Gender Checks

Gender check: 3/15/12 – 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: Chicago Tribune

Chicago Tribune, 3/15/2012

On Chicago Tribune, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 7:40 a.m. (PT) Thursday, March 15, was titled “Blagojevich heads for prison: ‘I’m leaving with a heavy heart, a clear conscience’.”

Here is its breakdown:

Subject: Crime and violence: Non-violent crime, bribery, theft, drugs, corruption (GMMP No. 37)

Word count: 1,209

Author: Staff and wire services

Human sources (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Unknown, crowd member
  2. Male, subject (former Ill. governor)
  3. Male, U.S. Bureau of Prisons spokesman
  4. Male, former city clerk who also served for corruption
  5. Male, defense attorney


Website: Chicagoist

On the Chicagoist, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 7:40 a.m. (PT) Thursday, March 15, was titled “’RODios:’ Blagojevich Heads To Prison.”

Here is its breakdown:

Subject: Crime and violence: Non-violent crime, bribery, theft, drugs, corruption (GMMP No. 37)

Word count: 248

Author: Male

Human sources (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Male, subject (former Ill. governor)

Notes/analysis: The article also references a statement from the subject’s attorneys.

Gender check: 3/13/12 – 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: Los Angeles Times

On LATimes.com, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 7:30 a.m. (PT) Tuesday, March 13, was titled “L.A. council members call for accurate Fire Department figures.”

Here is its breakdown:

Subject: Politics and government: Other domestic politics, government, etc. (GMMP No. 4)

Word count: 973

Author: Female (1) and Male (2)

Human sources (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Female, councilwoman
  2. Male, councilman
  3. Male, community activist
  4. Male, mayoral candidate
  5. Male, spokesman for mayor
  6. Female, spokeswoman for SF fire department
  7. Male, chief
  8. Male, councilman
  9. Female, city controller and mayoral candidate



Website: California Watch

California Watch - 3/13/2012

On California Watch, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 7:30 a.m. (PT) Tuesday, March 13, was titled “White-dominated boards face legal threats over racial makeup.”

Here is its breakdown:

Subject: Social and legal: Other (GMMP No. 36)

Word count: 2,489

Author: Male

Human sources (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Female, councilwoman
  2. Male, of Rose Institute of State and Local Government at Claremont McKenna College
  3. Male, of consulting firm
  4. Male, city attorney
  5. Male, former legal director of Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights
  6. Male, councilman
  7. Female, city attorney
  8. Male, former councilman (father was also)
  9. Male, retired engineer who ran for office
  10. Male, conservative activist who ran for office
  11. Male, Latino candidate
  12. Male, mayor
  13. Female, councilwoman
  14. Male, attorney and candidate
  15. Male, who served two terms and is running
  16. Male, elected councilman

Gender check: 3/8/12 – 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.

Editor’s note: As we noted last week, our second monitored site, the Chicago News Cooperative, suspended publication as of Feb. 26. As a results, we’ve selected a new Chicago news site to replace it in this checks going forward — the Chicagoist.

Website: Chicago Tribune

On the Chicago Tribune, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 8:50 a.m. (PT) Thursday, March 8, was titled “Blagojevich to speak before heading to prison.”

Here is its breakdown:

Subject: Crime and violence: Non-violent crime, bribery, theft, drugs, corruption (GMMP No. 37)

Word count: 388

Author:  AP (Wire service) – No specific author

Human sources (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Male, spokesman
  2. Male, subject


Website: Chicagoist

On the Chicagoist, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 8:50 a.m. (PT) Thursday, March 8, was titled “Blagojevich Will Not Quietly Enter Prison.”

Here is its breakdown:

Subject: Crime and violence: Non-violent crime, bribery, theft, drugs, corruption (GMMP No. 37)

Word count: 144

Author: Male

Human sources (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Male, spokesman
  2. Female, attorney

Gender Check 3/7/12 – 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: Boston Globe (Boston.com)

On Boston.com, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 10:20 a.m. (EST) Wednesday, March 7, was titled “Romney Wins Big, But Rivals Hang In.”

Here is its breakdown:

Subject:  Politics and Government: other domestic politics (Global Media Monitoring Project No. 4)

Word count: 1,359

Authors: Male (3)

Human sources (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Male – presidential candidate (from public comments)
  2. Male – presidential candidate (from public comments)
  3. Male – presidential candidate (from public comments)
  4. Male – political strategist
  5. Male – political science professor
  6. Female – voter at large
  7. Male – voter at large

Website: Open Media Boston

At the time of this post at 6 p.m. EST, the site had not posted new content since last week’s Gender Check.

Gender check: 3/6/12 – 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: Los Angeles Times

LATimes.com, 3/6/2012

On the LATimes.com, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 6:45 a.m. (PT) Tuesday, March 6, was titled “World powers offer to restart nuclear negotiations with Iran.”

Here is its breakdown:

Subject: Politics and government: Peace, negotiations, treaties (GMMP No. 3)

Word count: 435

Author: Male

Human sources (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Female, EU foreign minister
  2. Male, British foreign secretary


Website: California Watch

On California Watch, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 6:45 a.m. (PT) Tuesday, March 6, was titled “SF officials urged to bring terror task force under local control.”

Here is its breakdown:

Subject: Political and government: Other (GMMP No. 8)

Word count: 699

Author: Male

Human sources (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Female, county supervisor
  2. Female, of Asian Law Caucus
  3. Female, executive director of Council on American-Islamic Relations

Notes/analysis: The top and first featured spotlight article this week was the same as it was the previous week. Therefore, the daily report was pulled as the lead article.