Regulation, Self-Regulation and Co-Regulation in Media and Gender Equality

"This briefing note demonstrates that states, media organisations, and civil society organisations must respond urgently and in a coordinated way to tackle gender inequality and discrimination of women - in and through communication and information sectors - and to increase inclusivity overall."

Published by International Media Support (IMS), this briefing note is designed to give readers a basic understanding of the role of media regulatory and self-regulatory systems in promoting gender equality and inclusion. It highlights the main self- and regulatory systems that reflect or affect the role of media, from the perspective of gender, and seeks to offer a basic understanding to inspire the reader to take action and initiate change in the field. The ultimate goal is to help inspire the introduction of a co-regulatory system wherein both regulation and self-regulation models combine to improve women's human rights and gender equality in and through media, telecommunications, and digital platforms.

As explained in the brief, "Across the globe, media industries suffer from a significant gender pay gap and gender-based discrimination and harassment. Women are underrepresented in media professions in some contexts, a challenge particularly evident at the decision-making level. This is aggravated by inequalities - in newsrooms and society - that are increasingly mirrored in media content wherein women and men are often framed in stereotypical ways. In addition, gender-based inequalities often intersect with other forms of discrimination."

The note is intended for media practitioners who do not necessarily have a deep understanding of the field of gender in media development. It may also be of interest to and relevance for women's rights organisations, other civil society organisations, and those who want to push for gender equality and inclusion in and through the media. IMS notes that this publication does not contain an exhaustive list of all media-regulatory and self-regulatory systems that apply in the context of gender, stating that "self-regulatory systems are fluid, subject to change, highly contingent on their national, social, and cultural context, and thus part of processes that need constant revision." It, therefore, only lists examples of some of the main self- and regulatory mechanisms that exist today.

The report begins by discussing the Beijing Platform for Action (BPfA), which has been the roadmap for the improvement of gender equality in and through the media and information technologies, at national and international level, since 1995. In particular, Section J recommends that media organisations promote professional guidelines, codes of conduct, and other forms of self-regulation to eliminate stereotyped images of women and to address violent, degrading, or pornographic materials concerning women in the media, including advertising. Looking at the latest research, the report highlights that 26 years after the publication of the BPfA, gaps are wider than ever, and new ones have emerged - stressing that action is urgently required.

The report goes on to provide definitions of media regulation, self-regulation, and co-regulation, along with a list of relevant regulatory mechanisms. In brief, media regulation can be defined as "'the specific instruments that are deployed on media organisations in order to achieve specified policy goals' (Van den Bulck, et al., 2019: 6). It involves the deliberate state influence of media systems at local regional, and transnational levels by regulation of public service or net neutrality, subsidies for the promotion of independent production and public information campaigns such as media literacy programs." Examples of regulatory mechanisms here include the General Recommendations of the Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Violence against Women and the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity.

Self-regulation, on the other hand, implies "'that an industry-level organisation sets the rules and standards relating to the behaviour of firms in the media industry” (Van den Bulck, et al., 2019: 8). It has emerged as the main tool for global and commercial media as a new means of governance. It has two main characteristics: independency of government control and the involvement of members of the media organisation in the regulation process." Self-regulation tools include the Codes of Ethics for Journalists and other codes of conduct, as well as editorial guidelines developed by the media in different countries.

Co-regulation is a combination of self-regulation by media industries and regulation from the state and demands a communication/governance model that is more inclusive. "'Co-regulation involves government, independent regulatory agencies, industry, independent self-regulatory agencies, civil society organization and citizens' (Cishecki, 2002: 10)." The report sees co-regulation as the best way forward to ensure that media can help to improve and promote women's human rights and overall increased inclusivity, in and through media.