Media Coverage of Women and Women's Issues

Women professionals and athletes continue to be under-represented in news coverage, and are often stereotypically portrayed when they are included.

The Economics of Gender Stereotyping

"We are experiencing a sea change with women and movies, a shift in numbers but also in consciousness. Female-driven movies, from women filmmakers and not, open weekly and are greeted as a matter of course rather than as aberrations; some dominate the box office, and a handful are enlivening the awards season. Despite continuing biases and barriers, women are now directing movies with a variety of budgets, topics and casts."

Media Education and Body Image

There’s significant evidence that media education can counter unrealistic media representations of men’s and women’s bodies. For example, a 2015 study found that girls as young as Grade 5 who had received media literacy education in school had higher self-esteem and body satisfaction.

The Concerns About Video Games

The video game sector is the fastest growing entertainment industry and second only to music in profitability. Global sales of video game software hit almost $17 billion U.S. in 2011. ^[1]

Movies - Copyright

The Internet has revolutionized how young people watch movies: half of Canadian teens say that they download movies without paying for them at least once a week. ^[1]

Children's Perceptions of Male Stereotypes

In 2017, a research group discovered that what boys are seeing in the media and what they actually believe are vastly different.

Sex and Relationships in the Media

The pressure put on teens through ads, television, film and new media to be sexually attractive—and sexually active—is profound. Not only that, but media representations of relationships often teach unhealthy lessons.

Media and Girls

They have ads of how you should dress and what you should look like and this and that, and then they say, 'but respect people for what they choose to be like.' Okay, so which do we do first?" 

Kelsey, 16, quoted in Girl Talk

Women Working in the Media

Since the 1960s, feminists have argued that "it matters who makes it." When it comes to the mass media, "who makes it" continues to be men.

Media Portrayals of Men and Masculinity - Introduction

This section addresses the representation of men, boys and masculinity in the media. It covers topics such as media stereotypes of masculinity, how children see masculinity portrayed in media and how various media contribute to stereotypes of masculinity and male authority in sports and advertising. It also addresses the role that the media play in shaping attitudes about masculinity.