Gendered subtle bias in Danish TV election debates

Abstract

Trust in society is related to a perception of fairness and lack of bias. But bias has many faces. This article presents a conversation analytic study of the initial introduction of the debaters in so-called ‘presidential’ TV debates during the final stages of the general election campaigns in Denmark. The data represents a rare possibility to compare almost identical debate contexts: two different elections, but same TV channel, host, presidential debate setup and campaign contexts. The analyses show how male party leaders were given a chance to construct themselves as experienced, engaged, and hardworking politicians, while a female party leader was merely positioned with regard to her gender and age and as an underdog meeting a strong opponent. This allows us to explore how bias is not just about what is actually said and done but also about what could (based on the comparison) have been said and done.