Midwest

These are Gender Checks of two sites from the Midwest — St. Louis Post-Dispatch and St. Louis Beacon.

Gender check: 3/1/12 – Midwest

Jasmine R. LinabaryLeave a comment

*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: Chicago Tribune

On the Chicago Tribune, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 8:15 p.m. (PST) Thursday, March 1, was titled “One street, five deaths: Harrisburg tornado fatalities concentrated in close-knit neighborhood.”

Here is its breakdown:

Subject: Crime and violence: Disaster, accident, famine, flood, plane crash, etc. (GMMP No. 43)

Word count: 1,108

Author: Male (1) and female (2)

Human sources (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Female, daughter of a woman killed in the storm
  2. Female, whose daughter-in-law was injured
  3. Male, duplex owner
  4. Female, paternal grandmother of a woman who died
  5. Female, maternal grandmother of a woman who died
  6. Female, granddaughter of a woman who died
  7. Female, sister of a woman who died
  8. Male, brother of a woman who died
  9. Male, mayor
  10. Male, science support branch chief at storm prediction center

Notes/analysis: The article includes numerous videos and other related features.


Website: Chicago News Cooperative

In addition to the Chicago Tribune, we’ve been monitoring the Chicago News Cooperative since we started our second year of Gender Checks two weeks ago. Unfortunately, the Chicago News Cooperative suspended publication as of Feb. 26. We’ll be selecting another Chicago site to replace it in our Gender Checks in the weeks going forward.

Gender check: 2/23/12 – Midwest

Jasmine R. LinabaryLeave a comment

*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: Chicago Tribune

On Chicago Tribune, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 11:50 a.m. (PST) Thursday, Feb. 23, was titled “Family of former Bear Dave Duerson sues over his suicide.”

Here is its breakdown:

Subject: Social and legal: Legal system, judiciary (GMMP No. 35)

Word count: 827

Author: Male

Human sources (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Male, lawyer for family
  2. Male, linebacker

Notes/analysis: The article primarily cites the lawsuit.


Website: Chicago News Cooperative

On Chicago News Cooperative, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as 11:50 a.m. (PST) Thursday, Feb. 23, was titled “Big Quinn Cuts Target Human Services.”

Here is its breakdown:

Subject: Politics and government: Other domestic politics, government, etc. (GMMP No. 4)

Word count: 557

Author: Female

Human sources (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Male, governor
  2. Male, father of man with developmental disabilities
  3. Male, treasurer
  4. Male, state senate president

Gender check: 2/16/12 – Midwest

Jasmine R. LinabaryLeave a comment

*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: Chicago Tribune

On the Chicago Tribune, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 10 a.m. (PST) Thursday, Feb. 16, was titled “Police resume search for missing North Barrington woman.”

Here is its breakdown:

Subject: Crime and Violence: Other (Global Media Monitoring Project No. 44)

Word count: 227

Author: Male (2)

Human sources (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Male, husband of missing woman

Notes/analysis: The article also references a statement from sheriff’s “officials.”


Website: Chicago News Cooperative

On Chicago News Cooperative, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 10 a.m. (PST) Thursday, Feb. 16, was titled “Proposal Would Limit Protests in Council Chambers.”

Here is its breakdown:

Subject: Politics and Government: Domestic politics, government (Global Media Monitoring Project No. 4)

Word count: 659

Author: Male (2)

Human sources (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Male, alderman
  2. Male, alderman
  3. Male, director of communications and public policy for the state ACLU
  4. Male, alderman

Notes/analysis: The article includes a photo showing both males and females in attendance at a council meeting and a male protestor getting escorted out. The photo was by a male photographer.

Gender check: 1/19/12 – Midwest

Jasmine R. LinabaryLeave a comment

Editor’s note: This post marks a full year of our Gender Check monitoring project. Stay tuned for details on what’s next.

*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)

Stltoday.com, 1/19/2012

On Stltoday.com, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 9:15 a.m. (PST) Thursday, Jan. 19, was titled “Missouri still gets an ‘F’ on annual smoking report card.” Its subject was a report showing the states “failures” on smoking-related health issues.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Female

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

None.

Notes/analysis: The article cites a report from the American Lung Association.


Website: St. Louis Beacon

On the St. Louis Beacon, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 9:15 a.m. (PST) Thursday, Jan. 19, was titled “Pipeline rejection angers Republicans, pleases environmental groups.” Its subject was President Obama’s rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline project.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male

–Human sources (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Male, U.S. president
  2. Male, U.S. representative (R)
  3. Female. U.S. senator (D)
  4. Male, U.S. representative (R)
  5. Male, U.S. senator (R)
  6. Female, U.S. senator (D)
  7. Male, company’s chief executive
  8. Male, U.S. representative (R)
  9. Male, U.S. representative (R)

Notes/analysis: The article includes two mugshots — one of a male source and one of a female source.

Gender check: 1/12/12 – Midwest

Jasmine R. LinabaryLeave a comment

*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 8:30 a.m. (PST) Thursday, Jan. 12, was titled “’Knockout’ game victim enraged that young suspects walked free.” Its subject was the dropping of a case against seven middle schoolers who allegedly assaulted a man after the key witness failed to show.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Female (1) and male (1)

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Male, court spokesman
  2. Male, victim
  3. Female, police spokeswoman
  4. Male, mayor
  5. Female, girlfriend of different victim

Notes/analysis: The story includes four photos of the male victim.


Website: St. Louis Beacon

St. Louis Beacon, 1/12/12

On the St. Louis Beacon, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 8:30 a.m. (PST) Thursday, Jan. 12, was titled “Take 5: Dr. Patricia Wolff on Haiti two years after earthquake.” Its subject was a Q&A with a pediatrician who started a non-profit in Haiti in 2003.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Female

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Female, pediatrician and main subject