Local Television

So I intern at a TV station here in Austin, I've learned a lot during my time there.  One of the more interesting things was about TV ratings.

The station gets their ratings every so often and they get demographics for who is watching their newscast. After talking to a reporter there I learned that single moms around the age of 40 are most likely to be watching the news at night.  Take that for what it's worth I just though a whole study could be done off of this information. What are the different reasons for why this demographic is more likely to watch the news.

Could be because as a single mom, many of the happenings relate directly to them.  They may not have as much money so stories about taxes going up could affect them. A whole list could be drawn up about this.

Also news stories are being tailor made for this demographic. I wonder how much that is affecting the news, it is important to only put stories out there that reach certain people or should you report on the news as a whole?

Something to think about.

Fashion and the News

How often do you pay attention to what a news anchor is wearing?

I'm noticing a lot of articles about news fashion and make-up tips from news anchors when I search for women in the news. I know I sometimes look at what they are wearing when it's very cute, but usually I'm paying attention to what they're saying.  It's interesting to me because it seems like this is a way news networks can get people to watch there show or go to their website. The sites that I found these articles were on the Huffington Post and The Washington Post and other prominent news outlets across the country.

Is this the only reason why most women watch the news?

One Girl's Fight for Education

On a rainy day in October, when I happened to be watching CNN from one of Gregory Gym's elliptical machines, I learned about the inspiring and tragic story of Malala Yousafzai, a 15-year-old girl from Pakistan.  She was shot in the back by the Taliban on October ninth, simply because of her activism for the education of Pakistani girls and her outspokenness against the Taliban.  CNN showed clips of one American reporter's interview with the teenager that had taken place only a little while before shooting.  The reporter asked her really tough questions, and each time she answered thoughtfully, with dignity and grace.  

Hearing what she had to say and knowing the outcome of the situation was both horrifying and humbling.  To think that there are young girls out there like Malala who can fearlessly stand up for what they believe in, even if it means becoming a target for violence, is absolutely amazing to me.  She risked her life to obtain the right for all women to receive an education.  Fortunately, Malala survived the bullet wound and is now permanently living in Britain.

The sad thing is, she should be celebrated everywhere as a hero for her bravery, but if it wasn't for my elliptical workout at Gregory Gym, I probably wouldn't recognize her name today.  I'd also be willing to bet that none of my friends or family (besides perhaps my father, because he's an avid news watcher) would know who she is or what she did.  But of  course, we all know that Kate Middleton is pregnant and that Rihanna is back together with Chris Brown.  Obviously, we've got our priorities are straight.

Friday Fun with Feminist Ryan Gosling

To wrap up posting for the semester, check out some Friday Fun from Feminist Ryan Gosling. The blog started as a way for graduate students "to keep track of the feminist theorists" they were studying; it's also pretty funny -- and it does help remember some of the key points of feminist theory.

Woman Reporter's Pearl Harbor Story Finally Published 70 Years Later

Betty McIntosh was a reporter for the Honolulu Star-Bulletin the day that the Japanese air force bombed Pearl Harbor. "After a week of war, I wrote a story directed at Hawaii’s women;," McIntosh recently wrote, explaining that "I thought it would be useful for them to know what I had seen. It might help prepare them for what lay ahead." In this interview with the Washington Post, she recalls how her male editor told her to do something from a woman's point of view; McIntosh says she couldn't figure out why women were different from men. After writing the story, the editor spiked it because it was "too frightening for women to read." This takes us back to the readings about the women reporters working during the Depression and war years and their efforts to break free of the soft news angle and report real stories. You can read that account, which has been published by the Post on its website.

Women are Now Primary Breadwinners

I found this information to not only be motivational but also exciting. "The Prudential Financial survey revealed that 53 percent of women are the main source of income." I guess we have come a long way! Not only are more women joining the workforce, but now women are becoming the prominent breadwinners for the family. What does this say about women? Look how far we have come! However, we do still have a lot of ground to make with the health debates and even in making the Fortune 500 list. 

"This new data shows that consistent with demographic trends and reflecting the impact of the financial crisis, the majority of women today are financially responsible for generating their own and their families' income," said Susan Blount, senior vice president and general counsel for Prudential Financial. "The study shows that with women in more control than ever of their finances, they face significant challenges when it comes to financial decision making, and admit to a lack of knowledge about financial solutions that can help them."

Recession Spurs Jobs for Women

An article from the Huffington Post has claimed that "The Great Recession," has lead to more women joining the work force. I found this particularly interesting because I (as a women) am about to join the working world myself and I do not consider the economy as being the deciding factor of me looking for work, but the fact that I want to pursue a career. In times of recession like this, where many women are forced to get jobs to help take care of their families, I wonder what will happen in the future? I suppose that this increase in women in the workforce is particularly focused on women in older generations because I feel like a lot of women in our generation will automatically join. Am I right, or I am I just being naive?

Kristin Smith, family demographer with The Carsey Institute said, "It is likely that wives will remain in the labor force even after their husbands return to work, as many families have lost ground due to diminished savings, housing values and retirement accounts. Thus, it is critical to pay attention to the implications of wives as breadwinners for families and the workplace."