Sexist media continues to be a disadvantage for Warren
Elizabeth Warrens coverage proves the media learned nothing from 2016
By Annalisa Merelli
Democratic US presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren is qualified, capable, running an effective campaign, and has a plan for everything. So why is it that the conversation about Warren appears wrapped in a layer of doubt, or somewhat incredulous amazement at her success?
No one in the race is gaining grounds as significantly as she is. According to polls collected by FiveThirtyEight, three of the Democratic frontrunners have grown in popularity since March: Joe Biden, who is leading the race and has gained 2 points to become the favorite among 31% of likely Democratic voters, up from 29% in March; Pete Buttigieg, who with a 7.7% share is polling on average 5.1 points higher in June than he was in March; and Warren, whose support has grown an impressive 6.4 points, advancing her as the top pick for more than 12% of voters versus 5.7% in March.
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If anything, despite the great progress made in female representation in recent US elections, it seems being a woman continues to be a disadvantage for Warren, at least when it comes to media coverage. Meg Heckman, an assistant professor at Northeastern Universitys School of Journalism in Boston, has found that two-thirds of national stories about the 2020 presidential race were written by men. Is it any wonder that politics for so long has been seen as a mans world in which women are treated as odd intruders, whether by men who have written the articles or women who have absorbed their framing?
Warren recalls being subject to overtly sexist coverage when she ran as a US senator (it was about what Im wearing, its about my hair, its about my voice, its about whether or not I smile enoughI didnt, she remembers). Recent articles about her presidential campaign betray a more subtle sexism, expressed through doubts about her chances to win, questions about her qualifications, or the ever-present comparisons drawn between her and Hillary Clinton.
https://qz.com/1649134/democratic-primaries-elizabeth-warren-hillary-clinton-and-sexist-media-coverage/