Women and Media: The History of an Activist's Fight for Equality
Donna Allen and The Women’s Institute for Freedom of the Press
By Danna Walker, Ph.D.
Lambert Academic Publishing, 2008
ISBN: 978-3-8383-0627-8
Review by Sara Bales, WIFP
October, 2011
Donna Allen early recognized the important role of the media, something we now take for granted:
I had come to the conclusion that even when using all forms of communication that we could devise, and despite great numbers, we still could not match the number of people that the relatively few mass media owners could reach with their information and opinions…. The media were not our free press; they did not speak for us or report our news. Our press conferences were usually ignored, and when they weren’t the coverage was often derogatory. They did not fulfill any public right to know….
I concluded that a media structure that permitted such unequal power among citizens was unsuitable to democracy, and for all to be heard as equals, we would need to restructure the communications system itself. (p.82)
She described a belief that fueled her work for three decades. A woman who made innumerable contributions to the fields of economics, civil rights, union and labor rights, the peace movement, and others, she is perhaps best remembered for the founding of the Women's Institute for Freedom of the Press (WIFP) in 1972, which celebrates it's 40th anniversary in 2012.
Donna’s daughters, particularly Martha Allen and Dana Densmore, worked with her in the Institute from the early years and continue to run the organization. Other family members have worked with the organization as interns and associates. I can't help but reflect on what a unique position it is to be the one asked to review this particular book, as an intern at WIFP as it embarks on it's 40th year, and as the great-granddaughter of the subject of this book. I was delighted to find some artwork that my mother, Rebecca Peterson, contributed to the 1988 Directory of Women’s Media. As a fourth generation woman to work with the Institute, I found myself feeling pride in what Donna Allen had launched, her triumphs and efforts, and particularly admiration for her seemingly eternal optimism, resilience, and strength.
I recalled a short film done on her in 1974 where she discussed how she would rise at 4 or 5 am and go to sleep at 11: "I don't need much sleep" she smilingly told her interviewer. And how she wished she had a hundred more years in which to work. There is no sign, in film or book, of the weariness or jaded quality that comes to some who have worked so hard, for so long. Her energy was evident through the accounts of her friends, acquaintances, family, and colleagues. It helps explain the jaw-dropping amount she accomplished in her full life.
An account from her daughter, Dana, describes her as "just full of life, full of energy, full of ideas, full of optimism, enthusiasm", while a friend remembered, "...she bounced. She absolutely kind of bounced. She had such energy." Another friend recalled, "Donna made you feel ten feet tall." (p. 92) From such accounts it is easy to imagine Donna as a well of optimism, energy, and focus, one who could inspire others to feel that way as well.
Danna Walker took on quite a task when she decided to write about Donna's life. The first two chapters were difficult for me to understand, where she talks about the methodology, study parameters, and literature review of her book. Looking back after having finished the book, I find these chapters much more comprehensible. The chapters following gave me no problem in understanding, and as I work at WIFP, I can see the wealth of documents and photos available, I'm quite impressed at Walker's ability to sift through it and find coherence in her narrative of Donna Allen's life.
A certain period of her life that I found particularly interesting was during her peace activities when the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC) called her and two other activists before them in 1962 (p.73-77). I tapped the resource of working at WIFP and had to look at the original court records of the trial and the newspaper articles written about the incident. In the simplest terms, Donna and the others were called to testify about their efforts for a Japanese peace leader and law school dean to be able to visit and speak in the United States. They had requested that the State Department issue a visa (and it was granted). When called before HUAC, they refused to do so in a closed session.
The subcommittee of HUAC insisted that they had reasons of national security to bar their testimony from the press and public, but the peace leaders knew they had no national security information and insisted the proceedings be public. When the three refused again to testify in a closed session, they were held in contempt of court.
Many prominent members of American society at the time formed a supportive group that called itself "Defenders of Three Against HUAC", including well-known writers, philosophers, media experts, peace activists, and even a Nobel laureate. "In her pre-sentencing statement to the court, June 4th, 1965, Allen wrote: 'I am now a convicted criminal. But I ask why? What kind of criminal am I? ..In the words of the Un-American Activities Committee, I am guilty of "an excessive concern for peace."' The conviction was overturned on appeal August 22nd, 1966" (p.77)
From devoting herself impressively and wholeheartedly to peace and civil rights issues, Donna Allen then turned her attention towards media goals in 1968.
