Page 237 - Communication and Citizenship Journalism and the Public Sphere

226 COMMUNICATION AND CITIZENSHIP

Why do you dress in such a dull and tasteless way? Colours that
don’t match, blouses and jackets that often look ludicrous on
you…. Throw all the old stuff away. Although you might want to
look like a ‘common’ woman, common can mean charming,
feminine and stylish as well.
(Telegraaf, 6 March 1988; my italics)

PRIVATE SPHERE VALUES IN A PUBLIC
SPHERE CONTEXT
Feminists may express different views on the developments in Dutch
television news. Some feminists might value the dominance of women
newsreaders in Dutch television news as evidence of women conquering
the once exclusively male public domain. Other feminists will argue
that women again are chained to their ‘feminine’ roles, since a revision
of editorial policy and styles of presentation has transformed the
formerly ‘masculine’ role of the newsreader into one that is more in line
with traditional femininity. A third group of feminists might add that the
‘feminine’ contributions of women newsreaders are necessary and
praise-worthy adaptations of formerly detached, rationalistic and
alienating news bulletins. This last argument is a customary legitimation
in struggles for women’s access to journalism in general. Increased
access would presumably result in a reconsideration of more
background information (cf. Neverla and Kanzleiter 1985). the
professional status of ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ news, less factual and
All three perspectives derive their main ingredients—and take their
main unresolved questions at the same time—from liberal feminist
discourse. Liberal feminism ascribes the differences between women
and men to the different roles they play in society. Women’s roles are
primarily acted out in the private sphere of family life, men’s roles in
3
the public sphere of paid work and politics. The ultimate aim of liberal
feminism is the integration of women in the public sphere. However, as
women exchange their private for their public roles, they too might take
on—be it gradually —the ‘male’ characteristics appropriate to that
sphere. Although women and men would then be equal, the ‘softer
sides’ of humanity would be lost in the process, an outcome that no
liberal feminist desires. Thus, women should go public without
forsaking their ‘femininity’. What is argued for then is a recognition of
private values as appropriate for the public sphere. 4
There are several problems to this argument. On a theoretical level it
assumes and reconstructs the public-private division. As a consequence