Published: 13 April 2012
Region: EU
In Europe, only a quarter of news subjects are women, even though they account for over half of the European population (GMMP, 2010). While immigrants represent around 10% of the EU population (Eurostat, 2011) migrants and ethnic minorities represent less than 5% of the main actors in the news in Europe (Ter Wal, 2004).
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people represent roughly 6% of the population of the United Kingdom but account for less than 1% of the population seen on TV. 20% of the British population is disabled but less than 1% is represented in British TV (CDN 2009-10 Progress Report).
Through the sources they use, the subjects they select and the treatment they choose, the media influence the agenda (what to think about) and public perception (how to think) of contemporary debates.
This is why the Council of Europe considers truly inclusive information – where everyone can participate as witnesses, players, producers etc. – to be crucial for social cohesion and democratic participation. But today, too many people are still excluded from public debates.
The new MARS – Media against racism in sport – EU / CoE joint programme chooses to focus,though not exclusively, on sport because it is considered as an important area for building social cohesion as it is also a major sector of investment in the media industry. However, sport media coverage does not reflect social and cultural diversity and does not ensure equity for all.
Only 5% of press articles cover cultural and social aspects of sport; 40% of all sport articles refer to only one source and 20 % refer to no sources at all; female athletes have four times more chances to be covered by a female journalist rather than a male one but less than 5% of sport news and stories are made by female journalists (Play the Game, 2005).
Upcoming Media Encounters are:
- France (CLEMI, Paris): 11 April – 14 April 2012
- Romania (Active Wattch, Cluj): – 25 – 28 May 2012
- Finland (Helsinki) : 13 – 15 June 2012
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