Interest Group or Issue (National, State, or Local) - Position Paper 2
In the year of 1966, the National Organization for women was formed by a group of ambitious individuals who wanted to end discrimination against all women of different races and ethnicities. Betty Frieden, who was already a well-known author for her famous bestselling book The Feminine Mystique, was the organization’s first chosen president. For 54 years, the National Organization for women have marched, protested, performed community service, and of course, made valuable history around the United States of America. Looking at the timeline of the organization’s historical events and prominence, they have exceeded many expectations and disappointed many doubters. In August 1967, women of the organization and activists protested in vintage attire against gender segregation. In the year of 1973, the organization and their supporters and protesters, protest against the power of sexual assault and violence against innocent women. In July 1978, the National Organization for women attended the biggest march for the equal rights amendment in Washington D.C. As you can see, this organization is pretty hands-on.
The National Organization for women is now the
largest and most active interest group and organization for women. According to
research, the organization is well put together when it comes to the media, or
when it comes to putting out their media. Now on the Record is a media segment
on the National Organization for women website sharing thoughts on politics and
updates of the organization’s pro-activity. The media center on the website
also includes sections with press releases, and another segment called Now
on the News. To their rightful advantage, the organization posted an
article in the Now on the Record on August 13th. August 13th
is now traditionally ‘Black Women’s Equal Pay Day’ for
many feminists and organizations like the NOW. The article expressed how
African American women were paid less than other races around the United
States. According to research, African American women are prevented from equal
pay which prevents them from being able to excel in their lives and provide for
their families. The NOW consistently calls to action to press the issue and
expose the inequality of the situation at hand.
As mass media analysts we all know that social media
and social media strategies are essential to any type of organization and
movement. Social media has been mobilizing attention and recognizing the rights
of women for years now, and in my opinion, we can thank the NOW for it to a
certain extent. Online advocating can be a hassle at times, but the National
Women’s Organization has stayed consistent despite of the naysayers, and males
who are anti-women who degrade the independence and upliftment of women across
the globe. The National Women’s Organization is using social media as one of
their strategies to bring attention to the issues about women’s rights. In the
year of 1995, it was predicted how the media would expand in their resources
and to make more advantages for the enhancement of women across the United
States, and even in some places across the world. Though obstacles remain for
women and organizations for women like NOW to advocate on the internet and push
for systematic change, women who are advocates and the National Women's
Organization women, in general, are known to use social media more than men do,
so that is an advantage. NOW's strategy is to enhance social media by promoting
women empowerment and increasing their access to the internet and technology.
NOW's goal on social media and preferring to media, in general, is to enhance
the representation of women through encouragement.
The media has opened a new frontier for organizing
women’s rights. With the advocacy of women empowerment being consistent on
social media and through the media women are sharing experiences and forming
more support groups. As I stated earlier, women are more likely to use social
media more than men. Women use all major social media websites majority of the
time, except for linked in and periscope. Women tweet more than the average
male twitter user, but male twitter users are most likely to be retweeted than
a female that uses twitter. Though it is hard for women’s rights to be
normalized online, offline, inside, and outside of the media, women’s rights
may be easier to normalize on social media and gain more supporters.
As far as the National Women’s Organization social
media stats and reputation goes, they have a Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
account. The organization has 202,872 followers on Facebook. The organization
now has 106.7K followers on Twitter and 7,539 followers on Instagram. I
observed each of the organization’s social media accounts and I must mention
that I am impressed by their consistency and advocacy through social media. NOW
supports the movement for Breonna Taylor through their post, which I feel is
very generous and thoughtful, and not to mention a great strategy to bring
positive attention to the organization. Their proactivity on twitter is
consistent as well as their proactivity on Facebook. I feel that the plan that
NOW has or any plan that they create is always effective due to their consistency
and compassion for women across the world. They provide support for other
interest groups such as Black Lives Matter and ME
TOO. The National Women's Organization seeks to show compassion toward
not only women but the less fortunate in general as well as people who have
been treated with injustice.
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