Gender Checks

Gender check: 10/25/11 – 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

"3 charged with bilking $250,000 in Seattle schools scandal" - Seattle Times, 10/25/2011

On the Seattle Times, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 11:10 a.m. (PDT) Tuesday, Oct. 25, was titled “3 charged with bilking $250,000 in Seattle schools scandal.” Its subject was three people (two men and one woman) charged in a scheme to bilk funds from the school district.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male

–Human sources (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Male, defendant
  2. Male, defendant

Notes/analysis: The article includes much detail on the two male defendants but very little on the female defendant. Also, the story had heavy reliance on archives and included one photo of the main male defendant.


Website: Seattle P-I

On the Seattle P-I, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 11:10 a.m. (PDT) Tuesday, Oct. 25, was titled “Criminal charges filed in Seattle schools financial scandal.” Its subject was the same as above.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Male, county prosecutor

Notes/analysis: Much shorter in length than the Seattle Times’ story.

Gender check: 10/20/11 – 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, 10/20/2011

On Stltoday.com, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 10:10 a.m. (PDT) Thursday, Oct. 20, was titled “Prep work at Busch Stadium begins before dawn.” Its subject was a day in the life of the stadium.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male and female shared byline

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Male, stadium worker
  2. Male, regional executive chef
  3. Female, executive chef
  4. Male, chef
  5. Male, stadium worker
  6. Male, Rangers fan
  7. Male, Rangers fan
  8. Male, camera operator
  9. Male, ballpark cam tech
  10. Male, stadium worker, deliverer
  11. Male, district sales manager
  12. Male, senior VP for standards and on-field operations
  13. Male, one-man ticket brokerage
  14. Male, autograph hunter
  15. Male, baseball writer
  16. Male, camped out
  17. Male, broadcaster
  18. Male, special instructor coach

Notes/analysis: This article goes to show what a man’s world baseball must be. However, two of three photos with people who can be identified feature females.


Website: St. Louis Beacon

On the St. Louis Beacon, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 10:10 a.m. (PDT) Thursday, Oct. 20, was titled “McCaskill presses Pentagon to make changes to curb wasteful contracting.” Its subject was pressure put on to put into place recommendations regarding fraud and waste in wartime contracting.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Female, U.S. senator (D)
  2. Male, Pentagon undersecretary in charge of acquisition
  3. Male, joint staffs logistics director
  4. Male and female (joint statement), contracting commission members

Notes/analysis: The article includes one mug shot, of the main female source.

Gender check: 10/18/11 – 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. (PDT) Tuesday, Oct. 18, was titled “Sources: Charges to be filed in Seattle schools scandal.” Its subject was news that a felony theft charge will be filed against a (male) former school district employee.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Unknown (unnamed source)
  2. Unknown (unnamed source)
  3. Male, prosecuting attorney
  4. Male, accused
  5. Unknown, auditor

Notes/analysis: This story is mostly based on unnamed sources and information from the news source’s archives.


Website: Seattle P-I

Seattle P-I, 10/18/2011

On the Seattle P-I, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 1 p.m. (PDT) Tuesday, Oct. 18, was titled “Police: Seattle public masturbator arrested.” Its subject was the arrest of a man who had exposed himself to several young girls in North Seattle.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Female, detective

Gender check: 10/13/11 – 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)

"Missouri legislators pledge to push child care safety" - Stltoday.com, 10/13/2011

On Stltoday.com, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 9:40 a.m. (PDT) Thursday, Oct. 13, was titled “Missouri legislators pledge to push child care safety.” Its subject was a pledge by legislators to put two child care safety measures up in the next session.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Female

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Male, state senator (R)
  2. Female, state representative (D)
  3. Male, governor
  4. Female, former state representative (R)
  5. Male, state representative (R)
  6. Female, chief executive officer of Child Care Aware of Missouri

Notes/analysis: The article notes that this response came after a series by the Post-Dispatch that “detailed 45 mostly preventable deaths in Missouri child care facilities from 2007 through 2010.” That series is called “Deadly Day Cares.”


Website: St. Louis Beacon

On the St. Louis Beacon, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 9:40 a.m. (PDT) Thursday, Oct. 13, was titled “Internship program helps introduce high school students to world of work.” It was a feature on an internship program that is getting ready to celebrate 20 years.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Male, lawyer (program’s inspiration)
  2. Female, program director
  3. Female, junior (participant)
  4. Male, with company involved with the program

Notes/analysis: Article includes two mugshots, both of the story’s female sources.

Gender check: 10/6/11 – 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 7:20 a.m. (PDT) Thursday, Oct. 6, was titled “Downtown part of 1-70 to close this weekend.” Its subject was details on a stretch of the interstate being closed this weekend to demolish a bridge.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Male, project director


Website: St. Louis Beacon

St. Louis Beacon, 10/6/2011

On the St. Louis Beacon, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 7:20 a.m. (PDT) Thursday, Oct. 6, was titled “Lieutenant governor’s race is starting to draw a crowd.” Its subject was the lieutenant governor’s race in Missouri.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Male, political science professor
  2. Male, House speaker, candidate (R)
  3. Female, Democratic Party chairwoman, candidate
  4. Female, spokeswoman for the Department of Agriculture
  5. Female, third-party candidate

Notes/analysis: Neither of the two Democratic candidates (both women) had direct quotes in the story.