Research and Theory in Mass Communication: How Are Media Studied Scientifi cally?

Q: What is the gender breakdown of TV and movie characters that children see?

A: According to a 2008 study of almost 20,000 children’s TV programs worldwide, only 32% of the main human characters were female, and only 13% of the nonhuman characters, like animals, monsters, and robots, were female. Of speaking characters in G-rated movies from 1990 to 2005, less than one-third were female (Fine, 2010 ).