Rethinking gender portrayal by editorial cartoons: A study of selected newspapers in Kenya

Abstract

Increased perceptions by scholars, policy makers as well as readers of newspapers and magazines point to one critical issue that the media have of late become conduits for gender stereotyping not only in Kenya but the world over. This fact that has been proven in the recent years by sporadic protests against some media houses following publication of cartoons that seemed offensive to sections of society. In some cases, such protests and reactions were violent enough to claim lives and cause destruction of property. Consequently, this study set out to establish whether editorial cartoonists and by extension the Daily Nation and Standard newspapers unconsciously promote gender bias and stereotypical overtones It is centred around three questions: What is the nature of gender portrayal in the selected editorial cartoons?, What ate the views of journalists and gender activists on gender portrayal by editorial cartoons. This study is anchored on the relativist/interpretivist philosophical paradigm. And qualitative case study of the two newspapers namely the Daily Nation and the Standard newspapers respectively was applied. Data was generated through a qualitative content analysis of the sampled cartoons published by the two dailies. It was complimented by semi-structured in- depth interviews targeting the cartoonists, human rights and gender activists from selected organizations. 252 cartoons out of 2184 were sampled systematically through a six week systematic sampling mechanism. Each week represented a month amounting to three years in a row. The findings of the study revealed that men were negatively represented in most of the cartoons. Specifically, men were linked to greed, corruption, political violence and land grabbing among other issues. On the other hand, women were mostly portrayed as weak, helpless, irredeemably vulnerable and mostly afflicted. In over some of the sampled cartoons, women were projected as sexual objects and agents of beauty. And yet in some though only a few the very women were projected as the voice of reason and one that could be entrusted with leadership and integrity. This study reveals the bias and increased stereotypical overtones against both the male and female gender and inability of the two media houses to adequately embrace gender sensitivity in the way cartoons portray both men and women before their readers.. Thus, the study recommends editors, reporters, cartoonists to remove bias and stereotypes in their portrayal of both men and women. To this end, they require urgent retraining and sensitization on gender sensitivity cartooning. Specific editorial guidelines for cartoonist as a reminder against biased cartooning. Annual awards for cartoonists and introduction of cartooning as learning and training module is necessary to enhancing talent and professionalism besides promoting partnership between the media, training institutions, Media Council and gender focused organizations such as Federation of Kenyan Women Lawyers (FIDA), Kenya National Commission on Human Rights and National Commission on Gender and Equality among others