How does she have time for kids and congress?” Views on gender and media coverage from house offices

According to previous studies, women political leaders often are cast by the media as focused narrowly on matters of significance to their gender, and as being less weighty players in government than their male counterparts. This research explores the degree to which the press offices of women members of Congress perceive this to be the case, and the degree to which women representatives' communication efforts contribute to this pattern of coverage. Interviews with press secretaries to House members reveal that press secretaries find the media to be less fair in their treatment of women members, and that they believe women members are subject to sex role stereotyping. Contrary to the media's depiction, however, Congressional press secretaries and House member Web sites reveal that women members portray themselves, and seek to be portrayed, as having diverse interests and significant influence in Washington. Thus, it appears that the media, rather than the members and their staffers, are responsible for the stereotyped coverage that women representatives receive

Depiction · Government (linguistics · House of Representatives · Media coverage · Media studies · Newspaper · Political science · Politics · Print media · Public relations · Sociology · Gender Politics and Representation · Gender Studies · Law

• Picturing Politics

  Anne Krogstad, Aagoth Elise Storvik et al.•Historical Reflections/Réflexions…•2012

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