Midwest

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

Gender check: 9/15/11 – 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 the Stltoday.com, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 6:45 a.m. (PDT) Thursday, Sept. 15, was titled “Mo. Legislature stuck on local control, Aerotropolis.” Its subject was two issues that hit a snag in the legislature — city control of the police department and a project to make St. Louis a hub for freight flights between China and the Midwest.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Female and male (shared byline)

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Female, state senator (D)
  2. Male, state House speaker (R)
  3. Male, state senator (D)
  4. Male, representative of police officers’ group
  5. Male, former president of the city police officers’ association
  6. Male, state senator (R)
  7. Male, state senator (R)

Notes/analysis: Keep in mind that eight of the 34 members of the Missouri Legislature are female.


Website: St. Louis Beacon

St. Louis Beacon, 9/15/2011

On the St. Louis Beacon, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 6:45 a.m. (PDT) Thursday, Sept. 15, was titled “Missouri legislature adjourns special session for week.” Its subject was the same as above, but with a different framing that included the overall economic package containing the freight project.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Female

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Male, state Senate president pro tem (R)
  2. Male, state House speaker (R)
  3. Male, state senator (R)

Notes/analysis: The article also quotes a statement from the governor’s office and a statement from a right to life group. The article includes three mug shots, all of men.

Gender check: 9/8/11 – 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)

"Economic legacies of 9/11 loom large in St. Louis" - Stltoday.com, 9/8/2011

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.

Gender check: 9/1/11 – 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 8:45 a.m. (PDT) Thursday, Sept. 1, was titled “East St. Louis mother killed two children, fled, say police.” Its subject was a woman arrested after she allegedly shot her two youngest children and hit three pedestrians with her car.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Male, police captain
  2. Female, cousin of the suspect
  3. Male, lt. with state police
  4. Female, of TV station


Website: St. Louis Beacon

St. Louis Beacon, 9//1/11

On the St. Louis Beacon, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 8:45 a.m. (PDT) Thursday, Sept. 1, was titled “McCaskill brands wartime waste ‘disgusting’ at time of budget cuts.” Its subject was a report on wartime contracting.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Female, U.S. senator (D)
  2. Male, co-chair of commission that created the report
  3. Male, co-chair of commission

Notes/analysis: The article contains one mug shot, of a female, as well as an image from Afghanistan featuring a group of males.

Gender check: 8/25/11 – 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)

"Man found dead in car was shot outside Moline Acres market" - Stltoday, 8/25/11

On Stltoday.com, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 8:15 a.m. (PDT) Thursday, Aug. 25, was titled “Man found dead in car was shot outside Moline Acres market.” Its subject was findings related to a man discovered dead in a car.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Female

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Male, detective sgt.


Website: St. Louis Beacon

On the St. Louis Beacon, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 8:15 a.m. (PDT) Thursday, Aug. 25, was titled “Water tower down: Icon’s demise breaks ex-Chrysler worker’s link to past.” Its subject was a feature on the impact and life of a former longtime employee of a now closed and demolished Chrysler plant.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Female

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Male, former longtime employee

Notes/analysis: The article also includes a photo and multimedia about the man featured by a male photographer.

Gender check: 8/18/11 – 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 hereto read more.

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

On Stltoday.com, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 6:30 a.m. (PDT) Thursday, Aug. 18, was titled “St. Charles house fire claims fourth victim, an 8-year-old boy.” Its subject was deaths in a house fire that killed all but an 11-year-old son in a family of five.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Female

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Female, spokeswoman for hospital
  2. Female, spokeswoman for hospital (different than first)
  3. Male, fire captain


Website: St. Louis Beacon

St. Louis Beacon, 8/18/2011

On the St. Louis Beacon, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 6:30 a.m. (PDT) Thursday, Aug. 18, was titled “Del Taco developer to prepare designs for restoration.” Its subject was efforts to restore a “flying saucer” building.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male (intern)

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Male, developer and owner of the former Del Taco building
  2. Female, alderman
  3. Male, local business owner

Notes/analysis: Two photos accompany the story. One is a file photo by a male photographer and another is a file photo by a female intern.