Media analyst sees racism, sexism in election coverage
COLUMBIA — Sarah Palin's hairdo, Barack Obama's middle name and Hillary Clinton's cleavage. All these topics of conversation make up memories of the 2008 presidential election, but how were they planted in Americans' heads in the first place? The answer, according to media critic Jennifer Pozner, is the racist and sexist undertones running through corporate media.
Audible gasps filled Ellis Auditorium at MU on Tuesday night, as Pozner played a clip featuring CNBC talk show host Donny Deutsch saying Palin was a woman he wanted to lie next to in bed and Clinton should have put on a skirt.
"A lot of it was offensive," MU junior Tamara Coker said. "I would say the most offensive things were towards gender issues like the Donny Deutsch clip treating Palin as a nutritional fact."
Lecture host Pozner is the founder and director of Women In Media & News, a media reform group. The freelance journalist and media critic has followed coverage of female politicians for more than 12 years, and her expertise has landed her as a commentator on "The Daily Show" and "The O'Reilly Factor." Her lecture series "When Anchormen Attack!" covered sexist narratives concerning politicians Clinton and Palin, racist narratives concerning Democratic candidate Obama and the intersection of sexism and racism in the coverage of Obama's wife, Michelle Obama.
"Media have long considered white men to be natural leaders while women and people of color have long been treated by media like they are outsiders, agitators and not to be trusted," Pozner said in the lecture, hosted by MU's MSA/GPC speaker series.
Her examples, in forms of video clips and news stories from stations such as CNN, NBC and FOX News, showed news stories about Clinton's cleavage or wrinkles, questions about whether Obama was black enough and television show hosts calling Palin "sexy."
And she added that when politicians call out mainstream media for skewed coverage, they are often said to be "playing the gender card," or "playing the race card."
"What she was saying is very in line with what I've discussed with my friends about how gender and race are addressed in the media," MU senior Jake Kohut said. "And most of these debates on news shows take place between a bevy of white males, with few female or minority reporters."
The downside for media consumers is partial truth and missed story opportunities, Pozner said.
"When media focus on frivolous gendered details about female politicians, it doesn't only insult those particular women who are running for office, it also shortchanges American voters who deserve serious analysis and critical investigation into all of these issues to help us decide who we should vote for, and who will serve our individual interests most closely," Pozner said.
However, she offers a solution for the media monster: Turn on your critical filter, support non-corporate media, and work to reform media.
"I'm going to think critically and try to see through the media hoopla," Coker said after the event.