Gender stereotypes in documentary cinema: a comparative analysis of women's representation in historical conflicts Cristina Gallego Morcillo, Miren Gutiérrez Almazor, Antonia Moreno Cano International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 2026 Purpose This paper examines how women are represented in a purposive sample of war documentaries on the Spanish Civil War, World War II, and the Syrian War, gauging the persistence and evolution of gender stereotypes across these historical contexts. Design/methodology/approach A mixed-methods content analysis was conducted on 18 documentaries produced between 1963 and 2023. Their transcribed scripts (approximately 154,000 words) were coded and analyzed to identify dominant archetypes and narrative framing, as well as the influence of the director's gender on the representation of women. Findings The analysis shows that women in these documentaries are still most often portrayed through caregiving and victim/vulnerable roles, especially in older and male-directed films. Over time, there is an apparent increase in empowered portrayals of women as combatants, leaders, and activists, particularly in more recent works and those directed by women. Female-directed documentaries give women greater visibility and narrative voice than male-directed ones, indicating that sociohistorical context and directorial gender can support a shift away from patriarchal patterns toward more agentic and diverse images of women in conflict. However, this does not mean that recent productions or female directors automatically produce more representative films, as other factors such as social progress, production context, market pressures, funding structures, and editorial choices may also influence how women are portrayed. Originality/value The study contributes to feminist media research by illustrating that documentary cinema can reproduce patriarchal narratives while also offering potential spaces for progress, depending partially on the directorial perspective and context. It highlights the impact of the sociohistorical context in shaping collective memory and gender representation in films.
Football, politics, and identity: The language of confrontation in the journalistic coverage of sports in Spain Lizandro Angulo Rincón, Antonia Moreno Cano, Miren Gutiérrez Almazor Estudios Sobre El Mensaje Periodistico, 2025 El clásico (the classic) is the name given to any football match between rival clubs FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. It is a global event full of drama that reflects sporting rivalry, politics, and identity. This article analyses the treatment of 2090 journalistic pieces covering 34 clásicos published by leading sports newspapers Marca and Mundo Deportivo from the 2003-2004 season to the 2020-2021 season. We use content analysis and the framing theory to capture when journalistic biases link sports with politics and identity. Concretely, we search for signs of language that might fuel conflict. The results indicate that the dominant frame presents matches from an athletic and competitive point of view. However, there is also a significant number of journalistic pieces in which confrontation arises from national identity issues and political strife around the Catalan question. Sometimes, war-like language is used to describe football. This is a relevant issue since several studies point to a connection between conflict around sports and physical, psychological, and symbolic violence outside the stadium. The study concludes that sports journalism relies on a limited set of sources and spectacular reporting.
How interactive maps mobilize people in geoactivism Miren Gutiérrez Data Visualization in Society, 2025 Thus far little has been said about how maps are employed in activism to unleash sentiments. Employing as a lens the emotional turn currently influencing geography, this article looks at a 15M map, a cartographic animation that shows a ‘connected multitude’ of indignad@s as they demonstrated in Spain in 2011; the ‘Left-to-die boat’ map, tracing the course of a ship in which 63 refugees lost their lives; and the ‘Western Africa missing fish’ map, which shows foreign fishing vessels operating irregularly in African waters. Interviews, fieldwork, and participatory observation are employed to understand how maps are designed to activate people through emotions. Based on DeSoto (2014) and Muehlenhaus (2013), the chapter also offers a taxonomy as a heuristic tool.
The renaissance of fiction in free-to-air Spanish television in primetime from 1992 to 2010 Miren Gutiérrez, Miguel Ángel Casado del Río, Antonia Moreno Cano Global Knowledge Memory and Communication, 2025 Purpose This study aims to investigate the transformation of Spanish free-to-air primetime television fiction between 1992 and 2010, during a period of regulatory liberalization and market evolution. It aims to assess how these industry shifts influenced the volume, genre distribution and origin of fiction programming, particularly in light of Spain’s emergence as a notable producer on the international stage. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted a longitudinal quantitative content analysis of primetime fiction on Spain’s main free-to-air channels. Using Kantar Media data, they sampled a randomly selected week in March, July, September and December each year between 1992 and 2009. This approach allowed them to track seasonal and long-term programming trends and compare public and private broadcasters’ strategies. Findings The study results highlight a clear divergence: private channels increasingly favored either entertainment or original fiction, while public broadcasters maintained distinct programming profiles. The authors identified an inverse correlation between entertainment and fiction airtime, a steady rise in nationally produced series and persistent – though weakening – dominance of US imports. These trends reflect an industry balancing global influences with local innovation. Research limitations/implications Limitations include seasonal sampling that may not capture atypical programming variations (e.g. holidays, special events) and the incomplete coverage of 2010 due to methodological inconsistencies from the analog switch-off. Additionally, reliance on secondary sources (Kantar Media, archives) may introduce minor inaccuracies. Future research should consider year-round sampling and mixed-method designs – such as stakeholder interviews – to validate and expand upon these longitudinal insights. Originality/value This study offers a novel, systematic examination of a critical two-decade period in Spanish television history, illustrating how media liberalization catalyzed institutional adaptation and genre diversification. By integrating content data with market context, the paper sheds light on the strategic differentiation between network types and informs broader debates on cultural policy, industry strategy and national responses to globalization in audiovisual sectors.
