Global Journalist paid tribute to International Women's Day centennial
In honor of the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day Global Journalist invited the public to a live taping of its March 10 program.
The event, which was co-sponsored by Workforce of Women, took place in the Fred W. Smith Forum at the Reynolds Journalism Institute. A moderated conversation among in-studio panelists and call-in guests regarding the status of female journalists was be broadcasted live on KBIA, and a reception followed the event.
For more than 100 years, female journalists have played prominent roles in newsrooms around the world, but they have often been restricted by customs and laws. What challenges do female journalists face and what role do they play at newspapers, magazines and on radio and TV? The panelists, who come from different regions of the planet, discussed their experiences as women in journalism.
The panelists included:
- Salem Fekadu: In her home country of Eritrea, Fekadu graduated with a degree in journalism and mass communications. She worked for more than two years as a producer and anchorwoman for the English-language newscast of the nation's largest television network. In Columbia, Salem hosts and produces Africa Talks, a talk show on Columbia Access Television.
- You Li: Li is a PhD candidate at MU's journalism school. Before coming to the United States, she worked as a reporter for the legal and political beat of a daily newspaper in Dalian, China.
- Mary Kay Blakely: A contributing editor to Ms. magazine since 1981 and former Hers columnist for The New York Times, Professor Blakely teaches writing courses in MU’s journalism school. Her essays on social and political issues have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Mother Jones, LIFE and Vogue.
And by Skype:
- Monica Villamizar: Villamizar is a Colombian reporter for Al Jazeera English who has covered the Chile mining story, the conflict in Colombia and the Haiti earthquake.
- Golnaz Esfandiari: Esfandiari is a senior correspondent for RFE/RL in Prague. She previously worked in RFE/RL's Central Newsroom as head of the Asia Desk and before that, as a correspondent covering developments in Iran and Afghanistan. Born in Tehran, Golnaz's writing has focused on politics, human rights, and social issues in Iran and Afghanistan.
The Moderator:
Lee Wilkins is a professor at MU's journalism school. Wilkins studies and teaches media ethics, and she discusses media issues on the weekly broadcast of KBIA's Views of the News. She has received multiple teaching awards, and before academia Wilkins worked as a newspaper editor and reporter.
A special edition of the Global Journalist magazine featuring stories of female journalists from around the world will be released in conjunction with this event. Free copies will be available to all audience members. If you or your organization is interested in co-sponsoring this publication and event, please contact Rebecca Wolfson wolfson.rebecca@gmail.com, 414.218.7228.
International Women's Day was first celebrated in 1911, when more than 1 million people attended rallies in Europe to demand women's rights to work. The holiday, recognized every March 8, celebrates the economic, political and social achievements of women, past, present and future. Some countries including China, Russia, Vietnam have made the day a national holiday.
Global Journalist offers in-depth analysis of international news. Based out of the Missouri School of Journalism, Global Journalist produces a weekly public radio show and a print magazine, which both feature international news from the perspective of journalists stationed across the globe. Global Journalist is also dedicated to keeping its audience up-to‐date on free press violations. For more information visit globaljournalist.org.
Workforce of Women, at www.workforceofwomen.org, is a new media start-up that covers issues related to women in the workplace.
Contact:
Rebecca Wolfson:
Executive Producer, Global Journalist Radio
Co-founder, Workforce of Women
(414) 218-7228
wolfson.rebecca@gmail.com
StevieMathieu:
Co‐founder, Workforce of Women
(253) 632-3875
smhwf@mail.missouri.edu
