Feoshia Henderson is a former reporter for The Cincinnati Enquirer. Before the Enquirer she covered the Kentucky Legislature and Kentucky politics for The Kentucky Post and The Kentucky Gazette.
She is currently a freelance journalist and blogs about social issues on her Myspace page. Feoshia describes her blog, Femblog, and her blog identity, Femblogger, as:
“I’m a frustrated political reporter looking for people who care about themselves and the world and are looking for a place to talk about it. I blog every day and you’ll find stories here that you usually won’t hear about anywhere else. I’m working to create an e-community of people who vote, who pay attention and who have something to say to politicians. Come by MySpace anytime! If you like it, then friend me. Here you’ll read about politics, social trends, technology, free speech, mass media, women’s health, sex, gender issues, relationships and more!�
Here’s Feoshia…
What first got you blogging? How did you come into becoming Femblogger?
I started blogging about two years ago after I switched newspaper jobs. I had been a political reporter in Northern Kentucky before moving to Cincinnati and I wanted to keep writing and sharing political news. I came up with the idea of Femblog because I wanted to do something a little different and have a blog with a focus. I thought women's political and health issues weren't really being covered that extensively. The name Femblog, I thought, got to the point of what the blog was all about.
What does blogging mean to you? Would you ever consider doing it professionally?
Blogging is a way to communicate with people in a personal way. I post a lot of stories that I think are interesting or important, but I sometimes write about my personal life, my work or events I go to. I would love to do this professionally at some point and hope that
Femblog becomes popular enough for me to do that. I would love to do more of my own writing on Femblog, as well.
What's your day job? How do you find time to blog?
I am a news reporter by trade. In June I left a staff job at The Cincinnati Enquirer and now I'm trying to start my own freelance writing business. It has been difficult, but I think it will pay off if I keep at it. Right now I have more time to blog. When I was working full time, I would just do it whenever I could. (Sometimes at the office!) Since I’m single and don’t have children, I have more time to myself.
For readers who haven’t yet visited Femblogger, what can readers expect to find?
My blog for the most part is a little different from other political blogs. Most of the time I let the stories speak for themselves. The issues I most frequently post stories on concern abortion, relationships, gender and society, free speech, women’s health, marriage laws, pregnancy and technology.
As far as my personal stance on some issues: I do identify myself as a feminist and what that stands for, which is economic, cultural and social equality for women. I’ve blogged about children’s toys and how I believe a lot of dolls and clothes aimed at young girls over sexualizes them at a young age. I’ve blogged about my personal issues with body image and weight and how keeping a healthy body image is a constant struggle for me because there are so many unreal images of women in media and advertising. I’ve also blogged about my sister who recently had a baby, and how important it is to support women not just while they are pregnant but after they give birth. I blogged about the need for women to become involved in the political process. Recently CNN and YouTube hosted a debate that got a lot of attention. I submitted a question (which didn’t get picked) asking how the candidates would make healthcare more affordable to people without insurance. When I submitted my question I saw there were very few women who submitted any. I posted my YouTube video on my blog and encouraged my readers to submit their own. Those are just a few examples of what I’ve written about.
Readers can expect a lot of good conversation, too. In my opinion, that’s the best part of the blog. The comments are for the most part really thought provoking and wide-ranging. My readers definitely aren’t of the same mindset, but generally are respectful of each other. I’m really proud of that because many times comments can turn into name calling, and I don’t get much of that on Femblog.
What issues are currently on your radar? And what are your takes on them?
I think the biggest issues right now for women are equal pay for equal work, reproductive and healthcare rights and self-esteem and body issues. My beliefs on these issues are simple really, and are fundamentally American. I believe in freedom and equality for women. Women need information, freedom of choice and the power to make decisions for themselves.
What issues do you think feminists need to start, if they're not already, paying more attention to?
This question goes to the core of Femblog. Women (and men) must pay attention and become involved in politics, from the local level to the international level. That means staying informed about what is going on in the world, voting for candidates who support your beliefs and running for office if that’s possible. Politicians control more of our lives than we realize, from healthcare affordability, to taxes, to marriage and abortion laws. Part of our job as voters is to hold them accountable for their decisions. We can’t do that if we don’t know what’s going on. I hope Femblog can be a part of that.
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As a self-identified feminist/progressive blogger trying to break into the blogosphere, I can relate to the desire to want to make the issues known so that the average American understands A) what is going on and B) how it affects them and their lives.
I was at a dinner the other night and I was sitting with a few friends among other people I didn't know. A friend of mine and myself were discussing the issues with the American reliance on Chinese trade. A few of the people at the table had no idea that there were any problems with Chinese manufactured products. I found their ignorance astounding, and I hope blogs like Feministing.com, Femblog, etc. will be fun, friendly ways to get news, whether it be about feminism or economics out to people who normally don't read the newspaper or watch CNN.