Fox61 Morning News – Mommy Blogger Shares Back to School Tips…Not Religion

August 31, 2009 by Ponn Sabra

Fox61 News anchor, Rebecca Stewart’s article School Tops List Of Kids’ Worries in today’s Hartford Courant, prompted her to share her top tips to help with Back to School Jitters in today’s Mommy Minutes:

This “Mommy Minutes” segment was a perfect transition for anchor/reporter Sarah French to introduce me as a CT author and mom blogger with tips to help make the transition from the flexibility and fun or family vacations to the classroom setting a better one.

Due to the breaking news of the California wildfires, we we cut off and I wasn’t able to share the Rand McNally Boredom Breakers car game series. So, here’s our review, if you missed it earlier this week.

I really enjoyed my time with Sarah French. But, our time right before our interview was absolutely insane. We were rushing during a commercial break updating my intro, putting on microphones and trying to find the producer all while hearing people yelling 2-minute countdown…30-seconds, etc.

The Producer informed me in a rush, that I was not aloud to bring up my association to American Muslim Mom blog, although I’d be introduced as a mommy blogger. She kept stressing that I can’t discuss religion, and the title of my website alone denotes religion and the network can’t promote it.

But, I informed her that I’m not a part of any other mom blog. I even asked if they found my Empower Women Now for women entrepreneurs…but, she said no, it’s something else.

Anyways, I didn’t have the number of my publicist, to find out which blog I was supposedly “a part” of. Knowing my introductions to the products and DKCNews was from RoleMommy, I mentioned it to the producer when she was rushing by and she said ‘yes, that’s it’.

The problem (as I anticipated) happened when I sat in the studio, with lights and camera on us. Their own anchor, Sarah French, told me she’ll introduce me and give me an opportunity to talk about any thing I wanted about my mommy blog. She said to tell her where my tips can be found, etc.

I was confused yet again.

She showed me what the TelePrompter wrote as my introduction.

So, we began to rush, change and even update misprints in her notes, while looking for the producer. Then, finally we heard a staff person yell,

“she said, she can’t say anything about American Muslim Mom”.

So, in 3-2-1…I offered to go right into my 3 tips instead of having an intro [we're on the air]

Now, there was nothing religious about our pitch to be a mommy blogger who has tips to help transition kids back to school.

Nonetheless, here are some positive thoughts to share:

I’m happy about the wonderful relationships I built with RoleMommy and DKCNews because of this opportunity.
I liked being called a “Mommy Blogger” to show that we are educated professionals, and do have a purpose to educate and share wonderful tips and resources on and offline.
I’m proud to be a Muslim Mom who blogs, and has newsworthy information to share beyond “promoting” any “assumed” religious message.
Being on Fox61 News with a hijab was great! I’ve been on TV and the news many times in my previous careers (real estate, public health, and as an entrepreneur), all prior to my covering for the sake of Allah (may He be Glorified).
By far, this is the best title and role ever: Being a Muslim Mom (my life) Blogger (my new growing passion)!

While there was a ton of confusion surrounding the minutes before the interview, I believe Sarah and I did very well in sharing our main points of back to school tips–which had nothing to do with religion in the first place.

It’s obvious that I was excited & happy to share my tips. I wasn’t even nervous–actually, it was painfully funny.

Regardless, all the chaos prior to going on the air may have been the culprit to my head bee-booping happily throughout the interview. I know I’m an animated speaker, but have I always been a head bopper, too!? Leaving today with a laugh!