Women In Media & News PRESENTS: Condoleezza Rice Is a Size Six… and Other Things I Learned From the News a lecture with JENNIFER L. POZNER “When you run a picture of a nice, clean-cut Pozner is grounded in pop culture and all-American girl,” USA Today founder Allen knowledgeable about media coverage of hot- Neuharth once told his editorial staff, “get her button issues such as abortion, sexual assault, tits above the fold.” How do commercialism welfare, censorship, globalization, terrorism and sexism shape news and entertainment and war. Funny and frightening, Pozner media – and what can concerned women and reveals little-known media facts that men do about it? enlighten, engage and sometimes even Progressive journalist and media critic enrage thinking audiences. Jennifer L. Pozner’s witty, razor-sharp presenta- tions expose how mega-merged media companies serve corporate agendas, reinforce cultural stereotypes and limit political “One of the best guests I have worked debate about women’s and human rights with during my twenty-some years of issues. Pozner asks provocative questions: teaching at this college. Jennifer left a positive and lasting impression… if • Why have newspapers reported Hillary Clinton’s and Condoleezza Rice’s dress I could, I would bring her back to sizes, but haven’t considered John this campus every year.” Ashcroft’s inseam or the length of Trent — Brenda Haack Fineberg, Lott’s trousers newsworthy? Associate Professor of Classics, Knox College • 90% of sweatshop workers worldwide are female — so, why isn’t global trade covered as a “women’s issue”? Using multi-media clips, keen analysis and well-documented research, she debunks popu- • How does the marginalization of women’s lar myths about gender, race, class and sexual- voices in war coverage shape public ity issues, challenges the flawed priorities opinion and affect foreign policy? driving media production, and empowers students and concerned citizens to demand Why do American Idol contestants sing • better media for a healthier democracy. Coke’s praises and drive Ford cars during the series? • Why do media exalt pop-cultural darlings like Britney Spears and Ally McBeal EXTRA! EXTRA! as “girl-power” icons, ignore or insult women’s rights advocates, then claim See reverse for additional feminism is “dead” to young women? lecture and workshop topics. The JENNIFER L.POZNER is the founder of Women In Media & News (WIMN), a women’s media education and advocacy organization. Formerly, she directed Contemporary the Women’s Desk for the media watch group FAIR (Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting). Her work has appeared in outlets including Ms., Extra!, Newsday, Issues Chicago Tribune, Hartford Courant, Arizona Republic, Sojourner, Women’s Review of Books, Bitch: Feminist Response to Pop Culture, Salon.com Agency Women’sEnews.com, AlterNet.org, TomPaine.com and the anthologies Catching A Wave: Reclaiming Feminism for the 21st Century, Points and Counter- 800-843-2179 Points: Controversial Relationship and Family Issues in the 21st Century and Uncovering the Right on Campus. She has lectured across the country, and www.CIAspeakers.com appeared as a commentator on Comedy Central, Fox News Network, Oxygen, [email protected] Pacifica Radio and numerous documentaries. To learn more about WIMN, call 347-564-5190, or email [email protected]. excuseADDITIONAL by conservatives LECTURE for conservative TOPICS failures.” — William Kristol, editor of The Standard “We have a problem. We’re making too many mistakes.” — internal New York Times memo “Her dress size is between a 6 and an 8… because of muscle mass.” — New York Times front page story on the day Condoleezza Rice became America’s first African American female NationalEXTRA! Security Advisor “Geraldine Ferarro… The first woman to beEXTRA! nominated for Vice President and… a size six!” — NBC’s Tom Brokaw at the 1984 Democratic Convention “The fact remains: every threat to the fabricMisogyny of this country – TV:from poverty to crime to homelessnessMedia, – is connected Women to out-of-wedlock & War: teen preg- nancy.” — NewsweekWhat seniorthe editormedia’s Jonathan love Alter affair“Women with prefer tabloids Howbecause does their the arms invisibility are shorter.” of —women’s New York Daily voices News Publisher Mortimer Zuckerman“unreality“If you’re TV” covering means local for womenteas, you’ve got more womenin war [as coverage front page shortchange sources] than America?if you’re the Wall Street Journal.” — Former New York Times editor Max Frankel explaining why his paper under-represented women’s voices “At least if you're going to kill yourselfBecause and kill “reality all the TV” kids, is whymore wouldn't lucrative you than have frank some sex? If InI was this goinglecture, to