Challenges of Women Journalists in Regional and National Newspapers of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh

Journal of Xi'an University of Architecture & Technology ISSN No : 1006-7930 CHALLENGES OF WOMEN JOURNALISTS IN REGIONAL AND NATIONAL NEWSPAPERS OF UTTAR PRADESH AND MADHYA PRADESH Namita Mishra Pandey Research Scholar, Dept. of Mass Communication and Journalism (LPU) Organization: Lovely Professional University, Punjab SUPERVISOR: Dr Akashdeep Muni, (Associate Professor, Dept. of Mass Communication and Journalism, LPU) Abstract - In the present time huge numbers of youngsters are getting flaunted into the glamorous profession of media, even the females are not untouched with its charm. Till date, and the number of policies has been initiated to ensure a stable working women ratio and their equal status in various media houses. The Women Commissions, agencies and NGOs are working tirelessly to improve the working conditions of female journalists, however, the women professionals are still discriminated in terms of their representation and decision-making position. The lives of females are definitely more complicated compared to males on the planet of journalism. The dearth of safety measures, unequal work status, subordination, exploitation, gender-based discrimination at workplace like task allotment (stereotypical beats for women journalists), poor working environment, exposure to abuse (mental and sexual harassment), lack of basic facilities are actually some of the many problems which are experienced by females’ journalists in the workplace. In order to encourage more and more women to join this profession, it is necessary to undertake a study that can find out the actual problems faced by these journalists while discharging duties and aftermath. Hence, this study is particularly done to look into the challenges and issues bestowed on a female journalist’s in the media field especially in print media (regional and national newspapers) of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Most often the Women journalists have to bargain with different personal, professional as well as socio-structural difficulties, which are less discussed or studied till date. This is my maiden paper and it doesn’t just highlight the travails of women journalists, but it also aims to attract the attention of concerned authorities towards the problems which are certainly affecting the huge numbers of female journalists, thus making it even more difficult for them to pursue their career in media. For methodology, the researcher has used a non-probability sampling technique to select the respondents and used Questionnaire and interview as the tool to collect their opinions. As this study focusses on the two big states of country i.e. Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, the researcher personally visited various National and Regional newspaper offices and interacted with as many as 162 female journalists from Lucknow and Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh and Bhopal and Indore in Madhya Pradesh. Out of the total number, seventy female journalists turned up and extended their contribution and rest refused for their personal reasons. Keywords: Women journalists, work insecurity, discrimination at the workplace, stereotypical beats Volume XII, Issue V, 2020 Page No: 2518 Journal of Xi'an University of Architecture & Technology ISSN No : 1006-7930 I. INTRODUCTION As it is well observed that in electronic media the presence of females is usually for a decorative worth which indicates a sexist media. But, in print media, there are Media representatives like Kanchan Gupta (The Pioneer), Kusum Nair (journalist and writer on agriculture policy), Malini Parthasarthy (former Editor and Executive Editor of the Hindu), Teesta Stalvad (an award-winning alternative journalist and Human Right activist) etc. who have not only proved their mettle with their distinct work, but also did a splendid job to change the patriarchal mindset of journalism profession to some extent. The association of a female face with electronic media genders media pictures, but likewise ignores the point that females are actually marginalized within print journalism. Evaluating gendered issues of females in media additionally opens up a range of vital discussions within the geographical and linguistic context. Women have negotiated for equal rights within the journalistic profession but have not been able to achieve some semblance of gender equality to date. Concentrating on a multiplicity of realities throughout social, geographical and cultural boundaries unfolds a wide range of experiences of females’ journalists as well as establishes an exclusivity of the situated information in a specific geographical context. It's essential to think about the geographical room which eventually performs as the spatial material reality for people. Women are actually entering the media professional in numbers that are big, however, the representation of theirs throughout all of the aspects of the media continues to be insufficient. Women continue to be restricted by stereotypical beats, as well as face even more work insecurity, lower wages, mental and sexual abuse