Gender Checks

Gender check: 9/20/11 – 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 hereto read more.

Website: Seattle Times

On the Seattle Times, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 9:15 a.m. (PDT) Tuesday, Sept. 20, was titled “Scammers ‘skimming’ millions from area’s ATMs.” Its subject was the rise of bank card “skimming.”

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Female, U.S. attorney

Notes/analysis: A male assistant special agent is mentioned in the story but not quoted. He is also featured in the image with the story.


Website: Seattle P-I

Seattle P-!, 9/20/2011

On the Seattle P-I, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 9:15 a.m. (PDT) Tuesday, Sept. 20, was titled “Prosecutors: Sex offender molested children at Renton church.” Its subject was a male charged with molesting at least a girl at a church and abusing another elsewhere.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Male, senior deputy prosecutor

Gender check: 9/15/11 – 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 the Stltoday.com, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 6:45 a.m. (PDT) Thursday, Sept. 15, was titled “Mo. Legislature stuck on local control, Aerotropolis.” Its subject was two issues that hit a snag in the legislature — city control of the police department and a project to make St. Louis a hub for freight flights between China and the Midwest.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Female and male (shared byline)

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Female, state senator (D)
  2. Male, state House speaker (R)
  3. Male, state senator (D)
  4. Male, representative of police officers’ group
  5. Male, former president of the city police officers’ association
  6. Male, state senator (R)
  7. Male, state senator (R)

Notes/analysis: Keep in mind that eight of the 34 members of the Missouri Legislature are female.


Website: St. Louis Beacon

St. Louis Beacon, 9/15/2011

On the St. Louis Beacon, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 6:45 a.m. (PDT) Thursday, Sept. 15, was titled “Missouri legislature adjourns special session for week.” Its subject was the same as above, but with a different framing that included the overall economic package containing the freight project.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Female

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Male, state Senate president pro tem (R)
  2. Male, state House speaker (R)
  3. Male, state senator (R)

Notes/analysis: The article also quotes a statement from the governor’s office and a statement from a right to life group. The article includes three mug shots, all of men.

Gender check: 9/13/11 – 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

“We’re conserving, but water rates may climb” – Seattle Times 9/13/2011

On the Seattle Times, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 9 a.m. (PDT) Tuesday, Sept. 13, was titled “We’re conserving, but water rates may climb.” Its subject was water rates.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Female

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Male, consultant
  2. Male, city council’s utilities committee chairman
  3. Male, analyst
  4. Male, chamber of commerce vice president for government relations
  5. Male, member of water system advisory committee
  6. Male, director
  7. Male, city council president
  8. Male, manager of watershed education center
  9. Male, senior civil engineer on the project

Notes/analysis: Four photos are included with the article. All by male photographers. No visible women.


Website: Seattle P-I

On the Seattle P-I, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 9 a.m. (PDT) Tuesday, Sept. 13, was titled “A Jersey guy’s love for the Olympics.” Its subject was Bill Bradley’s role in a dam removal project to reopen part of Olympic National Park to spawning salmon.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Male, former U.S. senator (subject)
  2. Male, late Alaska governor

Gender check: 9/8/11 – 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)

"Economic legacies of 9/11 loom large in St. Louis" - Stltoday.com, 9/8/2011

On Stltoday.com, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 8:50 a.m. (PDT) Thursday, Sept. 8, was titled “Economic legacies of 9/11 loom large in St. Louis.” Its subject was a look at the impact of 9/11 on the economy.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Male, was director of regional leadership council
  2. Male, university economist
  3. Male, bank president
  4. Female, airport director
  5. Male, CEO of airline
  6. Male, longtime economic development official
  7. Male, defense analyst at a brokerage

Notes/analysis: The article includes five photos. In four photos, the gender of individuals is discernible through the help of captions. Three of the images feature males solely (one military and two construction) and one image focuses on two female military members but also includes males.


Website: St. Louis Beacon

On the St. Louis Beacon, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 8:50 a.m. (PDT) Thursday, Sept. 8, was titled “Missouri senators adjourn until Monday in effort to save economic package.” Its subject was an economic development package. The first two sources are part of the update to the story listed first followed by the original story in full.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Female

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Male, state Senate president pro tem (R)
  2. Male, state senator (R)
  3. Female, chair of group Show-me Patriots
  4. Male, St. Louis mayor
  5. Male, director of a Tea-party aligned group
  6. Male, housing director for senior services
  7. Male, state senator (D)
  8. Male, state senator (R)
  9. Male, state senator, committee chair (R)
  10. Male, chief executive of Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry
  11. Male, state senator (R)
  12. Male, state senator (R)
  13. Male, state senator (R)
  14. Male, head of K & N Patriots

Notes/analysis: A female state senator was mentioned with source No. 8, but was not given her own statement or quote as was the male source. Two mugshots with the story were both of males. The two photos with the story featured a mix of males and females.

Gender Check 9/7/11 – 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 p.m. EST on Wednesday, Sept. 7 was titled “Markets Lifted By Signs of Progress on European Debt.” Its subject was the U.S. stocks snap of a 3-day slump.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author:  Female

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

  1. Male – investment officer
  2. Male – market economist

Website: ProPublica

On ProPublica, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 8 p.m. EST on Wednesday, September 7 was titled “Drug Companies Defend ‘Interactions’ With Physicians.” Its subject was an upcoming update to ProPublica’s “Dollars for Docs” series about corruptions in health care systems.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Authors: Male and Female

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned)

  1. Female – vice president of pharmaceutical organization