Presidential Elections in Mexico: Media Coverage of the Josefina Vazquez Mota Campaign
Journal
Women's Studies
ISSN
0049-7878
Date Issued
2020-07-07
Author(s)
Type
Resource Types::text::journal::journal article
Abstract
In 2012, the incumbent party nominated the first woman with a real chance of being elected president in Mexico. This was an historic moment, later described as a “haughtily hen” looking for a chance to win. The present study analyzed whether media coverage—by paying more attention to the candidate’s family and appearance, rather than policy issues—created opportunities for sexism and gendered stereotyping. The findings of this analysis were mixed. Male candidates received more media coverage, as the number of stories and headlines that covered them was higher. In contrast, coverage of the female candidate focused on stories about her polling position, highlighting her struggle to reach second place and the low probability of being elected. Nevertheless, coverage of personal traits was minimal. Moreover, only the female candidate (in her appeal to the electorate) made specific references to her sex. © 2020, © 2020 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
How to cite
Vidal Correa, M. F. (2020). Presidential elections in Mexico : media coverage of the Josefina Vazquez Mota Campaign. Women’s Studies, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1080/00497878.2020.1772791