Women's eNews (https://womensenews.org/author/sheila-gibbons/)
The massive layoffs and cutbacks in news operations are taking a toll on women who worked hard to make names for themselves in a male-dominated field. Sheila Gibbons talks to three veterans who have plenty to say, and some silver linings to report.
Given Michelle Obama’s impressive credentials, Sheila Gibbons thinks the next first lady is bound to be an innovative first lady. But the media’s fixation on her as celebrity wife and mom make it hard to know what to expect.
Women’s media treatment has moved ahead on many fronts, but a new Media Matters report finds right-wing radio hosts stuck in a time warp. Sheila Gibbons also flags the scarcity of Huffington Post female bloggers found in a FAIR study.
Sarah Palin’s media honeymoon quickly devolved into the candidate’s current call for less “filtering.” Sheila Gibbons says Hillary Clinton faced a much harsher press and Palin should expect tough scrutiny if she wants to be V.P.
The media latched on to a Massachusetts high school “pregnancy pact,” cooing with young mothers-to-be while clucking over high teen pregnancy rates. But the real story was about cuts in preventive programs and a lack of reproductive care for teens.
Marketing to women rarely recognizes the extent of women’s buying power, technical savvy or confidence. Given our media saturation, Sheila Gibbons says it would help girls and women if advertisers addressed them with more respect.
As the first analysis of election coverage ’08 starts emerging before the primary season is even over, Sheila Gibbons sees hopeful signs in data about women’s strong contribution as political bloggers.
Ms. has turned 35 with a lavish Wonder Woman collector’s issue that is now on newsstands. Sheila Gibbons finds the magazine shares the celebration with other print publications from feminism’s “second wave.”
The Web has provided a vibrant breeding ground for the anti-choice movement and its rhetoric. Sheila Gibbons prefers a dose of reality from a new site that tackles misinformation and aims to build advocacy support for women’s health.
A University of Missouri collection houses the papers of notable female journalists and reveals their professional stories. Sheila Gibbons says with the arrival of the digital age, however, valuable history may never find its way in to the archives.