Gendered Routines and Religious Censorship: Navigating Media Practices and Vulnerability in the Lives of Women Journalists in Bangladesh

Abstract

This study examines how media routines shaped by conservative Islamic ideology and the threat of mob violence affect women journalists’ professional performance and career progression in Bangladesh. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with women journalists, the study uses thematic analysis to identify five recurring patterns: routine-based exclusion, patriarchal newsroom culture, religious gatekeeping, fear-driven editorial decisions, and career stagnation. Theoretically, the study extends Shoemaker and Reese’s Hierarchy of Influences model by showing how macro-level religious conservatism and patriarchal norms enter newsroom routines and become everyday gatekeeping practices. It also contributes to feminist media theory by explaining how “protective” newsroom decisions can reproduce gender inequality while appearing neutral or safety-oriented. The findings show that women’s exclusion from high-risk and high-status assignments limits their visibility, weakens career mobility, and narrows the diversity of public journalism in Bangladesh. The study highlights press freedom as a gendered institutional problem.