Media representation of men and women on issues of domestic violence: The Herald and H-Metro January 2015-May 2016.

Abstract

This study focused on the representation of men and women in The Herald and H-Metro on issues to do with domestic violence from January 2015 to May 2016. How gender is being represented, portrayed and covered in the two papers is what the study was mainly focusing on. The researcher comparatively explored gender representation and influences of the choices of these representations. The researcher used qualitative methods to collect data. Through content analysis the research found out that these two papers represent men and women differently. The study established that The Herald and H-Metro use language to bring about certain gender representations. Women were found to be victims as well as perpetrators of domestic violence. Women were called names according to the nature of their crime which was different when the same crime was committed by men. The reason that was found to be lying under the financial benefits of the company as well as influences of several pressure groups that advocate for gender equality. H-Metro was found to be leading in terms of writing articles that drew the attention of readers so as to sell copies. The study also looked at the influence of Zimpapers editorial policy, journalists perceptions as well as policies and conventions which influences the representation of men and women in The Herald and H-Metro.