A new poll released Tuesday found that most people believe the media's treatment of the women involved in the presidential campaign this year was highly sexist, and that Sarah Palin was not only treated far worse by the press than Joe Biden, but she was also covered much more harshly than Hillary Clinton.
"The Daily Beast" poll also found that very few women consider themselves to be feminist, with a virtually equal minority wishing that a current or future daughter would become a feminist.
Here are some of the interesting highlights:
All Americans, and particularly women, are exercised over the treatment of women in politics and the press. By an overwhelming 61% to 19% margin, women believe there is a gender bias in the media. While women thought that Barack Obama and Joe Biden received fair media treatment, only 48% thought Hillary Clinton did and only 29% believed Sarah Palin was treated fairly. In contrast, nearly 8 in 10 voters thought the press gave fair treatment to Obama and Biden.
So the media had a huge opportunity this fall to overcome these perceptions of bias, and it seems they failed the test—especially with the older generation. Women over 50 said Palin was asked questions and subjected to unfair comments by a remarkable 2/1. They are more likely to recall stories being written about Palin’s hair and clothes than Obama’s healthcare plans.
- Voters reject the term and the category of being a “feminist,” with only 20% of women willing to use that word about themselves. Nor do they want their daughters to become feminists—only 17% of voters said they would welcome their daughters using that label.
—Noel Sheppard is the Associate Editor of NewsBusters. Follow him at Facebook and Twitter.
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This is what happen when the true feminist cause loses its way.
November 19, 2008 - 11:19 ET by mizflame98The group that the feminists are suppose to be fighting for rejects them. Go figure. The early feminists are rolling over in their graves.
Perfect Demotivator for the Obama Administration
http://www.despair.com/government.html
This is what happens to
November 19, 2008 - 11:28 ET by optimistThis is what happens to every noble cause that the libs pervert for their own ends. Feminism, environmentalism, etc. How many good causes have they destroyed by using it for their own selfish ends?
when you present yourself as a WOMAN candidate...
November 19, 2008 - 13:20 ET by abeautifulperson... that's what happens.
hillary clinton is a politician who happens to be a woman.
sarah palin with all her winking and hockey mom references presented herself as a woman who wanted to be VP. when was the last time you saw a VP or P candidate winking to the audience? she didn't do it just once.
all the money the GOP dumped into gussying up palin was proof that they were presenting a woman to be VP.
oh and if i had a nickel for every sexist comment made about hillary, michelle and sarah on NB...
palin was not judged favourably by the media
November 19, 2008 - 13:27 ET by abeautifulperson...because she is ill-prepared, ill-equipped and unqualified. she fear mongered, incited hatred at rallies and the media didn't like it.
the fact that she wore red dresses and not a suit and tie, was secondary.
abp... You are in serious
November 19, 2008 - 13:32 ET by Clear thinkerabp...
You are in serious need of therapy!
American Communist Education - Special Edition w/Video
Making Fun of AGW http://giovanniworld.wordpress.com/
clear -- well, he does post
November 19, 2008 - 13:37 ET by Jack Bauerclear -- well, he does post responses to his own posts.
The voices in his head must be fighting again.
these are your rebuttals?!
November 19, 2008 - 16:22 ET by abeautifulperson>sigh< my talent is wasted here.
nuff said. catchew on another thread.
Media Judges?
November 19, 2008 - 13:50 ET by CobraMan"Palin was not judged favourably by the media"
Dude, it's not the job of the media to judge anyone. What ever happend to objectivity? It sure wasn't on display this past election season.
Obama: My job is above my pay grade
Objectivity? What the hell
November 19, 2008 - 13:50 ET by Clear thinkerObjectivity? What the hell is that?
American Communist Education - Special Edition w/Video
Making Fun of AGW http://giovanniworld.wordpress.com/
In the media, who knows?
November 19, 2008 - 13:52 ET by CobraManWhen it comes to the media, apperently no one knows what objectivity is anymore.
Obama: My job is above my pay grade
the fault lies at the feet of the 24 hr news channel
November 19, 2008 - 15:49 ET by abeautifulpersonwhen you have 24 hrs to fill with news, people begin commentating. but the term MSM or media is erroneously used here at NB.
there IS a difference between a journalist documenting a story for public consumption and all the other crap out there. this is the fundamental flaw with NEWSBUSTERS. too often, NB contributors can't distinguish between the two.
if its a bunch of ladies sitting around chatting, or a morning show in a certain region, opinions are allowed and vary. NB spins its wheels hunting for gotcha lines from people who's opinions don't coincide with NB's ideology.
i guess though, its therapeutic for folks to sit around and complain about the opinions of others. and that's why NEWSBUSTERS is an important tool that needs to exist, just like lots of other partisan chat groups right AND left. it keeps people from feeling alone.
but don't think NB is anything more than those people you complain about. seems everyone needs a soapbox to wank.
Contradict yourself much?
November 20, 2008 - 11:14 ET by CobraManDo you always contradict yourself like that? YOU were the one that admitted that the Media was judgmental about Palin, then proceeded to explain why you feel this judgment was correct. When it is pointed out that it's not the job of the Media to be judgmental, you try to explain that the "media" isn't really judgmental, just opinionated. Hay, dude, it's the same thing!
