Gender Checks

Gender check: 4/12/11 – 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 12, was titled “Seattle won’t get shuttle — but will get full-size simulator.” Its subject was news that Seattle’s Museum of Flight would not be getting a space shuttle but would get a full-fuselage shuttle trainer.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

1. Male, NASA administrator

2. Female, former astronaut who led effort

3. Female, U.S. senator

4. Male, U.S. representative

5. Female, Washington governor

6. Male, Museum of Flight president and CEO

Notes/analysis: This article had an even split of male and female sources.


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 12, was titled “Charges dropped against men accused in Ballard fight with off-duty Seattle officer.” Its subject was about prosecutors dropping charges against three males accused of fighting a male off-duty police officer. The men claim they saw a man “accosting” a woman and were moving to intervene while the officer said he was following and confronting a woman who had tried to steal his coat.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

1. Detective (unknown)

2. Male, defense attorney

3. Female, U.S. attorney

Gender check: 4/7/11 – 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 1 p.m. (MST) Thursday, April 7, was titled “2nd Winfield High student being questioned in alleged plot for school massacre.” Its subject was an update attached to an initial story about a student being arrest for allegedly plotting a mass shooting at his school.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Female

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

1. Male, sheriff’s department major

2. Male, suspect (according to police)

Notes/analysis: All three students referred to in this story as being involved, questioned or informants are male.

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 7, was titled “Curtain rises again on Edwardsville’s Wildey Theatre.” Its subject was the grand reopening of a theater building after a renovation and remodel that also inspired others in the downtown area to follow suit.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

1. Male, alderman

2. Male, project consultant

3. Female, alderman

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: 4/5/11 – 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

On the Seattle Times, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 12:15 p.m. (MST) Tuesday, April 5, was titled “Southwest 737 fuselage ruptured in unlikely place.” Its subject was a look at fuselage issues like that found in the Southwest aircraft that had to take an emergency landing Friday after an in-flight rupture.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

1. Male, expert on metal-aircraft structures and retired engineer

2. Male, airline spokesman

3. Male, National Transportation Safety Board member

4. Male, company president

5. Male, transportation secretary

Notes/analysis: No female sources in this week’s article.


Website: Seattle P-I

On the Seattle P-I, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 12:15 p.m. (MST) Tuesday, April 5, was titled “State keeps list of where DUI suspects say they drank.” Its subject was a look at the “Worst Offenders List,” a list of places where DUI suspects claim to have had their latest drink.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

1. Female, State Liquor Control Board spokeswoman

Notes/analysis: The article mostly cites information from the database. Also, the Seattle P-I has a different look this week. Apparent redesign?

Gender Check 4/1/11 – 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 9:30 a.m. (EST) on Friday, April 1 was titled “WWII Soldier Receives Bronze Medal – 66 Years After Heroic Rescue.” Its subject was an award to a soldier for his efforts in Luxembourg during the war.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Female

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

1. Male – honored veteran

2. Female – wife of veteran

3. Female – daughter of veteran

4. Male – presenter of award

Notes/analysis:

Website: Patch (Seminole Heights)

On Patch of Seminole Heights, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 9:30 a.m. (EST) on Friday, April 1 was titled “Viewfinder: The Swap Shop.” Its subject was a feature on a local clothing market.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Female

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

1. Unknown – vendor

Notes/analysis: This is one of the first Patch stories studied for the Gender Report that had a female byline.