Ambassadors, journalists discuss role of women in media

• Published date: 06 March 2023
• Publication title: The Korea Times

Although there has been progress in media representation and portrayal of women, they are still significantly underrepresented, especially in decision-making positions.

The European Union delegation in Korea hosted a conference to discuss perspectives on women in media and explore ways to empower women in the media industry, Monday, ahead of International Women's Day, which falls on March 8.

EU Ambassador to Korea Maria Castillo-Fernandez emphasized the importance of gender equality and media diversity in her opening remarks.

"This is a location first of all to celebrate International Women's Day, which is something that we continue pushing together with our male colleagues. This is about gender equality," Castillo-Fernandez said.

She also acknowledged the challenges faced by women in the media industry and highlighted the power of the media to shape public opinion.

"We know there are challenges in every sector. There are challenges in our sector ? diplomacy ? but media has the power to move public opinion and to report in an objective and fair way. Therefore, it's important to discuss the perspectives on women in media and what challenges we face."

In the first session, a varied group of panelists consisting of both male and female journalists from Korean and international media outlets as well as European ambassadors discussed the current state of the media landscape, including the impact of social media, with regard to gender equality.

Female journalists Chun Su-jin of JoongAng Ilbo and Victoria Kim of The New York Times, along with Andres Sanchez Braun, a correspondent of Spanish news agency EFE in Korea, shared their experiences in the media landscape. Swedish Ambassador Daniel Wolven and Greek Ambassador Ekaterina Loupas provided insights from a European perspective under moderation by the EU ambassador.

Castillo-Fernandez noted the issue of women being underrepresented in media, especially in decision-making positions.

"We see (women) as reporters most of the time, but that doesn't mean who is doing the decision-making," she said.

Due to predominantly male control of news desks and story commissions, women are often underutilized as news subjects and are typically portrayed in media as either heroes or victims.

Wolven also pointed out the issue of social media, of which regulation and content moderation still have a long way to go.

"I think social media is sort of the latest, actually probably the most powerful, augmenter of something that's been happening...