Walker wrote that, beginning in 1968, Donna helped organize the Washington, DC women's movement, and wrote several articles about the movement and media. Some articles were included in a feminist journal called No More Fun and Games, which was edited by a group in the Boston area that included her daughter, Dana Densmore. Donna came to the conclusion that change in the media would have to come from women, who, as she said, "...have had the unique experience with media images and stereotypes to understand what is wrong" (p. 84)
Donna felt that women were either depicted as a stereotype, or ignored, and that through this unceasing there remained only the one course of action. Women must make their voices heard by creating their own media and reaching out to form extensive networks, to amplify their own voices and to encourage others to speak their minds as well.
Donna founded the Women's Institute for Freedom of the Press in 1972, which as a nonprofit research, publishing, and educational organization is tax exempt, and contributions are tax-deductible. As WIFP associate Dr. Sue Kaufman said of it, "Donna created a universe, a place, a believable space, the Women's Institute for Freedom of the Press, that so many of us were hungry for. It was like an oasis." (p. 103)?
One of the most significant achievements of the WIFP is Media Report to Women, which Walker said started out as a mimeographed information sheet sent out to associates and ended up as a monthly newsletter. I looked at the original first issue of Media Report, and found that the first issue alone was actually 9 pages of information. A full volume was published by the time it went onto a subscription basis. The early issues were sent out to colleagues and women in the media, as there were no associates until 1977.
I had the opportunity to see a film put together by Gail Rebhan, now professor of photography at Northern Virginia Community College. The film was made in 1974 and Rebhan was working with Donna at the time. It is entitled: Dr. Donna Allen, Woman of Action. In it, Donna explains what Media Report was at that time. In her own words:
Media Report is a publication that we put out every month to women who are in the media and to women who are concerned about their portrayal -- their image in the media, telling them the things other women are doing about it. And some of this action goes on by the women who're in media, some of it goes on in cooperation with people in the community, or from the community. All different ways. And actually, when we first found out about it, it was the discovery that there were things going on that other people didn't know about. And so we decided to begin to put out some of this information. We said, 'Well, how are we going to get this to women and let them know that here's a way that they can find out about what others are doing?'
And so we went to the library and got ahold of the lists of women in the working press and this is what we send to them. It's a little brochure that tells about the Media Report, and a letter that goes with it saying what we intend to do, what we are doing, and a return address envelope for them to send back their subscription.
Walker wrote that Media Report to Women was subscribed to by journalism schools, the three major networks, radio stations, government, agencies, television stations, magazines and newspapers, even companies like Sears, Mobil Oil, and Phillip Morris. It had international reach and collected information not easily accessible from a vast array of sources sorted through by Donna and her associate editor, Martha Allen, and put it all together in a very readable, though tightly packed, way. The purpose of it, Walker said, was to report on "What Women are Thinking and Doing to Change the Communications Media", and Donna acted as a journalist herself. It "presented facts on the media and their portrayal of women, changes in the media, and her own opinion about the role and purpose in the media" (p.172). They reported on studies and surveys about the image and portrayal of women in the media, coverage of women in the media, women's news, and particularly in commerce, health, sports, business, safety, and education. They also included statistics on women and minorities in the media, paying attention to their status and pay. There were how-tos, opportunities for employment, promotions, highlights on individual women's accomplishments, and reports on changes regarding media policy in the government. There were sometimes special segments on the activities of WIFP associates, and notices and reports on WIFP projects and conferences.
"Media Report was promoted as the only comprehensive source for reporting on women's activities in labor disputes with media companies, with its editors hoping such coverage would result in better news coverage for all groups, a more accurate portrayal of all groups, more employment by women and minorities, and better programming,” wrote Walker. “It stands today as a comprehensive historical record of women's efforts to bring about change." (p.173)
However, Media Report did even more. Court decision excerpts were often published verbatim, and in their entirety whenever possible. Government studies, broadcast license challenges, FTC petitions, congressional committee reports and testimonies and lawsuits against media companies were also included.
