Reading Today’s Media: Starting the Dialogue for Young Women

Given the fact that you are reading 4E, it’s clear you care about accurate, hard-hitting stories written by Hoyas with incredible journalistic integrity. However, it’s probably safe to say you also read a lot of other publications. And some of these other publications, whether they be thought-piece posts you see on your Facebook newsfeed or magazines on the rack at Safeway, don’t give the most realistic representation of everyday life.

A lot of today’s media can prove to be especially negative towards a female audience, and two seniors in the Film and Media Studies minor have made it their mission to help start a dialogue and begin to change the way we perceive media. Alana Snyder (COL ’16) and Lauren Saar (COL ’16) are hosting a symposium this Friday, called Reading Today’s Media (Facebook event here), as the culmination of their Senior Capstone in the Film and Media Studies Program. We sat down with the two seniors to provide you with some more information on what should be an incredible day.

Q: So, what exactly is the RTM Symposium?

A: Reading Today’s Media: Starting the Dialogue for Young Women is a symposium at Georgetown University that seeks to show its attendees that something can be done regarding negative or inaccurate portrayals of women in the media.

Q: What inspired this project?

This project was inspired by my passion for starting events that seek to inspire, educate, and connect. I knew I wanted to host something around women in media but the focusing lens was something I hadn’t settled on until I joined forces with Lauren and her project, Authentic. Because Lauren already knew that she wanted to focus on the media’s inaccurate portrayal of women in magazines, specifically, that provided an easy jumping off point that led to the development of three awesome panels: Media Literacy as a Tool, Young Women as Targets in the Media, and Counter Representations.

Q: What kinds of speakers can we expect at this event?

A: The speakers at the symposium come from diverse backgrounds— some are Georgetown professors while others come from much further away, like Austin, TX. One major goal in planning the event was to cover four core bases: Media, Accessibility, Diversity, and Feminism. Each speaker helps us achieve this goal, from famed Georgetown Marketing Professor Ronald Goodstein, to the CMO of the Young Turks Network, Praveen Singh.

Q: How do we get tickets?

*****Tickets are available at the following link******:

bit.ly/1Rxw8Ds

They’ve been going fast so be sure to get your ticket before we run out!

Q: Can you speak a little about the blog, Authentic, which will also be launching with this event?

In line with RTM’s mission, Authentic is a digital magazine that challenges viewers to deconstruct and reconsider the values imposed by traditional women’s fashion and lifestyle publications.

Authentic celebrates what women already are as their authentic selves and allows them to speak on their own terms and passions. We promote strong, diverse, and authentic women regardless of age, race, shape, or background. Less of who you should be, more of who you are!

Q: Why should people be excited about RTM?

People should come to the symposium because it’s a chance to engage with a topic that is really just starting to pick up steam. Media literacy may not necessarily sound sexy but its something that is more necessary than ever. Come learn about media literacy, marketing, and counter representations from industry leaders and social influencers. This event is based on the collective experience of all three panels so people who attend have the chance to learn more in one day than they do in an entire semester.

Alana and Lauren have worked incredibly hard on this project for the year, and hopefully we will see a lot of you at the event on Friday!