Myth About Moms is Crushed, NOW Helps Spread the Word

By Lisa Bennett, Communications Director

March 18, 2007

NOW applauds E.J. Graff and the Columbia Journalism Review (CJR) for debunking "The Opt-Out Myth" that has become a staple of The New York Times, with articles claiming a surge of women are trading high-powered careers for stay-at-home motherhood.

In CJR's March/April issue, Graff takes reporters and editors to task for focusing stories on anecdotes from a relatively small group of mothers who can afford to leave the waged workforce. "The stories imply that these women took the 'off-ramp' for a few years, but really they were run off the road," said NOW President Kim Gandy.

With help from an October 2006 study, "'Opt Out' or Pushed Out? How the Press Covers Work/Family Conflict," by Joan C. Williams, Graff demolishes the myth by injecting a dose of reality. Most families these days can't make ends meet without two steady paychecks, Graff notes, not to mention all the single moms who would love to spend more time with their kids but can't because they have to put food on the table.

While some women clearly leave the workforce to be full-time moms and are happy with that decision, how often is it really a pure choice? The media are fond of framing these life changes as strictly individual decisions, made without the influence of powerful external forces. Graff observes, however, that many moms who do jump off the career track do so because of employer "hostility" toward working mothers, child care issues, cultural attitudes and other pressures.

In addition to exposing the myth, Graff identifies what might be the most critical reason for putting it to rest and instead reporting on the real obstacles that mothers face: "if journalism repeatedly frames the wrong problem, then the folks who make public policy may very well deliver the wrong solution."

NOW and its Mothers and Caregivers Economic Rights (MCER) committee have been challenging the media's outdated and irresponsible coverage of women's struggle to balance work and family. Last year NOW took on ABC and Good Morning America's ridiculous "Mommy Wars" feature. The end result was a much improved GMA segment with NOW President Kim Gandy and MCER committee co-chair Laurie Pettine as panelists (you can view the segment on the ABC web site).

NOW is reaching out to major media outlets, encouraging them to cover Graff's article and the important issues it raises. Soon we will be expanding this campaign to encourage activists around the country to write letters to their own newspapers demanding better coverage of caregiving issues.

If you aren't already a subscriber to NOW's action alert list, please sign up now so you will be sure to get our email alert on the "op-out myth" and send a letter of your own.

Read more about NOW's work on this issue.

Sign NOW's Mothers Matter and Caregivers Count petition.

Download a PDF of Joan Williams' study (PDF).