Feministing

Feministing
Created by Jessica Valenti
Website feministing.com

Feministing.com is a feminist blog founded in 2004 by Jessica Valenti.

Contents

Purpose and audience

Valenti began Feministing in 2004 while working at the NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund, where she felt that young feminists were being excluded from feminist discourse.[1] She describes Feministing's purpose as "a way to get through the mommy filter" and make feminism more accessible to young women through giving an Internet presence for young feminists.[2][3] Feministing covers topics ranging from outrage on measures to restrict reproductive rights or pay equity to irreverent or bemused coverage of pop culture and art, such as urinals shaped to look like vaginas.[4][5] The writing on Feministing is not exclusively political, but also concerns feminist perspectives and observations from the staff's daily lives.[6] Sex and sexuality are another frequent topic of discussion; it is sometimes cited as an Internet extension of the third-wave feminist movement.[1][7] It is wildly popular among young feminists.[3][4][8][9] Feministing also has a comments section.[1] Readers post (sometimes heated) comments on posts by the editorial board and post their own writing at their community portal.[8][10]

Staff

Feministing has four staff editors / writers and eight credited staff writers. Editors include executive editor Samhita Mukhopadhyay,[6][9][11] Vanessa Valenti,[12] Miriam Zolia Perez,[13], Courtney Martin,.[14], Chloe Angyl and Jos Truitt. Writers include Lori Adelman, Maya Duesenbery, Eesha Pandit and Zerlina Maxwell.[12] The site is supported by advertisements but all of the writers have day jobs.[3][9]

Retirement of Jessica Valenti

Creator Valenti retired from Feministing in 2011. In a statement issued on February 2 Valenti announces her retirement arguing that her intention for the site was to provide a space for younger feminists outside the elite. Valenti states:

"Today, almost 5,000 posts later, I’m a 32 year-old feminist with a voice that is listened to. Largely because of the work I’ve done with Feministing, I have a successful platform for my work – I’ve published books, written articles, and built a career as a speaker. Because I feel Feministing should remain a place for younger feminists to build their careers and platforms, I think it’s appropriate to our mission that I step back." [15]

Valenti continues to respond to articles using the comments forum, and current Feministing writers frequently post links to other work by both Valenti and Friedman.

Praise and criticism

Feministing has received a Blogger's Choice nomination for its political and editorial content.[16] Writer Danelle Morton described one Feministing contributor as "righteous" in a commentary piece in the San Francisco Chronicle.[9][10]

In 2006, Feministing was involved in a controversy when founder Jessica Valenti was criticized by law professor Ann Althouse for posing with others for a picture with former president Bill Clinton while wearing, as she described, "a tight knit top that draws attention to her breasts". Althouse also criticized Feministing's logo (a version of the Mudflap girl holding up her middle finger) for being too sexualized, and suggested that Valenti and Feministing were not authentically feminist.[8]

Glenn Sacks has criticized the site for supposedly downplaying violence against men, which he believes reflects society's preference of women.[17]

External links

References

  1. ^ a b c Kramer Bussel, Rachel (15 May 2006). "Jessica Valenti, Executive Editor and Founder, Feministing.com". interview. Gothamist.com. http://gothamist.com/2006/05/15/jessica_valenti_1.php. Retrieved 2009-01-28. 
  2. ^ Traister, Rebecca (24 April 2007). "Tough titties". interview (Salon.com). http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2007/04/24/valenti/index.html. Retrieved 2 February 2009. 
  3. ^ a b c Zerbisias, Antonia (25 June 2008). "What we need is a f-word revolution". article (Toronto Star). http://www.thestar.com/article/448426. Retrieved 2 February 2009. 
  4. ^ a b Dominus, Susan (1 February 2008). "Feminists Find Unity Is Elusive". article (New York Times). http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/01/nyregion/01bigcity.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=feministing&st=cse. Retrieved 28 January 2009. 
  5. ^ Rebecca, Traister (March 2008). "Activist Intelligence: Jessica Valenti". article (Elle Magazine). http://www.flickr.com/photos/93947321@N00/415780743/. Retrieved 2 February 2009. 
  6. ^ a b Swamy, Shruti (2 February 2009). "Yes, We Can". article (India Currents). http://www.indiacurrents.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=ad5b84d0b0117284bcf8438a0fd2c2c6. Retrieved 4 February 2009. 
  7. ^ Hirshman, Linda (8 June 2008). "Looking to Future, Feminism Has to Focus". article (Washington Post). http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/06/AR2008060603494.html. Retrieved 2 February 2009. 
  8. ^ a b c Funk, Liz (12 October 2006). "Feministing: Feminist? Or Just -Ing?". Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/liz-funk/feministing-feminist-o_b_31572.html. Retrieved 2009-01-28. 
  9. ^ a b c d Moskowitz, Gary (11 September 2006). "A Feminist Home on the Web". interview (AlterNet.org). http://www.alternet.org/mediaculture/41433/. Retrieved 2 February 2009. 
  10. ^ a b Danielle, Morton (21 May 2006). "Go ahead, call Laura Bush a feminist". column (San Francisco Chronicle). http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2006/05/21/ING54ITLQU1.DTL. Retrieved 2 February 2009. 
  11. ^ Kamath, Deepa (4 December 2006). "Blogging the Cause". article (Nirali Magazine). http://niralimagazine.com/2006/12/blogging-the-cause/. Retrieved 3 February 2009. 
  12. ^ a b "Meet Us". article (Feministing). http://niralimagazine.com/2006/12/blogging-the-cause/. Retrieved 28 March 2011. 
  13. ^ "[Marriage]". [& Now]. 10 June 2008.
  14. ^ "[[1]]". [O'Reilly Factor]. 20 November 2007.
  15. ^ "Farewell, Feministing!". Feministing.com. 2 February 2011. http://feministing.com/2011/02/02/farewell-feministing. Retrieved 2011-03-28. 
  16. ^ "Congratulations to Feministing.com". Daily Wire. Ms. Magazine. 16 October 2007. http://www.msmagazine.com/news/uswirestory.asp?id=10606. Retrieved 2009-01-28. 
  17. ^ http://glennsacks.com/blog/?p=1463