Press Release #8

“WHO MAKES THE NEWS?” GLOBAL MEDIA MONITORING CAMPAIGN SPARKS INTERNATIONAL MEDIA INTEREST; SUCCESSFUL THREE WEEK CAMPAIGN ENDS MARCH 8

(London) 6 March 2006 – International media interest has been sparked by the first-ever “Who Makes The News: Three Weeks of Global Action” campaign, featuring over 50 events in 47 countries around the world highlighting the findings of “Who Makes The News?,” the report of the WACC Global Media Monitoring Project on the imbalance of representation of women and men in the news content and newsrooms of the world.The campaign, launched 16 February in London, will conclude 8 March with events in New Zealand, Argentina, Sweden, Congo and other countries.In London, the final days will feature a videoconference linking 2 continents to discuss actions arising from the campaign and how to engage with media in the years leading up to the next Global Media Monitoring Project in 2010.

Media coverage on many continents has followed the range of activities during the Three Weeks of Global Action.Time Magazine, The Observer, The Guardian, CNN, Le Monde Diplomatic are just a few of the international magazines, newspapers, television and internet media that has devoted coverage to the findings and events of “Who Makes The News?: Three Weeks of Global Action.” Media coverage has focused on the finding that only 21% of news stories cover women, who constitute 52% of the world’s population and questioned the imbalance of representation of women and men in international news.

“We are so pleased with the level of dialogue that has begun both with media and with the general public, in the UK and around the world, on the question of “who makes the news?”,” notes international GMMP coordinator Anna Turley. “Media has taken notice of the GMMP results, and we hope that when the next Global Media Monitoring Project happens in 2010 we will be able to see a greater balance of representation of both women and men in the news.”

The final three days of “Who Makes the News? Three Weeks of Global Action” will be busy ones. Numerous events will place in South Africa, Congo, Ghana and Mauritius. South African Deputy President, Her Excellency Ms. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, will be the keynote speaker at the launch of the South African Media Monitoring Report, to be held 7 March in Johannesburg. In the Pacific region, Papua New Guinea GMMP representatives will present their national media monitoring results and a panel discussion on media will be held in New Zealand. A special meeting of journalists will take place in Sweden, while a roundtable and workshop will be held in Argentina. A full listing of events and details can be found at www.whomakesthenews.org

One of the final events of the Three Weeks of Action will be held in London at the World Bank. The event will feature a videoconference linking 6 countries in Southern Africa andUnited Kingdom to reflect on the Three Weeks of Global Action campaign and to plan for ways to continue the dialogue begun with media during this campaign during the next 5 years up to the next Global Media Monitoring Project in 2010. In attendance at the videoconference, to be held at the World Bank in London, will be Anna Turley, WACC international Coordinator of the Global Media Monitoring Project.

Who Makes The News?," the WACC Global Media Monitoring Project (GMMP) 2005 report, contains global, regional and national quantitative and qualitative results of over 13,000 news articles reviewed in 76 countries by hundreds of volunteers around the world on one daytracking the imbalance of representation of women and men in the news and newsrooms of the world.

The Three Weeks of Global Action (16 February – 8 March 2006) features the launch of national findings of “Who Makes The News?” and a wide range of awareness-raising activities in over 50 countries that participated in the research project, involving journalists, academics, students and people at the grassroots concerned about gender and media.

Members of the media are invited to attend the videoconference, to be held March 8 at noon at the World Bank offices, London. For security reasons, media who wish to attend need to register in advance by contacting Sheila George at WACC, 0207-587-3000.