Framing Women in Malaysian Politics: An Analysis of Malaysiakini’s Coverage during the 15th General Election
Kata kunci:
Malaysiakini, female politician, GE 15, news reporting, genderAbstrak
Women’s political participation has increased globally, yet media representations of female politicians often remain shaped by gendered stereotypes and unequal framing. This study examines how Malaysiakini portrayed female politicians during Malaysia’s 15th General Election (GE15), focusing on whether news coverage emphasized their political contributions or reinforced traditional gender norms. Using a qualitative content analysis of Malaysiakini’s election coverage over the one-month GE15 campaign period, this study analyses dominant themes and narratives surrounding female political actors. The findings indicate that while Malaysiakini challenges tokenism by amplifying women’s agency, its coverage simultaneously reinforces gendered expectations by evaluating female candidates through moral and humanitarian frameworks that are rarely applied to their male counterparts. Due to its focus on a limited campaign period, this study provides a contextual rather than longitudinal understanding of media representation. Nevertheless, the findings contribute to scholarship on gendered media coverage in Malaysian political journalism and offer insights into how news portrayals of female politicians may shape public perceptions during electoral contests.
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