One Week News Monitoring; Daily Outlook Afghanistan (Nov 8 - 20, 2010)
Introduction
Media plays an obvious and significant role in social change and norms. As gender is a social construction and has root in traditional culture and patriarchal system; so the only way of removing stereotyping is deconstruction of this phenomenon. Dispute, the media is only powerful and effective instrument that accelerates the process of obtaining goals. Does media follow feminism goals or campaign against traditional and patriarchal norms and simply deconstructing of gender and stereotyping in Afghanistan?
One Week no News on Front Page is a part of Gender and Media interesting course. On the other hand, this is a media watch assignment of Gender and Media course of School of Communication, English and Foreign Language University.
It was easy for me to choose and monitor one or two of Indian dailies, but there have been many Indian Students to do it. I decided to monitor more than two English newspapers in Afghanistan. First I planned to monitor newspapers like: Afghanistan times, Kabul times, Outlook Afghanistan and Kabul Weekly, but owing to the not availability of all the mentioned newspapers on internet I only succeeded to do one week news of Daily Outlook Afghanistan, this One Week No News on Front Page is based only on Outlook Afghanistan. Kabul Weekly was available on its website too, but just one issue and had no any women news.
Afghanistan Times Daily’s website was under reconstruction and was not accessible and also Kabul Times seemed to be not published too and no update news was available on its website.
This monitoring is focusing on Daily Outlook Afghanistan regarding to specific topics which started from November 8, 2010 to November 20, 2010. The newspaper was not published for 3 days because of Eid ul Adha holidays so one day remaining of the week_ November 20, 2010 was the last day of the study. It contains following topics:
Topics:
- Daily Outlook Afghanistan
- Women and Newspaper
- Women front Page News
- Women and Editorials
- Advertisements, Pictures and Cartons
- Conclusion
Study Time:
Daily Outlook Afghanistan was monitored for short time. Actually, monitoring planned from November 8, 2010 to November 16, 2010, because of 3 days of Eid ul Adha, Haj holidays Celebration in Afghanistan, monitoring finished on November 20th, 2010.
Due to this occasion, no women related event coincided locally, regionally and internationally. Media in Afghanistan as many other third world countries publishes more news than usual.
This time (November 8th-20th, 2010) was a usual and normal for women news, not as March 8th to read or watch extra news about women.
1. Daily Outlook Afghanistan
Daily Outlook of Afghanistan is an independent English daily of Afghanistan that publishes in Kabul city, and founded on 26, February 2004 by Dr. Hussain Ali Yasa. This daily has completed its Five years of publication.
The Outlook Afghanistan is published in Kabul city capital of Afghanistan and has a huge circle of readers from most categories of society. Its circulation at the moment is 4800/day and it is being delivered to most embassies, NGOs, Policymakers, UN agencies, Teachers, students, businessmen, employers and employees of the various sectors, travelers visiting Afghanistan, government offices, educational institutes, social organizations, trade companies , ISAF units and so on. Nowadays it has started its services to 32 provinces of Afghanistan. In addition to that the Daily Outlook Afghanistan is also being sent to various cities of Pakistan and to our limited subscribers in Dubai.
This Daily seems to be nonstandard as there is a note about Newspaper by Chief Editor who says: “We are sure that one day the Daily Outlook Afghanistan would be published with the same standard as The New York Times of USA, Khalij Times of UAE, Dawn of Pakistan, Hindustan Times of India, Le Monde of France etc. because the Outlook Daily team is very dedicated to achieve that goal using all their capacities and capabilities”.
2. Women and Daily Outlook Afghanistan
More than half of population is women in all countries and same is in Afghanistan. But in media it is mentioned that the number of women are not half of population even less than quarter because women themselves involve in media activities and report their personal affairs. These few female journalists face many problems and challenges on the beat of journalism in Afghanistan, especially when they are going to report their personal issues critically; problems and dangers come to them seriously.
