St. Louis Beacon

Gender check: 1/27/11 – 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 2:30 p.m. (MST) Thursday, Jan. 27, was titled “No federal disaster aid for Missouri tornado victims.” Its subject was about a decision that victims of storms around New Year’s would not be receiving federal disaster aid.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Female

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

1. Male, FEMA spokesman

2. Male, mayor

3. Male, governor (paraphrased)

4. Male, PIO for related agency (paraphrased)

Notes/analysis: All of the sources in the article were male. No comments were yet included from the actual victims of the storm.


Website: St. Louis Beacon

On the St. Louis Beacon, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 2:15 p.m. (MST) Thursday, Jan. 27, was titled “Educators welcome Obama’s emphasis on schools.” Its subject was local education officials’ responses and opinions on President Barack Obama’s comments about education in Tuesday’s State of the Union address.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

1. Male, U.S. president

2. Female, president of Missouri NEA

3. Male, dean of education at university

4. Male, executive director of charter school group

5. Female, state education commissioner

Notes/analysis: The article includes a balanced gender mix of state sources in education. The article also includes two mug shots — one of a female and one of a male source.

Gender check: 1/20/11 – 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)

On the Stltoday.com, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 2 p.m. (MST) Thursday, Jan. 20, was titled “Kids on sleds, people pushing cars common sights around the city.” Its subject was weather and the effects of the latest winter storm.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Two males, plus two male contributors

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

1. Female, spokeswoman for department of transportation

2. Female, district maintenance engineer

3. Male, highway patrol

4. Male, airport spokesman

Notes/analysis: Attached to the article are 14 photos, all but three with human subjects. Only two of the subjects pictured were female and 14 were male. A few of the male subjects were repeated in several photos.  Two subjects’ genders could not be determined.


Website: St. Louis Beacon

On the St. Louis Beacon, one of the lead articles featured on the home page as of 2 p.m. (MST) Thursday, Jan. 20, was titled “In State of the State, Nixon sounds optimistic note in tough economic times.” Its subject was politics and the Missouri governor’s address to the state’s legislature.

Here is its gender breakdown:

–Author: Male

–Human sources  (listed in order mentioned):

1. Male, governor (D)

2. Male, political science professor

3. Male, lieutenant governor (R)

4. Male, Senate majority leader (R)

5. Male, House speaker (R)

6. Male, state senator (D)

Notes/analysis: All the sources in this article are male, but so are the majority of those in leadership in the Missouri Legislature. In the state’s House of Representatives, there are 23 women and 34 men. Eight of the 34 members of the state’s Senate are female.