It’s a Barbie girl in a Barbie world … journalistic, realistic

Barbie has another new job, and I applaud Mattel for plunking her into the world of journalism.

At first glance, you might mistakenly assume that Barbie's new gig is for a television station, as the official name of the boxed Barbie is "News Anchor Doll." In typical Barbie style, there's a lot of pink involved — pink blazer, pink dress, pink microphone, pink folder. Nothing wrong with pink. (Or Pink. That “Get the Party Started” song sure is catchy.)

Some female journalist friends of mine posted comments about the "TV Barbie," saying Mattel missed a chance to show a real journalist, complete with a tiny spiral notebook, a favorite coffee cup and ink-stained hands. You know, the old-fashioned newspaper reporter. (Maybe there’s an old Lois Lane or Brenda Starr figurine for that.)

Upon further review, I notice that no place in Mattel's materials about news anchor doll Barbie is the phrase "television station" used. Here's part of the description on the Web page where the new doll may be ordered:

"Dolls and accessories empower girls to play out different roles and "try on" fabulous careers, including news anchor, the first Barbie® profession chosen by global vote. Wearing a posh pink suit with black accents and carrying a B News folder, camera and microphone, this savvy journalist reports up-to-the-minute news in signature Barbie® style. The inspiring set also comes with a special code that unlocks career-themed content online, for even more digital play!"

In case you haven't noticed, video is spreading its wings. The reviewjournal.com site includes hundreds of videos produced by our photojournalists and a new RJtv episode is posted daily, Monday through Friday. Our anchor is Nate Tannenbaum. Pink isn't his best color, but his business card does include the word "anchor." Most news organizations' websites include video. Much of it is produced locally.

Journalism schools across the country are teaching students to operate video gear and how to produce video segments. This includes training both behind and in front of the camera. The more hats a young journalist wears, the greater the chance of landing a job.

Yes, video is one spot where news and entertainment often can dance on a narrow wall. Americans have a fascination with celebrity and some celebrities can't figure out how to steer clear of becoming news items (see Hilton, Paris or Lohan, Lindsay). There are daily programs dedicated to celebrities. Are these news shows, entertainment shows, or a bit of both?

I'm guessing Barbie will be shooting a piece for one of these shows sometime soon. And it may not be shown on television.

In case journalism isn't your style, another recently added Barbie career is "computer engineer." Yep, she's toting a pink laptop.

See the Mattel Barbie News Anchor Doll page:
http://bit.ly/mattelbarb

Newsy.com video featuring the new Barbie jobs