Gender Checks

Gender check: 7/7/11 – 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 9:30 a.m. (PST) Thursday, July 7, was titled “St. Louis closes 18th Street bridge for emergency repairs.” Its subject was closures as a result of repairs to a bridge.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Male, traffic commissioner

Notes/analysis: The story was only five graphs long and simply detailed expected closures, delays and alternative routes.

Website: St. Louis Beacon

St. Louis Beacon, 7/7/11

On the St. Louis Beacon, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 9:30 a.m. (PST) July 7, was titled “As anti-terrorism funding shrinks, controversy grows over how to spend it.” Its subject was cuts to funding bringing about debates in how the security funds should be used.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Female, Department of Homeland secretary
  2. Male, U.S. representative
  3. Male, U.S. representative
  4. Male, public safety administrator
  5. Female, director of emergency services and homeland security
  6. Male, task force member
  7. Male, research fellow
  8. Male, U.S. senator
  9. Male, spokesman for male U.S. representative
  10. Female, spokeswoman for female U.S. senator
  11. Male, U.S. representative
  12. Male, spokesman for male U.S. senator

Notes/analysis: The article also contains a number of mug shots of sources — four of men and one of a woman.

Gender Check 7/6/11 – 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 9:30 a.m. EST on Wednesday, July 6 was titled “Better Lives For Mexicans Cut Allure of Going North.” Its subject was a decline in immigrants crossing the Mexican border.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Authors: Male

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Male – Mexican student
  2. Male – director of migration project organization
  3. Male – economist
  4. Male – director of consular affairs
  5. Male – student’s father
  6. Male – student’s brother
  7. Male – teacher
  8. Male – demographer
  9. Male – Mexican government worker
  10. Female – volunteer
  11. Male – student’s brother
  12. unknown- state department official
  13. Male – demographer

Website: ProPublica

On ProPublica, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 9:30 a.m. EST on Wednesday, July 6 was titled “Casey Anthony Trial Shows the Limits of Forensic Science in Proving How a Child Died.” Its subject was the recent not guilty verdict in a child’s murder case and the evidence presented, or not presented, in the trial.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Authors:  Female

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Female – medical examiner (as quoted from autopsy report)
  2. Male – forensic chemist (as quoted from trial testimony)
  3. Male – forensic pathologist (as quoted from trial testimony)
  4. Male – state attorney (as quoted by Reuters)

Notes/analysis: This story used mostly legal documents, filings and past reporting for its information.

Gender check: 7/5/11 – 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

Seattle Times, 7/5/2011

On the Seattle Times, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 9:30 a.m. (PST) Tuesday, July 5, was titled “Black Diamond split over big growth plans.” Its subject was debate over a large development.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Male, developer
  2. Male, resident
  3. Female, mayor
  4. Female, opponent
  5. Male, resident (former mayor)
  6. Male, company’s chief entitlement officer
  7. Male, council member
  8. Male, city manager
  9. Male, council member
  10. Male, development and environmental services director

Notes/analysis: Four photos appear with the piece, taken by a female photographer. Two feature a single male (and story source) and one features a single female (and story source). The fourth is an image of a town landmark.


Website: Seattle P-I

On the Seattle P-I, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 9:30 a.m. (PST) Tuesday, July 7, was titled “Tuesday’s commute could be gridlock with Lions Club convention.” Its subject was officials getting the word out about traffic in light of the largest convention in Seattle in “at least two decades.”

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Female, WSDOT spokeswoman
  2. Male, Seattle DOT spokesman
  3. Female, Metro spokeswoman

Gender Check – 7/1/11 – South

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 Miami Herald

On the Miami Herald, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 9 a.m. (EST) on Friday, July 1 was titled “President Hugo Chavez’s revelation: Fighting Cancer After Surgery In Cuba.” Its subject was an admission from the Venezuelan president that his continuing illness is becoming serious.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Female

–Human sources (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Male – Venezuelan president (from public statement)
  2. Male – Venezuelan vice president (from public statement)
  3. Female – Venezuelan legislator

Website: Patch (Seminole Heights)

On Patch of Seminole Heights, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 9 a.m. (EST) on Friday, July 1 was titled “Meet Tampa Fire Rescue’s William Oglesby.” Its subject was a Q&A with the local fire department’s driver/engineer.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Female

–Human sources (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Male – feature subject

Gender check: 6/30/11 – 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)

Stltoday.com, 6/30/2011

On Stltoday.com, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 8:45 a.m. (PST) Thursday, June 30, was titled “Former Brentwood official admits stealing $30,000 for gambling.” Its subject was a former city administrator admits to embezzling.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Male, mayor
  2. Males (2), defense lawyers (together said)
  3. Male, former city administrator, suspect

Website: St. Louis Beacon

St. Louis Beacon, 6/30/11

On the St. Louis Beacon, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 8:45 a.m. (PST) June 30, was titled “In Morehouse, people are recovering from flood, one step at a time.” Its subject was a look at how the people of one community are dealing with the after-effects of flooding.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Female

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Female, resident
  2. Male, mayor
  3. Male, resident
  4. Male, FEMA spokesperson
  5. Female, Hoopa group (helping)
  6. Male, reverend
  7. Female, resident

Notes/analysis: The article also contains a photo slideshow. Those images with human figures feature a single person. There were five with males (two of the mayor) and four with females.