Broadcast Television Makes It Clear: It's a Man's World

During this election season, I had the opportunity to listen to 'talking heads' on television outlets talk about what former Secretary Clinton did wrong. Never did we hear about what she has accomplished and how her career has changed lives. When General Collin Powell left his job as the Secretary of State, we heard crickets. Even when Condoleezza Rice left the Secretary of State's Office; there was no scrutiny, no backroom discussions, and no investigations into the torture issue under the Bush Administration.

It just seems that the women really get a kick in the knees when they want to go further in their careers. Former HP (Hewlett-Packard) CEO, Carly Fiorina was highly criticized by her staff, and by folks that wanted to run against her in the 2016 election. One of the men had the audacity to make reference to her looks as a measuring stick in which we should vote for her. It was totally insulting and abusive. In my opinion, her biggest mistake was running as a Republican for President.

The polls that are coming out in favor of former Secretary Hillary Clinton; yet they are skewed and can't be trusted. We don't know if they are trying to give actual numbers, or are they using any scientific data? I never hear who they're collecting the data from, or what demographic are they using to determine if Donald J. Trump is ahead or Clinton is winning. It's a mystery show!

This is the problem that each political party is facing. If they don't support former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, you have elected a man (Trump) who has no experience whatsoever, (except giving money for access) and has no moral compass for human beings or for human rights... and ties to Russian oligarchs.

If Hillary Clinton is elected, you are seemingly supporting someone whose judgment or ethical lines are skewed. The opposition has painted the Clinton Foundation as a money pit. Let's be clear. There has been no investigation into the Clinton Foundation doing anything wrong. There have been no outright criminal investigations that would suggest the need to shut the Clinton Foundation down; as they did the Trump Foundation in New York.

Nonetheless, going back to my original point, the men are not as scrutinized as the women when they aspire to higher offices (like Senator or President) or higher post in the workplace? I see a lot of one-sided reporting on television; especially the early morning shows, who shall remain nameless for now. The saddest phenomenon is: these are television shows that are sponsored by men, coordinated by men, tailored by men, produced by men, and financially subsidized by men. It's sickening.

If women are ever going to have a fair system of reporting; then women have to produce their own television shows during prime time. Women have to become a force to reckon with in the digital broadcast media conglomerate. Furthermore, the world has such an online presence; women need to be as strong on the web as they are anywhere.

Lately, the polls are finally taking notice that women are running for more Senate offices and Congressional seats in Washington D.C., and women may very well take over the Congress and Senate eventually. Three women did win Senatorial Seats on Tuesday night; Kamala Harris of Maryland, Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire. Women do have the momentum. But I want to see women become fairly reported about in the news as well. That has not happened. I want to see women discussing issues about women and discussing the plight of our children on serious news shows.

So, we are not just sitting as a token female that is being disrespected. I'm sick of seeing a woman talking on the show and a male host who continually speaks over her, and drowns her out while she's reading the facts. Nor do I appreciate a woman being called names, while men refer to them as 'obsessed with sex,' just because she is raising the issue of sexual assault. Any assault on women and children is a horrible crime and it needs attention in this election cycle and discussions on-going beyond the election season!

Our current news broadcast formula has to change and change soon. Or else, women, we can just continue to believe and tell our daughters; it's a man's world and nothing will change that perspective. No matter how many cracks in the glass ceiling there are.

Tracy T. Brittain, is a professional commentarial with over thirty-years of experience.
Next, her education includes a Bachelor's Degree in Communications, Master's Degree in Organizational Management, and currently taking coursework toward a second Master's in English with a concentration in Creative Writing/nonfiction. Brittain's knowledge extends into writing essays, opinions, politics, health & fitness, self-improvement, business travel, relationships, news and current events society writer. Furthermore, she loves to comment, and write thought provoking topics about current events, she often writes about lighter subjects for people with open hearts and open minds. In the past, she has appeared in USA Today, Chicago Sun-Times, and other local newspapers and a frequent contributor to Ezine.com. Some of the most read articles are: "The Implosion of the Republican Party," "The Whistleblower Effect On Police Departments," and "Feminist Are People Too, My Friends." In the future, there may be a radio show on YouTube coming before the end of the year... TBD. Thank you for reading.
Email: tbwriter2016@gmail.com

Three Tips to Your Own Distinctive Newsletter Design

Now that you've got your newsletter up and running, are you ready to make it distinctive? Using a custom template can help your newsletter catch the eye of the subscriber as they sort through their email. It can also reinforce your brand and professional status. A custom template will put your logo, photos, colors, and other customizations into the email newsletters that you send out.

Three things you need to know about newsletter templates:

1) Unless you are very good with HTML and willing to study email clients and test extensively, it's best to hire a professional to design your template.

A professional designer will be able to use your existing website graphics to create something lovely. Expect to pay a fair price for the template. Keep in mind that it's something you'll be using over and over to promote your business and sending out hundreds, maybe thousands, of times. The cost won't seem as expensive if you think about the long-term value. Pricing will vary depending on the designer and your needs. A basic graphic header and graphic headings coded for a coach or infoprenuer's newsletter will generally be less expensive than a fancy template for a product seller that includes bordered product photo displays and other graphics work.

2) You need to be very specific with your designer in terms of what features you want.

If you want to have 5 sections all with different titles and image headers, be sure you let them know before they begin work. If you want expandable areas for content, or specific fonts, or links, mention it. After a template is complete is not a good time to say, "Instead, I really wanted..." or "But this image needed to..." Be as descriptive as possible and forward samples if you have them so that your designer has as much information to work with as you can provide. You'll like the end result better and your original price quote will be more accurate.

Remember also that your designer can offer valuable advice and guidance towards a template that will work well for your newsletter.

3) Using a custom template will require you to either know a bit of HTML code yourself, or have your content added into it for each newsletter by someone who does know HTML code.

A custom template is not going to work the same way as choosing a pre-loaded template in Aweber or Constant Contact. Those allow you to just "fill in the box" to add your content into their pre-designed stock template. With a custom template, the newsletter coding has been created exclusively for you, and you will likely need to edit your source code, then copy and paste the entire thing into a code box at the mailing services website. If you're changing images and other graphics it'll get a bit more complicated and you'll need to be familiar with image editing, uploading, and how to link to images to update that part of a template/newsletter layout.

Each time you send out a newsletter you'll have two options:

* If you're on a limited budget, plan to spend some time becoming familiar with your template and HTML code. It's not extremely difficult but it does require some time and effort. Discuss your plans and needs with your designer if you'll be updating yourself so he or she can make this process easier for you.

* If you're limited on time, plan to have your designer or virtual assistant handle your content for you each issue. Be sure to find out how much advance notice your designer needs to add your content so you can schedule it in advance of your sending date. You'll also want to proofread your content before you send it to your designer. You might also request that he/she login and send out your newsletter for you, just to be sure the code ends up properly entered in your mailing service so it displays properly for your subscribers.

You'll have to choose one approach or the other. Your designer can't update your newsletter for free and you won't be able to do it without knowing a bit about the inner workings of your template (code and/or images, as needed).

These three tips will help you get a template that works well for you, and learn to work with your template. Good luck!

Work at home mom extraordinaire Michelle Shaeffer publishes The Muses Brainstorm, a weekly ezine with tips to help you balance, manage, and market your home based business. If you're ready for inspirational guidance and bright ideas sign up free at http://www.thesmallbusinessmuse.com