Name It. Change It. Releases New Research on Appearance Coverage of Women & Campaign Simulation
Name It. Change It., has just released two new studies that demonstrate the gender-based challenges women face from the media when they run for office.
In the survey on media coverage of women candidates’ appearance, conducted by Celinda Lake of Lake Research Partners and Robert Carpenter of Chesapeake Beach Consulting, the research used actual quotes about women candidates from media coverage of the 2012 elections and demonstrates that when the media focuses on a woman candidate’s appearance, she pays a price in the polls. This finding held true whether the coverage of a woman candidate’s appearance was framed positively, negatively or in neutral terms. The second survey, a simulation of the impact of sexism in campaigns, conducted by Celinda Lake of Lake Research Partners and Leslie Sanchez of the Impacto Group, simulated a campaign situation similar to those experienced by real candidates and found that where a woman candidate has already been attacked, sexist coverage further diminishes her vote and the perception that she is qualified.
Read the press release announcing our findings.
Download the executive summaries and the full reports.
Published by Kate McCarthy on 04/08/2013