Occupational,Gender,and Geographic Representation of Information Sources in U.S. and Canadian Business Magazines

Abstract

This study evaluated the occupational, gender, and geographic representation of 1,404 information sources in a large sample of feature articles of the four leading U.S. and Canadian business magazines: Fortune, Business Week, Canadian Business, and Report on Business Magazine. The results indicate that business magazine journalists rely heavily on senior executives, whereas government officials and lower level employees are seldom included as information sources. Using affirmative action utilization analysis, the study determined that female sources are significantly underrepresented in most occupational groups. U.S. business magazines significantly overrepresent sources in the Mid-Atlantic relative to the corporate head offices and labor force in that region, while underrepresenting the Midwestern and Southwestern regions. Canadian publications overwhelmingly use Ontario sources, while underrepresenting sources from Quebec and the Prairies. The results are discussed in terms of the effects of elite power and production constraints on representative journalism.