New York Times Coverage

The New York Times did an excellent job at covering the different women's suffrage events as they happened. They were accurate in depicting what really happened during history. Newspapers were a very influential way of letting the public know what was happening and the New York Times helps construct a reality of the events for the public. Here are some articles covering the events of women's suffrage and how the New York Times framed it.


Framing of Alice Paul

The New York Times frames Alice Paul as a radical suffragist supporter and shows her being very stubborn as an advocate for woman’s rights. The Times never showed Paul as one to give up or give in. Alice Paul was the originator of hunger strikes for woman’s suffrage in America and the hunger strikes were utilized throughout the battle for woman’s rights. She is also framed as a hero for woman’s rights because in the third article we have listed here, she smuggled out a note that described her experience and treatment while she was in jail.

Alice Paul has now refused food for 24 hours. In this article Alice Paul is framed as extremely stubborn and an advocate of women’s rights.

Alice Paul is force fed. In this article it frames Paul as border line insane as well as still stubborn.

How women were treated in jail. Paul is framed as a hero for smuggling out the notes.

Framing of the women involved in the suffragist movement

The New York Times framed the women involved in the suffrage movement as radicals who were very passionate about their work. The articles written about the women during that time were the ones who were picketing at the White House or participating in hunger strikes or the ones who were involved in the different parades. It framed women as people who would not back down no matter the circumstances. While there were women that were very passionate about it, there were also women that believed women should not be able to vote. In 1911, The National Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage (NAOWS) was formed. The group believed that women would be better without voicing their opinions in politics.

Hope to be arrested. This article frames women as radical suffragists who are very passionate about their work. 

The Woman Suffrage Issue.This article shows a woman that supports the cause, but condemns the picketers. Not all women agreed with what Alice Paul and her supporters were doing.

Two Americans in Guildhall Exploit. Frames women as fighters from the beginning. They threw rocks into a mayor’s window which frames the women to be radical supporters and willing to go to extremes, even from the beginning. 

Arrest four more pickets.  In this article it says there is “cheering and hissing” from the women. This frames the women to be women that didn't back down. They were still defiant in what they did.  

Case Against Suffrage. A woman said women would be nagging if they were entered in politics.



Framing of the men in the suffragist movement

The New York Times rarely depicts men in support of woman’s suffrage. While there were numerous men in the fight for suffrage, it rarely has an article where the main idea is that men are in support for suffrage.  However, the vote for woman’s suffrage relied heavily on men. The New York Times frames men, for the most part, to be against women’s suffrage.

Framing of President Wilson and the government in the suffragist movement

In the early years of his presidency, President Wilson was not in support of woman’s suffrage. The New York Times frames the government to be the good people in the beginning because the government was trying to stay out of it. Later, as more information became available of the treatment of the suffragists, the Times began to publish articles that made the government look like the bad guys. This is because individuals were speaking out about the unconstitutional treatment of the women.

Hunger Striker is Forcibly Fed.  This article frames the government in a poor light. This is because it is showing someone who is standing up to the government and going against them because the government had been trying to stay out of it.

Wilson Makes Suffrage Appeal, But Senate Waits.  This article shows President Wilson urging the Senate to support woman’s suffrage as a war necessity.

Miss Paul Removed to Prison Hospital.  This article shows the woman’s conditions in jail. It frames the government in a bad light because people are now coming out and saying that how these women are being treated is unconstitutional.


Women gain the right to vote

Suffrage wins in senate 

Colby to Proclaim Suffrage Promptly

Text of the Proclamation Signed by Colby Certifying Ratification of 19th Amendment 

Tennessee completes suffrage victor


A small timeline of women's suffrage events according to the New York Times
Note: some of these articles were also used above


November 9th, 1909
Burns and Paul were arrested for throwing stones at the Guildhall while Lord Mayor was having a banquet. Alice Paul is the originator of the hunger strike and had been let out of jail early twice before this for going on one. Her first effort in the woman’s suffrage direction was July 30th when she was arrested and put in jail for 14 days. This is where she originated the idea of the hunger strike. Because of her actions, after five days, the authorities released her. This event was not included in the film.