The sexualization of women in music videos: impact on the perception of gender stereotypes in young people Miren Gutiérrez, Cristina Ubani, Antonia Moreno Cano Journal of Systems and Information Technology, 2025 Purpose This study aims to examine the immediate effects of exposure to sexualized music videos on young people’s perceptions of gender stereotypes. It addresses the growing concern about the sexualization of women in digital media, particularly on platforms such as YouTube, and investigates whether brief exposure to such content can temporarily shift attitudes toward gender roles. In addition, this study explores whether prior gender equality training or exposure to empowering music videos can mitigate these effects. Design/methodology/approach An experimental design was conducted with university students from two universities. Participants were divided into groups and shown either highly sexualized or empowering music videos. Their perceptions of gender stereotypes were measured before and after exposure using a simplified version of the Bem Sex-Role Inventory. Data were collected through pre- and post-exposure surveys and analyzed to capture immediate changes in attitudes. Findings The results show that even brief exposure to sexualized music videos can lead to short-term shifts in young people’s agreement with gender stereotypes. Both male and female participants reported changes in their perceptions of stereotypical attributes. Notably, prior gender equality training did not significantly reduce these effects, suggesting that existing educational interventions may be insufficient. This study also highlights the need to update standard measures of gender stereotypes to better reflect the nuanced forms of sexualization present in contemporary digital media. Research limitations/implications The study’s generalizability is limited by its focus on a relatively homogeneous sample of Western, educated young adults and the use of a narrow selection of music videos. The reliance on self-reported gender training and the absence of intersectional analysis further constrains the findings. Besides, the research captures only short-term perceptual changes, leaving long-term effects unexplored. Future research should adopt longitudinal, cross-cultural and intersectional approaches, and use more comprehensive measures of both gender stereotypes and training. Practical implications The findings underscore the necessity for improved content moderation strategies on digital platforms, such as YouTube, to limit the spread and impact of sexualized content. There is a call for the development of more advanced artificial intelligence models capable of detecting subtle forms of sexualization and gender bias, as well as for the implementation of personalized content filtering tools that empower users to control their exposure. Moreover, the results suggest that media literacy education should be strengthened and integrated into curricula to help young people critically assess and resist harmful stereotypes perpetuated by digital media. Social implications By revealing the immediate influence of sexualized media on gender stereotype perceptions, this study contributes to broader discussions about gender equity and the responsibilities of digital platforms in shaping cultural attitudes. The research highlights the urgency of fostering more inclusive and responsible content creation, as well as the importance of participatory and critical media practices among youth to counteract the normalization of gender stereotypes online. Originality/value This research provides novel empirical evidence on the short-term impact of sexualized music videos on gender stereotype perceptions among Generation Z university students in a digital context. By integrating theories of media effects, stereotype threat and social learning with contemporary concerns about algorithmic content recommendation and moderation, this study offers new insights into the mechanisms by which digital media shape gender attitudes and points toward innovative directions for intervention and regulation.
Authorship in the coverage of the war in Ukraine: Newsroom work takes precedence over correspondents’ dispatches Elena Campo, Miren Gutiérrez, Antonia Moreno Cano Revista De Comunicacion, 2024 The war in Ukraine has grabbed headlines around the world. This analysis asks who is covering it and what this says about war reporting. The advent of the Web and the subsequent polarization of the media pits the constant demand for information against the journalistic expectation of calm analysis. While traditional media seem to guarantee credibility, more and more people are turning to alternative information providers. To explore these changes’ repercussions on war correspondents, this study analyzes 11,268 bylines of the news on Ukraine published digitally by the most widely read newspapers in Spain (El País, El Mundo, El Correo, and La Vanguardia) and the USA (The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today and New York Post), during the first week of the conflict, from February 24 to March 2, 2022. Through these, the authors’ working relationship with each newspaper is investigated, employing LinkedIn or Twitter when necessary. While relevant literature suggests that freelancers and agencies dominate international news, this analysis concludes that most of the war coverage (65,64%) has been generated in newsrooms, away from the frontline. While confirming the significant contribution of agencies and a decreasing presence of freelancers, it also confirms the survival of foreign bureaus.
Women, Politics, and Communication: The Discourses of Antifeminism and Misogyny in Europe International Journal of Communication, 2024
Algorithmic Gender Bias and Audiovisual Data: A Research Agenda International Journal of Communication, 2021
New Feminist Studies in Audiovisual Industries: Feminism, Gender, Ageism, and New Masculinities in Audiovisual Content International Journal of Communication, 2021
