*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 3 p.m. (MST) Thursday, Feb. 17, was titled “Missouri House OKs local control for St. Louis police.” Its subject was the Missouri House of Representatives giving its (initial) approval to provide city officials authority over the city’s police department.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

1. Female, state representative, Democrat

2. Male, governor (paraphrased)

3. Male, speaker of the house, Republican

Notes/analysis: Click here for an earlier Gender Check that looked at the gender breakdown in the Missouri Legislature.

Website: St. Louis Beacon

On the St. Louis Beacon, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 3 p.m. (MST) Thursday, Feb. 17, was titled “Razing Chrysler North plant raises lots of question.” Its subject was the debate around the use and marketing of a no-longer-in-use Chrysler plant and whether it should be demolished.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

1. Female, U.S. senator, Democrat

2. Male, mayor

3. Male, county executive

4. Male, state representative, Republican

5. Male, state senator, Republican

Notes/analysis: In both articles this week, a woman’s actions led the story — whether it was her bill in the legislature or her letter she sent about her concerns. Even though women made up only one-fourth of the sources between the two stories (two women to six men), they were the cause of the news.