An investigation into the media's genderisation of Democrat candidates during the selection process for the 2020 presidential nomination.

Savage, Jennifer

Abstract

This research examines, through critical discourse analysis (Fairclough 2010), the way US media portrayed gender during the TV debates for the Democratic Party nomination for the 2020 US presidential election. Media coverage from debates from November 2019 to March 2020 was investigated to identify discourses that perpetuated gender stereotypes, narratives and tropes, which marginalise women and other minority groups within politics, and help sustain established power structures and the dominance of white, heteronormative males within US politics. Online news sites from across the spectrum of political ideology formed the basis for collecting media texts for analysis. This was carried out using Fairclough's critical discourse analysis, which connects the findings to broader social and political structures of power and gender theories. The findings reveal that women politicians were subjected to a gendered portrayal in media coverage that upheld harmful stereotypes and narratives that undermined them and their presence in the election. Further bias is examined through an intersectional perspective with the axes of ageism and sexuality both resulting in harmful media narratives for candidates. The research highlights the dominance of heteronormative white male politicians in US politics and how the media help to sustain their presence at the top levels of politics. This study contributes to the existing literature on the representation of gender in the media and politics. Further research is suggested from an intersectional perspective around a single candidate or, candidates from other political parties. A further area for exploration is the impact of political ideology in media coverage and the context of gender. The impact of this research is informed by the evidence of bias, barriers, and discrimination faced by women and minority candidates in US politics, which is demonstrated in this study. Impact can be made through the dissemination of this data to the wider academic community through articles, the utilisation of this work for policy areas in gender and media literacy, and through guidance for political campaigns and media strategies.

Citation

SAVAGE, J. 2024. An investigation into the media's genderisation of Democrat candidates during the selection process for the 2020 presidential nomination. Robert Gordon University, PhD thesis. Hosted on OpenAIR [online]. Available from: https://doi.org/10.48526/rgu-wt-2801175

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Apr 22, 2025
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 22, 2025
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.48526/rgu-wt-2801175
• Keywords: Women in politics; Women politicians; Women in the media; Women and society; Gender discrimination; Minorities; Feminism; Masculinity; USA
• Public URL: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/2801175
• Award Date: Oct 31, 2024