A Puzzling Problem

Abstract

This study examines the discourse observed within The New York Times crossword puzzles that, in Gaye Tuchman’s terms, appears to symbolically annihilate people of color, women, and members of the LGBT community. Using a critical discourse analysis of a random selection of crossword puzzles between 1993 and 2015, this paper will argue that they tend to skew toward white (Western), male, and heterosexual clues and answers in one of the world’s most important newspapers. In doing so, the discourse of the crosswords appear to stereotype, omit, further marginalize, trivialize, underrepresent, and render as child-like many marginalized people. These findings contribute significantly to the theory of symbolic annihilation in mainstream media, the consequences of which will be discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Critical discourse analysis
• gender
• race
• newspaper
• symbolic annihilation
• The New York Times

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1 As explained in greater detail below, the gender/sexuality category refers to clues and answers that refer to living or fictional people whose gender is known, as well as human stereotypes and traditional notions of, or challenges to, heteronormativity, femininity, and masculinity.

2 A number of forces influence which the stories news media cover (see Shoemaker and Reese 2013), but they typically do not have the option to completely chose their own content the way puzzle constructors and editors can.