Here’s Elizabeth Curtis, with more bloggy tips for ya’ll this morning–some you may already know, and some you may not! Enjoy. – GWP

Getting Active Online (Part 1)

In an increasingly wired culture, you probably find yourself spending more and more time online – for work, for fun, for shopping, and more. Wouldn’t it be great if you could effortlessly transform some of that time into powerful activism? These simple steps listed below will help you to become an activist on the internet – the easy way.

Join a SOCIAL NETWORKING website.

Social networking websites allow you to quickly and easily connect with individuals who share similar interests. Because of their rhizomatic nature, these websites facilitate strongly networked collaborations between people who may have never otherwise connected because of geographical or other constraints.

Step 1: Find the social networking website that is right for you.

Popular Social Networking Websites:
–Facebook
–MySpace
–LinkedIn
–Second Life

Good News: Feeling overwhelmed by the number invitations to join these websites that you receive? Google is working on streamlining the online social experience with Open Social.

Step 2: Use your new network to connect with individuals doing similar work, to support causes you believe in, or to raise awareness about important issues.

Organizing Activism: Ms. Magazine (Winter 2008) recently reported on “an underground movement” of individuals who organized via Facebook to protest sexist advertising in the tube system by placing stickers with messages on them has gained national attention in the United Kingdom. Increasingly, off-line activism is being organized online.

Find Your Cause: Facebook allows users to create “Causes” around specific issues and to fundraise for specific non-profit organizations. Many individuals and organizations report success in social networking-based fundraising.

Crossposted.

The Women’s Media Center has just announced an opening for a Media Director. Know anyone? Pass it on! This is a fantastic job for the right person. Here’s the scoop. -GWP

Description: The Women’s Media Center (WMC) is a 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2005 by Jane Fonda, Robin Morgan and Gloria Steinem to make women visible and powerful in the media. The WMC is looking for a Media Director in its New York City office starting immediately. This person will build relationships with press (print, broadcast, local, national, entertainment and news), pitch women-centered storylines and spokespeople to the media, act as a resource to journalists and train women to become better media spokespeople.

Job Responsibilities
• Build and maintain relationships with media professionals including print, broadcast, local, national, entertainment and online reporters, editors and producers
• Pitch stories to media professionals, resulting in maximum coverage and visibility for women’s perspectives
• Oversee and administer media spokesperson training program in New York City
• Identify, research and document trends and developments within the media industry and recommend/implement WMC media campaigns
• Provide rapid response media support to organizations and individuals trying to raise the visibility of issues of importance to women and lead the WMC’s rapid response efforts
• Field media requests-sometimes on very tight and/or off-hour deadlines-maintaining contact databases, organizing resources, assisting reporters with stories of importance for women and assisting WMC-identified spokespeople with booking & preparation for interviews
• Plan, write, edit and send materials including press releases, alerts, e-mails and letters to media professionals
• Monitor assigned media outlets on a daily basis and track issues pertaining to the WMC.

Qualifications
• *Required: Strong written and oral communication skills (writing samples will be requested)
• *Required: At least four years of work within media or communications in some capacity
• *Required: Demonstrated success in media relations (examples of media placements – written or broadcast – will be requested)
• *Required: Demonstrated knowledge of women’s issues.
• Media rolodex a must
• Demonstrated project management skills and ability to work under pressure
• Excellent relationship-building skills and extremely positive attitude required
• Must demonstrate strong organizational skills, ability to manage multiple tasks to meet deadlines
• Web knowledge and savvy a must
• Background in being interviewed by print, online and broadcast media a plus
• Demonstrated commitment to team work among staff and volunteers
• Ability to work effectively with people of diverse races, ages, ethnicities and sexual identities
• Research skills a plus
• Bachelor’s degree a must
• Excellent knowledge of word processing, database programs, internet research
(Lexis Nexis and Bacons) and spreadsheet programs

Supervision:
The Media Director is supervised by the Vice President of Programs and Administration.

Compensation:
Salary is between $68-75,000 depending on experience. Benefits include, but are not limited to: Escalating vacation beginning with three weeks; Paid sick days and holidays; and Organization-paid health benefits for employees.

Contact:
Glennda Testone
glennda@womensmediacenter.com
No phone calls please.
Note: The Women’s Media Center cannot pay for relocation at this time.

Well now THIS is interesting, a mea culpa (of sorts) from the Public Editor at the NYTimes: Pantsuits and the Presidency.

(More from me in a little while…)

In an article in yesterday’s Newsday, Lisa Witter issues a rousing plea to the media to unfetter our potential first ladies’ intellect on the campaign trail. Excerpts:

The new focus on Obama’s hair and hemlines comes right on the heels of the gender-biased way the media covered Clinton’s campaign. If we let this go on, we risk losing an important opportunity to have a national dialogue about sexism. We should be holding the media accountable for perpetuating stereotypes. If a white woman is strong, she’s considered cold – as the coverage of Cindy McCain has shown. If a black woman is strong, she’s obviously angry – so go the accusations about Michelle Obama….

While America’s women and girls lost the opportunity to see themselves reflected in the top job this round, what we can’t do is lose the opportunity to change the way women – and first ladies – are portrayed. It’s a tough line, no doubt. For the most part, we want to feel and look beautiful. We love our families and feel proud about our personal and professional accomplishments. But if we let the conversation about the first ladies focus mostly on the role and status of the conventional “Mrs.,” we’ve lost a huge opportunity to reframe gender and marriage dynamics in our country. We all need to take it upon ourselves to strike up a conversation about how we can end sexism in America. Contact the press when they get it right – and not so right. And I’m going to write Michelle Obama to let her know that when she portrays herself as strong, I feel strong, too.

