Running head: MEDIA COVERAGE ON SEX SLAVE INDUSTRY

Agenda-Setting Theory and Muted Group Theory Helps Understand the

Misrepresentation of Media Coverage of the Sex Slave Trade Industry

K. Mace

Winona State University

Agenda-Setting Theory and Muted Group Theory Helps Understand the Lack of Media

Coverage of the Sex Slave Trade Industry

MEDIA COVERAGE ON SEX SLAVE INDUSTRY

Introduction

Sreypov was 7 years old when her life became an unforgettable, horrendous

nightmare. This is the age where a child should have no care in the world, let their

imagination wander, and focus on being a little kid. Where most girls at this age are

playing Barbies or dress up, that was not the life of Sreypov. She was unlike any other 7

year old, her mother sold her into a whorehouse in Phnom Penh, Cambodias capital city

to work as a sex slave. The one guardian who was suppose to look after her and make

sure nothing bad was going to happen, did the unthinkable.

For years, pimps forced Sreypov to have sexual encounters with as many as 20

men a day. She endured unimaginable consequences if her quota was not met, did not

listen, or tried to run away. She was would be punished by being burned with a hot

poker, covered with biting insects, forced to drink urine, had crushed hot chili peppers

stuffed into her vagina as well as a hot metal rod. Sreypov was fortunate enough to start

a new life when she broke free of the whorehouse at age 10. As horrifying as Sreypovs

story is, she is not alone. More than 12 million people are now victims of forced

prostitution and labor across the world. The buying and selling of humans is 2 nd or 3rd

most lucrative business and is a $32 billion global business. Without the correct

background information of the industry, often times documents or articles dealing with

the subject of human trafficking paint the image of it as an unfortunate worldwide

phenomenon (Marchionni, 2012). Human trafficking is a multi-billion dollar modern

slavery criminal industry that does not allow even the slightest bit of freedom to the

victims trapped in this atrocious lifestyle.

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To understand the lack of media coverage of human trafficking around the world,

the paper will help understand how human trafficking works and the severity of it. Next,

the paper will explain what agenda-setting theory is and how it applies to the

misrepresentation of human trafficking. Then, the paper will explain what the muted

group theory is and this theory shows why women, minorities, and children are victims of

human trafficking. Lastly, the paper will discuss why the media chooses to look the other

way and how the media has misrepresented this phenomenon.

Human Trafficking

Human trafficking is a growing global phenomenon that people tend to ignore and

shy away from because it is a messy issue and there is not a way to completely stop this

problem. According to Deshpande & Nour (2013) the United Nations Office on Drugs

and Crime (UNODC) defines human trafficking as any form of recruiting, transferring,

harboring, or receiving a person by means of threat or use of force or other forms of

coercion, abduction, fraud, or deception. There are approximately 800,000 people

trafficked across international boarders annually, and of these, 80% are women or girls

and 50% are minors (p. 1). Sex traffickers target those families who are living in

poverty. Many victims are sold into human trafficking by their parents, family members,

significant others, or husbands, whereas some are taken against their will by traffickers

known as pimps. When family members, parents, or significant others sell them into

human trafficking, they do it because they are promised that their child or wife is going to

a job, an education, or think they are giving them up for marriage. The family is giving

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them away with the mindset that they are doing if for the right reason and giving their

child or wife a better life.

The severity of human trafficking has a toll of the victims health: physically,

emotionally, and mentally. Physically, the victims are prone to be exposed to sexually

transmitted disease such as syphilis, gonorrhea, and pubic lice. Majority of these victims

experience broken bones, noses, bruises, scars, burns, pelvic pain, vaginal/anal tearing.

Also, the examples in the story told above of the horrible and torturous acts these victims

have to encounter. Emotionally and psychologically, they may experience depression,

PTSD, or anxiety because they are either humiliated, confused, disoriented, in denial,

self-hatred which can lead to suicidal thoughts. In one study, research proved that

females involved in human trafficking were more prone to have higher levels of fear and

greater psychological health needs from experiencing such trauma, which caused them to

be less stable and seclude themselves, than other victims of crime (Deshpande & Nour,

2013). With the medias misrepresentation of human trafficking, these women are not

seen as humans but more as a piece of meat and are normally thrown to the curb when

purchasers have no more use for these victims.

Agenda-Setting Theory

Agenda-setting theory developed by Maxwell McCombs and Donald Shaw, says

that the mass media has the ability to transfer and shape their news to please their viewers

(McCombs & Shaw, 2006). This theory claims that people only attend to the news and

views that do not threaten their personal beliefs or values. With human trafficking

becoming one of the most popular illegal phenomenons, the media helps portray it as

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something that is acceptable worldwide. The media is all about sexualizing and

pleasing men, it bombards and sexualizes websites, movies, television shows, magazines,

and posters because they know sex sells. With the improvement of medias technology

(especially the Internet), as well as the amount of pornography sites and users are

increasing, it allows traffickers to expose the sexual activities of women and children

(Johnson, Friedman, Shafer, 2014). The Internet also provides easy access to websites

that allow the traffickers to show what men are missing out on.

