The Presence and Depiction of Women on the Front Pages of Croatian Daily Newspapers: In the Service of Promoting Gender Stereotypes?

Abstract

In accordance with its traditional role of creating and cultivating public opinion, one should not neglect the fact that the media also serves as a tool in promoting or eradicating prejudices and stereotypes. In terms of the representation of women (their presence and the way they are portrayed) in the media, this paper presents the results of a study focused on the portrayal of women on the front pages of two of Croatia’s national daily newspapers – Jutarnji list and Večernji list. The results show that men overwhelmingly dominate the fold, both as the subjects of texts and the subjects of photographs. Women, though rarely present, appeared more often than men as subjects in texts related to “lighter topics”, e.g., entertainment. Both newspapers promoted stereotyped depictions of women such as their depiction only through the lens of motherhood, family and home, the division of “feminine” and “masculine” labor, women as the weaker sex, and an emphasis placed solely on their bodies.