Women and Media

Even women who flooded the field of
journalism during the Second Wave of the Women's Movement
had little knowledge of the relentless campaign by women in
the movement, in media, government, law, and politics to
reform media. In this book, media feminist scholar Danna
Walker reveals the evolution of the women's media activism
that flourished when feminists began defining news - often
identified as the main source of discourse in a democracy --
as a gendered field representing a male-dominated society.
The story is told through the life and work of Donna Allen,
founder of the Women's Institute for Freedom of the Press, a
think tank that helped to legitimize women's place in the
public sphere. The institute's newsletter, Media Report to
Women, is the only source for much of the historical record
on class action lawsuits against media companies, nationwide
challenges of broadcast licenses, and the other landmark
reform efforts by women working to change society. This book
contributes to a growing body of research into the impact of
women's media activism over the last 40 years on media
reform, public perceptions, media technology, and
communication history and education.