Twisting the Women's Image and Participation of Female Journalists in Media: A Normative Analysis of the Bangladesh Scenario

Abstract

Media in Bangladesh usually cover women issues in an insensitive and conventional manner. There are, however, situations where some women issues are over sensationalised in the media. The main reason behind this scenario is the want of female journalists in the Bangladesh media industry. While the families consider journalism as an insecure, hazardous and unsuitable career option for their girls, the industry management does also show a lack of interest in hiring women for their media houses. This is what happens in a male-dominated society. Despite this adverse situation, female students are increasingly showing interest in studying journalism and taking journalism as their profession. Competing with their male counterparts, many female students are obtaining degrees with excellent grades in journalism from the country's public and private universities. Considering the questionable portrayal of women in the media and the participation hazards for girls in journalism career, this paper examines why female students take journalism as their preferred subject of study in spite of drawbacks in the profession, and how they can overcome the stumbling blocks and change women's image among the people.