#WomensLives :: Something important happened yesterday

There’s something about me I don’t (think) I talk about all that much. It’s the fact that my degree is in journalism. Oh, I talk about being an Aggie and what Texas A&M means to me, but I don’t talk much about the fact that my degree is in journalism. But. It is:

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My final semester, Texas A&M University decided it would no longer offer Journalism as a major. (It has since changed its tune… it only took 10 years to do so, though.) I suppose that should have been a foreboding of sorts for me.

Between when I graduated in 2003 and today, I worked about a year and a half at a newspaper (click here to see my personal article archive) before walking away from the field. I consider this blog and interactions I have often on Twitter as my keeping up with my interest and deep down love for the field of journalism.

But as with things you love, its easy to also hate it… and to perhaps hate it a little more than anyone who didn’t at one time see it as their future. I know what good journalism is… and its very, very hard to find today.

It is for this reason that I jumped on the opportunity to join the #WomensLives initiative, a media partnership between Public Radio International (PRI) and SheKnows Media, BlogHer‘s parent company. (I’ve proudly been a part of the BlogHer network for years.) Perhaps I could be part of an initiative to fix a part of what is wrong in the news media today.

Did you know that only about 24% of all news subjects talk about women in any way, and only six percent of news stories highlight gender in/equality. Staggering, but true.  Staggering and unacceptable.

This initiative — #WomensLives — kicked off yesterday with a bang. Literally hundreds of women’s voices have come together to be heard. SheKnows Media is helping us as members of our community start conversations about the PRI’s Across Women’s Lives series using the #WomensLives hashtag across social media and through individual points of views on personal blogs.

I am SO excited to see where this initiative takes me — takes ALL of us. For the rest of this year, I’ll be blogging on topics directly related to #WomensLives as well as sharing links to other article. I welcome an open — respectful — dialogue about all the topics that will come be brought to light.

Make sure to follow me on Twitter and Facebook, and keep checking the #WomensLives hashtag regularly to find even more open and interesting discussions directly relating to women and media.

Let’s make a difference together!

#womenslivesLearn more over at BlogHer about #WomensLives!

You’re Invited: SheKnows Media and PRI Announce News Incubator #womenslives

3 thoughts on “#WomensLives :: Something important happened yesterday”

  1. I’ll be checking this out!

    A BT friend has started our group on writing a book about our translocations and our journeys. Obviously most of us are still in the “TTC and birth a healthy baby” trenches, but we’re at least beginning to write it all down. Just for me, I’ve got 4yrs to chronicle to get started! If I can get my writing together, I’ll blog it. :)
    Anne recently posted..Turquoise Granny Square Baby Blanket – 28" square (Ready to ship) by AnneMashekCreations

  2. A sister journo! I loved your post Denise, as a reporter/producer myself who ultimately decided to leave the newsroom in order to create what I couldn’t find. I thank haven for @PRI daily.

    Thank you for bringing your voice to #womenslives.

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