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Study Finds Cable Networks Are Asking Twice As Many Men To Comment On Birth Control As Women

» 30 comments

Even with President Obama settling on a compromise for the birth control mandate, the issue remains a highly charged one, and no doubt it will be the topic du jour on every Sunday morning talk show this weekend. The media has been covering the mandate and issues it raises about women’s health coverage and religious liberty, but a new study finds that the majority of commentators that have been on the cable networks speaking out on the controversy involving women’s health have been men.

RELATED: President Obama’s Deputy Campaign Director Says 98% Of Catholic Women Have Taken Birth Control Pill

ThinkProgress monitored how CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, and Fox Business News were covering the story, and they found results suggesting “an issue that most directly affects women” “has been driven mostly by men.”

From Monday through Thursday evening, the leading cable news channels – Fox, Fox Business, MSNBC, and CNN – invited almost twice as many men as women onto their shows to discuss contraceptive coverage.

Out of a total of 146 guests who discussed contraception, the cables invited 91 men compared to 55 women as commentators. In other words, males comprised 62 percent of the total guests who commented on contraception. Fox was the most gender stratified network – on the Business network, 10 of 11 guests were male; on the News side, male pundits took up 65 percent of the guest lineup (28 men vs. 15 women). Sixty percent of MSNBC’s lineup was male (44 men vs. 31 women). And while CNN was more evenly balanced, it was still slightly tilted in favor of male perspectives (9 men vs. 8 women).

RELATED: Joe Scarborough Calls Out Sam Stein: ‘Don’t Suggest You’re The Only One Who Gives A Damn About Women’s Health’

The study did not take into account hosts of cable news programs, like Rachel Maddow or Sean Hannity, but they conclude that the networks should be having on more female voices and should “be more cognizant of gender sensitivities going forward.”

h/t ThinkProgress

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  • Hout Bosques

    I’m sure we’re all waiting anxiously for the sage insights on this from the likes of George Will, John McCain & Lindsay Graham … okay, maybe not Lindsay Graham on this one, but point being, it’d be interesting if all coming Sunday Morning With Your Republican Friends that dealt with started with a little disclose: Catholic? Got any recently? Viagra? Wife fixed? YOU fixed? 

    Then – & only then – should any of the usual gathering of old white wrinkled dudes with prostate problems be allowed to opine with the customary gravitas signifying deep knowledge & long, sober consideration. Not going to happen, but still …

    [A better plan? Have the producers gather up a roundtable of women who acknowledge having had extramarital whoopy with someone who was then, or thereafter ran in a primary context for, president. THAT could be, uh, informative. As to ratings: a Sunday morning perky for us all!]

  • Verreauxii

    Always happens. Even in congress!

  • Anonymous

    You know what the Catholic church and Fox news should have done to get over/defend their point of view on this issue? Brought out a high ranking female Bishop to explain exactly why a group of elderly men in Europe that haven’t had sex since the 70′s are best placed to decide what’s best for women in the bedroom and to show that women have a real voice… What do you mean there are no female bishops? Female cardinals? Female priests? No? You mean they excommunicate anyone involved with trying to ordain a woman? Wow, Okay, elderly white males will do.

  • bsorin1

    To say the least it has been infuriating. For example, Luke Russert (who is generally very effective) observed that middle class and upper middle class suburban Catholic women were taken aback by the mandate. what they were taken aback by, was the intrusion of the male Catholic hierarchy into their reproductive choices and the expenses associated with those choices. If Russert werefemale, he would have been tuned in to those sensibilities. It will be interesting (assuming the economy continues to heal) to see what the female vote will be this November. Rest assured, if it were just women voting, with he current slate of Republican voters, the election would be called within an hour for President Obama.

  • http://screw.myopenid.com/ screw

     Did Obama’s executive order pen run out of ink?
    Obama should just sign an executive order forcing all cable news shows to be balanced.
    And who would decide what is balanced?
    Obama.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_SMUGSPLRKQOJBS5T6I4S5H2YSE Andy-48

    They would have had to have gone to one of the Christian Lefts to find one. The Episcopal Church or the United Methodist Church to find a female bishop. I couldn’t find any on the Religious Right’s side of the coin. To find out more about their beliefs go to wikipedia dot org/Christian_Left.

    After an asshole yesterday posted Nazi’s beating some Jews in a link all posts with links now have to be approved by the moderator.

    If you happen to be in the mood for some clean jokes. Go to youtube dot com
    and search for clumsy thumbsy  You will laugh.. Listen to them, wait until you see what one mother thought LOL stood for..

    LOL in both instances.

  • Anonymous

    Well, he couldn’t be any worse at deciding what’s fair and balanced than Rupert Murdoch. :)

  • http://screw.myopenid.com/ screw

     lib bs

  • Anonymous

    I’m guessing condom use and vasectomys are sinful. Perhaps men should limit their converstation to these items. 

  • Anonymous

    My eyes are aflutter at “men driving this issue” , NOT.  Really, isn’t this how it always is?  We are still a paternal country.  Look at who we have running for president and who is president.

    I am woman – hear me roar.  But that is about all we are “permitted” to do – roar.

