Proclivity of Sexual Harassment and Blame Attribution in Journalism : Experiential Narratives of Ghanaian Female Journalists

Abstract

Though the proclivity of sexual-related harassments in African journalism is high, the rates of reporting of these incidences and empirical studies are low. Using a gendered approach, the study presents and exploratory inquiry into the lived experiences and impressions of Ghanaian female journalists about incidences of sexual harassments. The study examines how female journalists experience both newsroom harassments and on-assignment sexual harassments including the role they play in quid pro quo exchanges, which are relevant aspects of sexual harassments in the profession. The study also looks at blame attribution strategies female journalists adopt in assigning blame for sexual harassment occurrences. Using a respondent-assisted sampling technique, the study selects and conducts in-depth-interviews with twenty-three female journalists drawn from a cross-section of Ghana’s journalism industry. Findings show that most Ghanaian female journalists have encountered sexual harassment from influential men either in the newsroom or on-assignment. They also engage in quid pro quo exchanges with influential news related persons for financial or job-related rewards. Consequently, older female journalists adopt other women blame attributions in assigning blame for incidences of sexual harassments in journalism practice in Ghana.