"Kann der das überhaupt?" Eine qualitative Textanalyse zum Wandel medialer Geschlechterrepräsentationen

Maier, Tanja; Lünenborg, Margreth

doi:10.14361/transcript.9783839416921.65

Cited by 5 publications

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“…In the coverage on Merkel and Schröder, descriptions of their private lives played an equally minor role. These results challenged previous findings and demonstrated a reduction of genderstereotypical coverage under specific circumstances (see also Maier and Lünenborg, 2012). But located in the area of political communication, these studies often failed to give an adequate explanation of their underlying concept of gender constructions and gender identities.…”

Section: Literature Review: the Representation Of Female And Male Polcontrasting

confidence: 61%

‘Power Politician’ or ‘Fighting Bureaucrat’: gender and power in German political coverage

Lünenborg

Maier

2014

Media, Culture & Society

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This study interrogates the relationship of gender and power in the journalistic coverage of leading politicians. As an exemplar, we compare the coverage of German chancellor Angela Merkel and her (then) male counterpart, the social-democrat Frank-Walter Steinmeier. In a qualitative textual analysis of news and entertainment print media, we explain how politics is inscribed as a male field while its constitutive Other remains female. Acknowledging the importance of Merkel's position as chancellor, journalists confer authority to the incumbent as much as to her competitor. However, a closer analysis of personal labels, descriptions of the body, and explanations of political actions reveals that gendering continues to be a constitutive aspect of political reporting, but in other ways than previously explained: the coverage constructs a disconnect between person and action, that is, between the gender of the politician and her or his political maneuvering. For example, the political model of the 'fighter' (and related constructions of masculine action) is employed in journalistic reporting for both men and women. At times, it evokes criticism toward hegemonic masculinity even when embodied by a woman. This analysis offers opportunities for deconstructing the gendered system of politics -regardless of whether performed by women or men.

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Section: Literature Review: the Representation Of Female And Male Polcontrasting

confidence: 61%