For instance, Shiites Muslim personal status law was offered to the parliament by government and passed simply in February 2009. In fact, no one reported that what the contents of this statute were there as a regulation focusing on women condition. President Hamid Karzai, signed it and sent to ministry of justice to publish it and announce formally on governmental journal. Only National TV channel and Radio station broadcasted this law and few newspapers run by the government exposed it.
The new law regulates marriage, divorce, and inheritance for the country's Shiites community. It includes provisions that require a woman to ask permission to leave the house except on urgent business, a duty to "make her up" or "dress up" for her husband when demanded, and a duty for women not to refuse to have sex whenever her husband wants it.
Everything was normal and silent even in media until Mr. Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, ex General Secretary of NATO, criticized the mentioned law. Furthermore Barak Obama called it abhorrent, scrimmage started in all local and international media.
Women news is always second hand from credibility perspective and will be printed when it finds religious-politic dimensions. It is due to patriarchal system in country and selective newspapers do as well.
Women news is published in term of readers’ letter and related to politics and religion. There are news on women in Daily Outlook Afghanistan from perspective of readers and related to authorities, but not on the front page. For instance, there was news under stable topic of “Readers’ Views” headlined: “Women’s Achievements in the Last Nine Years” on Monday November 08, 2010 on second page. Reader pointed out that women achievements are not enough and dispute government commitments, the country have high rate of mortality. Author emphasizes on women capacity building and economic growth; it means that they must be independent economically.
Another example is Hilary Clinton’s official trip to Asia pacific talk to Australia Prime Minister. The news headlined “Australia, U.S. to Discuss Asia-Pacific Defense Strategy: Gillard” on Monday November 08, 2010 on page 9th under category of International News. This news printed not with idea that Clinton and Gillard are women; it was printed because they are high authorities of two developed countries.
Women news qualified printing when their issues coincided national and international events such March 8th and census or surveys released, and most of them merit entertainments and few sports events.
The illustrious instance is Michel Obama dancing with school girl of India. The news was printed in entertainment category of Daily Outlook Afghanistan. The news of first lady of a powerful and developed country such as USA printed in entertainment page headlined “Michelle Obama dance in home of Bollywood” shows the close relationship of India and United States of America, but no merits of front page news.
The Daily Outlook Afghanistan has published 26 news including news, reportages and articles relatively women news From November 8th to November 20, 2010, the time of the study, but no any editorial about this issue.
3. Women front Page News
First and back pages of news are mostly important. The first headline of any news indicates its importance and second headlines and anchor position has its significance respectively.
Two news pieces published on front page partly related to women. The news was about what Hilary Clinton speech as Secretary State of America about Afghanistan and USA relationship and The Unites States of America and NATO mission in Afghanistan headlined, “Rassoul, Clinton Discuss Lisbon, Trilateral Summits”, on Saturday November 20, 2010; and “Hillary Clinton : Parts of Afghanistan to Be Under Local Control By Next Year”, on Tuesday November 09, 2010.
Women news merited back page or there are news about women worthy to be printed on back page of Daily Outlook Afghanistan. On the back page news, some of news, related to women issues like domestic violence against women, assisting women role in concept of peace process and related women news.
For instance, one reportage headlined: “Domestic Violence Against Woman Remains Dramatic in Afghanistan” published on back page on Saturday November 20, 2010. This news focused on women suicides in western province Herat. The reportage was saying that domestic violence increased 30 percent with comparison to last year. According to a local hospital in Herat announced in a report that 60 events registered in the hospital during six last months and 40 women died, because they cannot bear violence any longer.
Total women news published on back page were 3 news pieces; due to the time of study from November 8th to November 20th, 2010. Excluded holidays, one Fridays and 3 days of Eid ul adha (Haj) celebration.
Two out of three reportages were women issues news and other one was related to the politician Gillard, Prime Minister of Australia.
4. Women and Editorials
Daily Outlook Afghanistan republishes the last year editorials respectively. As usual, every newspaper publishes one editorial per issue, but the study monitored two editorials totally 30 editorials from November 8th to November 20th, 2010, excluding 4 days.
