Gender balanced or gender biased? An examination of news coverage of male and female governors

Male and female candidates are on an uneven political playing field with women continually disadvantaged in terms of the news media coverage they receive. Research has shown that female candidates receive more negative coverage and coverage based upon traditional gender stereotypes and role expectations of women in our culture. However, what is less clear is the type of news coverage women receive after Election Day. As more and more women are elected, it becomes increasingly important to examine the coverage they receive while in office. This study employed a content analysis to examine the differences in the news coverage of male and female governors throughout their tenure. Overall, my findings suggest that the majority of news coverage for both male and female governors was neutral coverage that focused on issue discussions. However, when the coverage strayed from these prescribed journalistic standards, important differences were found. In terms of the quantity of coverage, female governors receive less news article coverage, less prominently placed coverage, and more opinionated coverage than male governors. In terms of the quality of coverage, the news coverage of female governors was more likely to be negative. In addition, the coverage of female governors was less likely to focus on issues and more likely to contain personal, gendered, and strategy frames than the coverage of their male counterparts. Overall, patterns of gender bias were evident in the coverage of female governors. Previous research suggests that the news media presents obstacles for women while running for political office, and it appears that these barriers are not entirely removed once in office. The news media activated gender roles, discussed appearance and personality, and wrote more opinionated articles for female governors than males. Even though women are winning races and occupying positions that have been traditionally male dominated, cultural stereotypes about the role of women appear in the news coverage of female governors. The results suggest that gender balanced coverage has yet to be fully achieved.