Check out the JAWS March Women's Series,

Newsletter
March 2023

In this issue:
• The Beverly Wettenstein Women's History Month Speaker Series
• CAMP Update
• Update on Executive Director Search
• Women's History Month and International Women's Day
• How to Engage with JAWS Members
• Call for Submissions – Share Your Latest News

The Beverly Wettenstein Women's History Month Speaker Series

March 15 at 7 p.m. ET

Words Matter: How to Speak Up as an Ally, Active Bystander – or Accomplice

You witness something you know is unjust, unfair, unkind or even unsafe. What’s the best way to respond?

You see a need for change and want to get others on board. How do you start the conversation?

Whether it’s reacting in the moment or preparing to raise an issue, how can you be most effective?

What choices do you have and how do you select the best option – while being your authentic self?

Our presenter is longtime JAWS member and supporter Jill Geisler, the Bill Plante Chair in Leadership and Media Integrity at Loyola University Chicago.

Jill’s years of work with leaders and managers, her involvement in programs dedicated to DBEI (diversity, belonging, equity and inclusion), and her creation of curriculum on workplace safety, allyship and inclusive leadership make her the ideal person for this program. It took her mere moments after our outreach for her to send a resounding “YES” and volunteer.

Jill stresses that this won’t be a lecture. She’ll share foundational info – but most of our time will be a conversation and an exploration of real-time scenarios and how to respond.

You’ll leave with practical tips you can put to work immediately.

Register TODAY: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZItd-qorDgsHtYvJX6x_v9S9X6MExv2rVft

(You may need to cut and paste the link into your browser)

March 24, 12 p.m. - 1 p.m.
Building and Doing Equity in Journalism

The second webinar in the Beverly Wettenstein Women’s History Month Speaker Series is where several female journalists will highlight their work to build a more equitable journalism.

These journalists represent many different forms of journalism – hyperlocal, photography, dual-language, and even journalistic research – and they’ll share the work they’ve done, lessons learned, and where they think the work is going next.

Register Here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_WFO0E1OSR_KYD_O7V-Islw
(You may need to cut and paste the link into your browser)

Moderated by JAWS board member Cirien Saadeh, PhD

Panelists:

Erika Owens, Executive Director, Open News

Madeleine Bair, Founding Director, El Tímpano

Linda Miller, Freelance Journalist & Journalism Researcher

Maria D. De Jesús, Photographer

Margaret Sullivan, Community Journalist and Radio Personality

Erika Owens

Erika Owens is Executive Director of OpenNews, where she convenes people and projects across journalism and technology to move the industry forward. Erika and the OpenNews team seek ways to build enduring connections by supporting a thriving network and creating inclusive, caring spaces for the journalism-tech community. Her adroit community work has been instrumental in establishing OpenNews as a leader in how to foster and sustain networks. Erika also serves on the board of the Movement Alliance Project (formerly Media Mobilizing Project) and has trained as a donor organizer through the Giving Project at Bread and Roses Community Fund. Previously, Erika was web editor at the Philadelphia Public School Notebook. From tutoring in the D.C. Public Schools to voter outreach to mission-driven journalism, each area of her work has reinforced the importance of building and strengthening relationships. She is based in Philadelphia and loves nonprofit journalism, people watching, and laughing heartily.

Madeleine Bair

Madeleine Bair is the founder of El Tímpano, an award-winning civic media organization that has been described by peers as an “outstanding innovation model” for its work to produce journalism with and for the Bay Area’s Latino immigrant communities. Madeleine has been carrying a microphone in her backpack since she belonged to the Oakland bureau of Children’s Express. She has taught radio production to young adults, worked on a morning show at Chicago Public Radio, produced multimedia for Human Rights Watch, and collaborated with media activists from around the world. Her stories have appeared in The Washington Post, The San Francisco Chronicle, Colorlines, and Orion, and broadcast on PRI’s “The World” and “Independent Lens”.

Linda Miller

Linda Miller became a journalist in the small towns of Wyoming, where newspapers were pieced together with hot wax and border tape, and held together by trust, transparency, and a partnership with readers. As director of network journalism and inclusion at American Public Media, she helped journalists deepen relationships with the communities they serve, albeit with better technology. While at APM, Linda led the redesign and rollout of the nation’s first-ever community engagement platform for journalists – the Public Insight Network – and oversaw the training of 600+ journalists at more than 100 organizations in strategies and techniques for diversifying sources and incorporating deep listening, engagement, empathy and impact evaluation into the journalistic process. Currently, she leads the Multicultural Media & Correspondents Association’s Equitable Media and Economies Initiative, a national effort to create a more just economy and caring democracy by investing in Equitable Media – Black, Indigenous, other people of color, and traditionally marginalized-led news organizations that serve communities of color – as civic infrastructure.

