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Abstract

Drawing on mediated framing theory, this article considers how the 19th-century Utah Woman’s Press Club used its opportunity to control its public image in the Utah-based suffrage periodical Woman’s Exponent. The Exponent was edited by the club’s founder, Emmeline B. Wells, and was an outlet for many of the area’s women writers. This article demonstrates how the group’s three primary themes—education and professionalization, politics, and faith—developed a gendered framing of 19th-century womanhood. This exploration considers how gender-specific publications can be a powerful outlet for women to challenge mainstream narratives about women’s abilities.

Keywords

Utah Woman’s Press Club framing women’s press clubs Cult of True Womanhood

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“We Are the Women of Utah”: The Utah Woman’s Press Club’s Framing Strategies in the Woman’s Exponent

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