Lucy Burns is fined $1 for chalking the White House sidewalks with "Votes for Women." This one of the first events where suffragists started to protest at the White House. This event was was not included in the film. 

Alice Paul and three others were arrested for picketing the White House. In the movie it shows a huge crowd that begins to riot as Alice Paul is burning things that President Wilson has said. The movie exaggerates this event happening because the article says that the only noise was the women "cheering and hissing" as they were arrested. 

Alice Paul has now refused food for 24 hours. They want to wait until she gets hungry enough to eat so force feeding is not an option yet. Paul has been offered the hospital diet, but refuses it unless her other companions got the same. Alice Paul was described as a "delicate composed woman only weighing about 90 pounds." Paul stated she "would not touch a morsel until she and her sisters got the same treatment as the 17 murders who had the privilege of special food, air, exercise and newspapers." The New York Times is starting to cover Alice Paul as the hunger strike is beginning and frames Alice Paul as being extremely stubborn and an extreme advocate of women's rights. 

After refusing to eat for 72 hours, Alice Paul is force fed. The New York Times practices Agenda-Setting because this was a very publicized article. It does not tell the audience what to think, but definitely tells them what to think about. It begins to construct a reality for the public. This article made the inhumane actions very real for citizens around the United States. It uses quotes from Alice Paul's sister that describe how horrible force feeding was for Alice. Alice Paul is framed in this article as a very stubborn woman who is border-line insane.

Lucy Burns declared that she was manacled to the bars of her cell and threatened with being placed in a straight jacked and gagged if she talked to any of the other women. Burns refused the prisoner garb and said all her other garments were stripped by force. She wrapped herself in a blanket and all the other women are wearing prison clothing as their clothes were taken from them. Matthew O’Brien, a Washington lawyer, will appeal to courts that this is brutal and inhumane treatment of the 30 suffrage prisoners. O’Brien argued that making the prisoners wear stripes is an added punishment that was not confirmed by the court. He also argues that the treatment of these women is cruel and unusual punishment - something prohibited by the constitution. The New York Times frames the government in a poor light in this article because someone has come out and said the treatment is unconstitutional. 

This article depicts what their jail experience was like. Each woman was in a cell with three windows that were nailed shut and one that was only nailed at the bottom so air from the top could come out. This was ordered by a doctor who wanted to deprive them of air because they asked for it in their rights. Alice Paul, at one point, was checked on once an hour with a light that was shined in her face. She would wake up every time to this but eventually got used to it and didn't wake up. Doctors also took samples of her blood by force. When one person started shrieking in the jail, everyone else would join in. This would go on for an hour or two until it was silent. It would be silent for a few hours and the shrieks would start again. These experiences were in the film, but only to a certain point. The film did depict how horrible to conditions were, but did leave out experiences such as having fried chicken cooked outside their jail cell to break their spirit, the shrieking as described in the article above and the doctors taking blood samples by force. 

Alice Paul is framed as a hero in this article. She smuggled out a note that was published in a major newspaper depicting her horrible experience. It also uses Agenda-Setting because it uses direct quotes from Alice Paul that make you think about what she is going through as well as how poorly the government has taken care of the situation. 

Lucy Burns, VP of National Women’s Suffrage Party, told of her experiences at a meeting. She has served jail sentences seven times in Washington for engaging in demonstrations before the White House. She told women that if they can afford a jail sentence that they should go to this protest because she hopes everyone there will be arrested. She said every woman should go to jail once, just for the experience. This frames Lucy Burns as a radical suffragist who is very passionate about her work. This personality is also accurately portrayed in the movie as she is a fiery red head who speaks her mind. This was not included in the film. 



Code of Ethics

The Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics main point is to seek truth and report it. The New York Times does a very good job of this and is ethical in the process. They were honest and fair when reporting the different events that depict women's suffrage.







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