What’s wrong with this picture?
When are the media gonna stop doing this? @GMB pic.twitter.com/BDnstnEpSI
— the locum ST3 (@admit_medics) October 19, 2021
Clue: Devi Sridhar is a professor.
Another one for my collection of cases where male professors appearing on TV get their academic title in the caption & female professors don't. It's a systematic bias, & while it may be hard to avoid in unscripted speech, captions can & should be checked for it #GenderRespectGap https://t.co/zaBTrL0Of5
— Debbie Cameron (@wordspinster) October 19, 2021
Comments
6 responses to “A systematic bias”
I once wrote an article where the title “Prof.” got edited out from a female professor whom I quoted, but not from the name of a male professor whom I quoted. I noticed this only after it was published.
I’m sure that on the conscious level, the editor was simply thinking “Oh, we don’t include titles, according to our style guide”, but forgot to delete the title when the professor in question was male. Nonetheless, the unconscious inconsistency speaks volumes. I was very embarrassed, and wrote an email to the female professor to explain what had happened, profusely apologizing.
We recently hired a new math professor. He has a doctorate; his name include Dr. on the sign in front of his office. We hired a new biology professor; she has a doctorate. Her name plate does not include Dr. Nor does mine.
Argh!
Can you and colleague make a fuss and get it fixed?
I plan to make a fuss; whether it will get fixed, I don’t know. My colleague is brand new; she is not in a position to make a fuss. I have tenure; I can.
“What’s wrong with this picture?”
Sneaky. I thought it had something to do with the gentleman having been dipped in red dye.
Perhaps it’s shame, Professor.
Sastra, that was my first thought, too. Then I noticed that Devi Sridhar had allegedly died of covid-19 complications aged 84 and yet was live on tv…. and looking great, given the circumstances.