![Part Two of Three: L(L) Speaks with Alliance for Women President Erin M Fuller on the Role of Women in Media.
Erin M Fuller is the President of the Alliance for Women in Media, the longest established professional association dedicated to advancing women in media and entertainment. With nearly 10,000 community members, the Alliance for Women in Media represents men and women engaged in creating high-quality media and harnessing the power of women in all forms of media to empower career development, engage in thought leadership, and drive positive change.
Ms. Fuller is on the advisory board for the Women in Politics Institute at American University and is the President of the American University Alumni Association Executive Board. She is a Fellow of the American Society of Association Executives and teaches as a guest lecturer on non-profit management at American University.
Prior to joining the Alliance for Women in Media, Ms. Fuller previously served as the executive director for Tysons Tomorrow and as the chief staff executive for the National Association of Women Business Owners.
L(L): In what areas of media have women made the most progress in the last ten years?
EMF: This is a hard question because we know media is pervasive and encompasses so much. Women have made great progress in certain pockets of the industry. A+E, BET, NBC Universal – I could rattle off 50 networks that have women in senior level positions. Especially within cable divisions and entertainment studios, the executive movement we see there is encouraging.
Another area where women have made a lot of progress is news reporting. In only a generation so much has changed. The number of women doing financial reporting right now is amazing. We all remember when Maria Bartiromo came on the air – that was a big deal, but now people don’t even comment on the women in these roles. Women are taking leading positions in sports reporting. There’s so much movement in areas we originally thought were nontraditional areas for women.
L(L): In what areas of media do women still face the most significant challenges?
EMF: There is a flip side to the positives I just mentioned that we get concerned about, and that’s when women only seek “front of the camera” opportunities. I get concerned about all the women I meet who want to go into broadcast journalism. I worry about the limited shelf life you have there. I worry about the pressure for women to conform. It’s disconcerting when you turn on the news channels and many women look the same. I think it’s not necessarily her choice; it’s the way she’s mandated to look and act in order to further her career.
There is a terrific movie out right now called MissRepresentation which highlights so many aspects that are concerning about how we see women in media. I worry about what women see on television today and what they may think they need in order to be successful, like “I need to weigh 95 pounds, or have a perfect set of teeth.” When you think about the real heroes in our media today, you realize that’s not what you need at all.
Where the real opportunities are for women who want to enter media is on the technical side. Broadcast engineering pays high salaries – the engineers can be more highly compensated than the people in front of the camera! You have a lot more creative control in this field, and an ability to own a piece of what you’re creating. Technical jobs provide a lot of stability, long shelf life, and opportunities for good salaries.
Another area ripe for opportunity is new media development – for example, managing new media, mobile, product integrations across platforms. Right now very little of that is run by women. Actually, our organization was previously called American Women in Radio and Television – we rebranded as an effort to include digital media as an extension of our 60 years of work in radio and television.
L(L): Time to brag. Tell us about something that the Alliance for Women in Media is doing that you’re really proud of or excited about.
EMF: I’ll name two. This past year we launched our Symposium events, which is a series of educational events in different parts of the country. We just finished up our Chicago event, which focused on Digital Literacy for Women and Girls, which culminated in a special year end report. Being able to do that kind of deep dive into content is why I love my job.
Also, each year the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation hosts the Gracie Awards, which celebrates the best in media by, for, and about women. It’s a spectacular event we look forward to every year. We judge from thousands of entries and do a big red carpet celebration. This past year we welcomed Meredith Viera, Chelsea Handler, and many other amazing women. We are able to leverage the relationships we form through The Gracies in other ways – for instance, our radio PSA campaign on girls’ self-esteem was voiced last year by fabulous members and supporters such as Gayle King, Tina Fey, Lisa, Ling, and Amy Poehler.
The important thing about both of these programs is the message we’re giving about the role of women in media. Our goal is to shine a light on positive and realistic portrayals of women in media, and to support women to continue to seek out rewarding careers in media.
L(L): Both professionally with the Alliance for Women in Media and personally, what do you want to accomplish by January 2013?
EMF: Within AWM, we’d like to launch a campaign that has real societal impact on issues related to digital literacy. Next year, we’ll do a lot of the work to complete that and are meeting with everyone from celebrities to network heads to FCC commissioners to launch that.
I also sit on the Healthy Media: Commission for Positive Images of Women and Girls, launched by Geena Davis and former FCC Commission Deborah Taylor Tate, and we’ll have a series of recommendations out in October on key issues for the portrayal of women and girls in media. I’m honored to be able to serve on that commission.
Personally, I yearn to figure out how to fit in more exercise. It doesn’t matter what job you have. Those things that are hard at 20 are hard at 30, 40, and 50. Spending more time having fun with my kids and maintaining my personal health – those are two things I want more of in 2012.
[Author’s Note: For any Levo Ladies working in media or affiliated industries, check out the Alliance for Women in Media, which has free community membership and weekly news briefs on career progress for women in media.]
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Wendi is a 2008 alumna of Stanford University and Fulbright Scholar who is passionate about global business and economic development, social responsibility, and design thinking. With a background in international political and corporate consulting, she looks towards finding that “sweet spot” of work which combines innovative collaboration, business acumen, and social impact. An avid traveler who loves to experience new cultures (and great food!), she has lived abroad in Peru, Chile, and Spain and would love to put a few more countries on that list.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lz33srEwKv1rnojvoo1_250.jpg)
Part Two of Three: L(L) Speaks with Alliance for Women President Erin M Fuller on the Role of Women in Media.
