Susan Goldberg is EWIP Honoree in 2015

Susan Goldberg of National Geo is the 2015 EWIP Honoree

Susan Goldberg National GeographicExceptional Women in Publishing announces that Susan Goldberg, editor in chief of National Geographic magazine is the seventeenth recipient of the Exceptional Woman In Publishing Award. The 2015 Exceptional Woman in Publishing Award will be presented to Ms. Goldberg at the award celebration during the 2015 Women’s Leadership Conference in Berkeley, CA on March 26, 2015. “Having more women achieve success in newsrooms—and doing what I can to help make that happen—has been one of my goals for many years,” says Ms. Goldberg. “I’m delighted that EWIP is also working to make this goal a reality. I’m honored to be included with this wonderful group of women.” [Press Release]

In April 2014, Ms. Goldberg was appointed editor in chief of National Geographic, the eighth largest magazine in the U.S. Under her leadership, National Geographic is working to make the venerable brand a must-read, creating a daily destination for readers online on such topics as the environment, climate change, scientific breakthroughs and species preservation. Read her bio.

EWIP selects an accomplished woman each year to receive the Exceptional Woman in Publishing Award. Past honorees have included: Gloria Steinem, Kara Swisher of Re/code, Susan Taylor, founding editor of Essence; and Ardie and Marie Rodale of Rodale Press. The complete list is here.

 

Rocking the Podium: Top Women in Media Awards

I recently attended Folio: magazine’s Top Women in Media awards luncheon in New York. I was invited as a representative of EWIP to present several of the awards, which was a great honor—and also fun!

This was Folio:’s first year presenting these awards, and the room was certainly packed with media star power! Awards were given out in a number of categories: corporate visionaries, industry leadership, director-level doers, entrepreneurs, rising starts, and mentors. Folio: VP of Content Tony Silber and Editorial Director Bill Mickey invited each recipient to the stage to say a few words and to accept a glass award (occasionally accompanied by a spirited video made by colleagues who had secretly nominated them).

Certain themes emerged in the women’s words of thanks. As Poppy McDonald, Publisher and President of National Journal, said “we all know we have to work harder as women.” It was clear from the accomplishments, energy, and dedication evinced by the award winners that this was indeed a ballroom full of women who work extremely hard to succeed.

Carolyn Kremins, Senior VP & General Manager of Epicurious, vowed to pioneer on behalf of other women and to help “watch each other’s back.” Jennifer Follett, Executive Editor of The Channel Company, challenged attendees to find a young woman to mentor, and Stacy Hawes, SVP of Data Solutions at Epsilon recommended that winners “put one hand behind you and grab the hand of another woman to help.” Nancy Gibbs, Editor at Time, said that women are in a good place now, and Tessa Gould, Director of Native Advertising at Huffington Post exclaimed that the awards proved that “girls can and do run the world!”

Keynote Kay Koplovitz, founder of USA Network, spoke about important leadership qualities which include: a tolerance for ambiguity, an ability to work in the unknown, and an insatiable curiosity. She cited studies that demonstrate that “corporate leaders who are high performers have these attributes.” These people get promoted and advance faster. She believes these qualities contribute to the success of many of the award winners.

Overall, the award winners seemed quite pleased and proud to be part of this event. Many brought along numerous colleagues (men too!), and several brought husbands along as well to help celebrate their achievements. Says Editorial Director Bill Mickey, “Folio:’s Top Women in Media event was a terrific success. It was exciting to have so many high-powered executives in one room, and the sense of camaraderie was inspiring. This year marked the debut of an important event that we intend to make an annual franchise. Next year will be even bigger and better.”