as well as gender discrimination though they're multi-skilled and in most cases are more educated and holds professional degrees in journalism, working throughout even more beats compared to males. Women are actually viewed as a subordinated category within journalism. This is practised from a regular binary, in which females are actually told to report on what's seen to be gentle news as well as males are actually assumed to have the ability to report on what's built as news that is tough. This usually adjusts the option of function to the profession. It can't be denied that the presence of females has affected news content and newsrooms' advanced tasks of gender power relations in journalism. Negotiations in shaping influence and function of females’ journalists have been a frequent fight to challenge assumptions and conventions about gender in journalism. Although the number of females in journalism has risen in the lower rungs of the pro hierarchy, they're primarily not able to access roles that demand decision making. Women also operate in sexist newsrooms facing daily issues of gender power relations. Women are often missing from journalistic heritage or perhaps assumed as sexualized items. Many times there is a conscious elimination of their contribution in journalism. 1.1 Present Scenario of Women Journalists - In India, the strong and well-established media landscape is filled with females’ journalists. Even though the advantageous asset of training, greater education and caste has seen several females climb to the top rungs of the profession, the vast majority of females’ journalists these days continue to be concentrated on the centre as well as lower rungs of the profession. Sexual harassment continues to be a crucial problem for the media business, and even the soberest print media is not untouched with it. And so very, while more males are discovered in full-time contract roles, many females of the nation are moving or even being pressed into freelance roles. Sexual harassment continues to be a vital problem with 34% of journalists in Asia, as well as the Pacific, saying they'd witnessed sexual harassment at the office. No less than seventeen % of female journalists have really experienced workplace sexual and mental harassment. Though we consider the press as one of the four pillars of our democracy after the Legislative, the Executive and the Judiciary, the females’ workforce in this fourth pillar are disappointed and are facing lots of problems that seem to be inevitable until this patriarchal ideology exists in the media profession. Nowadays, in the majority of the media rooms in India, individuals that head media business or perhaps alter news stories are males. There are many female reporters in National and Regional newspapers who are performing night duty claims that it is an obvious downside for the ladies, particularly when their media houses do not provide any transportation facilities for the female staff. As it is not safe for the female journalists to do night duties since they have to go home at ridiculous hours of the early morning. Volume XII, Issue V, 2020 Page No: 2519 Journal of Xi'an University of Architecture & Technology ISSN No : 1006-7930 Moreover, if we talk about the cases of abuse faced by the female staff we should not forget the names of few powerful media professionals like MJ Akbar, Gautam Adhikari, K Sreenivas, Tarun Tejpal against whom cases of sexual harassment of their female colleagues will forever remain fresh on the web pages of every print media of the nation. Not all the media have guts to talk about the harassment of females at their workplaces. Indian working females frequently confront sexual harassment from their colleagues. The additional severe issue experienced by the female journalists is gender discrimination at work locations while assigning promotion, stories, and beat for higher articles. Journalism historically has been regarded as a male profession hence females frequently encounter with many harassments and criticisms. Journalism is actually a conclusive profession in the society of ours which a lot of the youngsters would like to follow. It's the fantasy of countless females to create a golden career in this particular area. One of the important reports on females’ journalists in India points out that female out of countryside areas and small towns that migrate to the cities with a journalist's function do find good and safe accommodation a huge hindrance towards continuing at the project. Numerous females from progressive and modern families are prepared to leave their cities in search of employment of publications, news channels as well as radio stations. However, lack of working female's hostels in cities creates blocks in their professions. The report states that because of non-availability of such hostels they wind up living in dingy rooms in narrow lanes of urban villages in UP and MP. If perhaps these two states are in that problem, one shudders to feel the situation in some other Indian states. Non-cooperative roommates, substandard accommodation as well as an unhygienic meal are other issues females are required to face.

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