Erin M Fuller is the President of the Alliance for Women in Media, the longest established professional association dedicated to advancing women in media and entertainment. With nearly 10,000 community members, the Alliance for Women in Media represents men and women engaged in creating high-quality media and harnessing the power of women in all forms of media to empower career development, engage in thought leadership, and drive positive change.
Ms. Fuller is on the advisory board for the Women in Politics Institute at American University and is the President of the American University Alumni Association Executive Board. She is a Fellow of the American Society of Association Executives and teaches as a guest lecturer on non-profit management at American University.
Prior to joining the Alliance for Women in Media, Ms. Fuller previously served as the executive director for Tysons Tomorrow and as the chief staff executive for the National Association of Women Business Owners.
L(L): In what areas of media have women made the most progress in the last ten years?
EMF: This is a hard question because we know media is pervasive and encompasses so much. Women have made great progress in certain pockets of the industry. A+E, BET, NBC Universal – I could rattle off 50 networks that have women in senior level positions. Especially within cable divisions and entertainment studios, the executive movement we see there is encouraging.
Another area where women have made a lot of progress is news reporting. In only a generation so much has changed. The number of women doing financial reporting right now is amazing. We all remember when Maria Bartiromo came on the air – that was a big deal, but now people don’t even comment on the women in these roles. Women are taking leading positions in sports reporting. There’s so much movement in areas we originally thought were nontraditional areas for women.
L(L): In what areas of media do women still face the most significant challenges?
EMF: There is a flip side to the positives I just mentioned that we get concerned about, and that’s when women only seek “front of the camera” opportunities. I get concerned about all the women I meet who want to go into broadcast journalism. I worry about the limited shelf life you have there. I worry about the pressure for women to conform. It’s disconcerting when you turn on the news channels and many women look the same. I think it’s not necessarily her choice; it’s the way she’s mandated to look and act in order to further her career.
There is a terrific movie out right now called MissRepresentation which highlights so many aspects that are concerning about how we see women in media. I worry about what women see on television today and what they may think they need in order to be successful, like “I need to weigh 95 pounds, or have a perfect set of teeth.” When you think about the real heroes in our media today, you realize that’s not what you need at all.
Where the real opportunities are for women who want to enter media is on the technical side. Broadcast engineering pays high salaries – the engineers can be more highly compensated than the people in front of the camera! You have a lot more creative control in this field, and an ability to own a piece of what you’re creating. Technical jobs provide a lot of stability, long shelf life, and opportunities for good salaries.
Another area ripe for opportunity is new media development – for example, managing new media, mobile, product integrations across platforms. Right now very little of that is run by women. Actually, our organization was previously called American Women in Radio and Television – we rebranded as an effort to include digital media as an extension of our 60 years of work in radio and television.
L(L): Time to brag. Tell us about something that the Alliance for Women in Media is doing that you’re really proud of or excited about.
EMF: I’ll name two. This past year we launched our Symposium events, which is a series of educational events in different parts of the country. We just finished up our Chicago event, which focused on Digital Literacy for Women and Girls, which culminated in a special year end report. Being able to do that kind of deep dive into content is why I love my job.
Also, each year the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation hosts the Gracie Awards, which celebrates the best in media by, for, and about women. It’s a spectacular event we look forward to every year. We judge from thousands of entries and do a big red carpet celebration. This past year we welcomed Meredith Viera, Chelsea Handler, and many other amazing women. We are able to leverage the relationships we form through The Gracies in other ways – for instance, our radio PSA campaign on girls’ self-esteem was voiced last year by fabulous members and supporters such as Gayle King, Tina Fey, Lisa, Ling, and Amy Poehler.
The important thing about both of these programs is the message we’re giving about the role of women in media. Our goal is to shine a light on positive and realistic portrayals of women in media, and to support women to continue to seek out rewarding careers in media.
L(L): Both professionally with the Alliance for Women in Media and personally, what do you want to accomplish by January 2013?
EMF: Within AWM, we’d like to launch a campaign that has real societal impact on issues related to digital literacy. Next year, we’ll do a lot of the work to complete that and are meeting with everyone from celebrities to network heads to FCC commissioners to launch that.
I also sit on the Healthy Media: Commission for Positive Images of Women and Girls, launched by Geena Davis and former FCC Commission Deborah Taylor Tate, and we’ll have a series of recommendations out in October on key issues for the portrayal of women and girls in media. I’m honored to be able to serve on that commission.
Personally, I yearn to figure out how to fit in more exercise. It doesn’t matter what job you have. Those things that are hard at 20 are hard at 30, 40, and 50. Spending more time having fun with my kids and maintaining my personal health – those are two things I want more of in 2012.
[Author’s Note: For any Levo Ladies working in media or affiliated industries, check out the Alliance for Women in Media, which has free community membership and weekly news briefs on career progress for women in media.]
——————————————————————————————
Wendi is a 2008 alumna of Stanford University and Fulbright Scholar who is passionate about global business and economic development, social responsibility, and design thinking. With a background in international political and corporate consulting, she looks towards finding that “sweet spot” of work which combines innovative collaboration, business acumen, and social impact. An avid traveler who loves to experience new cultures (and great food!), she has lived abroad in Peru, Chile, and Spain and would love to put a few more countries on that list.
