Paternalism
“Paternalism in the news profession often has editors and news directors, most of whom are male, ‘protecting‘ their female reporters and correspondents. Journalists and news crews who go into dangerous situations—including riots, demonstrations, and war must be trained to deal with violence—and must be given every assistance by their organizations when they have been harassed or attacked. But, for news executives to discriminate on who to send because of the ‘fear’ that women may be subjected to sexual assault, and for women not to report it to their bosses, is to acknowledge that they, and probably society, haven’t come far in eliminating sexism within the profession.”—Walter Brasch, journalist and professor,
“Sexual Assault Coverage by Media Shows Double Standard, Paternalism and Sexism”
• Fox Report“Sexual Assault Coverage by Media Shows Double Standard, Paternalism and Sexism”
• CBS News
• New York Times
• Online ugly
• Committee to Protect Journalists here and here.
• Editorial Comment: Once again, assaulting the victim. Did CNN pull Anderson Cooper out?
• Historic! Mark Twain published Huckleberry Finn today in 1855. “Tawdry,” said reviewers.
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• PeezPix• Agricultural Communication/Journalism Faculty Wanted! The joint program in Agricultural Communication & Journalism at Utah State University seeks candidates for a full-time, tenure-track assistant professor. See the posting at USU’s HR site here or email ted.pease@usu.edu for details. Review begins in March. Start date: August 2011.
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Of course there’s still sexism. Even the primitives who commit such assaults wouldn’t likely take the same actions against men.
ReplyDeleteBut let us also note that women are built differently from men, and unless they are given special training are rarely up to the same physical rigors as are the average male.
While it is mostly up to journalists as to where they choose to go, I think that it is incumbent on their assignment editors to recognize the exigencies of varying circumstances in different situations, especially where violence is present or likely.
I’m not specifically casting stones in the Logan case.
I would, however, suggest that there should be better training for teams going into dangerous situations to know how to remain together, to defend themselves, and to summon help.
Seems to me that “sexism within the profession” is the least of our worries when an attack as horrific as this occurs.
ReplyDelete—Brian
I was with the author until he proposed that all rape victim names should no longer be anonymous. I worked with rape victims all summer long. The last thing they need is to be re-victimized by having their name in the paper. It's not a "Puritanical" philosophy that is keeping their names out. It's common sense when considered in light of the fact that most women are raped by people they know -- not strangers -- and so these crimes are intimate and personal as well as brutal.
ReplyDelete