The Huffington Post and the LGBT Community Introduction
Understanding the coverage trusted news outlets produce is a key factor in
becoming an informed citizen. Media consumers are constantly bombarded with different stories from different outlets that have various viewpoints that influence the public’s decisions on a daily basis. The media’s viewpoints come in the form of frames, which are the way information is presented based on a certain perspective. How news outlets frame a story can determine a person’s opinion on a topic and influence the information they spread to other media consumers. One of the biggest issues the entire world is facing is embracing the changing face of society in relation to race, religion, and sexual preference.
How these sensitive topics are covered can influence a person’s viewpoint into what will ultimately be the collective opinion of society as a whole. Lately, the legalization of same-sex marriage throughout the United States has been a widely covered topic by almost every news outlet around the world. The Huffington Post is one of the most trusted news outlets for society’s younger generation. This news outlet is a strictly online
publication that is known for its prompt coverage on a wide variety of issues. The online publishing allows The Huffington Post to have numerous section devoted to specific issues and topics. The section devoted to LGBT issues and stories is called Gay Voices.
The scope of their coverage from November 14 through November 27 gave insight into the publication’s tactics for website traffic to keep readers interested and coming back to The Huffington Post for more information on the continued fight for gay rights.
Findings
The Huffington Post coverage from November 14 through November 27 gave way to interesting headlines that had a mix of hard-hitting news, public interest pieces, and puff pieces. The entire Gay Voices section of The Huffington Post is surrounded by the frame of allowing the LGBT community to have a place for accurate, reputable news on the constant changes happening within gay rights. The tone of the hard-hitting news stories such as what different states throughout the United States are doing in relation to legalizing gay marriage were factual and informative. In addition, The Huffington Post almost always had an Associated Press story linked within their own report to back up their own coverage on the specific state issues. All coverage on legislative issues were status quo, with no bias toward the LGBT community or condemning those who reject the idea of gay rights. In addition to political news, Gay Voices also had an article on the religious aspect of the LGBT community entitled “Religious Leader’s Quotes on LGBT People Gay Marriage, And Homosexuality.” While the article maintains an unbiased tone, the story still maintains the frame of an LGBT support piece that encourages the reader to, “Check out our sometimes surprising roundup of religious leaders who have made positive statements about LGBT individuals,” (Hafiz, 2013). Of the 15-clip sample, 7 clips were hard-hitting news stories concerning the LGBT community.
Public interest pieces were the second most prevalent stories found within the sample period. These pieces contained stories of LGBT individuals, LGBT life, and ways to assist someone in the LGBT community with well-known issues in everyday life. The tone of these articles was informative and usually contained a call-to-action. For example, one article entitled “Dayna Morales, Gay Waitress An Marine Denied Tip, Giving
Donations to Wounded Warriors Project” told the story of a lesbian waiter who was denied a tip for her service as a waitress because the customer did not, “agree with her lifestyle,” (Sieczkowski, 2013). The article explains the issue and gives the reader the information to continue to donate to Morales’ Wounded Warrior Project fun in addition to an interview with the editor of the Gay Voices section. On the other hand, Gay Voices posted a much different tone in an article entitled “Gay Parenting Is Just Parenting:
YourTango Panelists Sound Off” on November 20. This article begins with,
“Relationship and dating experts and coaches Frankie Bashan, Rick Clemons, J. Cameron Gantt and Mary Malia…” (Wong, 2013). The reader is immediately informed that a panel of individuals who have dedicated their lives to this issue has analyzed the issue. The rest of the article goes on to explain that children are now being raised to be more tolerant and accepting of differences. To reinforce the body copy of the article, a six-minute video is attached to explain the panel’s findings in-depth. The fifteen-clip sample contained five public interest pieces that maintained and informative yet supportive tone in most articles with a more playful approach in others.
Lastly, puff pieces were found in the most eye-catching places on Gay Voices’
homepage. For example, Gay Voices posted an article entitled, “Gay Dating Tips : 5 Ways To Become a Superstar” on November 22. The first sentence of this article reads,
“Sigh: gay dating and mating” (Wong, 2013) From the title and from the first moment the reader sinks in to read this posting, it is clear the piece is not meant to be hard news. Gay Voices also posted an article called, “Manhunt, Gay Dating Site, Buys Jack’d, Day Dating App.” While the article is technically news, it is also accompanied by several
provocative pictures which makes what little news value it offers almost irrelevant to the average reader.
