Mexico. The Federal Institute of Telecommunications, IFT, presented the qualitative study Representation of Sexual Diversity in Audiovisual Content, which has as a general objective to describe and understand the opinion of the adult audiences of the country, as well as specialists in the field, with respect to the representation made of sexual diversity in broadcast television content. radio, Over The Top (OTT) platforms and social networks.
The project was carried out during 2022 and included the participation of 240 people belonging to sexual diversity of the age groups of 25 to 29 and 45 to 49 years of age, which are residents of eight cities located in different geographical areas of the country: Ciudad Juárez to the north, Tijuana to the northwest, Mexico City to the center east, Guadalajara to the center west, Monterrey to the northeast, Veracruz to the east, Acapulco to the south and Mérida on the peninsula.
The study also had the participation of specialists from government, civil society, media and independent content creators to obtain a complementary vision to the study from its different areas. This allowed contrasting perspectives regarding the representation of sexual diversity in the media, on issues such as reproduction of stigmas and stereotypes, practices for and against, among others.
Likewise, the findings of the analysis of 30 contents of open television, pay, radio, OTT platforms and social networks are reported. The above, in order to understand the discourses and topics that are represented in these and provide elements to strengthen the discussion on the subject.
Among the main results of the study, it was found that, from the voices of audiences and specialists, the inclusion of sexual diversity in media and audiovisual content is a developing aspect in Mexico and areas of opportunity are identified for the creation of content from a framework of rights and inclusive.
The information from audiences, specialists and content analysis also allowed to identify the reproduction of stigmas and stereotypes in the media and content analyzed, such as: unrealistic phenotypic and social class samples, little coverage of relevant topics such as sexual and emotional health, as well as access and procurement of justice and work, as well as speeches that emphasize pain, violence and rejection.
The study also gathered recommendations from audiences and specialists to strengthen appropriate representations, including the creation of stories that do not focus on the sexual orientation or gender identity of the characters, but on their roles within them. Likewise, narratives focused on empowerment, decision-making capacity and social prestige, as well as the presentation of characters of different ethnic and social characteristics, in addition to the reproduction of messages of inclusion and respect, among others.
The results of the study not only contribute to publicize general information regarding the representation of sexual diversity in the media and audiovisual content, but also enable a more integrated understanding of the current situation based on the crossing of different variables that differentiate the diversity of audiences in the country.
In this sense, Carlos Alberto Guerrero Torrentera, PhD in Social Anthropology from the Center for Research and Higher Studies in Social Anthropology (CIESAS), pointed out that this type of studies invite reflection on the importance of both the production and reception of content around sex-gender diversity. He also said that this type of research is a sign of concerns and concerns that seek to generate a better understanding of human diversity and cultural change. Also, the results of the study reflect that media content helps the construction of sex-gender diversity through various resources.
For his part, Iztel Aguilar, who currently hosts the program "Random", in Reactor 105.7 FM of the IMER, reflected on the importance of the media and, above all, the people who are in front of a microphone, since he points out they are agents of change, so there is a great responsibility to be informed and prepared to transmit diversity of content. In addition, he highlighted the commitment that must be made regarding the use of inclusive language.
The content of this study can be consulted on the microsite Somos audiencias.
