Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Gender and the Democratic YouTube Debate

Rachel over at Real Women, Real Voices provides the gender breakdown of the YouTube questions chosen by CNN for the Democratic debate.

Prepare not to be surprised.

Even with a woman as the leading candidate, only 12 of the 39 videoes featured women questioners. Here's one of the questions that CNN did not chooose:

Jennifer Pozner of WMIN's Voices has more thoughts on the under-representation, as usual, of women's voices:

"The fact that YouTube and CNN would bill their debate as a bold new step for participatory democracy yet would so significantly underrepresent women’s participation is another indication that media accountability is needed even in this brave new world of online communication, despite the much-ballyhooed gender equity it was supposed to bring."