Nur Farazilla Mohd Arsad, *Mohd Shahnawi Muhmad Pirus, Nur Nasliza Arina Mohamad Nasir

Abstract:

The media significantly influences the formation of public opinion as well as the development and maintenance of gendered stereotypes of men and women. Given this impact, understanding gender representation is crucial for evaluating news credibility and addressing gender stereotypes. In addition, media plays a key factor in the development of democratic societies. Apparently, women are underrepresented in the news, which suggests that although they make up about half of the world's population, they are not equally represented in the reality that the news generates. Thus, this study aims to investigate factors that might influence news reporting, especially about female politicians. Adopting a qualitative approach, 11 Malaysian journalists were interviewed on their journalism practices.

Keywords: Gender equality, journalism, media, politics, underrepresentation