A1 Journal article (refereed)
Multiskilled in many ways : Ghanaian Female Journalists Between Job and Home (2020)

Boateng, K. J. A., & Lauk, E. (2020). Multiskilled in many ways : Ghanaian Female Journalists Between Job and Home. Communication Today, 11(2), 46-63. https://www.communicationtoday.sk/multiskilled-in-many-ways-ghanaian-female-journalists-between-job-and-home/

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Boateng, Kodwo Jonas Anson; Lauk, Epp

Journal or series: Communication Today

ISSN: 1338-130X

Publication year: 2020

Volume: 11

Issue number: 2

Pages range: 46-63

Publisher: Univerzita sv. Cyrila a Metoda v Trnave

Publication country: Slovakia

Publication language: English

Persistent website address: https://www.communicationtoday.sk/multiskilled-in-many-ways-ghanaian-female-journalists-between-job-and-home/

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Open Access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/73366

Abstract

In Ghana, feminisation of journalism profession has become a fact: more girls are entering journalism programmes in the Universities, and the number of women employees are growing in the newsrooms. The problem of balancing worktime arrangements (e.g. irregular and unpredictable work schedules, weekend work and long working hours) with equally important domestic obligations are familiar to most female journalists around the globe. Even in countries with well-developed social support structures, and well-defined labour laws, the current nature of journalism worktime arrangements impedes many female journalists to achieve work–life balance. For most Ghanaian female journalists, the culturally entrenched disproportionate societal power hierarchies amplify the challenges of the gendered journalism environment. This study employs unstructured in-depth interviews with 23 female journalists from various regions in Ghana. The study explores three sets of arrangements and demonstrates their impact on the ability of female journalists to balance their domestic and work obligations. The study revealed that the not-so-successful efforts of combining their multiple domestic and social obligations with professional ones causes emotional stress, guilt and self-condemnation and further revealed, female regional correspondents tend to have higher levels of work-life imbalance.

Keywords: journalism; journalists; gender; gendering; women; working life; leisure; combining

Free keywords: gendered journalism; female journalists; Ghana; worktime arrangements; work-life balance

Contributing organizations

Ministry reporting: Yes

VIRTA submission year: 2020

JUFO rating: 1