Framing Madam Vice President: Global Newspaper Coverage of Kamala Harris in Her First Year

Abstract

The media’s portrayal of women in politics is crucial in shaping public perceptions of their effective leadership. While previous research has focused on the negative impact of stereotypical framing on women’s political engagement, this study takes a novel approach. We conduct an in-depth analysis of how international newspapers covered Vice President Kamala Harris in her first year, revealing a surprisingly optimistic narrative. The coverage emphasized her legislative impact, pandemic management, advocacy, diplomacy, performance and social identity. This unique perspective has significant implications for the praxis of women’s coverage, political communication and media studies, which we delve into in this paper.