Women's Media Center and Girls Learn International�, Inc. Launch Investigative Media Series
Young Feminists Speak Their Minds About Media Portrayal of Women and Girls
November 19, 2009 (New York, NY) � The Women's Media Center (WMC), a leading media advocacy and training organization, in collaboration Girls Learn International�, Inc. (GLI), announces the launch of Girls Investigate: Our Views on Media, a four-part multimedia series that explores girls� ideas about popular culture, social media and the intersections between the two.
Girls Investigate: Our Views on Media features provocative and constructive articles by young women thinking critically about different forms of new media. Along with each article, a corresponding video commentary showcases girls reacting to issues in their own words. The series was designed to highlight the unique perspectives of young feminists who offer in-depth analysis of how the media portrays women and girls.
�The Women's Media Center is committed to powerfully representing women�s voices in the media,� said WMC President Jehmu Greene. �Girls Investigate � our inaugural girl-centered project � is a wonderful opportunity for us to expand our mission to amplifying the voices of women and girls. We are thrilled to have GLI as our partner on this thought-provoking campaign.�
The four-part series is launched with Girls Investigate: Pop Culture Problems & Social Media Snags, an investigation by high-school senior Julia Lo, who interviews several young women and uses her findings to illustrate how the media portrayal of girls shapes the way they interact with their peers through social media.
�At GLI, we know that girls have provoking thoughts and creative solutions about the way mainstream media portrays girls and women,� said Ashley Steimer, GLI Program Director. �By amplifying their voices through this empowering program, GLI, in partnership with the Women�s Media Center, is helping effect positive change for girls everywhere.�
For more information about the Girls Investigate series, or to speak with a representative of The Women�s Media Center, please contact Rebekah Spicuglia, Media Director (office) 212-563-0680; (cell) 415-290-2970; [email protected].
About the Women's Media Center: The Women's Media Center (WMC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization making women visible and powerful in the media. The WMC ensures that women are represented as they are: powerful newsmakers, informed experts, and sought-after media professionals. We depend on your support. If you are already a donor, please accept our thanks. If you would like to give to our important work, please visit womensmediacenter.com.
About Girls Learn International: Girls Learn International�, Inc. (GLI) is a non-profit organization that gives American students a voice in the movement for universal girls� education. GLI pairs American middle and high school-based Chapters with Partner Schools in countries where girls have been traditionally denied access to education. The GLI Program gives students the opportunity to explore issues affecting girls in relation to global human rights, promotes cross-cultural understanding and communication, and trains students to be leaders and advocates for positive change. www.girlslearn.org
About Julia Lo (Girls Investigate Contributor): Julia Lo is a 17-year-old senior at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music, Art, and the Performing Arts where she majors in instrumental music. Julia became involved with girl empowerment issues when she started a Girls Learn International chapter at her school in the fall of 2008. Her interests include music history, haikus, and bowling; she also enjoys vacations in foreign countries, fixations over her favorite bands, and desultory strolls in art museums. Julia lives in New York City and is currently applying to universities.
The Women's Media Center was founded in 2005 by Jane Fonda, Robin Morgan and Gloria Steinem to make women more visible and powerful in the media. The WMC places female voices into the media, offers media training, and publishes original reports and commentaries as well as links to women columnists and bloggers, news organizations, and journalism sources on its Web site, www.womensmediacenter.com.
