The University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Department of Communication Studies Online Communication Studies Resources

Gender, Race and Ethnicity in Media:
Feminist Media

Mainstream News concerning women
Broadsheet - Salon.com
A feminist blog written by a variety of contributers. If you don't have a paid subscription to Salon.com you will have to wait and click through an advertising screen before viewing the blog. A good place to get news from all over the world with feminist commentary to put it in context.
 
Greenstone Media
A new Internet streaming radio station. "Broadcasting as if women mattered." -- Gloria Steinem "Approximately two years ago a group of women including Susan Ness, former FCC commissioner, and Gloria Steinem were discussing the lack of radio programming oriented towards women. The discussion led to many questions: Why is the only programming on radio a mix of soft adult contemporary or pop songs and silly morning programs? Why is all the talk programming on the AM dial, and why is it almost all political and dominated by a male point of view. This discussion was the genesis of what would become GreenStone Media." Listen with your pick of audio streaming software -- Real, iTunes, Microsoft Media Player, Flash. Listen to live streams and archives.
 
51%
A weekly radio program from WAMC, Northeast Public Radio. Hosted by Jeanne Kammer Neff, President of The Sage Colleges and Mary Darcy of WAMC.
 
WINGS: Women's International News Gathering Service
Archived programs available in RealAudio
Woman's Hour
BBC - broadcasts available under the "Listen Again" banner.
About-Face
"A San Francisco-based non-profit group, about-face combats negative and distorted images of women in the media."
African Women's Media Center (AWMC)
"A project of the International Women's Media Foundation …with a mission of strengthening the role of women in the news media worldwide, based on the belief that no press is truly free unless women share an equal voice."
Agenda
A quarterly journal published by a women's media project in South Africa. "We aim to question and challenge the understanding of gender relations and how these are practised. In particular, we contribute to the capacity of women to organise themselves, reflect on their experiences and to write about this. We also act as a conduit for communication between state and civil society. "
AVIVA: Women's World Wide Web
Women's International Listings Magazine with Women's news worldwide, listings of Women's: Groups, Courses, Resources, Events, 'Artful Women' Virtual Gallery
Bitch | Feminist Response to Pop Culture
"…a print magazine devoted to incisive commentary on our media-driven world. We feature critiques of TV, movies, magazines, advertising, and more—plus interviews with and profiles of cool, smart women in all areas of pop culture."
Feminists for Free Expression
Feminists for Free Expression, a not-for-profit organization, was founded in 1992 in response to the many efforts to solve society's problems by book, movie or music banning. FFE believes such efforts divert attention from the substantive causes of social ills and offers a cosmetic, dangerous "quick fix."
Feminist Print Publications
Newsletters, books, pamphlets and other feminist materials collected and annotated by Virtual Sisterhood.
Feminista!
A journal of art, literature, social commentary, philosophy, wit, humor, and respect, and is currently published on the first of each month
Glass Ceiling Persists, The
The third annual Annenberg Public Policy Center report on women leaders in communication companies
International Women's Media Foundation
"In an effort to change perceptions and challenge the cultural norms that limit opportunities for women, the IWMF seeks to educate journalists, media managers, non-governmental organizations and the public about the status of women in the media."
MediaWatch (Canada)
A "national, not for profit feminist organization working to eliminate sexism in the media. We seek to transform the media environment from one in which women are either invisible or stereotyped, to one in which women are realistically portrayed and equitably represented in all our physical, economic, racial and cultural diversity."
Merge
Culture, comment, awareness and action. Primarily focused on critiques of advertising and other media.
Off Our Backs
"The longest continuously publishing feminist newspaper in the United States."
Ritual Hexing of a Mass Murder (streaming audio, approx 57 min.)
A ritual performed in 1980 by a coalition of feminist covens in the San Francisco Bay area in an attempt (perhaps successful?) to stop the murderer of, by that time, 7 women. Known as the "Mt. Tam Murder" and the "Trailside Killer" David Carpenter went on to murder one more woman in 1981 but he had changed his venue to Santa Cruz and this time he also tried killing the woman's boyfriend who survived. He was convicted in 1984 and sentenced to the gas chamber and later convicted of five more of the Mt. Tamalpais Park victims. Music by the acapella group Avalanche. Featuring Z Budapest with an eloquent statement near the end by Starhawk. Produced by Karla Tonella for KPFA.
Said It: Feminist News
"Said It is a pro-equality, pro-multiplicity, pro-abundance, pro-responsibility, pro-animal, pro-justice, pro-love, pro-laughter feminist publication."
Spinsters Ink
A publisher that features novels and non-fiction works that deal with significant issues in women's lives from a feminist perspective.
Voices
The Women's College Magazine at Santa Monica College (California)
WeWomen.com
A British magazine-like Web site with all the usual "women's" topics like family, beauty, etc., but it also includes some substantive articles on issues like female genital mutilation, trafficking in women, homelessness, etc.
Women Make Movies
A non-profit feminist distributor of more than 400 films and videotapes which explore the diversity of women's lives.
Women's eNews
"What news looks like when women matter …solid, serious, well-researched news about and for women. Women's Enews asks the intelligent questions that women want answered. We probe the implications for women of events, policies and practices."
Women's International Perspective - The WIP
"In addition to providing exclusive articles from our global collective of women contributors, The WIP's website also features a Byline Portal that links to articles written by women for other online publications and a News Headlines section that provides comprehensive breaking news coverage from various RSS feeds. Our site is accessible and free to readers worldwide." -- WIP
Women's Institute for Freedom of the Press
Founded in 1972 by Donna Allen, "WIFP operates as a national and international network of Associates: media women and media-concerned women, as well as some men who join with us" Publishers of the Directory of Women's Media.
Women's Radio Fund
"Raising Women's Voices Through Radio Worldwide" Articles, netcasting, information on low-power broadcasting and a good selection of links.
Women's Wire
Not really feminist. A tradional women's magazine gone electronic with lots of animated advertisments. News clips about or of interest to women from Reuters, web tips for the "newbie" along with fashion news, soft health and money tips.
Womenconnect Politics Daily
Produced jointly by womenCONNECT.com and National Journal's Hotline, Womenconnect Politics Daily follows the "women to watch" in politics, elected officials, candidates and those in behind-the-scenes roles. In addition to the personalities, Womenconnect Politics Daily will follow the issues and political trends affecting professional women.
Women's Radio Group
A training and information resource for women interested in radio, based in London.
Women Writers' Committee
The International PEN Women Writers Committee works to support and protect women writers around the world.
Working Group on Women, Censorship & "Pornography" (Nat'l Coalition Against Censorship)
"There is intense disagreement among feminists on the question of whether there should be legal restrictions on sexually related expression. The Working Group on Women, Censorship, & "Pornography" was founded in 1992 to oppose the myth that censorship is good for women, that women want censorship, and that those who support censorship speak for all women." Over 40 groups comprise NCAC, including Actors Equity, Amer. Libraries Assn., Modern Language Assn., Amer. Assn., of University Women, etc.

Blogs: a few samples