Diversity in broadcasting as an enabler of capabilities: The case of Palestinian-Israeli women on public and commercial radio and television

The study examines how media-portrayals of Palestinian–Israeli women, can help community members realize their capabilities. We present a comparison of the frequency and context of appearances, between different media institutions, public and commercial, and between different media technologies, radio and television, based on a sample that includes all news and current affairs programs broadcast on all five Israeli broadcast networks over 24 months (2016–2017). The results, which show underrepresentation and misrepresentation of Palestinian-Israeli women, are analyzed utilizing the capabilities-approach. Additionally, to better understand the implications of media representations on women’s capabilities, we include semi-structured qualitative interviews with 15 Palestinian-Israeli women. The analysis suggests that Israeli broadcasting hinders the full realization of six distinct capabilities for Palestinian-Israeli women, which are detrimental to their wellbeing.