News story assignment: Editors as Mr. and Mrs. Gates of gender stereotypes?
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| Year of publication | 2018 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
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| Description | The possible influence of gender on various aspects of editorial decision-making is a vital part of feminist media studies worldwide. Although some studies show that with greater predominance of female editors there is a slight shift in the news agenda, the style of newsgathering and beat assignment, the debate still continues, as the existing research does not provide an unequivocal answer on the extent to which gender matters. Importantly, the role of gender on topic distribution is examined mainly through media content analyses and surveys. Qualitative studies in newsrooms that address this issue in a more complex manner appear only rarely. On the bases of participant observations in newsroom and semi-structured individual interviews with selected members of news desk, this paper examines the influence of male and female editors’ perceptions about gender on news story assignment in a regional Czech public service television station. In particular, it explores if (and how) female and male editors consider reporters’ gender when assigning topics and if male and female editors differ in this respect. |
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