The Gender Report

*Gender Checks are quick examinations of gender representation in individual news articles for the purpose of discovering trends over time. Click here to read more.

Website: St. Louis Post-Dispatch (stltoday.com)

On Stltoday.com, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 8:50 a.m. (PDT) Thursday, Sept. 8, was titled “Economic legacies of 9/11 loom large in St. Louis.” Its subject was a look at the impact of 9/11 on the economy.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

1. Male, was director of regional leadership council
2. Male, university economist
3. Male, bank president
4. Female, airport director
5. Male, CEO of airline
6. Male, longtime economic development official
7. Male, defense analyst at a brokerage

Notes/analysis: The article includes five photos. In four photos, the gender of individuals is discernible through the help of captions. Three of the images feature males solely (one military and two construction) and one image focuses on two female military members but also includes males.

Website: St. Louis Beacon

On the St. Louis Beacon, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 8:50 a.m. (PDT) Thursday, Sept. 8, was titled “Missouri senators adjourn until Monday in effort to save economic package.” Its subject was an economic development package. The first two sources are part of the update to the story listed first followed by the original story in full.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Female

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

1. Male, state Senate president pro tem (R)
2. Male, state senator (R)
3. Female, chair of group Show-me Patriots
4. Male, St. Louis mayor
5. Male, director of a Tea-party aligned group
6. Male, housing director for senior services
7. Male, state senator (D)
8. Male, state senator (R)
9. Male, state senator, committee chair (R)
10. Male, chief executive of Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry
11. Male, state senator (R)
12. Male, state senator (R)
13. Male, state senator (R)
14. Male, head of K & N Patriots

Notes/analysis: A female state senator was mentioned with source No. 8, but was not given her own statement or quote as was the male source. Two mugshots with the story were both of males. The two photos with the story featured a mix of males and females.