Gender Checks

Gender check: 12/29/11 – 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)

“U.S. announces $30 billion F-15 fighter jet deal with Saudi Arabia” – Stltoday.com, 12/29/2011

On Stltoday.com, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 11:25 a.m. (PST) Thursday, Dec. 29, was titled “U.S. announces $30 billion F-15 fighter jet deal with Saudi Arabia.” Its subject was a deal to sell fighter jets to Saudi Arabia that is manufactured at a local facility.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male

–Human sources (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Male, association spokesman
  2. Male, White House’s principal deputy press secretary
  3. Male, company chairman, president and CEO
  4. Male, defense analyst
  5. Male, U.S. representative


Website: St. Louis Beacon

On the St. Louis Beacon, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 11:25 a.m. (PST) Thursday, Dec. 29, was titled “Debate continues over school choice, deseg program carries on.” Its subject was the Voluntary Interdistrict Choice Corporation.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male

–Human sources (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Male, superintendent
  2. Male, chief executive of the choice corporation
  3. Female, state representative
  4. Female, high school senior

Notes/analysis: The article includes mug shots of all four sources — two male and two female.

Gender check: 12/27/11 – West

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: Seattle Times

On the Seattle Times, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 12:20 p.m. (PST) Tuesday, Dec. 27, was titled “520 bridge tolling ready to roll.” Its subject was the all-electronic tolling system set to begin Thursday.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Male, editor
  2. Male, who led the expert panel
  3. Male, tolling director
  4. Male, director of transportation center at university
  5. Male, analyst
  6. Female, DOT secretary
  7. Male, transportation policy director for foundation
  8. Male, chairman of state transportation commission


Website: Seattle P-I

On the Seattle P-I, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 12:20 p.m. (PST) Tuesday, Dec. 27, was titled “Police arrest suspect in Lake City robberies.” Its subject was the arrest of a man who may be responsible for some of a string of recent robberies.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

None.

Notes/analysis: The article uses “Police say” but does not reference a specific officer.

Gender check: 12/22/11 – 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 11:30 a.m. (PST) Thursday, Dec. 22, was titled “2nd bacterial infection reported in Missouri baby.” Its subject was an investigation into a link between a baby’s death and another’s infection and the formula powder they were fed.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Associated Press – No name

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

No named sources.

Notes/analysis: The articles references a statement by the Missouri Department of Health.


Website: St. Louis Beacon

St. Louis Beacon, 12/22/2011

On the St. Louis Beacon, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 11:30 a.m. (PST) Thursday, Dec. 22, was titled “Coming to terms with term limits.” Its subject was effects of term limits in the Missouri Legislature.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author:  Female

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Male, state Senate president pro tem
  2. Male, state House speaker
  3. Male, research associate professor
  4. Female, state representative
  5. Male, state senator
  6. Male, state senator

Notes/analysis: The article includes two mugshots, both of male sources.

Gender check: 12/20/11 – West

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: Seattle Times

On the Seattle Times, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 9 a.m. (PST) Tuesday, Dec. 20, was titled “Seattle, feds to open talks on police use of force.” Its subject was the city’s aim to begin talks with the U.S. Department of Justice regarding findings that the police department has utilized an unconstitutional use of force.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Male, mayor
  2. Male, spokesman for female U.S. attorney
  3. Male, police chief
  4. Male, city council member

Notes/analysis: The article includes one photo and one mugshot. All feature male subjects (No. 1 and No. 3). 


Website: Seattle P-I

On the Seattle P-I, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 9 a.m. (PST) Tuesday, Dec. 20, was titled “Unimpressed skiers ask: Where’s the spectacular La Nina snow?” Its subject was a lack of fresh snow on local slopes.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Female

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Female, who regularly ‘hits the slopes”
  2. Female, of ski resort
  3. Male, skier
  4. Female, skier

Notes/analysis: The three images with the story contain no named or discernible human subjects.

Gender check: 12/15/11 – 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 Stltoday.com, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 8:25 a.m. (PST) Thursday, Dec. 15, was titled “Lake Saint Louis man killed when logging equipment falls from truck.” Its subject was a man who was fatally injured when logging equipment fell from a truck directly into his path and his car hit it head on.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Female

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Male, police master sgt.
  2. Female, chief operating officer for the work place of the deceased

Notes/analysis:


Website: St. Louis Beacon

St. Louis Beacon, 12/15/2011

On the St. Louis Beacon, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 8:25 a.m. (PST) Thursday, Dec. 15, was titled “‘Farm dust’ debate highlights wider battle over regulations.” Its subject was a Farm Dust Regulation Prevention Act.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Male, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives (R)
  2. Male, U.S. representative (D)
  3. Unknown, another Democrat
  4. Male, U.S. senator (R)
  5. Male, U.S. representative (R)
  6. Male, U.S. House Democratic Whip
  7. Male, law professor and vp of network of law professors working on regulatory policy
  8. Male, head of regulatory research at nonprofit think tank
  9. Male, professor of economics
  10. Male, U.S. representative (R)
  11. Male, regulations czar to president
  12. Female, EPA administrator
  13. Male, U.S. representative
  14. Male, farmers union president
  15. Female, U.S. senator

Notes/analysis: The article also cites a number of studies and group statements. It included four mugshots, one of which was of a female source. The main photo, which was taken by a female photographer, featured a male farmer and his crew.