Thursday, August 15, 2019
#MeToo media coverage sympathetic to but not necessarily empowering for women
EurekAlert! Science News: The #MeToo movement has encouraged women to share their personal stories of sexual harassment. While the movement amplifies previously unheard voices, a Carnegie Mellon University analysis of #MeToo media coverage shows accusers are often portrayed as sympathetic, but with less power and agency than their alleged perpetrators.
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It is a challenging task to get a movement to transition from the creating awareness phase to taking action phase. The #MeToo movement feels to me at least, like one that has started to lose momentum, as it truly has become more disheartening to see that this behavior is still continuing with the same intensity as before and the way that it continues to be framed in media. It is interesting that this article is examining the language with which these cases are being presented in the media, as well as how “sympathy” is measured. The goal of the #MeToo movement being “empowerment through empathy” seems to have fallen flat on only being able to reach the level of sympathy because as these stories are being shared the victim in these situations is still seen as less powerful. The phrasing of these narratives intending to empower end up being manipulated into a sympathetic place.
Reading this article, for me, further added to the dishearting tragedy of the #MeToo movement. This movement began as a way for women to speak out about their experiences of assault and give them the chance to stand up for themselves. However, the media only held it up for a period of time and then let its popularity fade. Now, with the research done by Yulia Tsvetkov and her team, it shows that even in its prime, the women of the #MeToo movement still had to struggle with their portrayal of empowerment. It’s been a deeply rooted stereotype in our society that men tend to be more powerful than women, so much so that the women speaking up against them are worded to be seen as meek victims. The #MeToo movement started a conversation, but unfortunately, it’s going to take more in order to shift the sexist treatment in our world.
~Elinore Tolman
Reading this article, for me, further added to the dishearting tragedy of the #MeToo movement. This movement began as a way for women to speak out about their experiences of assault and give them the chance to stand up for themselves. However, the media only held it up for a period of time and then let its popularity fade. Now, with the research done by Yulia Tsvetkov and her team, it shows that even in its prime, the women of the #MeToo movement still had to struggle with their portrayal of empowerment. It’s been a deeply rooted stereotype in our society that men tend to be more powerful than women, so much so that the women speaking up against them are worded to be seen as meek victims. The #MeToo movement started a conversation, but unfortunately, it’s going to take more in order to shift the sexist treatment in our world.
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