Feministing

Feministing
Web address feministing.com
Slogan Young Feminists Blogging, Organizing, Kicking Ass
Type of site
 Blog
Registration Optional
Created by Jessica Valenti
Editor Maya Dusenbery (Executive Director for Editorial)
Launched 2004
Alexa rank
 68,102[1]
Current status Online

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

Purpose and audience

Valenti began Feministing in 2004 while working at the National Organization for Women's legal defense fund (now Legal Momentum), where she felt that young feminists were being excluded from feminist discourse.[2] 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.[3][4] 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.[5][6] The writing on Feministing is not exclusively political, but also concerns feminist perspectives and observations from the staff's daily lives.[7] Sex and sexuality are another frequent topic of discussion; it is sometimes cited as an Internet extension of the third-wave feminist movement.[2][8] It is wildly popular among young feminists.[4][5][9][10] Feministing also has a comments section.[2] Readers post (sometimes heated) comments on posts by the editorial board and post their own writing at their community portal.[9][11]

Staff

As of September 2013, Feministing has three co-Executive Directors: Lori Adelman (Partnerships), Maya Dusenbery (Editorial), and Jos Truitt (Development).[12] Alexandra Brodsky is an editor and columnist. The other staff columnists are Chloe Angyal (Senior Columnist), Katie Halper, Syreeta McFadden, Sesali Bowen, Verónica Bayetti Flores, Juliana Britto Schwartz, Mychal Denzel Smith, Katherine Cross, Gwendolyn Beetham (Academic Feminist Columnist), Dana Bolger, and Suzanna Bobadilla (Interviews Columnist). [13][14] The site is supported by advertisements but all of the writers have day jobs.[4][10] Former Feministing staff include former editors Ann Friedman, Miriam Zoila Pérez, Courtney E. Martin, and Samhita Mukhopadhyay.[13]

Retirement of Jessica Valenti

Creator Valenti retired from Feministing in 2011. In a statement issued on 2 February 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.

Reception

Feministing has received a Blogger's Choice nomination for its political and editorial content and is a 2011 winner of the Sidney Hillman Prize for social and economic justice in blog journalism.[16][17] Writer Danelle Morton described one Feministing contributor as "righteous" in a commentary piece in the San Francisco Chronicle.[10][11]

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.[9]

Men's rights activist Glenn Sacks has criticized the site for downplaying violence against men, which he believes reflects society's preference of women.[18]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Feministing.com site info". Alexa. Retrieved 25 September 2013.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Kramer Bussel, Rachel (15 May 2006). "Jessica Valenti, Executive Editor and Founder, Feministing.com". interview. Gothamist.com. Retrieved 2009-01-28.
  3. ↑ Traister, Rebecca (24 April 2007). "Tough titties". interview (Salon.com). Retrieved 2 February 2009.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Zerbisias, Antonia (25 June 2008). "What we need is a f-word revolution". article (Toronto Star). Retrieved 2 February 2009.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Dominus, Susan (1 February 2008). "Feminists Find Unity Is Elusive". article (New York Times). Retrieved 28 January 2009.
  6. ↑ Rebecca, Traister (March 2008). "Activist Intelligence: Jessica Valenti". article (Elle Magazine). Retrieved 2 February 2009.
  7. ↑ Swamy, Shruti (2 February 2009). "Yes, We Can". article (India Currents). Retrieved 4 February 2009.
  8. ↑ Hirshman, Linda (8 June 2008). "Looking to Future, Feminism Has to Focus". article (Washington Post). Retrieved 2 February 2009.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Funk, Liz (12 October 2006). "Feministing: Feminist? Or Just -Ing?". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2009-01-28.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Moskowitz, Gary (11 September 2006). "A Feminist Home on the Web". interview (AlterNet.org). Retrieved 2 February 2009.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Danielle, Morton (21 May 2006). "Go ahead, call Laura Bush a feminist". column (San Francisco Chronicle). Retrieved 2 February 2009.
  12. ↑ "Feministing names new Executive Directors!". Feministing. 17 September 2013.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "About". Feministing. Retrieved 25 September 2013.
  14. ↑ "Meet Us". article (Feministing). Retrieved 28 March 2011.
  15. ↑ "Farewell, Feministing!". Feministing.com. 2 February 2011. Retrieved 2011-03-28.
  16. ↑ "The Sidney Hillman Foundation Announces 2011 Prizes for Exemplary Reporting that Fosters Social and Economic Justice". The Sidney Hillman Foundation.
  17. ↑ "Congratulations to Feministing.com". Daily Wire. Ms. Magazine. 16 October 2007. Retrieved 2009-01-28.
  18. ↑ http://glennsacks.com/blog/?p=1463

External links