The idealization of one’s own media: the analysis of the reflections of women presenters in television news programs

This master’s thesis is titled “The Idealization of One’s Own Media: The Analysis of the Reflections of Women Presenters in Television News Programs“. The thesis explores what kind of relationship and how women establish with their media while working as news anchors at television channels and through talking on the world that surrounds them. The study relies on the premise that the culture in the newsrooms has been taken for granted, therefore without any critical review, for some time now. The lack of critical look is also perceived through the theoretical assumptions that the process of identification and the power of representations are important in the internal newsrooms culture. It is believed that the aforementioned aspects usually are established through the regulation of such mechanisms as appearance, personality and emotions, which are not given enough attention in Lithuania. Thus, the relationship with one's own media becomes the main object. First, the study starts with constructing a theoretical framework that would explain the inherent power of representations in television newsrooms and the consequences that arise from this phenomenon. The two theoretical axes chosen are Erving Goffman’s dramaturgical power model that suggests looking at everyday situations as if they were a series of performances, thus the situated identities are crucial as they can be identified with the role a person is playing, and Kimberly Meltzer’s three elements’ model where she discusses that appearance, personality and emotion became the key dimensions of the television journalist’s job. Second, with the help of the academic literature, the thesis proceeds with formulating the methodological steps for the analysis of research material. The scheme of analytical procedures of Eva Magnusson and Jeanne Marecek, suitable for the analysis of interviews, is chosen. In order to achieve a significant depth of analysis, the scheme incorporates the first two steps of Norman Fairclough's critical discourse analysis – the deconstruction of vocabulary and grammar. The framework for design of the research is formed. The research is based on semi-structured in-depth interviews with 17 women of main Lithuanian newsroom channels. The responses were analysed through the aforementioned theoretical lenses and the results are presented into three dimensions of the relationship where media is seen as institution, as shaping and as having connection with individuality. The results are significant as several conclusions can be made. The discourse can be seen as mainly dominated by the approach to the media as a bureaucratic institution. This relationship can be noticed through the meanings attributed to the media, as it is perceived as serious. The media as an institution can also be understood by looking at it as the unit that often strives to mirror various global trends. Also, this perception is obvious when we are able to spot women becoming the conjunction between television and its audiences, where the pursuit of a good impression is at the center. The media is also seen as shaping as the power of representations emerges focusing on images and age. Overall, an idealized project of a woman emerges, the components of which can be considered simply a "young face" and an "old mind". When it comes to the relationship between the media and individuality, emotions become an important aspect – they are either not shown at all or are necessary and should arise from the personal relationship with the message being brought. Alongside the emotions bring into existance the aspect of charisma, which is based on two main ideas - the strong demand for oneself and the refusal to masquerade in front of the audience. Finally, a clear moral boundary is perceived as the asset of individuality, and when in disagreement with existing rules, a wide range of rebellion reactions are applied