Female candidates seen differently in media

Recent studies have shown women are viewed differently in politics than their male counterparts.

By Gretchen Mahan

Published Oct. 17, 2008

Despite the fact women have held political offices in America for nearly a century, there still appears to be a disparity between the job performance of female politicians and how the public perceives them.

Jennifer Pozner, a media analyst who spoke at MU on Tuesday, said this disconnect is purveyed by coverage in the mainstream media.

"People of color and women have to prove themselves," she said.

Unlike white males, minority and female candidates might have to display their qualifications more clearly in order to be elected because of the stereotypes the media presents when covering these candidates, Pozner said.

Pozner is the director of Women in Media and News, a media analysis group.

It's difficult to determine whether gender will be a determining factor when it comes to voter preferences in November.

Christine Roberson, president of the Columbia branch of the American Association of University Women, said many women will not vote based on gender when it comes to the choice of the vice president.

"So many women are beyond gender politics, and they are looking for a good second-in-command that might have to become first-in-command," Roberson said.

This statement is supported by opinion polls conducted by Gallup, which showed, when Republican presidential candidate John McCain announced Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate, there was no more of an increase in support by women voters than in their male counterparts.

Pozner said gender bias is often a subconscious factor when people decide which candidate they will support.

When gender issues have been portrayed throughout the year in the media, the reporting will begin to shape mindsets. People might not be able to pinpoint why they do not favor a certain candidate, but it will affect their decision-making process, Pozner said.

According to a study conducted by MU communications professor Mitchell McKinney, women are more likely to focus on masculine issues when they present themselves to the public.

U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, R-Mo., said she focuses on issues people talk about around the kitchen table.

"I think that women are interested in the same issues that men are," she said, citing the economy, foreign policy and health care as examples.

In this way, Emerson said, she has avoided a gender gap in her district.

After studying several instances when a female candidate debated a male candidate, McKinney concluded the candidates take on what McKinney calls "gender adaptiveness," which describes when males take on female characteristics and vice versa.

He said women focus on appearing bold and experienced.

"Their strategy appears to be as forceful, aggressive and strong as possible," McKinney said.

According to results from McKinney's study, which was conducted using 450 people recruited on college campuses throughout the country, Palin's approval rating rose nearly 10 percent with female Republicans, 5 percent with female Democrats and 3 percent with male Republicans. The only group she lost support from after the debate was male Democrats, who decreased their approval by 2 percent.

Women will most likely view situations differently because of gender, but that should not change whether a candidate possesses leadership capabilities, Pozner said.

"If women behave in a different way than men, that doesn't mean they are not qualified," she said.

Emerson said women bring something to the political arena men do not. Drawing from her own experience as a mother, she said helping people agree on a political issue in comparable to reconciling children when they get into a fight.

"I think women are naturally good listeners," she said.