Analysis
Pew Research Center states that, “The press has taken on a decidedly interpretative cast in its presentation of the news. Building stories around conflict, winners and losers, and revealing either injustice or irony has become the most common way of framing the news,” (“Framing the News”, 1998). Ultimately, the way a news outlet frames a story has the potential to influence how the people feel about the subject and whether or not people will care. News media professionals have a responsibility to report all aspects of s story in an unbiased manner regardless of personal preferences or beliefs. Without this unbiased coverage, the public is failed and a news outlet loses its reputation. “What matters, thought, is whether journalists realize their tendencies and how it might influence the way they choose to select stories and report them,” ((“Framing the News”, 1998). Gay Voices’ purpose is clear: report news regarding the gay rights
movement and the legalization of gay marriage. The journalists at The Huffington Post must always be in a frame of mind that while the gay rights movement is necessary and everyone deserve equal treatment, personal beliefs actually deter from the integrity of the reporting.
The different hard news, public interest pieces, and puff pieces are all represented on The Huffington Post’s landing page for Gay Voices. The findings in the hard-news pieces give the reader certainty that The Huffington Post’s Gay Voices section is a source that can be trusted for accurate information on what different states are doing in relation to gay rights. The most important finding for the hard news section of Gay Voices is that
it remained unbiased coverage throughout the reporting. In addition, each news article on political and legislative issues can be verified through another source that does not have the context of being an LGBT supporter. Often, the Associated Press was listed as the source of the reported information. Gay Voices’ transparency when reporting on political matters is vital to the publication’s reputation of being a reputable source. Remaining unbiased throughout the coverage, regardless of whether or not the decision being reported was actually of benefit to the LGBT community enables Gay Voices to be a trusted news source. The professionalism shown by the authors and editors of the Gay Voices page is unsurprising because of the online medium and the fact that Gay Voices is a subsection of a much larger publication.
The public interest pieces also play a huge role in Gay Voices daily posting. The findings from these articles is indicative of what the LGBT community is personally concerned with and how the interact throughout daily life. Articles about coming out to family members, how one LGBT individual is continuing to fight through adversity, and how prominent leaders in the world are behind the gay right movement are all vital topics for Gay Voices to cover. These public interest pieces absolutely belong on the Gay Voices page because the give the page a humanizing aspect that will drive a reader to continue reading about all the issues facing the LGBT movements.
Unlike the hard news and public interest pieces, the puff pieces actually take away from the integrity of Gay Voices. While a story on a predominately gay app being bought out can be categorized as news, the story does not inform a reader about anything
substantial. Furthermore, an article explaining how to be the most fabulous boyfriend within the context of being fun rather than being a committed partner does a disservice to
the reader. When one article is describing the seemingly endless fight for same-sex marriage and another is joking about how to play-fight with your significant other, it confuses the reader on the intent of the page. While it’s understandable that puff pieces increase page visits, it is also true that they may diminish credibility in the process.
Solutions
The Huffington Post’s Gay Voices section maintains a supportive and informative tone when addressing hard news issues. However, both the public interest pieces as well as the puff pieces can sometimes take away from the integrity of the Gay Voices section because the tone of those articles can sound flippant. These articles seem to play into the stereotype that gay individuals are just silly and flamboyant, causing them to not be taken seriously. A solution that could cure a reader from being deterred from The Huffington Post is to simply change the tone to something more playful and casual rather than edgy.
This change could allow Gay Voices to keep those articles since they do drive web traffic but allow readers to be immediately aware that the article is meant to be more of a social piece rather than news.
Overall, Gay Voices maintains its stance of being a hub for new on the gay rights movement and the LGBT movement. The contributors and editors to the site consistently keep the frame of mind that this section of The Huffington Post is meant to inform readers about issues affecting the LGBT community rather than persuade them to change their opinion on individuals who are a part of the LGBT community. Regardless of whether or not The Huffington Post changes the tone of their social articles, Gay Voices is
considered a trusted news source.
Works Cited
Hafiz, Yasmine. "Religious Leaders' Quotes On LGBT People, Gay Marriage, And Homosexuality." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 20 Nov. 2013.
Web. 09 Dec. 2013. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/20/faith-leaders- lgbt-quotes_n_4284888.html>.
"Framing the News." Pew Research Centers Journalism Project RSS. Pew Research Journalism Project, 13 July 1998. Web. 09 Dec. 2013.
<http://www.journalism.org/1998/07/13/frame/>.
Sieczkowski, Cavan. "Dayna Morales, Gay Waitress And Marine Denied Tip, Giving Donations To Wounded Warriors Project." The Huffington Post.
TheHuffingtonPost.com, 18 Nov. 2013. Web. 09 Dec. 2013.
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/18/dayna-morales- gay_n_4297277.html>.
Wong, Curtis M. "Gay Parenting Is Just Parenting: YourTango Panelists Sound Off." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 20 Nov. 2013. Web. 09 Dec. 2013.
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/20/gay-parenting-panel- _n_4310789.html>.
Wong, Curtis M. "Gay Dating Tips: 5 Ways To Become A Superstar." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 22 Nov. 2013. Web. 09 Dec. 2013.
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/22/gay-dating-superstar- _n_4324899.html>.
