Women and men in the news

The media carry significant notions of social and cultural norms and values and have a powerful role in constructing and reinforcing gendered images. The news in particular has an important role in how notions of power are distributed in the society. This report presents study findings on how women and men are represented in the news in the Nordic countries, and to what extent women and men occupy the decision-making positions in the media. The survey is based on the recent findings from three cross-national research projects. These findings are supported by national studies. The results indicate that in all the Nordic countries women are underrepresented in the news media both as news subjects and as sources of information. Men also dominate in higher-level decision-making positions. The report includes examples of measures used to improve the gender balance in Nordic news.