Gender and media in times of crisis

This chapter aims to articulate the nexus between crisis, gender and the media and doing so through discussing the findings of an empirical study which asked the questions: how are women involved in key decision-making positions in major European media industries, and what strategies are in place in those industries to support gender equality and maximize human potential? The answers to these questions are crucial if we believe that women’s presence in senior roles affects the operational practices of an organization and that the media are important players in both highlighting crises but also mediating solutions. We explore the issue of gender equality and the crisis which is prompted by persistent inequality, through the elaboration of a recent, EU-funded project which was led by the authors and which was undertaken during 2012-13. The findings from that study of 28 European countries are presented and discussed in the light of a broader reflection on gender inequality and the role media organizations could and should play to promote equality between women and men as a real solution to a European crisis environment.