Press Release # 4

VOLUNTEERS VIEW MEDIA DIFFERENTLY AFTER PARTICIPATING IN "WHO MAKES THE NEWS?" GLOBAL MEDIA MONITORING STUDY

TWO FROM ZIMBABWE AND BANGLADESH TO ATTEND 15 FEBRUARY STUDY LAUNCH IN LONDON

(LONDON) 13 February 2006 - A global media study to be released 15 February charts the representation of men and women in newsrooms and the reporting of news around the world, thanks to hundreds of volunteers who monitored almost 13,000 news items on one day in 76 countries around the world, an experience volunteers say changed how they view media forever. Two of those volunteers, Loveness Jambaya of Zimbabwe and Muhammad Jahangir of Bangladesh, will come to London to speak of their experiences as monitors at the press conference to release "WHO MAKES THE NEWS?" 15 February, 9:30 a.m., at the Foreign Press Association.

"WHO MAKES THE NEWS?," the report of the WACC Global Media Monitoring Project (GMMP), utilized an extensive international network of volunteers who read, listened to and watched news coverage for one day in countries around the world. The data is the basis of each "WHO MAKES THE NEWS?" report in 1995, 2000, and 2005.

Dennis Smith, a monitor in Guatemala, was surprised to learn "how little real difference there is on the key issues of presence and representation of women between north and south, east and west." For him, he sees that "invisibilization and stereotyping are fundamentally important issues in news coverage."

Aniela Gella, a monitor from South Africa, noted, "Being a monitor for the GMMP made me more aware of the reporting within the media of our country. I do not just accept certain articles …, but now question the ethics of the publication, television and radio programmes. I do not buy certain tabloid publications in our country because of the awareness that I gained with the GMMP."

After her GMMP experience, Hilary Nicholson of Jamaica wants to see the media in Jamaica "break with old ways [to] ensure the media serve the purpose of reflecting diverse realities... [and] do not fall constantly in the trap of thinking that violence and crime is the most important news of the day.”

Monitor Nicky Van Der Velt of Cape Town, now feels, "The media has a powerful influence in society in shaping opinions and perceptions, and with this power comes responsibility.” From Fiji, Sharon Bhagwan-Rolls hopes the media will find the GMMP results informative because of media’s important role in society: "By portraying us in a fairer manner you can also be contributing to building a more equitable society.”

Volunteer monitors note how they now automatically analyse the media they consume in between monitoring periods. Many now engage others in considering how women and men around the world make - or do not make - the news. Dennis Smith's sums up his experience as remaining on alert: "We're watching; we're listening." The monitoring group from Bosnia and Herzegovina offered the following comment: ”We believe we will never watch, listen or read the news with the same eyes.”

Two international GMMP monitors, economist and media researcher Loveness Jambaya of Zimbabwe and former journalist Muhammad Jahangir of Bangladesh will participate in the press conference at the international release of "WHO MAKES THE NEWS?," 15 February, 9:30 a.m., at the Foreign Press Association, London. Both will be available for media interviews following the press conference.

Space is very limited at the 15 February event – please call if interested in attending. For more information, contact Sheila George at WACC at sg@wacc.org.uk or on +44(0)207-587-3000.

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