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Lynn Rosen runs Open Book, providing editorial, marketing, and event-planning services. Contact her

The Art of 800 Words

Event: Writing Workshop at Mills College with Jennifer Mattson
Date/Time: Wednesday, October 22nd, 6:00 – 8:00 PM
Location: Mills College, Oakland, CA (directions)
Cost: Free to Mills College students and staff, $10 for the public

Jennifer MattsonInternational reporter, Jennifer Mattson, will lead a writing workshop from 6-8 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 22 in the Faculty Staff Lounge at Mills College in Oakland. Mattson, who covers international news, women’s issues, and arts and culture—and has formerly worked as a network news producer for CNN and NPR, among others—will discuss the art of the 800-word essay, from op-eds to personal essays. Find out what makes an essay work and get practical tips for publishing your own. The event is free to Mills College students and staff, and $10 for the public. For more information, contact Emily Beaver.

The Two Women Talking Test

UPDATE: 16 September 2014
The MacArthur Foundation just named Alison Bechdel in its 2014 class of MacArthur Fellows. She is one of 21 “exceptionally creative individuals being recognized for a track record of achievement and the potential for significant contributions in the future.” Bechdel is a cartoonist and graphic memoirist. Her long-running comic strip, Dykes to Watch Out For (1983–2008) realistically captured the lives of women in the lesbian community as they influenced and were influenced by important cultural and political events. @AlisonBechdel

Here is an EWIP post from November 2013 by Claudia Smukler which cites the Bechdel Test, as the media standard that has persisted as a measure of (any) agency of the female characters in a film.
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In the succession of media stories noting when women are “the first” to do something there is the potential to inspire: Sally Ride, the first American woman to go into space; Michelle Obama, the first African American First Lady. No doubt each example encourages others, yet, I am wary of getting too hung up on the rush to celebrate the milestone of the first woman.
EWIP 2013-women talkingOne is not a great indicator of faring very well against gender or racial bias, whether in the White House, in scientific achievements, or in the characters we see in movies. Pointing to the first at something is problematic when the designation has the tendency to single out her gender or non-white status as a preface that often overshadows the persistent bias. Not that we can’t feel inspired by the firsts, but I’m anxious to move on to a measure that demonstrates more forward motion. So, instead of firsts, how about measuring the interaction of “two,” as in, two women talking.

Alison BechdelThe Bechdel test does just that. Recently the Swedish Film Institute and a Scandinavian cable TV channel announced that it would employ the Bechdel test for rating gender bias in the movies it screens as a service to their viewing audiences. If you have not heard of it, the Bechdel test got its name from American cartoonist, Alison Bechdel who introduced the concept in 1985 in her comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For. The rating system, which has been around awhile and greatly discussed in feminist and film critic circles doesn’t portend the quality or feminist nature of the film rather it is simply a measure of the presence of named female characters who talk to each other. The dismal results for passing the test exposes how dramatically the movie industry, in particular, ignores women’s stories. The goal of using the test, according to the Swedes, is “to see more female stories and perspectives on cinema screens.” To receive an A rating a film must have:

  • Two or more named women present
  • The women talk to each other
  • They discuss something other than men

Sounds simple, but even with this low bar, many notable films don’t pass. The failure to pass even this simple test points out the systemic problem with the industry that continues to make movies by white men, for white men and depressingly few for a more general audience. Modify this test slightly and it can be applied to people of color appearing in movies. Counting the scenes where two or more people of color talk to each other about something other than white people in a film, again measures the momentum, or lack of it in Hollywood.

We have to go beyond just counting the firsts which it turns out, are not an indicator of progress. Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to win the Academy Award for Best Director in 2010 for The Hurt Locker. A significant milestone and a film worthy of the award. Yet, it is interesting to note the movie she made—a war film about a bomb disposal team in Iraq—doesn’t pass the Bechdel test. As of 2014, we have yet to see the second female director win the Oscar.

The paucity of substantive female and non-white characters on the big screen, and more importantly, as active participants in the media, on the board of directors of tech companies, and as representatives in the Congress of the United States is a distressing cultural truth. If we are to make exponentially greater gains toward gender parity in these institutions we need to have a clear standard for who is doing the talking.

Photo of WLC 2013 by Carmen Holt
Photo of Alison Bechdel is Courtesy of the John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation