Gender Checks

Gender Check 4/29/11 – 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 7 p.m. (EST) on Friday, April 29 was titled “Last Call for UM’s Campus Bar.” Its subject was the closing of a campus bar at the University of Miami.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Female

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

1. Male – graduate student at University of Miami

2. Male – university staff

3. Male – student

4. Female – student

5. Male – university trustee

6. Female – bartender

Website: Patch (Seminole Heights)

On Patch of Seminole Heights, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 7 p.m. (EST) on Friday, April 29 was titled “Tampa Catholic Baseball Loses Heart-breaker to CCC.” Its subject was recap of a local high school baseball game.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

1. Male – head coach

2. Male – player

3. Male – other head coach

Gender check: 4/28/11 – 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 1 p.m. (MST) Thursday, April 28, was titled “Ill. House considers higher limits for big rigs on stretches of I-270, I-255.” Its subject was department of transportation officials discouraging lawmakers from a proposal to bring trucks up the same speed as cars on four-lane rural highways in the state.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Female

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

1. Male, executive director, trucking association

2. Male, director of traffic safety for IDOT


Website: St. Louis Beacon

On the St. Louis Beacon, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 1 p.m. (MST) Thursday, April 28, was titled “Missouri House, Senate cut deal on redistricting.” Its subject was the Missouri Legislature reaching a compromise on congressional districts.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Dual (female and male)

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

1.  Male, house majority leader

2. Female, spokeswoman for senate president pro tem

3. Male, congress member

4. Male, senate redistricting chairman

5. Male, state senator

6. Female, US. representative

7. Male, state Republican Party chairman

8. Male, house minority leader

Notes/analysis: All the state legislators mentioned in the article were male. We’ve covered the gender breakdown of the Missouri Legislature in an earlier Gender Check. Review it here.

Gender Check 4/27/11 – 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 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: 4/26/11 – 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 1 p.m. (MST) Tuesday, April 26, was titled “Boeing still struggling with 787.” Its subject was struggles in the progress of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner program. The first planes are scheduled to be delivered at the end of September.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

1. Male, mechanic (not named)

2. Female, spokeswoman

3. Unknown, engineer (not named)

4. Unknown, employee (not named)

Notes/analysis: This story had an interesting mix of an official source and a number of employees who spoke anonymously as the company does not allow them to comment on their work. In two out of three cases, that meant that employee’s gender was not discernible.


Website: Seattle P-I

On the Seattle P-I, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 1 p.m. (MST) Tuesday, April 26, was titled “Home prices continue to slide nationwide; more so in Seattle.” Its subject was a new housing report that shows prices at Seattle at their lowest since 2004.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Female

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

1. Male, chairman of group’s committee

2. Male, economist

Gender Check 4/22/11 – 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 10 p.m. (EST) on Friday, April 22 was titled “Long-staying Patients Hurt Jackson’s Finances.” Its subject was the public hospital’s struggle to cover costs for uninsured patients.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

1. Male – treasurer for city’s governing board

2. Male

3. Female – union president

4. Male – professor

Website: Patch (Seminole Heights)

On Patch of Seminole Heights, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 10 p.m. (EST) on Friday, April 22 was titled “Hillsborough School District Wants Your Input.” Its subject was an upcoming decision apply for a waiver from the U.S. Department of Education for teacher recruiting limitations.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Female

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

1. Male – director of federal programs for the district