India
The South Asian media forum Media Rumble collaborated with UN Women on a 2019 study of 1,967 TV news professionals who had participated in debates on television channels operating in India. It was found that only 15.7% of these participants were women.
Moreover, several of the channels featured all-male panels, or “manels,” in at least half of the debates that they aired. These included CNN News18, Republic TV, Times Now, India Today, and Rajya Sabha TV, the latter presenting “manels” in 82.0% of its debates.
Rana Ayyub, 36 years old, is one of India's best-known investigative reporters. She has been a reporter for ten years, from mainstream TV stations to investigative magazines to independent reporters. From an early age, Rana has a particular liking for political events and investigative news.
Rana Ayyub
Female journalists in India often faced sexual harassment and received mean comments and work in low-level positions. When Rana first entered the media, the editor sent her to report on lifestyle without asking her wishes; when she asked to join the political group or the investigation group, the editor said that women did not do political reporting or investigation.
When Rana shared her experience in doing reporting during an editorial meeting, someone tweeted and said she used her body to gain benefit from the interviewees.
Six years ago, She investigated the atrocities of criminals committed by the Indian government. The magazine did not publish her report, so she left the magazine she worked on. She made requests to several local media outlets for publication but was not successful. "It is essential that the story was told and people knew the truth about it. So this is why went undercovered." Rena Said.
Rana Ayyub and the Gujarat Files.
Rana compiled her unpublished reports into Gujarat Files and published it at her own expense in May last year, which quickly became Amazan's bestseller. Many people praised her bravery as a female reporter, but some Indian national media criticized "the investigation is full of loopholes and serious flaws."
Domestic media were afraid to hire her because of government pressure. Rana became an independent journalist, relying on family support and book sales to make a living.
In fact, the only area in which women enjoyed equal representation on the English-language Indian channels was anchoring.