One Smart Politician: Gendered Media Discourses of Political Leadership in Canada

Abstract

Which leadership qualities are most likely to be emphasized in news reports about leadership competitions, and are they attributed differently to women and men candidates? To answer this question, we conducted content and discourse analyses of 2,463 articles published by theGlobe and Mailnewspaper on 10 women and 17 men seeking the leadership of Canadian political parties since 1975. Our results show that women candidates were subjected to more negative and gendered assessments of their communication skills, intellectual substance and political experience than were men candidates. We also found little evidence that gendered media discourses about political leadership have changed over time, especially in the case of women in the strongest position to become the country's first national party leader or prime minister.

Representations of Political Leadership Qualities in News Coverage of Australian and Canadian Government Leaders

“…Studies analyzing reporting about distinct leadership competencies reveal important nuances in media coverage of political leadership. Examining coverage of party leadership contests in Canada between 1975 and 2012, Wagner, Trimble, and Sampert (2019) discovered that language skills, communication skills, intelligence, and experience were valorized, but women candidates were generally subjected to higher levels of, and more negative, mediation in these areas than their male counterparts. Journalists were more likely to highlight men's intellect, knowledge, and expertise and downplay women's experience in elected office and cabinet positions.…”

Interseccionalidad raza-género en las noticias digitales mexicanas sobre Kamala Harris

“…El impacto de dichos estereotipos mediáticos ha sido estudiado de diversas maneras, por ejemplo, al observar el tono de las notas y la intención del voto. Sobre el tono de la información, se ha evidenciado que las mujeres blancas han obtenido una cobertura menos negativa con el paso del tiempo (Van der Pas y Aaldering, 2020;Vidal Correa, 2020b;Wagner et al, 2019). Sin embargo, esto no parece aplicar para las notas informativas sobre mujeres de origen diferente al blanco, cuyo tono negativo permanece constante (Gershon, 2012;Ward, 2016aWard, y 2016b.…”

“…En ese sentido, los códigos son extraídos del mismo texto sin clasificaciones previas, por lo que es necesario fragmentarlo y agruparlo en categorías que estarán en constante redefinición conforme se analicen uno a uno los documentos (González-Teruel, 2015). El análisis de contenido resultó relevante para esta investigación porque fue la misma técnica que se usó en estudios precedentes sobre candidatas políticas en la prensa mexicana (Flores Márquez, 2020; Rodelo, 2016 y 2020; Vidal Correa, 2020a, 2020b y 2020c), latinoamericana (García Beaudoux et al, 2020;Mitchelstein et al, 2019), norteamericana (Wagner et al, 2019;Waters et al, 2018) y europea (Humprecht y Esser, 2017;Lachover, 2017;Sensales et al, 2016), así como en comparativas internacionales de cobertura (Álvarez-Monsiváis, 2020;García Beaudoux et al, 2018;Haraldsson y Wängnerud, 2019). De igual forma, es una técnica probada en los análisis sobre políticas con identidades interseccionales (Bashri, 2019;Snipes y Mudde, 2019;Tolley, 2015;Ward, 2016aWard, y 2016b.…”

Glass Cliffs or Partisan Pressure? Examining Gender and Party Leader Tenures and Exits

“…The role of political party leader is strongly associated with agentic characteristics, including an ability to exert authority, control situations and direct people, as well as the possession of strong levels of ambition, confidence and assertiveness. Extant research underscores the masculinity embodied in perceptions of political leadership and their negative consequences for female candidates (Aaldering and Van der Pas, 2018;Bauer, 2015;Koenig et al, 2011;Wagner et al, 2018). Masculine norms dominate coverage of party leaders and cabinet ministers in the media, and male candidates are 'more often discussed in terms of the leadership traits that are strongly linked to male politicians, political craftmanship and vigorousness' (Aaldering and Van der Pas, 2018: 16).…”