The New York Times “covers” the new roles of mommy bloggers
You can’t do this with a blog now can you?
When will stay at home moms, work at home moms, working moms, blogging moms…MOMS…get fair representation in the media?
Doesn’t traditional media get enough flack for their shoddy presentation of issues? You would think they would take the time to get it even mildly accurate before they hit “publish”…especially when writing about a group who’s main form of expression is …blogging? After reading the New York Times article “Honey, Don’t Bother Mommy. I’m Too Busy Building My Brand, I feel a little bit of research would go a long way to re-building their brand and reputation. Oh WHATEVER, their reputation is shot. Maybe they could just cover a story with integrity because that’s what their JOB is. You know, the one they leave their homes and families to do during working hours to pay the bills.
Oh dang, that’s right! She got paid to write that piece…
It’s ironic isn’t it?
Jennifer Mendelsohn “reports” in the “FASHION AND STYLE” section…
“prepared for a daylong conference that offered to school them in the latest must-have skill set for the minivan crowd.”
“Teaching your baby to read? Please. How to hide vegetables in your children’s food? Oh, that’s so 2008.”
“Heed the speaker’s advice, and you, too, might get 28,549 views of your tutu-making tutorial!”
Wow, she’s as pithy as a mommy blogger tagline!
If you could throw more condescendingly inappropriate descriptions into one article, I’d think we were watching The Daily Show or The Onion. Some people consider those “almost news”. Compared to the New York Times, they might be right.
“Whereas so-called mommy blogs were once little more than glorified electronic scrapbooks”
Funny that the so-called writer at that so-called newspaper would choose these words. A blog takes many forms and to say any of our work is “glorified” anything is making light of the thousands of people who use blogging as a creative outlet, entertain, enlighten, motivate, and do it well.
Or God forbid make money.
Where are the real journalists? I can’t find them. Media bias is a plague in this country. It’s no wonder we don’t go to these print and online sources for valuable and believable information and instead run to each other on the internet for advice about the “warts and all experiences”. Moms who stay at home and work outside the home have long been a target of this bias for many different reasons. Now as we begin to work with companies in our online roles, the peanut gallery is constantly trying to define and qualify the space for us.
No need, we are defining it on our own. Pay attention to what we are doing and report accurately without slant.
Can they?
They don’t approach it with an open eye. That’s what ticks me off. To base an article like this on one mini conference and maybe a phone call or two and come out with this level of direct and indirect bashing of the demographic is ridiculous.
The fact that the writer was paid to do it is ludicrous.
NYT? I can hook you up with a list of so-called mommy bloggers who could do a much more professional so-called job. And even raise a few so-called outstanding kids at the same time.
Love it!
Well done Linda.
I don’t understand why this writer felt the need to be so condescending. You can feel the sarcasm jump at you as if you’re in Middle School and someone wants you to know how much they don’t like you. (Hey “legitimate journalists”! Let’s point and laugh at the mommy-bloggers!)
The fact that they chose to send this journalist to a very short conference shows that they aren’t sincerely trying to understand what being a blogger is all about. And is it really something that needs to be understood? Can’t we all just get along?
Well said. I just don’t get it. Is what this writer wrote even worthy of being printed? Clearly they have no idea!
Wonder what she has to say about moms that work outside of the home and blog? And, guess what, my kids are alive and thriving!
Krystyn´s last blog ..Cinnabon Cupcake Review and Giveaway
I felt the same way when I read that article. How about some real research? And what about the fact that lots of bloggers also write for magazines and plenty of writers who originally wrote for magazines now blog. Lots of flash without substance. Too bad.
Yup. I’m glad you wrote something. I am still shaking my head.
jennyonthespot´s last blog ..Make We Laugh Monday – Hawt Firemen
Thank you Linda! As a mom who blogs who was at the Bloggy Boot Camp in Baltimore (which was fabulous, BTW) I was disgusted by this pathetic attempt at journalism. This writer was warmly received in to our group (aka attending the conference for free *wink wink*) and spent upwards of 20 minutes talking with several of us individually only to turn around and write this ridiculous crap. I have said it before and will say it again- the professionalism of (most) mom bloggers and our ability to navigate new media intimidates the H-E- double hockey sticks out of those in traditional media roles.
Melissa Multitasking Mama´s last blog ..National Napping Day
The word I used for the NY Times article was “rubbish”. It was sensational journalism worthy of The National Enquirer (is that still around now that main stream media has taken over snarky reporting for it?).
Love your post – and the picture is great. I’m linking to your post on mine – http://kellysluckyyou.blogspot.com/2010/03/now-we-have-nerve-to-want-respect-you.html
I called it all a load of codswallop. Proud Mom who blogs, and I am the mother of the most awesome kids ever….
http://hadassahsabo.wordpress.com/2010/03/15/sorry-kid-i-need-to-ignore-you-for-a-while%E2%80%A6not/
Ditto to all you said! The NYT is no longer relevant to…well, anything.
Some Lucky Dog´s last blog ..Book Giveaway: "The Yellow House" at The Iowa Geek
What about all the (respectable) female journalists who are also bloggers?