Gender Checks

Gender check: 3/31/11 – 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 1:15 p.m. (MST) Thursday, March 31, was titled “Judge declares Missouri ethics law unconstitutional.” Its subject was a county judge declaring an ethics law passed by the state legislature the prior year unconstitutional because it covers multiple subjects.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Female

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

1. Unknown, official for ethics commission (unnamed)

2. Male, circuit judge

3. Male, county attorney


Website: St. Louis Beacon

On the St. Louis Beacon, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 1:15 p.m. (MST)  Thursday, March 31, was titled “Earnings tax backers stage big effort to get out the vote.” Its subject was efforts to get people out to vote for Prop E, to keep a 1 percent earnings tax as a part of the city’s budget. It currently accounts for one-third of the budget, or $140 million.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

1. Male, spokesman for campaign for Prop E

2. Male, spokesman for group against

3. Male, spokesman for campaign for Prop A (unnamed)

4. Female, spokeswoman for male businessman (unnamed)

5. Female, spokeswoman for male mayor (unnamed)

6. Male, spokesman for female comptroller

Notes/analysis: This article was heavily reliant on spokespeople for organizations or individuals. It’s interesting to note that those who spoke for individuals were always of the opposite gender of the person they spoke on behalf. Both spokeswomen were unnamed, as was one of four spokesmen.

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


Gender check: 3/29/11 – 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, March 29, was titled “Seattle area sees fewer apartment vacancies, higher rents.” Its subject was the details of two recent report that showed that the number of apartment vacancies was declining while rent prices have been going up.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

1. Male, with one of the research firms that did report

2. Male, president of other apartment research firm

3. Male, owner of real estate business

4. Female, spokeswoman for a developer (Not named)

5. Male, president of developer

Notes/analysis: It’s interesting to note that the only woman mentioned between the two articles in this week’s Gender Check is not identified by name.


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, March 29, was titled “FBI: Seattle speakeasy ring leader smuggled guns to Mexican rebels.” Its subject was a man who was a leader of a Seattle gambling ring that was not charged along with his confederates. He had as it turned out already been convicted for federal charges from selling cocaine to an undercover police officer and smuggling guns to rebels in southern Mexico.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

1. Male, vice unit sergeant

2. Male, special agent

3. Male, defense attorney

4. Male, U.S. district court judge

Notes/analysis: All of the individuals mentioned in this article were male.

Gender Check 3/25/11 – 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, March 25 was titled “State Prosecutor Drops Charges Against Sansom. ” Its subject was a case against the state’s former speaker of the house for alleged theft and conspiracy surrounding a state budget.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

1. Male – state attorney

2. Male – former state speaker of the house

Notes/analysis: Most of the story was a history of the case, compiled from court documents and former coverage.

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, March 25 was titled “Bullied No More: Young Robbery Victim Speaks Out.” Its subject was a

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

1. Male – student bullies

2. Male – victim of robbery

3. Female – mother of victim

4. Male – police commander

5. Male – police detective

Notes/analysis:

Gender check: 3/24/11 – 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 5:30 p.m. (MST) March 24, was titled “Tiny Missouri town is perfectly centered.” Its subject was a town being names the U.S.’s new population center.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

1. Male, chairman of city’s board

2. Male, director of the Census Bureau

Website: St. Louis Beacon

On the St. Louis Beacon, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 5:30 p.m. (MST) March 24, was titled “Federal regulators say Midwest BankCentre’s fair lending record ‘needs to improve.’” Its subject was was the release of a fair lending performance review report that showed that a bank “needs to improve.”

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Female

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

1. Male, chairman of the bank

2. Female, assistant director of equal housing opportunity council

Notes/analysis: The article quotes mainly from the report.