Open Access‘Gentlemen of the Press’ and Media Gender Neutrality: A ReEvaluation
Author(s) -
Egielewa Peter Eshioke,
AUTHOR_ID
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of media and management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2755-0109
DOI - 10.47363/jmm/2021(3)129
Subject(s) - neutrality , masculinity , meaning (existential) , sociology , hegemony , symbolic interactionism , journalism , gender studies , hegemonic masculinity , key (lock) , psychology , media studies , law , political science , social science , politics , ecology , biology , psychotherapist
Media gender neutrality is one of the key tenets or pillars of journalism. Such tenets include but not limited to the gender-sensitive and non-biased language of reporting. Based on the symbolic interactionism theory and drawing on the Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) method, it is argued that the traditional greeting for journalists “gentlemen of the press”, which is still in use internationally, is too gender-biased, promotes hegemonic masculinity that disproportionately disadvantages and hurts women. This article concludes that, based on current trends in gender neutrality and gender sensitivity in language, the original meaning inputted into the generic word “men” in “gentlemen” where the term “men” is applied inclusively to and refers to both “men and women” is no longer justified and tenable and recommends that the usage be stopped and be replaced with a new proposed, more gender-neutral greeting, namely: “Distinguished members of the press”.