Since human trafficking is somewhat related to pornography, and pornography is

becoming more related to violence, men who partake in pursuing these victims feel that

they are living out a fantasy of theirs. Majority of these men who pursue human

trafficking are either married/in relationships or is a military/navy/marine. Sex is an

addiction, so when the media is all for sex, and with pornography becoming more violent,

men turn to human trafficking victims because either their wives/girlfriends are not up for

violent sexual intercourse or they are ashamed to even ask because violence is highly

frowned upon. Scholars have argued that the mass media has given traffickers an

advantage, because it has the power of glamorizing the negative portrayal of life in these

industrialized nations, giving the impression that traffickers are seeking to help

disadvantaged women and give them the opportunity of proper employment (Johnson,

Friedman, Shafer, 2014). Those who turn to these victims feel they can do whatever

they want to them, because in their mindset they think that since they are paying to have

sex with these victims, they are allowed to do whatever they please. Agenda-setting

plays a huge role in shaping human trafficking as a acceptable industry, because sex is

marvelous and pleasing to the human body. People pay minimal attention to the

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victims of human trafficking and the physical, emotional, and psychological damage it

causes because these victims are viewed as powerless or unworthy and are

considered muted.

Muted Group Theory

The muted group theory developed by Edwin Ardener and further explained by

Cheris Kramarae, deciphers why certain cultures do not allow all its members to speak

equally. Muted group theory is people who are categorized as having low-power and are

not capable of voicing their opinions because they must change their language to fit the

publics and their opinions are often go unnoticed. If not in all cultures, most, of womens

talk is subordinate to the males upper hand and muteness. Men (the dominant group)

have set certain standards and norms which does not allow women or inferior groups the

right to talk as they please, or when and where the please (Karmarae, 2006). When

relating this theory to human trafficking, the resemblance is quite clear. We live in a

male-dominated society, which means their dominance in society assures the publics

voice that is, not being directly available to women. Stated before, 80% of these victims

are women and 50% are children, with this percentage being exceedingly high, this

shows how men have the power to completely take control over the women, children, and

minorities.

Human traffickers have an interesting way to make victims feel as if they cannot

leave; these women usually tend to believe that they are in a relationship with their

pimp and feel obligated to stay. When being in a relationship, partners never want to

disappoint their significant other. Traffickers have the power and ability to scare them

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into staying with extreme consequences. The victims feel that they are indebted to do

what their partner says and feel as if they have no say in their own well-being.

Especially from a childs standpoint, children are scared, vulnerable and will believe what

an adult tells them, and rely on adults to take care of them. So when a trafficker comforts

children and makes them feel loved, these children are more willing to cooperate.

Why Media Misrepresents Human Trafficking

Looking at how the media represents human trafficking, it is easily linked with

the agenda-setting theory and the muted group theory. Agenda-setting theory shows that

the media can easily and effortlessly shape our mind to think whatever they please.

Specifically sex. They make men believe they are helping these women economically

as well as getting what they want out of pursuing a victim in human trafficking. The

media also shapes the idea that these victims are helpless and do not have a voice of their

own. Since these victims feel unheard and ignored, it permits the industry to maintain the

worldwide practice of human labor maltreatment (Zimmer & Gournelos, 2014). This is

where the muted group theory comes into place. These women and children are muted,

they are less likely to speak out because they know the dominant group (men) will go

against them or completely ignore what they have to say. They feel helpless and accept

that their life is not going to change. For they know the chances of escaping or getting

help are slim. To try and make best of their situation, they listen and obey to avoid being

treated less than a human, than what they deserve.

Going back to the story told at the beginning of the paper, it demonstrates how

lucrative this industry is and that traffickers only care about making money. They do not

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show sympathy to how old or young the victim is or what they do to the victims if they

did not meet the quota. All they care about is their self, making sure they have enough

women or children to keep their business afloat, and how much income they receive.

No child, or anyone for that matter, should be forced to have sexual encounters with 20-

30 men a day and be considered less human. No one should have to endure the physical,

emotional, and psychological toll human trafficking can have on a person. Think about

little girls having their vaginas sewn back up, so the buyers believe they are purchasing

virgins. In human trafficking, virgins cost more because buyers prefer virgins and are

willing to pay more. Or someone jams a hot rod up a little girls vagina because they did

not meet the quota for that specific day. Some would think these types of acts would be

more known to the public, but since human trafficking is usually behind the walls, it is

hard to stop.

With human trafficking becoming so prevalent, there is a greater chance that

people read or hear personal stories from those who escape human trafficking. It opens

up their eyes to see the severity of this growing multiple-billion industry. With

organizations, churches, and missionaries making it their mission to speak out for them, it

gives these women and children hope for a better life.

References

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Deshpande, N. A., & Nour, N. M. (2013). Sex trafficking of women and girls. Reviews
in Obstetrics and Gynecology, 6(1), e22e27.

Johnston, A., Friedman, B., & Shafer, A. (2014). Framing the problem of sex trafficking.
Feminist Media Studies, 14(3), 419-436. doi:10.1080/14680777.2012.740492

Kramarae, C. (2006). Muted group theory. A first look at communication theory (8th ed.,
pp. 460-471). New York: McGraw-Hill Companies.

Marchionni, D. (2012). International human trafficking: An agenda-building analysis of

the us and british press. 74(2), 145-158. doi:10.188/174804851432600

McCombs, M., & Shaw, D. (2006). Agenda-setting theory. A first look at communication
theory (8th ed., pp. 378-390). New York: McGraw-Hill Companies.

Zimmer, D., & Gournelos, T. (2014). The lost victims of human trafficking. Florida
Communication Journal, 42(1), 11-22.