For Monday, Sept. 16: Gender, Race and Political Debates

We’ve come a long way since the 2008 race and concerns over whether Sarah Palin was being treated fairly by the media. Or have we? How does the way the media covers race and gender make a difference now, with so many women and a few people of color in the crowded Democratic field?

Required Reading/Viewing:

• Watch the Democratic presidential debate on Thursday, Sept. 12. Take note of how often and what kinds of questions are posed to female candidates or candidates of color compared with white males. Notice who gets interrupted, and who is doing the interrupting. Are the moderators allowing all candidates equal time to respond? Who is getting the most time, and on what topics? What are the pundits discussing after the debate? Take notes, and come to class prepared to discuss whether and how race and/or gender affected media coverage, or not.
• “Many Say the Press Has Been Too Tough on Sarah Palin” by Tom Rosentiel, Pew Research Center
• “Palin Attacks Media for Her Treatment During Election Race” by Ed Pilkington, The Guardian
• “Round 2 - Democratic Presidential Debates -- The Case of Herding Cats” by Powerful Panels
• “Democrats Need to Win Women in 2020. The Debate Showed the Candidates Know That” by Anna North, Vox
• “Puerto Rico Is a Presidential Issue That Must Be Addressed” by Sandra Guzman, Latino USA
• “How Sexist Will the Media's Treatment of Female Candidates Be?” by Margaret Sullivan, The Washington Post
• “Our Presidential Debates Have a Democracy Problem” by Time's Up