Scientists on TV: How men and women scientists are represented on the programs jornal nacional and fantástico

Abstract

In this paper, within the scope of the extensive literature on women and science, we investigate a territory that is less explored in Brazil: the representations of female scientists in widely viewed TV programs. Using a methodological triangulation of quantitative and qualitative techniques, including content analysis and visual analysis, we analyzed, during 12 months, two of Brazil’s highest-rated television programs: the Jornal Nacional and Fantástico. While the results found an important presence of young female scientists, they identified a discursive construction that clearly refers to a predominantly male scientific universe with predominantly white and middle-aged protagonists. Women’s voices and presence tend to be under-represented and poorly visible, and appear with symbolic connotations different from those of men, which reproduce hierarchies and stereotypes. We also show the influence of the different production contexts and aesthetic registers of the two programs on the representations of gender.