Unfortunately, no one of edits is related to the women issues directly or indirectly. The study shows that the Daily did not publish edits about women at the same time last year.
There were two articles on women issues published on edit page; page 4 is the editorial page of Daily Outlook Afghanistan. One article about marriage traditional headlined, “Does Honor Exist in the Marriage Market?”, and another one on women national cricket team headlined, “National Women’s Cricket Team” on Saturday November 13, 2010 published on edit page.
The long article on marriage was written by Abdul Samad Haidari as at the end of article mentioned, permanent writer of the Daily, illustrated force marriage and women suffering of it in Asian countries, especially in Afghanistan and punishment for force marriage as a crime. The author pointed to a Muslim- Hindu marriage and remarriage: “Few years ago, a Hindu woman in Ahmedabad was forcibly separated from her Muslim husband and killed when she refused to remarry a Hindu man whose partner was selected by her parent. Her death was a political issue, yet it was converted in to a suicide”.
This is the only article that considered a regional dimension of women issue in an Afghanistan independent English language, Daily Outlook Afghanistan.
The unknown author of the National Women’s Cricket Team article says that Afghanistan National Men’s Cricket team has been shed in regional and international level. Furthermore Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has formed National Women’s Cricket Team and will be appeared on next February’s short-format Twenty20 tournament in Kuwait for the first time. According to the article, the problem of women players is economic independency and insecurity.
5. Advertisements, Pictures and Cartons
Daily Outlook Afghanistan published just on small advertisement at the end of back page consisted of a lady showing a product during study times. The advertisement name is ‘SURF THE GLOBE’, and many products under young lady’s picture. The lady does not has scarf but not flamboyant and glorious unlike other countries advertisements.
Many pictures published inside reports, news, entertainments and sports pages from male gaze point of you. Media portraits of women in especially entertainments news, reportages and articles published as same as others countries, especially India. Because about all the stories were taken from news agency’s sites like AP, Reuters, and Xinhua and so on.
There has been published one another picture at the right side of back page with headline of “Polls Protesters Warn of Possible Violence” showed women put on scarf among men demonstrating against the late decision of Elections’ Complaints Commission of Afghanistan. This photo related to the award of Afghanistan Independent Commission of Elections and Complaints that deprived many candidates including women from nomination for seat of lower house of parliament .
Among dozens of Carton, there has been one carton published and clearly has been written, “Majority of Women is Majority silent” by Alizada. Among many men there was a woman at the first line and x marked her mouth showed that she has been made silent.
The carton criticizes patriarchy and paternity in the society that does not let women to talk about their problem and their issue. They hear their problems from speeches of men according their religious perceiving and interpretation by Mullahs.
6. Conclusion
Daily Outlook Afghanistan as an independent English newspaper publishes in Kabul, Afghanistan. This famous daily includes 12 pages containing local news, main news, editorial page, entertainment, sport, opinion and interview.
Self definition of Daily Outlook Afghanistan shows that the daily acts as a democratic institution. The women news publishes very few as one week monitoring of this study finding shows. Among thousands of news there were just 26 news pieces on women, but not all about women issues published on Daily Outlook Afghanistan.
Majority of news pieces are related to the entertainment and sports and are not related to women issues; mostly related to the politics and so on. For instance, news of Hilary Clinton trip to Asia pacific published because of her position not because of her sex or gender.
Lack of women news in newspapers shows that firstly, women are not in a position that issue relates to them become newsworthy; secondly there are patriarchal system and stereotyping in Afghanistan even in the news policies.
Usually, women news is released when some statistics, surveys and census about women is conducted by famous institutions and come out results. At the time of studying there was no such event in Afghanistan to hit the front page newspapers. Sometime domestic violence against women and misuse of them as a means for suicide attack purpose become newsworthy in Afghanistan media. Somehow no such events happened at the time of study or monitoring.
7. Reference
- Official website of Daily Outlook Afghanistan: http://www.outlookafghanitan.net
it is a study(monitoring) to identify women news publication rate in outlook Afghanistan.
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