News, Power, and Gender: Chinese Journalists and the Reporting of Sexual Violence against Women
Year: 2023
Type: dissertation
Abstract: My PhD thesis explores the roles and experiences of Chinese journalists in reporting on sexual violence against women in China.Previous research has pointed to both pros and cons in news media coverage of sexual violence against women.They can either draw public attention to sexual violence issues and help disrupt rape myths and gender stereotypes or reinforce prejudicial and stereotyped beliefs.By conducting semistructured in-depth interviews with 23 Chinese journalists (17 females and 6 males included), this study records and discusses their perceptions, reporting tactics, and (gendered) dilemmas when reporting on sexual violence against women.The findings of this study reveal how Chinese journalists, often themselves working in environments where sexual violence and sexism are endemic, navigate the heavily gendered news environment, and explore the tactics they use to challenge social and political barriers and gender orthodoxy.On the one hand, my participants utilised counter-tactics to develop their resistance, agency and professionalism as journalists.On the other hand, they remain bound by political agendas, cultural traditions, and economic factors, which are reflected in their perceptions and journalistic practices.This research therefore argues that Chinese journalists' reporting on sexual violence against women is closely related to their gender, working environments, socio-political ideology, cultural traditions, and media commercialisation.It reminds us that news reports, as a socially constructed product, are never simply a reflection of individual journalists' personal values, but rather a reflection of the impact of the entire social environment.This study expands current discussions on female victims' media representation, structural (dis)empowerment, and gender politics in contemporary China.
Author: Chen, Siyu
Institution: University of York
Language: English
Topic: Journalism and Media Studies
Subfield: Communication
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7021012455