Framing Gender, Power, and Justice: A Feminist Multimodal Analysis of Magazine Covers on Sexual Harassment Dispute Hearings

Hanzhao Lin

doi:10.30560/mct.v1n1p1

Hanzhao Lin School of Chinese as a Second Language, Peking University, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.30560/mct.v1n1p1

Keywords: visual grammar, magazine cover, gendered power dynamics, sexual violence discourse

Abstract

This study critically examines how magazine covers frame gendered power dynamics and issues of credibility in the context of Brett Kavanaugh’s alleged sexual harassment hearings. Through the application of a feminist lens and the Visual Grammar framework, the study uncovers how media representations often depict powerful men as victims, while simultaneously holding women to unattainably high standards of credibility. By analyzing how these portrayals influence public perception, the paper emphasizes the ways in which gender inequality and sexual violence are framed in the media. The study introduces two innovative models: the Four-Quadrant Impact Model, which examines media representations across temporal and spatial axes, and the Interconnected Model of Multimodal Argument Construction, which positions magazine covers as ideological artifacts. These frameworks provide a deeper understanding of how visual and textual elements in media work together to shape societal attitudes toward gendered violence and institutional accountability. The study contributes to feminist media studies by offering a nuanced analysis of how visual arguments in popular media both reflect and perpetuate existing power structures, providing critical insights into the role of media in public discourse on gender, justice, and sexual violence.

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