A Wise Latina or a Baffled Rookie? Media Coverage of Justice Sonia Sotomayor's Ascent to the Bench. (2nd July 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Towner, Terri L.; Clawson, Rosalee A.
• Is Part Of: Journal of women, politics & policy. Volume 37:Number 3(2016)
• Page Start: 316
• Page End: 340
• Publication Date: 2016-07-02
• Subjects: Supreme Court -- Sonia Sotomayor -- intersectionality -- race -- gender -- media; Women -- Political activity -- Periodicals; Women's rights -- Periodicals; Women -- Government policy -- Periodicals; 323.34
• DOI: 10.1080/1554477X.2016.1188600
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1554-477X

Abstract

ABSTRACT: We examine newspaper coverage of the US Supreme Court confirmation process to investigate whether Sonia Sotomayor received different coverage than other nominees due to her status as a minority woman. Sotomayor was the only justice seated over the last three decades who received extensive attention to her race and gender, and her coverage was more negatively toned than that received by other nominees. Compared to her counterparts, the press downplayed her intellectual abilities, devoted more negative attention to her judicial temperament, and suggested she would struggle to adjust to her new role. We examine explanations for why Sotomayor received different coverage and conclude that the intersectionality of ethnicity and gender best explains the media's characterization of her.