Apple of Our Eye

Mothers & More presented an “Apple of Our Eye” Award to ABC’s Good Morning America for its “Mothers Make It Work” episode that aired on March 31, 2006.

The purpose of the “Apple of Our Eye” Award is to call attention to acts that honor the importance of caregiving work and respect mothers’ individuality and right to make their own decisions about how to care for themselves and their families. 

After a rough start to approaching the complicated issues facing mothers by conducting a week-long series re-igniting the so-called “mommy wars,” Good Morning America finally got it right with their “Mothers Make It Work” segment. The reaction to that initial series was quick, loud and angry. Emails from mothers across the country poured in to Diane Sawyer and the show’s producers, urging GMA to take a more constructive track: to recognize that, in reality, mothers do support one another no matter their work/family choices and that, together, mothers face a common foe—workplaces that do not work for them. 

Good Morning America could have chosen to do what so many other shows before them have done—turn a deaf ear to the pleas for more in-depth, realistic reporting that mothers offered in their responses, and simply revel in the heightened viewership these contentious shows sometimes generate or, worse yet, take the negative response as a cue to do a follow-up segment that just continues to fan the flames.

Instead, the show not only chose to take the high road, they actually blazed a new trail. Their “Mothers Make It Work” segment convened a roomful of mothers who represented a variety of paid work, caregiving work and family make-up situations. Diane Sawyer encouraged these women to share the complexity of their work/family situations and joined with them to come to consensus about societal changes that could improve their lives. At the conclusion of the segment, Good Morning America committed to follow up by continuing to solicit mothers’ thoughts and ideas, and to provide mothers with additional information and resources, on the air and on their website.

Here are some things mothers and others did to help celebrate:

• Sent Good Morning America an e-mail (Mothers & More provided some sample copy to help get mothers and others started)
• Let friends and family know about the Apple of Our Eye Award (Mothers & More provided some sample copy to help get mothers and others started)

Read our press release

Mothers & More Gives Diane Sawyer and Good Morning America “Apple of Our Eye” Award

Read our letter to the show

Dear Ms. Sawyer,

It is my pleasure to inform you that you and Good Morning America have won Mothers & More’s “Apple of Our Eye” Award for your “Mothers Make It Work” feature that aired on March 31, 2006.

Mothers & More is a national organization whose mission is to improve the lives of mothers through support, education and advocacy. We have over 6,000 members and more than 140 local chapters coast to coast. The purpose of our Apple of Our Eye Award is to recognize acts that honor the importance of caregiving work and respect mothers’ individuality and right to make their own decisions about how to care for themselves and their families.

All women deserve recognition and support for their right to choose if and how to combine parenting and paid employment.

In order to further this core belief of Mothers & More, we are committed to raising public awareness about the obstacles mothers face in balancing their caregiving responsibilities with all their other responsibilities, including paid work, over the course of their lives. Good Morning America did just that on March 31.

Although we were dismayed by the week-long series that prompted this follow-up segment, re-visiting the so-called “mommy wars,” we were delighted to see you take real and constructive action, based on the overwhelmingly negative response you received to that series by mothers across the country.

Your “Mothers Make It Work” segment gave a national audience the opportunity to witness a roomful of mothers representing a variety of paid work, caregiving work and family make-up situations.  These women shared their stories, honored each other’s right and need to do what she feels is best for herself and her family, and found common ground in the hurdles all mothers face in balancing family responsibilities, paid work and everything else in their lives.

With this piece, Good Morning America blazed a new trail in mainstream media by providing what mothers have been craving all along — recognition that mothers do in fact support one another, that their work/family “choices” are complex and often constrained by factors they cannot control and that they face a common obstacle—workplaces that do not work for mothers.

And kudos for what you’ve done since that piece aired, looking in greater depth at workplace flexibility as one solution, and providing additional information, resources and opportunities for mothers to share their stories, thoughts and ideas via your website.

Bravo, Ms. Sawyer and Good Morning America! Keep up the good work. We hope that other shows will follow the path you have created.

Sincerely,
Joanne Brundage
Executive Director
Mothers & More