Jennifer kill some Pozner people, analyzes I'd take the them dangers out with sex.” depictions— Shock jock Howardof women’s Stern the dayrealities, after brutal media mass murders bombard at Columbine us High “Perhapsof sidelining the most women delicate in question war reporting. of all was After this: what responsibility,with sensationalistic, if any, did thesexist women and stupefying have for what fare likehappened that Septemberday in the 11,park?” media — claimed Dateline NBC Americans on mass sexual unilaterally assaults of women in The Bachelor, Bridezillas and Married by America, supported war, denying the existance of a gender New York’s Central Park “Get these moody girls a prescription of Motrin and water pills, quick.” — Newsweek column by Republican speech- and ply us with carbon-copy corporate crooners from gap. Polls ignored women’s more measured writer MaryBaby Matalin Spice describing to campusBritney anti-rape Spears. activists “NotBut areall Muslimsthese may be responsesterrorists, to but ter allrorism,while terrorists arefemale Muslims.” journalists — Syndicatedwere con- servativedumbed-down, columnist Ann Coulter “Can sexed-up gays offerings go straight? simply Should “what they?” — CNN’smarginalized: Wolf Blitzer “My women bosses were have just essentially 9% of guests made onit clear: ‘We dothe not public feature wants,” black as people.’Imedia companies mean, it’s claim, said. or Actually, is they whisperSunday morningit: ‘Is she talk white?’” shows and — TVwrote journalist a paltry describing 8% a ofwidespread broadcastsomething newsroom policy else“Hispanics going on? And don’t what bathe can asyou frequently do when as non-Hispanics.”op-eds in the— Ivory New Soap York ad-space Times, buyer, Washington explaining a refusal Post to advertiseand on a Latino-formattedhurling station household“Some objectswould argueat Joe thatMillionaire’s if the women’shead movementUSA were Today stillfollowing useful, it thewould terrorist have attacks. something to say; it’s just isn’t enough? In this multi-media lecture, Has the silencing of women’s voices in war dead...” — 1998 Time cover story “Hairy legs haunt the feminist movement, as do images of being strident and lesbian.” — 1989 Time Jennifer Pozner analyzes how pop culture reinforces coverage, and the demonization of dissent, bolstered cover storyregressive“Feminism… gender stereotypes,has effectively exposes robbed how us the of quest one thing uponsupport which forthe happinesscivil liberties of mostrollbacks women and rests—men.” military — Syndicatedfor columnist profits Mona compromises Charen NPR entertainment, anchor Bob andEdwards, gives wonderingaction about in Afghanistanpublic responses and Iraq? to AndUS howmilitary does actionwar in Afghanistan:students tools “Were they there need any to dissenters?” challenge media ABC bias. anchor Cokie Roberts’specifically reply: impact “Well, nonewomen that in Americamattered.” and “You abroad? reap what you sow.” — Time magazine on the police murder of 23-year-old global trade protestor Carlo Giuliani in Genoa, Italy “The network is paying affiliates to carry network commercials, not programs. What we are is a distribution system for Proctor & Gamble.” — ABC executive on the purpose of broadcast journalism “No one here wants to piss off the bosses.” — an unnamed ABC News producer explaining why ABC wouldn’t air stories about businesses that compete with ABC’s owner, Disney “I admit it – the liberal media were never that powerful, and the whole thing was often used as an excuse by conservatives for conservative failures.” — William Kristol, editor of The Standard “We have a problem. We’re making too many mistakes.” — internal New York Times memo “Her dress size is between a 6 and an 8… because of muscle mass.” — New York Times front page story on the day Condoleezza Rice became America’s first African American female National Security Advisor “Geraldine Ferarro… The first woman to be nominated for Vice President and… a size six!” — NBC’s Tom Brokaw at the 1984 Democratic Convention “The fact remains: every threat to the fabric of this country – from poverty to crime to homelessness – is connected to out-of-wedlock teen pregnancy.” — Newsweek senior editor Jonathan Alter “Women prefer tabloids because their arms are shorter.” — New York Daily News Publisher Mortimer Zuckerman “If you’re covering local teas, you’ve got more women [as front page sources] than if you’re the Wall Street Journal.” — EXTRA! Former New York Times GETTINGeditor Max Frankel explaining why YOUR his paper under-represented MESSAGE women’s voices “At least HEARD if you're going to kill yourself and kill all the kids, why wouldn'tMedia you Training have some sex? Workshops If I was going for to kill Students some people, & I'd Activists