Northeast

These are Gender Checks of two news sites from the Northeast — The New York Times and ProPublica.

Gender Check 4/27/11 – Northeast

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*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: The New York Times

On The New York Times, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 8:30 p.m. EST on Wednesday, April 27 was titled “Fatah and Hamas Announce Outline of Deal.” Its subject was the creation of an interim unity government in Palestine.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Female

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

1. Male – Hamas spokesman

2. Male – Israel prime minister (from news conference)

3. Male – NSA spokesman

4. Male – Hamas representative (from news conference)

5. Male – professor

6. Male – Hamas leader

Notes/analysis: The photo accompanying the story pictured a crowd in Palestine with a male subject and only one recognizably female demonstrator.

Website: ProPublica

On ProPublica, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 8:30 p.m. EST on Wednesday, April 27 was titled “Chief Offshore Drilling Regulator Criticizes Lack of Oversight for Contractors.” Its subject was the current policies and their influence on the BP cleanup in the Gulf of Mexico.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

1. Male – director of regulatory agency

2. Male – professor

3. Male – senate staff director

4. Female – spokeswoman

Gender Check 4/20/11 – Northeast

Joy BaconLeave 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: The New York Times

On The New York Times, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 8:30 a.m. EST on Wednesday, April 20 was titled “Ohio County Losing Its Young to Painkillers’ Grip.” Its subject was a former industrial town that has been hit with deaths due to drug overdoses.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Female

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

1. Male – state governor (from public statement)

2. Male – police chief

3. Female – nurse

4. Male – father

5. Female – mother

6. Male – counselor

7. Female – mother

8. Male – state assemblyman

9. Female – spokeswoman for the governor

Notes/analysis: The photo accompanying the story pictured three victims of drug overdosing, all male.

Website: ProPublica

On ProPublica, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 8:30 a.m. EST on Wednesday, April 20 was titled “Fracking Chemicals Cited in Congressional Report Stay Underground.” Its subject was the injection of chemicals into the ground by gas drillers.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

1. Female – policy analyst (from an earlier ProPublica story)

2. Male – spokesman (from an email)

Notes/Analysis: Most of this story came from the Congressional report as well as former coverage of the topic by ProPublica.

Gender Check 4/13/11 – Northeast

Joy BaconLeave 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: The New York Times

On The New York Times, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 10:30 a.m. EST on Wednesday, April 13 was titled “Egyptian Prosecuters Order 15-Day Detention of Hosni Mubarak.” Its subject was the continuing struggle in Egypt for a accountability from its past leadership.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Authors: Male (dual byline)

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

1. Male – online news editor

Notes/analysis: This story was compiled mostly from press releases, AP reports, and government authorities who went unnamed.

Website: ProPublica

On ProPublica, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 10:30 a.m. EST on Wednesday, April 13 was titled “Critical Shortage of Army Neurologists for U.S. Troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.” Its subject was policy changes in treatment requirements for soldiers suffering from brain injuries. It was co-published with NPR.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Authors: Male (dual byline)

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

1. Unknown – unnamed Army doctor

2. Male – Army general

3. Female – spokeswoman for Army Surgeon General

Notes/Analysis: This story was sparked by the release of a memo, from which much of the article’s information came.

Gender Check 4/6/11 – Northeast

Joy BaconLeave 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: The New York Times

On The New York Times, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 10 p.m. EST on Wednesday, April 6 was titled “Obama Meeting Leaders From Congress on Stalemate.” Its subject was the pending shut down of the federal government over budget conflicts.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

1. Male – President of the United States

2. Male – Speaker of the House

3. Male – U.S. senator

4. Male – U.S. senator

Notes/analysis: This story is lead news across several news organizations this week. Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi was the first female speaker of the house, and women currently hold 17 Senate seats and 76 seats in the House of Representatives.

Website: ProPublica

On ProPublica, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 10 p.m. EST on Wednesday, April 6 was titled “Charter Schools Outsource Education to Management Firms, With Mixed Results.” Its subject was a lawsuit in progress against a private education firm running various charter schools.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Female

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

1. Male – company board member

2. Male – attorney

3. Male – education professor

4. Male – attorney

5. Male – education consultant

6. Male – education professor

7. Male – charter school board member

8. Male – attorney

Notes/Analysis: While women make up over 60 percent of the teaching force in the United States, they hold only 30 percent of administrator positions and still fewer school board seats, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.


Gender Check 3/30/11- Northeast

Joy BaconLeave 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: The New York Times

On The New York Times, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 9:30 p.m. EST on Wednesday, March 30 was titled “C.I.A Agents in Lybia Aid Airstrikes and Meet Rebels.” Its subject was reports that American spies are on the ground in Lybia collecting information on the rebel forces.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Authors: Male (dual byline)

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

1. Male – American general

2. Male – White House press secretary

3. Male – U.S. congressman

4. Male – American general

Notes/analysis: A significant amount of information cited in the story came from anonymous government sources or official released statements with no direct human source.

Website: ProPublica

On ProPublica, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 9:30 p.m. EST on Wednesday, March 30 was titled “Pennsylvania Limits Authority of Oil and Gas Inspectors.” Its subject was a new requirement regulating fines for oil drilling companies.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

1. Male – head of state Department of Environmental Protection

2. Female – DEP spokeswoman