important and may significantly encourage the participation of women journalists.
Solidarity among women journalists is very important. Even if only one woman in a work environment is organised or has a different perspective, this can truly change many things. When these people reach higher positions, they can also influence the work environment.
In-house training could be increased, and it could be conducted by journalists themselves because external interventions are usually met with more resistance. There can be an attitude that someone is trying to teach us something without knowing the intricacies of the profession.
Why is the representation of women in leadership positions in media organisations quite low?
There are indeed areas where women reach managerial positions; as I said before, it’s like this in general business life too.
For instance, in journalism, it could be editorial management. There aren’t always obstacles to them to reach managerial positions in this fields; women may even be preferred there. It’s more about not letting them into areas considered more serious or important.
Think about it; there are very few female editors-in-chief.
There are undoubtedly many highly qualified women, but the prejudice we encounter throughout life also plays a role.
Sometimes in class, I give the example, “Women are bad drivers.”
When we look at the statistics, this may indeed be true; women may proportionally have more accidents or drive more poorly. But this isn't because they are women; it's because they were less encouraged to drive throughout their lives.
Turning to the media, there's a similarity in achieving managerial roles. Men support each other in this sense due to their existing majority presence, and even if they are less qualified, they get somewhere. For a woman to get somewhere, she has to prove herself.
I’ve also noticed recently in public forums and discussions that the moderators are invariably women, adding an element of charm. But as for the guests, maybe one of is a woman, but otherwise, they’re all men. This should seem strange to us. I mean, why do men always talk here? We’re equal in numbers both worldwide and in Turkey.
Are there enough spaces where women journalists can lobby for reform in work life?
There are various platforms in professional organisations, but I do question how much how much access we have to these. What we can access is definitely very important.
I think it’s crucial to have work that includes local media outlets as well. These efforts create opportunities to encounter different ideas and promote the concept of change.
I also believe these struggles need to be combined. There are certain journalism-specific issues women journalists face, of course, but all of these are closely linked to the presence of women in work life in general. Therefore, working together with various professional organisations could be part of the solution.
And universities are important. Collaboration between universities and professional organisations can allow students to identify issues in the field from the very beginning. No matter how much we explain, it sometimes feels like we are overly theoretical towards students. But seeing both the struggle and the concrete challenges in the field and hearing coping strategies from future colleagues is important.
What is the media’s role – should it simply reflect reality or serve as a platform with the potential to transform gender roles?
Current representations in media are not great, stuck in clichés and stereotypes. But we care so much about media because it has the potential to reach a lot of people and to bring about change. Better representation in media won’t solve every problem, but it can be part of the solution. Therefore, it’s important that representation in media changes and reflects diversity.
In this regard, many structures can play a role. If we are talking about TV shows, let's start with the screenwriters. If it’s news programmes, let’s start by diversifying the guests. If it’s the news itself, let’s start with some examples. Media can also show solutions - and there are things that male journalists familiar with this perspective can do as well, not just female journalists.