Obama: My job is above my pay grade
abp....saw your picture
November 19, 2008 - 14:44 ET by choselife3xRoger the shrubber put up a link in the open thread. Quite a shot, I almost fainted. Helen Thomas's picture brought me back though.
In order to be pro-choice, one must first be born. Ah, the irony.
Hey abp... Better watch
November 19, 2008 - 13:48 ET by bigtimerHey abp...
Better watch it there...my husband is sure she was winking at him, and him alone, his buddies thought the same sentiments about their own-selves...
I am still laughing about all of that...
You really need a sense of humor pal.
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
hey, i was laughing too.
November 19, 2008 - 15:38 ET by abeautifulpersonbut the difference was, i was laughing at, not with sarah. and i wasn't alone.
abp... You're an amusing
November 19, 2008 - 15:45 ET by bigtimerabp...
You're an amusing little critter.
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
I was laughing at Biden
November 19, 2008 - 15:57 ET by choselife3xAnd I wasn't alone.
In order to be pro-choice, one must first be born. Ah, the irony.
the difference is
November 19, 2008 - 16:15 ET by abeautifulpersonthere aren't a bunch of people sitting around, wringing their hands and bemoaning what a bunch of awful awful awful people who beat up on poor joe biden.
Wow, DID they beat Biden up
November 19, 2008 - 16:41 ET by choselife3xBefore they bound him, gagged him and locked him in the closet?
In order to be pro-choice, one must first be born. Ah, the irony.
When was the last time you
November 19, 2008 - 13:54 ET by NL207When was the last time you saw a First Lady, later Senator and candidate for President lie to investigators about:
(1) the location of important billing records for legal services rendered to herself.
(2) The exact nature of obscene profits derived from cattle futures trading in her behalf by a crooked commodities trader
(3) having her personal assistant enter the offices of the recently deceased White House Council and remove some of the decedents documents.
(4) conflict of interest between her role as legal counsel to a lender in the matter of loans to both a partnership she was a member of and a partner in her law firm.
And you are more worried about Sarah Palin winking? Don't you think this is moronic on your part? I certainly do.
NL... Plus
November 19, 2008 - 14:05 ET by bigtimerNL...
Plus ...Travel-Gate, and missing FBI files...
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
Excuse the omissions. I
November 19, 2008 - 16:16 ET by NL207Excuse the omissions. I thought the horse was already dead.
I also notice the tripe vendor, ABP, has declined to respond. There is not much ABP can say about the Media's fixiation with making baseless negative comments about Sarah Palin when called on their see-no-evil, hear-no-evil speak-no-evil approach to Hillary Clinton's deplorable record of corruption.
NL... Bulls-Eye...you are
November 19, 2008 - 17:29 ET by bigtimerNL...
Bulls-Eye...you are right in all respects.
"America isn't the problem...America is the solution." ~ Rush Limbaugh
i'm not remotely worried about blinky palin
November 19, 2008 - 16:19 ET by abeautifulpersonshe can blink herself all the way back to alaska. they need her there. alaskans are having a hard time deciding whether to elect a convicted felon. i wonder if she is going to pal around with that convicted felon.
i wonder.
Given that she was elected
November 19, 2008 - 17:18 ET by NL207Given that she was elected Governor of Alaska principally because she cleaned up corruption, I can't imagine she will be interested in doing anything with Ted Stevens except allowing him to suffer the penalty for his actions.
Speaking of palling around with crooks, why do you suppose Obama calls Franklin D. Raines for "Economic" advice? Why did Obama appoint Jim Johnson to lead his VP search committee? Why does Obama deny any close relationship with William Ayers, the terrorist in spite of the obviously close relationship he had with Ayers at Annenburg Challenge and in the start of his political career? Why would Obama continue to attend regularly a Church pastored a Black Liberation Theologian if he did not agree with that racist creed?
Some folks might realize from all this that Obama is no more than a corrupt thug himself. Other folks think he is a beautiful person. We can guess what you think.
Cash them in
November 19, 2008 - 14:12 ET by CobraMan"oh and if i had a nickel for every sexist comment made about hillary, michelle and sarah on NB."
Cash them in, buddy. I want to see these alleged "sexist" comments you're referring to. You can use the Search function and post the links to the comments you find "sexist," correct? So, prove your allegations, it's not that hard to do. Are you up to the challenge?
Obama: My job is above my pay grade
"...oh and if i had a
November 19, 2008 - 15:45 ET by winston smith"...oh and if i had a nickel for every sexist comment made about hillary, michelle and sarah on NB..."
Nice try, but that's not the point. The point is that the media always come off with their sanctimonious support for women, women's issues and women's rights. They continually do stories about how women are still second-class citizens, how women haven't broken the so-called "glass ceiling", how women conitue to be paid less than men for similar jobs, how women are treated as sex objects, mothers, baby-machines, the weaker sex, blah, blah, blah. It's everywhere you look in the media - In the colleges, the workplace, on morning television shows, in the news, in primetime, even in the soaps. And with all this "concern" for women, you'd think that the media would've treated Sarah with the kind of respect and admiration that they say all women shoud be treated with. Instead, the media do an about face contradiction and smear Sarah and her family and her success at raising a family and being a successful Governer and politician --- the ideal goal for feminists. Like I said above, the media's concern for women's rights is almost completely bogus -- they demagogue the issue of women and women's rights only to help liberal Democrats get elected to office.
