Mediated expert speech in Quebec was twice as high for men as for women during the long pandemic crisis, according to an analysis of the Homework. The gender ratio appears roughly the same in other countries around the world according to a survey by King’s College London which served as the inspiration for our compilation. Can we then speak of a structural media sexism?
Professor Mireille Lalancette, communication specialist, does not circumvent the question while broadening the perspective. She points out that to complete the picture, the figures on media presence should be reconciled with the proportions of men and women in each of the fields and even of the various professional sub-categories.
To (re) read, the first part of the file:
“If there is no parity in the positions, it may be difficult to obtain parity in the interventions,” she says. We need politicians, doctors, experts to fit into the media. This is what one of my colleagues calls the “gender pipeline” and even of the IDE [égalité, diversité, inclusion]. Everything is played upstream. »
The disparities between the base and the top of the sectoral pyramids are partly documented. A World Health Organization study titled Delivered by Women, Led by Men (free translation: Produced by women, led by men) showed that even though women account for seven out of ten health care workers and 90% of nurses, they remain vastly underrepresented in most health care leadership positions. health services. In Canada, 41% of doctors and 63% of medical students are women. Yet only two (12%) of the country’s 17 medical schools are headed by women.
“I would not say that there is media discrimination,” adds Nathalie Lemieux, research journalist at Radio-Canada for thirty years. The media presence of men and women may reflect the representation of experts or actors in each of their fields. On the political side, for example, despite all our efforts, if the political parties delegate only male spokespersons, we don’t get out of it. »
The case of the Quebec government’s daily panel during the pandemic concentrates this problem to pure sugar. Basically, after the Department of Health and Social Services withdrew from Danielle McCann on June 22, 2020, Quebec City’s daily press conferences on the pandemic crisis almost all took on the appearance of a boys clubwith the Prime Minister flanked by the Dr Horacio Arruda, national director of public health at the time, and the Minister of Health Christian Dubé.
An analysis of Homework of some 200,000 articles published during the pandemic reflects this reality: only 36% of quotes from experts are attributable to women, and this proportion drops to a meager 27% for female politicians.
In fact, this male overrepresentation in leadership has been on display in almost every country during the pandemic. An analysis published in the British Medical Journal showed that in 87 countries, 85% of the groups of experts in support of government decisions were made up of a majority of men and only 3.5% of the group was equal.
Reasons for unreason
But deep down, why is it important to see and hear more women? Professor Mireille Lalancette responds by repeating an old advertising principle: the more women are present as experts in the media, the more the experts will be tempted to intervene in the media.
“An English slogan says: ‘you can’t be what you cannot see’, says the specialist in media representations. We need to offer more models. We need a diversity of women too and women do not form a homogeneous group. For example, Public Security Minister Geneviève Guilbault is strong, she speaks loudly. »
This is not just a symbolic issue. Studies on the particularly devastating effects of the pandemic on women abound. From the difficult work-family balance to feminicides, the cause is heard. So were more women needed to talk about these subjects in the media? Has the very content of the public discussion been affected by the under-representation of women?
“It’s crucial to hear a greater diversity of voices in a democratic society, where we have the idea that everyone has their place, their value,” replies Laura Shine, former researcher at Radio-Canada. She founded Femmes Expertes in 2019 with the aim of making the voice of women better heard in the French-speaking media, in particular by creating a directory of 850 experts. “When we have such a big gap, it still has a significant impact on our understanding of the world. »
She recalls the evidence that women make up half of the population. “The very quality of what women say is going to be different, because of their lived experiences, because of the way they have to evolve in the world, says Ms.me shine. What we hear from men is not the same as what we hear from women and it’s not at all to say that it’s better or worse, but simply, it’s is different. When we try to examine a subject in a complete and objective way, we must hear the different points of view to have a better overall idea. So when you interview women less, part of the story is missing. »
Vertigo of the list
Laura Shine extends the responsibility to reporters, essential cogs in the great mechanics of media coverage. ” I [crois] that the majority of journalists think that they are doing well in this area, but we are still not in a parity zone, she laments. So there is an extra effort to be made to vary the speakers, because inevitably we often interview the same people, those we already know, who are used to it and available. »
Testimonial | The place of experts in the media
Press relations also play a role in this context. In universities, hospitals or research centres, public relations act as a bridge between experts and the media. They often self-designate who will speak for an interview, or provide curated rosters to highlight certain experts at one-time events.
“We call the professors one by one, we explain to them what it means to be added to this list, relates Rose-Aline LeBlanc, press relations advisor at the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM). So the people there all said, “yes I do!” The publicist claims to be sensitive to this issue, but does not provide figures.
The reflection echoes the reality faced by Laura Shine during her training workshops for future experts in the media. “With diversity and inclusion issues, I think there are a lot of people who feel their voice is being unfairly marginalized, whether it’s women or other people who aren’t traditionally quoted in the media. , such as racialized people, LGBTQ + or people with disabilities. »