Análisis del abordaje periodístico de los casos de femicidios del año 2021 por parte de los medios de comunicación gk y diario extra basados en el enfoque de género

Abstract

The objective of this study is to analyze whether the cases of femicides addressed in the Ecuadorian media GK and Diario Extra, the latter in digital format, were treated with a gender approach in their publications during 2021. The project reviews and analyzes 92 news items between the two media, divided into 69 from Diario Extra, and 23 from GK. In order to achieve the aforementioned objective, a qualitative-quantitative methodology was used, employing different techniques such as interviews, where professionals from the analyzed media were interviewed; document review, to characterize and define definitions of gender focus and journalism; and content analysis carried out in 3 phases: selection of news, exhaustive analysis and interpretation of results reflected in statistical data. This research work is supported by two works of professional associations and entities specialized in the subject such as the United Nations Development Program with its Gender Manual for Journalists and the Union of Valencian Journalists with its Style Manual for the treatment of gender violence and inclusive language in the media, which were used to create variables to be analyzed in the news selected in both media. In the results found, we can highlight the difference between the news coverage between the GK media and Diario Extra in its digital version, largely due to the nature of the GK media in which they mention that the quality of news and the depth of coverage of a case are more important than the production of many short notes with little depth. This work dynamic is largely due to the limited human resources available to the media. Another of the project's findings was to conclude that the media do not follow the specifications and recommendations of any specific manual. However, both have their own editorial lines and internal rules for their work, with GK's editorial line being the one that most closely follows and complies with the recommendations established by the manuals chosen as a guide. As a main and differentiating result between the two media, it can be mentioned that GK has gender as one of its three main axes, an axis that influences the construction of stories and narratives of the media on issues with a gender focus. On the other hand, Diario Extra has, in the words of its former editor Juan Manuel Yépez, a sensationalist style, which has a great influence when covering cases of femicides with responsibility, since one of the main recommendations of both gender manuals is to avoid sensationalism in the construction of the news. It is also concluded that in order to be able to provide in-depth news, a diversity of expert sources related to the case is needed, such as women leaders, leaders of feminist movements, lawyers specializing in gender, the victim's family members and human rights organizations. Consequently, third party sources that only seek protagonism should be avoided, as well as giving a voice to the aggressors or representatives of aggressors, in order not to distort the news with information that is neither verifiable nor of greater contribution to the construction of the news.