WMC President Carol Jenkins Awarded North Star News Prize for 2009
Emmy-Winning Journalist and Activist Recognized for Her Contribution to Social Justice Through Media Work
January 8, 2009 (New York, NY) - The Women’s Media Center is proud to announce that its founding president, Carol Jenkins, has been chosen as a recipient of this year’s North Star News Prize. The prize recognizes the achievements of journalists of color who have made a significant contribution to the public’s understanding of the struggle for social justice.
“I am honored to see the work of The Women’s Media Center recognized in this way,” said Jenkins. “Since our founding by Jane Fonda, Gloria Steinem and Robin Morgan in 2006, we have worked on three fronts to make women more visible and powerful in the media: by publishing women’s commentaries on our website, through our media advocacy campaigns, and our media training for women experts. It’s so rewarding to know that our work is making a difference.” The Women’s Media Center was a leader in documenting sexism in the media during the 2008 presidential campaign.
Carol Jenkins spent 30 years as an anchor, correspondent and show host in New York City, mostly for NBC’s flagship local station. She reported from the political conventions and from South Africa when Nelson Mandela was released from prison. Ms. Jenkins is a producer of award winning documentaries and the author of A.G. Gaston and the Making of a Black American Millionaire—the life story of her uncle that she wrote with her daughter, Elizabeth Gardner Hines.
The North Star News Prize is awarded by The North Star Fund, named for the newspaper famed black abolitionist Frederick Douglass first printed in 1847. Along with noted radio broadcaster Deepa Fernandes and hip hop critic Jeff Chang, Ms. Jenkins will receive her award on Thursday, January 15th at a breakfast reception at the offices of Skadden Arps LLP at 4 Times Square, from 8:30 to 10:30 AM. The event includes a discussion of the new Obama administration—and what progressives can expect-- by Katrina vanden Heuvel, Laura Flanders, Maria Hinojosa and Joe Conason.
The Women's Media Center was founded in 2005 by Jane Fonda, Robin Morgan and Gloria Steinem to make women more visible and powerful in the media. The WMC places female voices into the media, offers media training, and publishes original reports and commentaries as well as links to women columnists and bloggers, news organizations, and journalism sources on its Web site, www.womensmediacenter.com.
