This project examines equal opportunity of men and women and the gender equality policy of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG SSR) at the level of the institution and its journalistic programmes from 1980 to the present. Special attention will be paid to differences among the language regions and the two media, radio and television.
Background
SRG SSR idée suisse is a particularly interesting organisation to study with regard to the implementation of equal opportunity for men and women, because:
- It is the largest media organisation in Switzerland and plays an important role in public opinion formation.
- As a public service media enterprise, it has a sociocultural model function (”idée suisse”).
- It is firmly established in all language regions of Switzerland and reflects the historical and cultural characteristics of the different regions in both its strategies and in its journalistic programmes.
Aim
The project aims to show how SRG SSR makes equal opportunity a subject for discussion and implements it. Using temporal and geographic comparisons, the researchers seek to understand the culturally different conditions of the success or failure of a gender equality policy. Documents in the enterprise archives (company reports, internal guidelines and transcripts/minutes) will be systematically analysed, and samples of programmes on the topic of equal opportunity will be retrieved from the radio and television archives, to discover how SRG SSR has handled the topic journalistically since the 1980s. In addition, the researchers will conduct in-depth interviews with key persons in the enterprise units.
Significance
Based on the findings of this research study, it should be possible to determine gender equality measures through which SRG SSR can improve the situation of women in the company. Via content analysis the researchers will provide feedback to the radio and television editors on how well the programming up to now has taken gender equality aspects into consideration. Based on the findings, recommendations will be made regarding further education for managers, HR directors and programme creators.
Original title: Gleichstellung der Geschlechter: eine “idée suisse”? Chancengleichheit in den Unternehmen und Programmen der SRG von 1980 bis in die Gegenwart
Grant: CHF 269‘105.-
Duration: 36 months
Project leaders
- Dr. Ruth Hungerbühler, Istituto Media e Giornalismo, University of Lugano
- Professor Nelly Valsangiacomo, Section d'histoire, University of Lausanne