Study Shows In 2008 Media Treated Palin Differently Than Biden
Was Sarah Palin treated differently than Joe Biden by the press during her 2008 run? Two researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison can demonstrate that she was.
In a 2012 study, “Mixed Signals? Gender and the Media Coverage of the 2008 Vice Presidential Candidates,” Leticia Bode and Valerie M. Henning determined that “coverage of Palin was more likely to include references to her family, physical appearance and social issues, particularly in newspapers and by political blogs, while coverage of Biden dealt more with foreign policy and the economy.” (You can read the complete study here).
The researchers set out to determine whether Palin received more media coverage than her Democratic counterpoint, whether the substance of the media coverage would differ between candidates, and hypothesis that “gender stereotypes would be reflected in the substance of coverage and emerge on such issues as family, electability, policy issues and physical appearance.”
Probably to anyone who paid attention to the 2008 election this is a study that is akin to proving “water is wet,” but nonetheless research Bode and Henning’s findings demonstrate the exact bias in coverage against women candidates that Name It. Change It. exists to call out.
Bode and Henning found that television, newspapers, and political blogs produced an overwhelmingly greater amount of stories about the former governor than they did her opponent, then Senator Joe Biden, and that within those articles were substantive differences in content.
At first glance, this showering of media attention would appear to be a good thing or at least a step in a new direction for women in politics who are so often invisible to the media. However, upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that more coverage for Palin was actually less sustantive coverage for Palin possibly leading voters to question her ability be vice president.
The results of the study found that across the board there was more coverage of Palin dedicated to discussion of family, her physical appearance, and her stances on social (read: feminine) issues than of her opponent then Senator Joe Biden.
Interestingly, while Bode and Henning note that traditional media outlets continued to harp on Palin’s appearance and the drama surrounding her family, political blogs were more likely to focus on her politics reasoning that readers of political blogs were looking for discussions of politics not children. Blogs were less shallow, and therefore perhaps less sexist than legacy media?
Bode and Henning’s analysis didn’t check whether the tone of Palin’s coverage was either more positive or negative than Biden’s, just that there was more of it and that it more was focused on her appearance and family than his.
By placing the greater emphasis on Palin’s grasp on social policy issues as well as focusing on her family while simultaneously describing Joe Biden’s expertise in foreign policy and knowledge of the economy, the media played a role in presenting a negative image of Palin’s perceived lack of readiness for the role of Vice President. By focusing on her physical attributes and not Biden’s, media outlets played a role in perpetuating the notion that Palin was a trophy or token for the Republican Party rather than a viable candidate for the vice presidency.
Women in politics deserve more stories to be written about them. What they do not deserve is for those stories to hone in on their femininity as a sign of weakness. What they do not deserve is for their family to be a bigger story than their candidacy. What they do not deserve is to be treated as if they cannot fathom the intricacies of American politics and policy if they happen to be conventionally attractive. What they do not deserve is to be written off before they have a chance to voice their opinions and challenge their opponents. What women in politics deserve are fair, gender-neutral stories to be written about them that highlight their expertise, skill, and intelligence whether it be in foreign or domestic policy or, social or economic policy, and not have their particular areas of expertise be attributed to their gender.
Perhaps the voters thought Sarah Palin wasn’t fit to be vice president, but they shouldn’t have been led to that conclusion based on stories that emphasized her gender over her qualifications for the office.
Published by Kate McCarthy on 07/11/2012