Presentation of sex work in two Costa Rican newspapers: a multivariate analysis of the roles of patriarchal prejudice and reporter gender

Abstract

Traditionally, patriarchal societies have repressed women who practice sex work. Today, that repression continues through mass media. In this article we analyze the treatment given to sex worker coverage in the two printed newspaper with the largest circulation in Costa Rica: Diario Extra and La Nación. We recorded all news mentioning sex work in both newspapers during the year 2010 and applied a logistic regression analysis to indicators. To study the association of these indicators with the newspaper and gender of the reporter, we used contingency tables and likelihood ratios. The majority of the 56 reporters who wrote the news items were men and most of the news items related with sex work had a social approach, followed by those with criminal and morality approaches. The articles tend to present sex workers as being outside the law (even though sex work is legal in Costa Rica) and in conflict with other social actors. Despite scientific findings that show otherwise, the media continue to spread myths about frequent "exploitation" and "child prostitution". KEY WORDSInfluence of mass media on public opinion, discrimination of minorities, lack of objectivity in reporting RESUMEN Tradicionalmente, las sociedades patriarcales reprimen a las mujeres que practican el trabajo sexual y en ello participan hoy los medios de comunicación masiva. Aquí analizamos el tratamiento dado a la cobertura del tema en dos de los principales periódicos impresos de Costa Rica: Diario Extra y La Nación. Recopilamos todas las noticias en las que se mencionó el trabajo sexual en ambos periódicos durante el año 2010 y aplicamos una regresión logística de indicadores. Aplicamos tablas de contingencia y cocientes de probabilidad para medir la asociación de los indicadores con el periódico y el sexo de quien escribe. La mayoría de los 56 periodistas eran hombres y la mayoría de las noticias tuvo un enfoque social (seguidos por los enfoques criminal y moral). A pesar de que el trabajo sexual es legal en Costa Rica, los artículos tienden a presentar a las trabajadoras sexuales como fuera de la ley y "en conflicto" con otros actores sociales. Aunque los hallazgos científicos muestran lo contrario, estos diarios siguen generalizando mitos acerca de la frecuente "explotación" y "prostitución infantil".

Perceptions of college students in Costa Rica about prostitution

“…Monge Nájera et al, 2013). On this respect, Costa Rican students seem to be as ill informed as their Anglosaxon counterparts as reported by Roberts, et al (2007) and Francis (2015).…”

“…A big emphasis on Costa Rica's sex tourism and child exploitation scene has caused alarm in other countries, and has raised the question of trafficking. However, several studies have reported that most female and male sex workers freely choose this line of activity and work as independent contractors (Rivers-Moore, 2009, 2010, 2013.…”

“…The only study about how the media treat sex workers in Costa Rica found that most reporters who write about sex work are men who see it as criminal and inmoral, and that usually the sex workers themselves are not interviewed for reports that directly affect them (MongeNájera, Corrales &, 2013).…”

Turismo sexual masculino en Costa Rica: espíritu de equipo, diálogo entre pares y papeles de género en una muestra grande de mensajes en un foro de Internet

“…Other studies found that these women prefer mature clients; that their rates are defined by where they work rather than by age; and that they have full decision on how they spend their earnings (Rojas et al, 2009). Even though sex work is legal in Costa Rica, the media present sex workers as being outside the law and spread myths about disease, "exploitation" and "child prostitution", creating a hostile environment for the women and their clients (Monge-Nájera et al, 2013).…”