A frequent contributor to the New York Times Magazine,[1] she was named in 2012 by The Columbia Journalism Review as one of its "40 Women Who Changed the Media Business in the Past 40 Years".

In books and magazine articles Orenstein writes about the politics of everyday life, usually relating to gender.

In Flux she explored the life choices of a generation of ethnically diverse, middle class women in their mid-20s to mid-40s.

In Cinderella Ate My Daughter, she exposed the “girlie girl” culture being marketed to young children.

[3] Orenstein has been named by the Columbia Journalism Review one of "40 women who changed the media business in the past 40 years".