Well said, Lisa. For more from Lisa, do check out the just-released book she coauthored, titled The She Spot: Why Women Are the Secret to Changing the World and How to Reach Them. Lisa is chief operating officer of Fenton Communications, and an inspiration to many. I definitely recommend her book!

For those obsessed, like me, with how the media is and will cover Michelle Obama, do check out the new blog Michelle Obama Watch. The site is designed to be “a repository of all of the criticism, praise, and general chicanery thrown at Michelle Obama between now and November.” And for any who missed Michelle Obama on The View, here’s the clip:

On Wednesday, June 25 (tomorrow), New York Women in Communications is hosting a panel discussion that looks at how media has effected this historic presidential election. The event has a great title: “2008 ELECTION: THE ULTIMATE COMMUNICATIONS CASE STUDY.” From the press release:

How has the 2008 election changed the way information is received, discussed and processed? How has the media created buzz and changed the way the younger generation feeds on it? What has the 2008 election taught us about communicating?….The panel will include: moderator Jere Hester, director, NYCity News Service and former city editor, New York Daily News; Amanda Michel, project director, Off the Bus: Huffington Post; Keli Goff, author, Partycrashing: How the Hip-Hop Generation Declared Political Independence; Liz Nord, senior producer, MTV News; and Jodi Kantor, political journalist, The New York Times.

Where: CUNY Journalism School (219 West 40th Street, New York, NY 10018)
Time: 6:00 – 6:30pm: Networking and Refreshments
6:30 – 8:00pm: Panel Discussion
8:00 – 8:30pm: Networking Raffle
Fee: Members – $15
Non-members – $20
Registration: For more information and to register, visit www.nywici.org

I met the most amazing woman, and the most amazing 3-legged dog, yesterday in the park coming back from a visit to the place I’ve come to call the fertility farm (alert! I am NOT fertility blogging, just mentioning where I was coming from is all). These two have a pretty amazing story, and, as it turns out, Scheki (the dog) and Lori (the human) were profiled in April on WCBS. Schecki is short for “Schekayanu,” the Jewish blessing of gratitude for reaching a happy occasion.

Finding Schecki, a victim of a bombing most likely, in Israel was a happy occasion, explains Lori in the clip. She also says: “Scheki has taught us to have this strength and love of life and not to look at what we don’t have, but rather look at what we do have in life, and embrace it with a passion and exuberance.”

Amen (and woof) to that.

We knew this before, but a new study from Rutgers proves it yet again, and the NYTimes reports it: “Study Finds Imbalance on 3 Newspapers’ Op-Ed Pages”. In the words of Helaine Olen, “I’m shocked! Gambling at Rick’s!”

The authors of the study, Bob Sommer (who teaches public policy communications and is president of Observer Media, publisher of The New York Observer) and John R. Maycroft, a graduate student in public policy, got their data by combing through 366 opinion articles written by college teachers or researchers and published by three newspapers: The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Star-Ledger, the largest-circulation newspaper in New Jersey. Their study will be published in the journal Politics and Policy. Read more about it here.

Calling all ye women: SUBMIT YOUR OPEDS! To learn how, come to Woodhull’s next nonfiction writing retreat on July 11-13, where Katie Orenstein of The Oped Project will be teaching oped writing–and I’ll be teaching nonfiction book proposals! More info here.

(And thanks, Helaine, for the early morning heads up!)

Hey, GWP readers! This is new guest blogger, Elizabeth M. Curtis here. Loyal GWP readers might remember my previous posts that provided cultural critique and gender analysis. Well, now I’m returning to GWP – as a regular like Courtney Martin and Laura Mazer – to talk about blogging and you.

Many folks want to get more active online and make web 2.0 tools work for them, their writing, their institutions or organizations, and their causes. But sometimes a lack of tech know-how gets in the way. So, I’ll be sharing the secrets of online activism and the blogosphere that I’ve learned since I started blogging way back in 2006 (ages ago in online time!). My goal is to break down the blogging basics and to demystify web 2.0 technology for the folks who can’t wait to get active online, in the blogosphere, and beyond. A “Blog U,” if you will.

My first two tutorials offered to “Blog U” students will focus on getting active online and deciding whether or not you’re blog-ready. I’m looking for future tutorial topics as well. Let me know what you’re interested in exploring in the comments section or email me your queries.

Also, I’ll be cross-posting my “Blog U” posts on my own blog. Stop by for PDFs of “Blog U” material. Next post coming in just a few days…Stay tuned.

Crossposted.

Before signing off for the weekend, I’m feeling compelled to share with you this sign I saw at Kleinfeld Bridal, where yesterday I went with my cousin Jen to hunt for a crinoline. The small print reads, “Thank you for your understanding; if we are delayed, it is because some of our brides need extra care and attention. Be assured when it is your turn, you will receive the same care and attention.”

Um, bridezilla much?

Some of those women there Freaked. Me. Out. Including the attendant who said “that’s your dress? and you’re the bride?”, pointing to the $200 blue number I bought at the bride’s maid store on 14th Street. If it weren’t for the utter coolness of Susan, the “attendant” who was assigned to me and who happened to be a Broadway costume designer moonlighting as a Kleinfeld’s outfitter, I think I would have run screaming. Instead, I stayed, and got tips from Susan and the ever-savvy Jen about what else women in the 1950s wore. And I left there loving my little blue number all the more.