Gender Reports in Three Major Newspapers

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Abstract

In Western society, gender equality is considered a basic human right; however, that goal seems far from being fulfilled. Just as language has the power to influence thoughts, the press has the power to influence public opinion. The media must take responsibility for the way it uses language. Comparison of specific stories about the same events from three main newspapers will reveal differences in reporting on gender and violence. Conceptual Metaphor Analysis will serve to frame the stories from the three newspapers selected: “The New York Times,” “The Guardian,” and “The Daily Telegraph.” As Roger Fowler lays bare the ideologies at work in newspaper language (Fowler 1991), this paper will analyze the use of stereotypes and unrelated information according to the thoughts to which they refer. Headline topics will be compared using Systemic Functional Grammar Methodology (Halliday and Hasan 1989). Contrasting reportage on the same story will show the differences in language and thus the frames and aims of their editors. Findings suggest “The Guardian” has a gender perspective offering a more responsible approach to gender news. Establishing a more equitable way of reporting on women and gender issues will lead to the positive outcome of more objective framing of the stories. Changing the words used to refer to violence will lead to a more respectful approach, as the times we live in demand.