EOTO Presentation Reflection: Mary Margaret McBride

 Who was Mary Margaret McBridge? 

Mary Margaret McBride was a reporter at the Cleveland Press and the New York Evening Mail. She was significant because she was one of the first women reporters. She also was not only a writer, but spent a lot of time conducting her radio show where she played a woman named Martha Deane. She was deemed "The First Lady of Radio." 

Martha Deane "The First Lady of Radio" 

McBride decided to create a fictional character when she was on the radio. The fictional character was meant to appear to be a kind, witty, old woman. The Martha Deane character was designed to be a mother of six children with many grandchildren. She was told she had to memorize the names of the children and grandchildren and had to keep the persona of a grandmother instead of her own persona. 

Her job as an "older" woman on radio was to discuss philosophy. McBride eventually began writing under Deane when she wrote and edited for the Newspaper Enterprise Association's women's columns. 

McBride had trouble remembering her characteristics of Martha Deane. She often mixed up her grandchildren and would forget her "Martha Deane" personality. After about threes weeks as Martha Deane on the radio she decided to tell her audience that she was not a grandmother. She stopped the "grandmother" outlook and took on her own personal characteristics while keeping the name Deane. 

The Significance of a Women's Voice: 

Her voice on radio was extremely significant for women. Even though she did not use her real name she did her best to advocate for women topics and women voices. She was the first women voice to go on the radio and it brought a voice to other women. 

It was not just her radio production, but also her writer and editorial jobs for women columns that contributed to the extension of women voices. She talked about women philosophical ideas and helped make women opinions heard.