Media Report proved itself to be an incredibly useful tool in calling attention to things long unnoticed that were very illuminating when brought to light. For example:
"...in 1982, [Allen] published an issue in which she revealed that the nation's largest banks overwhelmingly had stockholder voting rights at the three television networks and were a potentially major voice in news policy-making. According to letters Allen received from women working within media, the issue got widespread attention within media ranks." (p.176)
In fact, as Walker says, the information included in Media Report was so "unique and useful" (p.176) that in 1978 the Business and Professional Women's Foundation awarded the WIFP $5000 dollars to expand the Media Report to Women's subscription base. In 1983, Media Report was being published twice a month, and had expanded to 20 pages. There was also more in-depth international reporting included.
Walker says that Media Report was based on the WIFP philosophy that facts were more important than opinion, there ought to be no attacks on people, and that people should speak for themselves. Donna herself explained her theory that women were more likely to push forward such a philosophy than men in an editors note in the February 1979 issue:
"Being more sharing with media is a characteristic of female journalism. Women's papers... care less to write other people's news, as practiced in existing journalism, than to help other people tell their own news information.... even an all-woman editorial staff (that is, women in decision-making posts) works toward this same characteristically female goal: LET PEOPLE SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES." (p.174)
Each year, Walker wrote, Martha Allen would index and annotate the articles in Media Report by subject for inclusion in the Index/Directory of Women's Media, which was available to students, historians, and researchers. It is a very useful tool in observing the history of the women's media movement, and of Media Report itself. It also documented and organized over 500 listings of women's media, the only directory of it's kind.
Walker did a wonderful job of explaining what Media Report was and the difference it made to women. A media outlet that held corporations and current standards of treatment for women responsible was invaluable and rare at the time. In her writing Walker captures the frustration of the women at the time, and the gratitude they felt for a publication that reported fairly and accurately on issues that were day-to-day problems for them.
In 1977 WIFP formed a network of 'Associates" -- those who had the desire to work together toward media democracy. That year Donna wrote to associates:
'There is an obvious desire among women concerned about the media in all its' facets to be in touch with one another, to share information with one another, and to work with one another in an accomplishment of our goal to encourage meaningful change that expands the exercise of our Constitutional right to communicate in the media we find most suitable to our message.'" (p. 126)
By the 80's, Walker says, things were looking up. Less derogatory and gender-specific language was in use, there was a nationwide syndicated show called Women USA! that had panelists such as congresswomen, and discussions of modern issues facing many women, like running two-career households. Women were becoming recognized as a "majority political force" (p.214). Women’s activism was having an impact on the media.
The Institute expanded in amazing ways, beginning to explore ways for women to connect globally. For instance, in 1980, the WIFP arranged 6 international teleconferences via satellite between women across America and women attending the UN Mid-Decade World Conference in Copenhagen. "It was a pilot project to demonstrate that women 'should be able to communicate with each other by the latest technology...'" (p.114). Another WIFP-sponsored teleconference (Dateline Nairobi) was held between Nairobi, Kenya and various cities in the U.S. in 1985 during the Third World Conference of the U.N. Decade for Women.
Danna Walker has put together an amazing amount of information in a very clear, easily understood and eloquent way. She has also, in my opinion, followed Donna's example and let the women spoken of in the book speak for themselves. I found Women and Media: The History of an Activist's Fight for Equality to be informative and interesting. As it is published in small quantities, it is expensive which is unfortunate since it would make a wonderful addition to any historical or feminist library. In particular this book would be an important addition to media studies and women’s studies curriculum.
Donna Allen made early and significant contributions to the movement for media democracy that, particularly since the internet, has spread in ways that would have delighted Donna. She provided insightful perspectives within the movements for peace, civil rights, and media democracy throughout her life.
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For those of you who would like to purchase a copy of Women and Media: The History of an Activist's Fight for Equality - Donna Allen and the Women's Institute for Freedom of the Press, go to http://www.amazon.com/Women-Media-Activists-Equality-Institute/dp/3838306279
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