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Original poster

Women analysts and experts *referendum warning*

44 replies

OlennasWimple · 26/06/2016 16:30

Apart from a couple of female MPs, the BBC's coverage of the referendum was depressingly stuffed with older, white, middle class men. And in the days since, I've seen a couple of articles mostly lacking in real analysis and discussion by female journalists, but most of the real dissection has been by men. Why? Surely there are some female constitutional experts out there? Or does having ovaries render one unable to analyze ground-breaking political events?

OP posts:
Original poster
OlennasWimple · 26/06/2016 23:47

I agree with that, phoolani

In the interests of balance, I've also looked at the Guardian website, which is a bit trickier to navigate:

  • six male journos with Brexit news articles attributed to them, but eight female
  • but seven male journos with comment / analysis / opinion pieces, and only three female journos

And the imbalance of letter writers persists with 15 from male authors against three female.

To be clear, I'm not saying that there needs to be an exact 50:50 balance, but this is a definite imbalance that I think is even more important to note at times of real importance

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phoolani · 26/06/2016 23:36

Women are as underrepresented as they are in anything important but on a brighter note, the women involved are impressing me more than ever, from Nicola sturgeon emerging as a true stateswoman, to merkel being the only major European figure not throwing her toys out of the pram, to Theresa May maintaining a dignified silence so far, they are truly impressing me.

Original poster
OlennasWimple · 26/06/2016 23:30

I've just done a bit of quick research. Looking at the Telegraph home page right now, the following have Brexit related news articles featured:

  • Laura Hughes, Barney Henderson & Rob Crilly (doing the live update coverage)
  • Boris Johnson
  • Gordon Rayner
  • Rosa Prince
  • Ben Riley-Smith x2
  • Peter Dominiczak
-Camilla Turner x2
  • Christopher Hope
  • Ashley Armstrong, Peter Dominiczak & James Titcomb
  • Simon Johnson & Auslan Cramb

Plus opinion / analysis / comment pieces by:

  • Ambrose Evans-Pritchard
  • Matthew Holehouse
  • Simon Heffer
  • Roger Bootle
  • Andy Coulson
  • Ben Marlow

I make that 18 men and three women (I haven't compared column inches - this is quick and dirty to see whether I am being completely ridiculous.)

Plus of the 24 published Brexit related letters, only one was written by a woman.

Am I the only one who finds this potentially problematic? Confused

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LassWiTheDelicateAir · 26/06/2016 23:27

No I didn't miss it was in FWR but it seems pretty irrelevant given the debacle , as well as not being a particularly valid point.

thatstoast · 26/06/2016 23:25

Maybe you missed that this is in Feminism Chat

Grin yes, maybe!

Original poster
OlennasWimple · 26/06/2016 23:10

Maybe I'm wrong Lass (I've already said I would be happy to be wrong!), but maybe you missed that this is in Feminism Chat because actually, yeah, I do think gross under-representation of women during "the greatest political disaster of my lifetime" is indeed a concern.

And no, Theresa May possibly being a leadership contender doesn't help - my concern is about the voices we are hearing at the moment, trying to help us all make sense of what is going on. And they seem - to me - to be predominantly (white, older, middle class) male voices. As usual

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thatstoast · 26/06/2016 22:37

I love Jo Coburn on the Daily Politics.

LassWiTheDelicateAir · 26/06/2016 22:36

Well apart from the fact you are wrong for all the reasons set out above plus references to Theresa May being a leadership contender, as this is the greatest political disaster of my lifetime I'm finding the fact the talking head quota isn't spot on 50/50 of no concern whatsoever.

DetestableHerytike · 26/06/2016 22:34

Sian Lloyd just now in the Welsh Valleys

DetestableHerytike · 26/06/2016 22:30

Laura Kusenberg and Emily Maitland have both been prominent on bbc.

It's true that the extended politics programmes on Sunday (Andrew Neil, Robert Peston, Andrew marr, plus question time with dimbleby, of course, are male dominated)

erinaceus · 26/06/2016 22:27

Does having ovaries render one unable to analyze ground-breaking political events?

I remember this on BBC breakfast a month ago. My husband and I were Shock. I am not sure that this is answers your questions but I think it speaks to your point.

SueTrinder · 26/06/2016 21:39

What are you watching? Laura Kuenssberg is the BBC's political editor and is as prominent as you'd expect. And Sarah Smith (daughter of the great and sadly missed John) is the Scotland Editor. And that's not including Kirsty Wark. Begining to wonder if the BBC only employ Scottish women to be political reporters... not that I'm complaining Grin.

howtorebuild · 26/06/2016 16:50

And a female mp sticking up for Corbyn.

Emily Thornberry

Original poster
OlennasWimple · 26/06/2016 16:46

Apart from this not being in AIBU...

I'd be delighted to learn I am wrong! I found the coverage anchored by men on all the main networks, supported by people like Jeremy Vine with his whizzy charts and Prof Vernon Bogdanor's constitutional expertise, overshadowed the occasional interview with Angela Eagle and a few other women.

And reams and reams of newspaper columns have been devoted to this issue, but the majority are by men

OP posts:
fuckincuntbuggerinarse · 26/06/2016 16:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

fuckincuntbuggerinarse · 26/06/2016 16:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

darceybussell · 26/06/2016 16:38

I don't agree with her politics, but I think the only real leader at the moment is Sturgeon. Shes the only one vaguely in control while the Westminster politicians are all hiding. She's impressive regardless of whether you agree with her. I'm a bit disappointed that she is a Scottish nationalist! Can't she be in charge!

YourPerception · 26/06/2016 16:35

If we get Teresa May and Lisa Nandy as leaders things should change.

Heratnumber7 · 26/06/2016 16:32

There were several women on the show on the night. YABU.