John Mangos asks “Has television misogyny done a backflip?”
John Mangos raises the question of reverse discrimination, and says News is dominated by females.
- Published by David Knox
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- Filed under News
Veteran presenter John Mangos has written an interesting opinion piece in the Daily Telegraph that raises the question of whether in the push to give women more visibility on television, senior males are now missing out.
Mangos, who has worked for Seven, Nine, TEN, SBS and SKY News notes that ten years ago women (in news) were the minority.He writes in part:
In recent times we’ve seen Ten’s Bill Woods and Ron Wilson get the chop. Leigh Hatcher has left Sky News, as has Terry Willesee, and the very capable Chris Roe was let go last week after nine years of dedicated service.
Even as recently as last week we saw the highly competent Melissa Doyle reportedly take a $150,000 haircut from a $700,000-a-year salary.
Our airwaves are now dominated by the highly intelligent and attractive types of Leigh Sales, Liz Hayes, Lisa Wilkinson, Jennifer Keyte, Kylie Gillies, Natalie Barr, Juanita Phillips, Sandra Sully, Tracy Grimshaw, Jenny Brockie, Ellen Fanning, Helen Dalley, Chris Bath, Samantha Armytage and Today Tonight’s Helen Kapalos.
What’s going on?
In the US and Europe media organisations would be beating a path to the doors of us 50-something blokes with generations of experience, grey hair, worldliness and wisdom. Such men are revered.
Not here it seems.
Has television misogyny done a backflip?
In the words of the immortal Professor Julius Sumner Miller: “Why is this so?”
Thirty-four years ago, when I began in broadcast news, the ratio was about eight men to two women on the road – the anchors were all men.
It now seems the opposite.
Some interesting observations which I’m sure will elicit some debate.
You can read the rest here.
17 Responses
Good point.
Misogyny is the hatred of women, and sexism is discrimination of the basis of gender. John is really talking about sexism.
This man is nuts!
Remember this classic line in 2011 after Sky News aired a report about a Chinese lottery winner who was attempting to disguise his identity under a mask; “I don’t know why he bothered. I mean, I can tell you now – he’s Chinese. He’s got straight black hair, and he’s got squinty eyes, and yellow skin.” Credit to Sky News for sacking him (& probably replacing him with one of those *evil* women).
PS: credit also to David Knox for posting this story… Even though it didn’t contain an opinion. 😉
Most over-used word in current public discourse, I still take it to mean ‘extreme hatred of women’, and I believe it’s a very narrow segment of the community that would actually display misogynistic attitudes and behaviour.
The best paid would still be men – Peter Overton, David Koch and Karl Stefanovic would all out earn the top female presenter (Chris Bath? Tracey Grimshaw?) comfortably I reckon.
Poor John.
His name or face haven’t been out there for so long.
I guess he thought we were missing him.
Its so simple really, given that the political climate and the polls have are now back in favor of K Rudd and Labor, all anybody has to do is to preach rampant right wing doctrines, denounce K Rudd and Labor, even perfect the art of snide innuendo’s and most of our so called unbiased media, will be rushing to sign you Mr Mangos, if it will be only till the day after an election is held and if Mr abbott and Co. win, if they don’t you’ll be good for another 3 years as well.
Misandry is the male version of misogyny just in case anybody wanted to know.
Give. Me. A. Break!
I once harboured a dream of becoming a journalist – I changed majors after a semester when I saw how many were getting laid off, and what kind of things you had to do to get on TV these days.
While the likes of Rebecca Judd, Giann Rooney, Grant Hackett and Lauren ‘Gary Ablett’s ex’ Phillips are getting regular TV gigs, there is hardly room for any young journalists to progress from on location to in-studio. And even if they do, and they have all the credentials and put in years of service, they could still get the sack for a newer, fresher face (see Giann Rooney replacing David Brown). Or a footballer’s wife who is a registered speech pathologist (Rebecca Judd) getting onto TV because she wore a slutty dress at the Brownlow…is that what young journos need to do? How can any journalist with a shred of integrity (experienced or not) compete with that?
I remember reading a study that explored perceptions of gender representation. It basically showed that, for men, 30% female was perceived as being “just right”, ie. an equal balance. Once the representation went over 30%, the men began to perceive that females were dominating even though that wasn’t the reality. It was fascinating.
At the end of the days its rating rating rating, not who, what, where and when.
You pick the people and team that maximised ratings.
The rest does not matter….
Very brave John, to say what most of us are thinking, lest we be attacked by the handbag brigade.
Other than ABC at 5:30 and maybe 9 Sydney (maybe) at 6, what other news programs this evening will be fronted by men? Tony Jones on Lateline? Maybe, but probably not.
$14,000 per week to read an autocue is obscene.
Stupid, stupid comments.
Poor white middle aged men. Such victims.
Uh-oh, attractive types? misogyny back flip? He’s certainly put his foot in it.
I have been saying this for a few years that Australian TV & news in particular is becoming female orientated.
Look at the TV shows in Aust. The majority are based around female characters. Even the news shows are being taken over by women’s issues. I had to laugh when Ross Greenwood hosted News Now last week & he had to talk about women’s issues you could see him squirming in his seat.
Could you imagine the uproar if you had an all male news show that promoted male issues or an all male show with a couplle of token female characters. Wouldn’t happen because there would be an uproar from females.
Even all our current affairs host are now women.
John Mangos is a very brave man indeed. He is to be applauded.