Impact of Media on Political Women
In the traditional times, women were not considered active in the political scene. The changes in the role played by women in positions of political leadership began in the 1950s, increased in the 1970s and have been on the rise ever since. Through various advocacy programs, several feminist activists have come up to encourage the participation of women in the political environment. Similarly, several women leaders have also emerged in the political scenes such as Michelle Obama, the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Ellen Johnson among other women (McGinley 709).
Their involvement in political activities continues to motivate other women to participate in the political environment. Women in political positions have the same opportunity as their male counterparts to communicate with the public through various media. Social media in particular provides a cheap mode of communication between the female politicians and the electorate (Wasburn and Mara 1027). However, the women still face the challenge of increased scrutiny in comparison to their male counter parts.
The scrutiny accorded to women in politics is reason enough for women to observe their steps and to avoid any instances that may jeopardize their quests for political posts. A typical example of what media can cause in the life of a female contestant is the life of Sarah Palin. While running for the presidential position, the candidate was under severe media scrutiny. This led to the revelation of various private information bits. For instance, when her daughter gave birth at seventeen, the woman was judged unfairly. It is thus recommended that the media should always focus on personal strengths and capability rather than on family matters. Despite these challenges, women are a strong force in the political field and cannot be wished away.
Works Cited
McGinley, Ann. “Hillary Clinton, Sarah Palin, and Michelle Obama: Performing gender, race, and class on the campaign trail.” Denver University Law Review 86.1 (2009): 709.
Wasburn, Philo C., and Mara H. Wasburn. “Media coverage of women in politics: The curious case of Sarah Palin.” Media, Culture & Society 33.7 (2011): 1027-1041.
The summary above is an essay on impact of media on political women written by one of our writers. If you need assistance in writing an essay on a topic of your choice get in touch with us. Our highly rated writers are available to custom write for you an essay that meets the highest academic standards. You can also keep reading more samples of an essay right here on our website.