Why are women still a minority presence in American news media? Some accounts attribute the dearth of women as political newsmakers to sexism, but journalistic norms to attain the best source for a story suggest that sex should be irrelevant. To date, however, no study has systematically tested these competing hypotheses. Based on a new, original data set of more than 4,200 appearances by elected officials and non-elected political actors on the Sunday morning talk shows, I find that female elected officials, journalists, and political activists appear as guests less frequently than men do. But the gender gap does not result from overt sexism. Rather, the characteristics that contribute to repeated appearances on Sunday morning are consistent with journalistic norms to provide balance and credibility in reporting. Because there are few women in the positions and professions from which guests are selected, though, these norms also perpetuate a gendered news environment.
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