Journal Articles

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

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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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Detail Information

Series Title

Media Culture & Society

Call Number

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Publisher

Thousand Oaks : Sage Publications., 2015

Collation

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Language

English

ISBN/ISSN

0163-4437

Classification

NONE

Content Type

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Media Type

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Carrier Type

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Edition

Volume 37, Issue 2 March 2015, pages 180-196

Subject(s)

Journalism
Representation
Textual analysis
Gender analysis

Specific Detail Info

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Statement of Responsibility

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