futurejournalismproject:

The Gender Gap in Election 2012 Media Sourcing

A new infographic by the 4th Estate illustrates how significantly underrepresented women are in 2012 election coverage. 

via 4thestate:

In our analysis of news stories and transcripts from the past 6 months, men are much more likely to be quoted on their subjective insight in newspapers and on television. This pattern holds true across all major news outlets, as well as on issues specifically concerning women. For example, in front page articles about the 2012 election that mention abortion or birth control, men are 4 to 7 times more likely to be cited than women. This gender gap undermines the media’s credibility.

How they did it:

The 4th Estate collects data from a sampling of news stories from US national print outlets, TV broadcast and radio transcripts covering the 2012 election. These stories are contextually analyzed and broken down by topic, sentiment and newsmaker. The data for this graphic includes quotes and statements from newsmakers who provide subjective insight. Statements from candidates are not counted. The 4th Estate’s sister company, Global News Intelligence, provides similar proprietary services for government and Fortune 500 companies.

(via journo-geekery)