This paper explores the impact that the media’s visual representations of women in politics have on voters’ impressions and evaluations of these political figures. While some research has been conducted demonstrating how voters in general respond to conflict driven media coverage, emotional displays of political leaders, their non-verbal cues or the visual stimuli found in political communications, the gender implications of these responses have yet to be fully explored. This is significant as research shows that the media continues to over-emphasize the behaviours of female politicians that challenge traditional gender-role expectations.
To test this we will conduct an experimental study using video footage of coverage of recent leaders’ debates for the Liberal Party of Canada. Four of these candidates (2 female and 2 male) will be the focus of this study. The media coverage of these debates will allow us to measure responses of viewers to both male and female politicians participating in an intense, conflict filled environment.
Respondents will be first asked to complete a survey measuring their political interest, knowledge and predispositions. They will then be presented with video news footage without the announcer’s voice over to determine how respondents unconsciously and consciously respond to the images and interactions that they are witnessing. After viewing this coverage they will be asked to complete a second survey requiring them to evaluate the candidates that they have just observed base on a range of personality and issue based traits. Since the media remain an important source of information upon which voters base their political assessments, the study’s results will enable us to learn more about the degree to which media choices of the visuals to use affect voter evaluations of female and male candidates. Understanding this impact may help to better illuminate the implications of gender differences in media representation.