    Until women are heard – really heard – these kinds of issues will be judged in regions that I won’t be talking about in “mixed company”.  I shall remain “aflutter”.  (tsk, tsk)

  • http://screw.myopenid.com/ screw

     ”Rest assured, if it were just women voting, with he(the) current slate of Republican voters, the election would be called within an hour for President Obama.”

    Why do you think women are so dumb or so easily manipulated?

  • Anonymous

    What if we started a “condom” debate?

    I think the availability of condoms entices men to have sex without consequence… it’s not right and if women can’t do it, why can men?

  • Anonymous

    Your question should be better phrased as the following:

         Why do men think women are so dumb or easily manipulated?

    see, for example, thinking Hillary supporters would flock to McCain due to Palin in 2008.

  • http://screw.myopenid.com/ screw

    How about a “Hollywood” debate?

    Watching the boob tube on just about any channel entices men and women to have sex without consequence.

  • Anonymous

    From lunatic-left d-cRAT socialist FANTASYLAND: “FREE contraception!!!”
    Yep, in d-cRAT socialist FANTASYLAND there are NO COSTS to manufacture any contraception items, there are NO COSTS for packaging any contraception items, there are NO COSTS for distributing any contraception items, there are NO COSTS for visiting a doctor for any contraception prescription, there are NO COSTS for a pharmacist to dispense any contraception items…it’s all FREE, FREE, FREE in lunatic-left d-cRAT socialist FANTASYLAND – just like all that FREE crony capitalist taxpayer money, bailouts, pork and other socialist welfare boondoggles.

  • Anonymous

    Women of the world:  Do not let men tell you how to take care of your body.  It is yours — not theirs.  This goes for ALL MEN.

  • Anonymous

    The obama admin. is trying to force Religious Colleges, Hospitals and the
    like to provide insurance for contraception which is against the teachings of
    the church. The Obamacare signed into Law had a paragraph in it that guaranteed
    no taxpayer money would be used for at anytime contraceptive or abortion
    services ! Obama is going back on his word.

  • Anonymous

    I’m not saying this to belittle anyone but is it true that Lindsey Graham is gay or bisexual? I have read rumors but nothing that confirms the rumors. You have to wonder why a successful male would choose to live out their adult life without a significant other.

  • http://www.facebook.com/bruce.kennedy3 Bruce Kennedy

    Who more than men knows what is best for a woman?

    For all you anti-elitist Conservatives this is what is known as being facetious. (read sarcasm)

  • http://www.facebook.com/bruce.kennedy3 Bruce Kennedy

    None of the above, he’s post op.

  • Anonymous

    Yep MORON…and there is NO COST to raising a child.  However, that’s not your thing.  B’ch about contraception, killing babies, abortion and then when the child is born, b’ch about them being a ‘slacker’.  You’re very cool.

  • Anonymous

    The men of the network news decided on their ‘script’ the minute this erupted.  They felt so left out of the Komen controversy that they all decided to weigh in.  Women on the set would have upset the balance.

  • BooBoo Bear

     Now…How about my tax dollars not being spent on Viagra? For ever Prescription that is written by a Catholic Doctor or Filled at a Pharmacy in a Catholic Hospital, I call for at least one  BC to be filled.

    The best non-Insurance price for a 3 month supply of Viagra is $1988 in my state.
    The best non-insurance price for a 3 month supply of Apri* is $3.95 in my state.
    *One Generic brand among many.

    As for the post below..Perhaps you should Google it. Over 60% of the Catholic Women were FOR the coverage. It was the men who were against it.

  • BooBoo Bear

     Now…If you had any brains you’d know about Generics. For instance for Apri a annual supply is $14.96
    However I’m sure that you would be for the insurance paying for Viagra. Annual supply $7982.00
    The cost of one Prescription of Viagra would pay for over 533 BC Prescriptions for a year.

  • http://www.facebook.com/bruce.kennedy3 Bruce Kennedy

    con bs

  • http://screw.myopenid.com/ screw

     Does this include Obama?

  • Anonymous

    Hi Screw:  I did not even THINK of Prez Obama.  I was mostly concerned with MEN who are actually in women’s lives.  Etc.  But, you are right — I “misspoke”  (what a word~)  Maybe all men except the President…  Too many in the government decide it is their place to tell women what to do with their bodies.  I had one child — wanted only one — and had a tubal.  It took 3 months after the birth to “recover” — TOO MUCH INFORMATION.  

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/75VCZ46443LVDLXAGRLY3GNUP4 Jacky

    ★★★★★ Longing for more passion to your life? Welcome to—casualloving.c/0/m—, the world’s largest community for intimate encounters. Regardless of your status, you’ll find the discreet relationship or special ‘one night’ that you desire. Come in and discover the excitement you deserve! ^_^

  • Anonymous

    So tell us again why YOU know so much about the price of VIAGRA ?

  • http://www.proactivepolitics.blogspot.com/ Norbit Peters

    Of course, intelligent minds know that the issue is not about contraception, just as ObamaCare is not about health care.
    It’s about usurping more of our freedoms to engorge the dictatorial control of a self-aggrandizing megalomaniac and his Regime.
     - but you all keep thinking it’s about contraceptives!

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