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The Status of Women News Journalists in Lebanese Television: a Field-Gender Approach

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The Status of Women News Journalists in Lebanese Television: a Field-Gender Approach The Status of Women News Journalists in Lebanese Television: A Field-Gender Approach by Christy Mady A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Communication Carleton University Ottawa, Ontario © 2015 Christy Mady i Abstract The Status of Women News Journalists in Lebanese Television: A Field-Gender Approach This dissertation examines the status of women in the Lebanese television newsroom using the field theory proposed by Bourdieu, gender theory in relation to journalism studies and the concept of the glass ceiling. Women’s newsroom positions, field accomplishments, social and educational capitals, as well as the obstacles they face, are studied alongside the effect of their religious and political affiliation and their strategies of struggle. Utilizing a qualitative research design, individual in-depth interviews were conducted in the fall of 2014. Respondents included 27 newsroom workers, 18 of whom were females and 9 of whom were males chosen from Lebanon’s nine official television stations, thereby comprising 2 females and 1 male from each television station. The gendered distribution of the respondents ensured the inclusion of both the male and female perspectives of the newsroom environment. The findings were thematically divided under cultural and social capitals, gendered news division, age and appearance, the glass ceiling, obstacles and advancement strategies. The findings revealed the Lebanese television newsroom as a field that juggles inter-state and intra-state rivalries which are part of the television’s politico-sectarian identity. Journalists in this field deal with its politico-sectarian complexities as well as inter-newsroom gendered interaction, subject to socio-cultural influences. This study showed that respondents’ career paths are affected in fluid ways by a number of characteristics that intersect with the politico- sectarian nature of the Lebanese television and gender. These characteristics, which include age, appearance, parenthood, political and religious affiliations, shape the respondents’ experiences and offer them ways to comply with or resist the dominant ii newsroom culture. Women, who seem to bear the weight of these characteristics more than men, have managed to prove themselves in the Lebanese television newsroom. They occupy senior management positions and have established parity in pay and in news coverage. Though they are still a minority in top management positions and in governance, women have re-shaped the newsroom environment inviting us to re- conceptualize established gendered news divisions and forms of gendered interaction and struggle. Yet women in the Lebanese television newsroom have a long way to go- their reach into the upper echelons of media management is conditioned by their political participation in a country where the media are an extension of the politico-sectarian governing body, in which women are still a minority. iii Acknowledgements I launched myself on an adventure and luckily, I did not travel alone. This fabulous adventure of the mind was a true challenge that kept me wondering about my internal capacities and my ability to make the best out of every moment. I am happy I did it. I have completed my dissertation and I am very grateful for all those who supported me along the way. I was blessed with an exceptional supervisory committee – my heartfelt thanks to all of them. My gratitude goes first to my supervisor Dr. Karim H. Karim for his continuous support, patience and guidance throughout my doctoral study. I am indebted to Dr. Mahmoud Eid for his valuable feedback and for challenging me into unleashing the study’s full potential. I also thank Dr. Barbara Freeman whose insightful comments and observations guided me through new ways of seeing. I am truly grateful to my external examiner, Dr. Naomi Sakr, whose suggestions push the boundaries of the thesis into a bigger and greater work. It was an honor having a prominent scholar on Arab media assess my dissertation and question me about my work. Thanks also goes to the internal examiner, Dr. Doris Buss for her useful feedback and contribution to the thesis. My family and friends have been instrumental throughout what proved to be a wonderfully tedious and enjoyable journey. I am very thankful to my husband, Gilbert, for being highly supportive and encouraging- for reading, editing, and discussing my work, with me tirelessly. Thank you for not letting me give-up and for being there every step of the way. I am thankful to my children, Halle and Sean, who lovingly understood that I had to work on my PhD and constantly pushed me into completing it with their iv never ending question – “Mommy, when will you finish your studies?” You have always been and will always be my inspiration and joy. I love you always “avelo” and I am so blessed with your presence, your beauty and your love. Thanks to my sister, Carol, for her last minute reads and uplifting words and for my brothers and father for their moral support. But mostly thanks to my mother, Rose, who has always pushed me into doing more than I thought I could do. I feel fortunate to be surrounded by many friends whose constant encouragement and understanding kept me determined. You know yourselves - thanks to all of you! And Johnny, you make me feel especially blessed- thank you for your smart words and for seeing me through my crazy moments, for your sound advice and for having more confidence in me than I had in myself. I am just too lucky and too loved! I dedicate this thesis to you, Dr. Boulos Sarru’ – wish you were here to read it! I can’t wait to launch myself on a new adventure… life is just too beautiful and I’m always in love. v Table of Contents Abstract ................................................................................................................................ i Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ iii Table of Contents ................................................................................................................ v List of Tables ................................................................................................................... viii List of Appendices ........................................................................................................... viii List of Abbreviations ......................................................................................................... ix 1 Chapter: Introduction .................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Status of Women News Journalists..................................................................... 3 1.2 Research Problematic and Purpose ..................................................................... 7 1.3 Thesis Overview ............................................................................................... 10 2 Chapter: The Lebanese Media Scene .......................................................................... 13 2.1 Lebanon: Confessional Democracy, Confessional Media ................................ 13 2.2 The Lebanese Media System: Categorization and Financing ........................... 23 2.3 Media Regulation: Law and Violations ............................................................ 30 2.4 Press and Broadcast Journalists: Bodies and Representation ........................... 34 3 Chapter: Women in the Lebanese Media .................................................................... 38 3.1 The Media Workplace: Competencies and Constraints .................................... 41 3.2 Women, Labor Policy and Media Policy .......................................................... 53 3.3 Images of Women in the Media: Empowerment and Disempowerment .......... 58 3.4 Lebanese Television: Male Dominated but Women Populated? ...................... 66 4 Chapter: Field-Gender Theory Approach ................................................................... 68 4.1 Bourdieu’s Field Theory ................................................................................... 69 4.1.1 Field .............................................................................................................. 69 4.1.2 Capital ........................................................................................................... 72 4.1.3 Habitus .......................................................................................................... 74 4.1.4 Doxa .............................................................................................................. 76 4.2 A Gender Theory Medley ................................................................................. 81 4.2.1 Main Shared Assumptions ............................................................................ 82 4.2.2 Patriarchal Connectivity................................................................................ 84 4.3 Women in the Newsroom: Scholars Shared Findings ...................................... 88 4.3.1 Gender: Soft and Hard News ........................................................................ 89 4.3.2 Minding the Context ..................................................................................... 91 4.3.3 Only Young Women ..................................................................................... 93 4.3.4 Women Journalists: Critical
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