Name It. Change It., a project of The Women’s Media Center and She Should Run, has released our annual awards for the Most Sexist Media Coverage of Women Candidates and Politicians in the 2012 Election and our 2012 Election Report.

“With these awards, we hope the media will wake up and smell the sexism that all too often affects political coverage of women candidates and politicians,” said Julie Burton, President of the Women’s Media Center. “Sexism doesn’t have a place in coverage of women candidates and public officials.”

Name It. Change It. is a non-partisan media-monitoring project of The Women’s Media Center and She Should Run, which tracks sexist media coverage of women candidates and politicians. Throughout the election season, Name It. Change It. has been monitoring the media’s coverage of both women candidates and office-holders as it identifies and attempts to end sexist coverage.

“These awards represent both egregious incidents of sexism and repeat offenders, and by naming their coverage for what it is—sexism—we hope to prevent future incidents,” Burton said.

The Name It. Change It. Awards for Most Sexist Coverage of Women Candidates and Politicians are awarded to:

The Chicago Sun-Times – raising children?

Your News Now “Capital Tonight” anchor Liz Benjamin – Fifty Shades of Grey

Fox News “The Five” co-hosts Greg Gutfeld and Kimberly Guilfoyle – women’s hair

Boston Herald columnist Howie Carr – sexist nicknames

Huffington Post Politics Social Media Editor Ethan Klapper, Huffington Post Style Editors Ellie Krupnick and Jessica Misener; and Fashion Whip Columnists Lauren Rothman and Christina Wilkie – women’s appearances

Read the full Report here http://www.nameitchangeit.org/sexistMediaAwards2012

Name It. Change It. has also released its Election Report, bringing to the forefront the importance of calling out sexism while listing specific incidents that occurred during the 2012 election cycle. Blatant examples of media sexism include a Bloomberg columnist questioning U.S. Senate candidate Linda McMahon’s gender, essentially asking if she was ‘woman enough’ to serve in office. Illinois Attorney General and gubernatorial candidate Lisa Madigan was also subjected to blatant sexism at the hands of several Chicago Sun-Times reporters, who repeatedly questioned how she could possibly serve in office while raising her children.

“Research shows that sexism—even mild sexism—is severely damaging to these women’s campaigns,” said President/CEO of She Should Run, Siobhan “Sam” Bennett. “This is why we see so many of their opponents resort to sexist attacks. Name It. Change It. exists to replace the usual silence that follows the sexist attack with condemnation, with the goal of improving this country’s political landscape for women.”

Name It. Change It.’s research also proves the effectiveness of countering these attacks by immediately and publically calling out the perpetrators, making the continuance of the organization’s research and mission essential.

Read the full Election Report at www.nameitchangeit.org/election2012