Women and Voting: Media Criticism
By: Talia and Mariana
For the most part, the media likes to stick to one narrative to describe women, and the narrative depends on the political view of the source. If the media source is liberal, they tend to stick to the narrative that the Democratic Party is pushing and for the conservative sources, they stick to the Republican platform. However, these sources often fail to discuss the nuances of women’s issues in relation to the election by talking to women themselves, instead focusing on the ways that their party “supports” women - whether by idolizing the choice of Kamala Harris as VP or by glamorizing President Trump’s daughters and Melania Trump.
In the political sphere, there are two women who recently obtained media coverage: First Lady Melania Trump and Vice Presidential Nominee Kamala Harris. These two women could not be more opposite in how they speak on political issues. Their relevance puts them at the forefront of women and the election.
Where Kamala is criticized for being outspoken, Melania is questioned for the quiet role she takes behind her husband. Neither are seen as actors in their own right, instead as tools to further the prowess of men. Democrats have prominent females in positions of power like Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi. Women in politics are widely reported upon in terms of the historical impact of their positions, as many females who are elected are the first women in their position, and are harshly criticized for mistakes. Women who have influence in the coming election are also television hosts like Rachel Maddow and Laura Ingraham, whose outlets seep into the political field.
Women’s issues are often not taken seriously by the media, who seem to view women as tools for men to gain political power. According to the media, Trump uses his female family members to prove that he isn’t the sexist abuser he has been accused of being, and Biden has used Harris to solidify his supposed support for women, especially black women. However, the women themselves are rarely talked about when not in relation to their male counterparts, and when they are, they are considered “difficult” and “radical” like AOC or Kamala Harris.
The media rarely talks about the influence that women voters have on politics and if they do, it is generally about white women rather than women of color. The party platforms are rarely picked apart to discuss how they affect women, focusing on abortion rights rather than where women stand on more general political issues - like the economic and social issues that affect both women and men. Women on the whole are seen in a separate political sphere to the one men occupy, one where they must be appeased rather than listened to.
Many of these articles were written by men, about women. This seemed problematic: How can they understand the female voter experience if they do not know it? When covering the election, it was women who were IN the election making headlines, not the everyday woman who will be affected by the election's outcome. Select women who are seen as defining of the election, white middle-class females, are widely reported upon as they have not committed to one candidate. The majority of media coverage, however, has been given to groups traditionally in political power.
In our democratic system, everyone’s voice is (supposedly...the Electoral College is another issue) given equal power and say in elections. So why are women’s voices not treated as such? You do not need to be undecided to be important in an election. It is time that reporters understand the powerful entity ALL women hold, and to uplift voices of working-class women of color who are not heard in media. Women are not just a political tool, but people who experience politics and policy. If reporters start talking to actual women about the social and economic issues that affect them, they will better understand their motivations come November.
