Lipscomb University Executive-in-Residence Debi Taylor Tate took her campaign to reduce negative images of women and girls in the media to the White House this week.  

Tate, a former Federal Communications Commissioner and ITU (International Telecommunication Union) Special Envoy for Child Online Protection, teaches communications law in Lipscomb’s Department of Communication and Journalism, but also continues her full slate of activities to promote the safety and enrichment of children using digital media of all types.

As co-chair of the Healthy MEdia: Commission for Positive Images of Women and Girls, along with Oscar-winning actress Geena Davis, Tate was invited to a roundtable discussion with the White House Office of Women and Girls along with the Girl Scouts of America and "I Am That Girl," a national nonprofit inspiring confidence in young women by building community and creating healthy media.

"This issue is about far more than body image and the lack of diversity of roles displayed to young women through the media," said Tate. "It is also about jobs in the 21^st century – increasingly in the high tech sector – and the education girls will need to compete in our global economy. We need to instill both skills and confidence in our young women to step up on the world stage, and it is truly gratifying to see these public private partnerships, as well as the White House, interested in making that happen."

The Healthy MEdia commission is the first national dialogue promoting positive and healthy images of girls and women. Partners include the National Telecommunications and Cable Association, the National Association of Broadcasters, the Creative Coalition and the Motion Picture Association of America. Its goals include creating a more positive media environment for kids including concrete recommendations to media and policy leaders as well as championing media who are promoting healthy, diverse and balanced images.

As part of the national discussion on creating a positive media environment for all children, a panel discussion and showing of the film "Miss Representation" will be part of the Economic Summit for Women in Nashville, Tenn., on Monday, Oct. 24. In addition, Lipscomb University’s HumanDocs Film Series will host an encore showing for the community at-large on Wednesday, Oct. 26.

"Miss Representation," directed by Jennifer Siebel Newsom, delves into how women are judged more strongly on their youth, beauty and sexuality than on their capacity as leaders. The film interweaves the stories of teenage girls with interviews of women leaders such as Dr. Condoleezza Rice, Nancy Pelosi, Katie Couric, Gloria Steinem and Jane Fonda to challenge the limited portrayal of women in the mainstream media.

The film was shown in July to the Healthy MEdia Commission, which includes such influential national figures as the president of The Style Network, the editor of Seventeen magazine and executives from Black Entertainment Television, Scripps Networks and others. It was selected for the Sundance Film Festival and then picked up by the Oprah Winfrey Network for distribution. It will air on OWN on Thursday, Oct. 20.

Tate has coordinated a panel on "Miss Representation" for the Economic Summit including Dr. Stacey Smith from the Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California; Beth Curley, CEO of Nashville Public Television; and Linda Garceau, CEO of Centerstone Foundation, which raises money to support the services of Centerstone, the nation’s largest not-for-profit provider of community-based treatment for mental illness and addictions.

About Deborah Taylor Tate

While an FCC commissioner, Tate was a leading voice on issues affecting families and children. In 2009, she was named a World Telecommunications and Information Society Day Laureate for her international work regarding education, advocacy and protection of children online. Tate presently serves as a distinguished adjunct senior fellow at the Free State Foundation and Minority Media Telecommunications Council in Washington, D.C. She advises numerous national nonprofit organizations including Common Sense Media and serves on the board of HealthStream, a leading provider of online health care learning and research solutions.

About HumanDocs' screening of "Miss Representation"

Lipscomb University presents a free screening of “Miss Representation” at 8:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 26, in Ward Hall. The HumanDocs Film Series is a social-justice documentary series that aims to create a more just, peaceful and inclusive university and city. It is presented by the Lipscomb University School of Humanities within the College of Arts and Sciences.

About the Department of Communication and Journalism

The Lipscomb University Department of Communication and Journalism in the College of Arts and Sciences offers three majors (public communication and leadership, organizational communication and public relations, and journalism and new media) with a core curriculum designed to develop ethical, effective communicators for a digital age. Craig Carroll, named Public Relations Educator of the Year by PR News, leads a faculty that includes award-winning journalists and nationally recognized public relations professionals.  

Lipscomb University

Lipscomb University

Lipscomb University is a Christian community of scholars, dedicated to excellence in learning, leading and serving, where students prepare for success today, tomorrow and forever. This principle is carried out in the classroom and in the broader community through our service-learning program and numerous humanitarian trips in the U.S. and abroad. Lipscomb offers 98 fields of undergraduate studies, including majors in the liberal arts, business, biology/pre-med, computer science, education, engineering and nursing. Master's degrees are offered in 33 areas of study including accounting, business, Christian ministry, conflict management, counseling, education, exercise and nutrition science, psychology, sustainability, and theological studies. Doctoral degrees are offered in pharmacy, education and, beginning in Fall 2011, in ministry. Located in Nashville, Lipscomb draws on the city as its campus and the world as its classroom. Study abroad opportunities are offered in Vienna, London, Beijing, Hong Kong, and Buenos Aires as well as other international destinations. Lipscomb's intercollegiate athletic teams compete at the NCAA Division I level.

Within our faculty and staff are a number of experts in a variety of areas including sustainability, business ethics, veterans education/Post 9-11 GI Bill, political commentary, societal issues, civic leadership, community engagement, Latino education, and pharmacy and health sciences among others.

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