I'm a size 4.
Does this mean I should wear a bag on my head and eat pies as other women don't like it?
I also have a healthy BMI. Shock horror. As I imagine ALL the women newsreaders you are ranting and raving about do.
FFS.
I get sick of women who are utter BITCHES over weight. Your weight is your problem NOT mine so don't project it on to other women as you have a chip on your shoulder about it.
There is sizism in both direction and it pisses me off when women dress it up as feminism. Its not.
You are all focusing on the wrong thing here.
Television is a visual medium. Of course appearance is important. Why should it not be? This is an important aspect to news reading that frankly, television companies should take into consideration to some level. For both, men and women. Professionalism is massively important, but given the sheer competition for places in the media if you have two equally good candidates, which is going to get the job? And to be blunt, quite rightly.
If you want to communicate a story, its PROVEN SCIENTIFICALLY, it comes across better if you are more attractive to an audience. Even down to the fact that the 'more attractive', younger, better looking candidate on TV for every US presidential election has won since Kennedy. ALL MALE I might note. So its not just about women. How people look has a HUGE impact on trust & how seriously we take what they are saying.
(I might note here that it also stands to reason by this token that older men and women who have been on tv for years and built up a trust with the audience shouldn't be dismissed as they have a quality that defies anything that the aging process might bring.)
Its worth pointing out that you don't get many male newsreaders with beards. Indeed the BBC had an official policy on it for many years (now long since rescinded). Even now, it tends to be the case that male newsreaders only have them on the grounds of religion. Again this is about trust and audience perceptions. Men with beards are scientifically proven to be perceived as less trustworthy or to be taken less seriously. (Have a think about male tv personalities with beards for a second...)
There also aren't many strong regional accents on national news... Again, all about communication.
Of course if you are on tv in a serious and professional role, you should be taking care of your appearance, and be a healthy size for your build. You are a role model. And this is ESPECIALLY true if you are a newsreader. (For the record can anyone think of a hugely overweight male newsreader?).
I believe it is slightly different for representations of real life on television. I definitely think we could do with a more accurate and fuller reflection of society. Actors and actresses whilst looked up to, do not have the aspects of professionalism within their jobs. Thats a whole different argument imho. And where the feminism is more of an issue.
I watch the news to see a professional looking person read it. Not pick apart what her dress size is. Thats AS damaging as any lack of representation of women who are bigger.
And I'm sorry if this offends anyone, but let me put it across in another point: When a woman OR a man, is reading a health story that involves obesity, then it IS important that you aren't being distracted by the fact that they are themselves carrying too many pounds as it affects the way the audience takes in the information and how seriously they take it as a health issue. We don't actually tend to get too many stories that cause a clash with standard sized bodies - we get a lot about problems with obesity.