A Glass Ceiling in Blogging?
July 31, 2008 by Kristen King
Filed under Business
(www.bizchicksrule.com) — I don’t know about you, but I have always thought of blogs as the great equalizer. Anyone can publish a blog — for free. But then I read this article in Sunday’s New York Times, and I started wondering if maybe there’s more to it than that…
There is a measure of parity on the Web. According to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, among Internet users, 14 percent of men and 11 percent of women blog.
A study conducted by BlogHer and Compass Partners last year found that 36 million women participate in the blogosphere each week, and 15 million of them have their own blogs. (BlogHer, which was founded by Lisa Stone, Elisa Camahort Page and Jory Des Jardins, has itself grown into a mini empire that includes a Web site that helps publicize women’s blogs, and an advertising network to help women generate revenue for the site.)
Yet, when Techcult, a technology Web site, recently listed its top 100 Web celebrities, only 11 of them were women. Last year, Forbes.com ran a similar list, naming 4 women on its list of 25.
“It’s disheartening and frustrating,” said Allison Blass, a BlogHer attendee whose personal blog at www.lemonade-life.com is about living with Type 1 diabetes.
I wonder if the difference is less sex and more content. What are these 14% and 11% of men and women, respectively, writing about, and how is it resonating with the reading public? Is it really sex that’s the issue, or is it what the readers want to see?
What do you think? Is there a glass ceiling in blogging? Is there a glass ceiling in business? Or is it just something people say to feel better about not being where they want to be?
(hat tip: Debbi Mack; image: SXC.hu)
Contents © Copyright 2008 Kristen King
Tags: womens business blog, women and business, women in business, women, woman, business, glass ceiling, blogging, new york times, blogher, debbi mack, sex discrimination, gender discrimination, biz chicks rule, kristen king
Great Article, and thanks for tweeting it.
Yes, I do believe that there is a glass ceiling in regards to anything that goes on with male/female relationships because of the inherent power structure which is obviously, no pun intended, men on top. People like to say oh yada yada look at all the strides women have made. Like we should be happy with what we have. This type of sweeping it all under the rug statement only serves to reinforce the current power structure. Mark my words, this is the last great battle we will have to fight as humans – the one to truly equalize male/female relationships. We need to change the partiarchy to egalitarianarchy. Something like that.
I think the glass ceiling is really indicative of the Internet’s core users, who are still overwhelmingly male. I think there are a couple core question that may be left out is absolutely content related: What are the most popular blog subjects and what percentages of men vs women write on those subjects? I bet if you examine those two questions, the reason for the supposed glass ceiling in blogging will become apparent.
Actually women are the majority users of the Internet, and comprise 50% of bloggers too. It’s when you start to examine the conventional definition of the word “popular” that you begin to see the point of Ellen’s comment :)
I am divided on how I feel on this . . I personally have been told by many women “I don’t do blogs.” So while 50% of Internet users are female, most of the ones I know do not visit blog sites beyond PerezHilton. I feel that it has a lot more to do with the popular topics; business is something everyone relates to. While a lot of women bloggers I find do not speak on business. I do not think we are being pushed out, I think that most women bloggers carter to a very small niche which prevents them from being on the “Best Blogs” list.
GREAT comments, y’all. Ellen, I appreciate your warning about statements that sweep things under the rug, and I think Elisa did a good job of highlighting that. Kimberlee and Aja Nicole, you’re dead on: blog topics have a HUGE impact on their popularity.
It’s an interesting idea, this glass ceiling. I’m not sure how I feel about it. Well, actually, I am sure. I’m skeptical that it exists. I don’t know that there’s a power structure somewhere that keeps women from progressing in the blogosphere.
I don’t think it exists.
I think people end up on the blogs that give them the most satisfaction. Like this one here. :)
Data points, Barbara
This topic intrigues me. And I do think it exists.
Can I attribute all my blog’s success to its content? Oh come on. Of course not. Personality, tone, strategizing… And then I look around at women bloggers doing the very same as I do.
Um… well… there aren’t many. In fact, in my niche, I surpass most of them. How’d that happen?
Perception counts. I hear many WAHM writers complain they face prejudice each day, and I believe them. I’ve seen it happen. They work harder – way harder – for their success.
Unless they’re Dooce, of course.