Yes, there are some sexist comments on this website from time to time regarding women but remember, we're not the ones espousing feminist ideas and women's rights --- the media does and that's why their deliberately sexist coverage of Sarah Palin is so blatantly hypocritical.
but the media is not a homogenous blob
November 19, 2008 - 16:12 ET by abeautifulpersondon't paint the entire media with one brush. there are full-time idiots and there are dullards and egomaniacs and real journalists and sometimes really good people make occasional bad decisions.
and sometimes really good people are told to do dumb things by their bosses.
frankly, i think there is too much media. who needs multiple 24 hr news channels?
and btw, i've seen the sexist comments on NB, whoever asked for examples, do your own work.
it only seems to be unacceptable sexism 'round here when palin is the target.
when its whoopi or helen or katie or maddow its fair game. oh you forgot? they're women too.
There apparently isn't
November 19, 2008 - 16:21 ET by NL207There apparently isn't enough journalistic media, since 75% or more of it is riddled with such deep left-wing prejudice that it cannot fairly and accurately report the news without injecting their editorial dogma into it.
now we're getting somewhere
November 19, 2008 - 18:03 ET by abeautifulpersonyou are correct. i completely agree with you. there is not enough journalistic media on the idiot box. but don't think FOX is good journalism and CNN isn't. they're both popcorn and mostly empty calories.
there is plenty of great journalism. its just not on TV. people need to be responsible for finding their news. that's why i laugh at the concept of NB, sometimes. THE VIEW is not journalism. so why does NB waste its time on the ladies of that show?
i'd have a lot more respect for NB if it exposed and combated MEDIA BIAS. that would make NB more credible. but by being biased itself, NB is no better than the folks it complains about.
Well, Amerca thinks you're
November 20, 2008 - 10:55 ET by winston smithWell, Amerca thinks you're wrong since FOX is the number one news network and has been for a long time. There is great journalism on FOX. Brit Hume is the best in the business and so is Wendell Goler and Neil Cavuto. The View may not be journalism, but they do discuss news, politics and culture and the prevailing opinions always comes down on the liberal side -- so it's yet another mouthpiece for liberal opinon --- and not conservative. I'm glad that Newsbusters keeps tabs on The View since it's another venue -- morning talk -- that the networks have managed to politicize.
BTW, you come to NB and complain that sinced its biased it lacks a certain amount of credibility. Do you also go over to Media Matters and complain that they're too liberally biased and admonish them on their credibility, too?
Still waiting
November 20, 2008 - 11:18 ET by CobraManI'm still waiting for you to prove the allegations you made about others posting sexists remarks here on NB.
Obama: My job is above my pay grade
Put up or shut up!
November 20, 2008 - 11:20 ET by CobraMan"and btw, i've seen the sexist comments on NB, whoever asked for examples, do your own work."
YOU made the allegations, now prove them! It's time to put up or shut up!
Obama: My job is above my pay grade
Like the mockery the highly
November 19, 2008 - 11:34 ET by winston smithLike the mockery the highly partisan media made of Clarence Thomas 17 years ago (with the help of liberal Democrats), The candidacy of Sarah Palin revealed the hypocrisy of the media and their so-called support of women and minorities. They enjoy the sanctimony and altruistic comfort of supporting a minority candidate only when that candidate is a Democrat. If a candidate is a Republican, the media ignore race or minority status, demonize the candidate daily and treat him or her just a little bit better than dirt.
40 Years ago
November 19, 2008 - 12:53 ET by Secret ConservativeI considered myself to be a feminist. That was when "pro-choice" meant that women would have equal opportunity to decide what they wanted to do with their lives, and pursue their goals. Then the libs completely hijacked the movement and turned it into a man-hating, baby-killing, angry, nasty bunch of lesbians. The feminist movement as it currently stands isn't something most reasonable women embrace.
in typical fashion
November 19, 2008 - 14:25 ET by theduck6The few comments taking exception with the original premise cite no examples or offer support for their argumant. "Hillary and Michelle" were criticized for thier quotes, not interpretations of those quotes. Palin was "fearmongering"? It's only so if it's not true. Explain how what she aid was not true, She used actual quotes from the Obamassiah or Joe the Gaffer. It was a sure bet none of those quotes were going to show up on the big 3.
Waah Waaah. You won. Now live with the consequences.
You're right Secret Conservative
November 19, 2008 - 14:31 ET by katiejaneFeminism started out being about equal opportunity. It meant you wouldn't be told at a job interview - Oh, we don't hire women for this type of work or being told that women with children shouldn't take jobs involving travel .
Somewhere along the way feminism became less about women and totally about abortion. It isn't about women being able to compete based on their individual skills and interests but rather about being entitled to things based on gender.