Marie D. De Jesús

Marie D. De Jesús is the photo editor for the Houston Landing. She was previously a staff photojournalist for The Houston Chronicle, where she concentrated on developing relationships with Houston’s diverse marginalized communities. Prior to the Chronicle, Marie worked for The Democrat and Chronicle in Rochester, New York, and The Victoria Advocate in Texas. In 2022, Marie became the first Latina president of the National Press Photographers Association. Marie was born in Puerto Rico and raised five miles from the Arecibo Observatory.

Margaret Sullivan

Radio personality, activist, and educator Margaret “Ms. Margaret” Sullivan hails from St Paul, Minnesota. Margaret studied Business Administration with a concentration in Music Business at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. After an internship with 101.3 KDWB, Margaret decided she wanted to pursue a career in radio. In 2015, a few months after the birth of her son, Margaret launched her talk-radio show “Ms Margaret Live!” on 94.1 FM WFNU radio. Describing her show as “A Seat At The Table For Those On The Menu,” the show has featured a variety of guests such as Attorney General Keith Ellison, Gov. Tim Walz, Rep. Ilhan Omar, Amanda Seales and V Bozeman. She most recently filled in as the morning show host for Jazz 88 FM. In 2021, Margaret premiered her first documentary through SPNN (St Paul Neighborhood Network), “When They Took My Baby Away,” which captures a “day in the life” of families impacted by police brutality. She was featured on several media outlets such as Voyage MN, LA Times, Kare 11 News , WCCO, Fan Force Media, and featured in Babel-Doc’s “Minneapolis 4.” In addition to her work in media, Margaret is an activist and educator. She is the Programs and Outreach Manager for Ed Allies and serves on the Board for the nonprofit organization Love First Community Engagement. She enjoys finding ways to combine her love for radio and advocacy.

Who was Beverly Wettenstein?

Beverly Wettenstein was a New York City-based journalist and communications professional and a longtime JAWS member.

According to her cousin, Louise Stone, in her early career, Beverly worked for several major companies doing public relations. Though never stated as such, she encountered sexism and faced resistance to her goals of promotion and success. She freelanced after leaving the corporate world and truly devoted her life and work to education, advocating for women, writing about inequities, mentoring girls through different programs in NYC.

READ the rest of the story by clicking the button below.

Beverly Wettenstein Profle

Dancing in the Street https://youtu.be/68Uv959QuCg

Let's get CAMP ready

JAWS CAMP is coming to the Windy City this fall, and you can help to get us up and running!

CAMP will run from Friday, Oct. 13, thru Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023. We’re still in the early planning stages and would love to have you share your ideas.

There are three areas each of us co-chairs are spearheading:

Nadine Arroyo Rodriguez (NAR): operations and support before and during the conference itself

Tanya Gazdik: sponsorships and partnerships, in-kind donors of spaces for events and sessions

Elissa Yancey: programming options around the idea of JAWS’ vibrant and powerful intersections

The focus this year is to prepare for a new kind of gathering that fits our organization’s needs for an accessible, lower-cost approach to amplify our strengths and build a powerful program of learning and growing opportunities for all of our members across the country.

We are excited to host new opportunities to build skills, connections, and sense of belonging among our members, new and returning, as we step boldly into a great city with a phenomenal JAWS chapter to provide backbone support and encouragement.

Interested in building a memorable CAMP in Chicago?

Send your ideas or offers to CAMP@JAWS.org. And stay tuned for notes from CAMP co-chairs and more specific opportunities for you to get involved!

Oh, and don’t forget to spread the word!
JAWS CAMP 2023
Friday, Oct. 13, thru Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023

March is Women's History Month

The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in commemorating and encouraging the study, observance and celebration of the vital role of women in American history.

Check out what is planned!

TODAY, March 8, is International Women's Day!

This year's theme is #EmbraceEquity.

"Equity isn't just a nice-to-have, it's a must-have.

A focus on gender equity needs to be part of every society's DNA.

And it's critical to understand the difference between equity and equality.

The aim of the IWD 2023 #EmbraceEquity campaign theme is to get the world talking about Why equal opportunities aren't enough. People start from different places, so true inclusion and belonging require equitable action. Read more about this here."

Take a picture of yourself or you and your colleagues or family members in a self embrace. Post it on social media with #EmbraceEquity and tag JAWS @womenjournos.

More JAWS News

How to engage with other JAWS members

Get active on the JAWS member website (www.members.jaws.org):

•Share your job postings or your availability on the JAWS job board
•Watch past webinars
•Talk to other members via forums, direct messaging, group conversations or via a public (to members only) post
•Find other JAWS members via the member directory (complete your profile today!)
•Find out how to access the JAWS archives from the Legacy Committee

Send your ideas for forums and other additions to the members site to J. Kyle Foster at support@jaws.org

Executive Director search continues

From the search committee: “The ED Search Committee completed its initial screening of applications. We’re now embarking on interviews & hope to make a decision by mid-March.”

Address and Contacts