The Feminine Voice in Global Journalism: The Example of Ukraine

Abstract

This study is designed to identify a discrepancy, if any, between the number of female and male journalists reporting on the crisis in Ukraine. Using a combination of quantitative and qualitative analysis, as well as primary and secondary research, the following paper attempts to bring attention to gendered differences in crisis reporting, and explain how those gendered differences affect the interpretation of a conflict. Previous research shows women are more inclined to cover crises from a human interest or human suffering standpoint, whereas men cover crises through politics and violence. The study concludes that while the majority of journalists reporting on the Ukraine crisis for The New York Times are male, it does not find a concrete correlation between the primary focus of the sample articles and the gender of the journalist. The analysis provides a starting point for future research, as well as a new perspective to a modern conflict heavily covered by North American media.