The media in Toronto are starting to take notice of all the press releases we've been putting out about the No Kidding! chapter meetings and the 5th annual Childfree Festival that we are putting on this summer.I was more than a little concerned when a TV producer from CBC's Venture show contacted our group and said she like to show up to one of our dinners with a camera crew to interview folks about "workplace conflict issues" such as parents vs. childfree co-workers might have. I sent her assistant an email expressing this concern and shared a story with them and told them they would not get me to repeat it on camera. Here's a link to their website: http://www.cbc.ca/venture/.
I can't help wondering if the producer has thought through how sensitive the issue of childfree vs. parent co-worker issues might be for someone on camera? If one of our members has a good story to tell and it's about a current or recent work situation, that could come back to affect them in the workplace. Their story is about conflict (media always goes for sensational) and there's a good chance No Kidding! will not event get a mentioned by name. There's hardly any PR value in it for us, but lots of risk and I am worried about our members' privacy.
I wish I could define the specific opportunity that this media attention represents. So often things are taken out of context in small sound bites. Last year, a producer from the Mom Show called and wanted someone from our group to be a guest. I never heard how that went...can anyone fill me in?
I just wish they would get the terms right... I recall that the email said that the founder of No Kidding was "speaking out as the voice of the childless"!!
ReplyDelete(Correct me if I'm wrong as I deleted the email). Comes across as a big case of something missing or lost... I consider myself childfree - not childless - and very happily so. I don't lack children - if I wanted them I'd have had 'em.
I don't think there is a rift between employees with children and those who are childfree. There are issues, yes, but are these issues that would constitute a "war"? It would be a shame if this subject was whipped up to imply that there is a rift. We've enough real wars without trying to create fictitios ones for a t.v. sound byte.
ReplyDeleteYes, childFREE has a whole different ring to it and feels like more of an opportunity and less of a stigma.
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