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Geena Davis and Former FCC Commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate Announce Healthy MEdia Commission Members

WASHINGTON, July 7, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today Geena Davis, Academy Award-winning Actor and Founder of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, and Deborah Taylor Tate, former FCC Commissioner, proudly announce the Commission Members of Healthy MEdia: Commission for Positive Images of Women and Girls. Healthy MEdia will lead the national dialogue on how women and girls are portrayed in the media, and will outline a blueprint for promoting positive and healthy media images.

"We are extremely proud to announce our committed partners in promoting positive images of women and girls in the media," said Davis and Tate.

The Commission is comprised of the following industry leaders, subject-matter experts, media leadership, and members of the creative community:

    --  Co-chair Geena Davis, Academy Award-winning actor and founder of the
        Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media
    --  Co-chair Deborah Taylor Tate, former FCC Commissioner
    --  Maria Brennan, President and CEO, Women in Cable Telecommunications
    --  Alice Cahn, Vice President, Social Responsibility, Cartoon Network
    --  Danielle Carrig, Senior Vice President, Advocacy & Public Affairs, A&E
        Networks
    --  Salaam Coleman Smith, President, The Style Network
    --  Sean Cunningham, President and CEO, Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau
    --  Madeline Di Nonno, Executive Director, The Geena Davis Institute on
        Gender in Media
    --  Carmen DiRienzo, President and CEO, V-me Media, Inc.
    --  Emme, Social Reformer, TV Host and Founder, EmmeNation.com
    --  Ivelisse Estrada, Senior Vice President, Corporate and Community
        Relations, Univision Communications
    --  Janice Ferebee, founder and CEO, National Council of Negro Women
    --  Erin Fuller, President, Alliance for Women in Media
    --  Marie Gallo Dyak, Executive Vice President, Program Services and
        Government Relations, Entertainment Industries Council
    --  David Honig, President and Executive Director, Minority Media
        Telecommunications Council
    --  Sherri Hope Culver, President, National Association for Media Literacy
        Education
    --  Myung Kang-Huneke, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Sesame
        Workshop
    --  Jean Kilbourne, Creator of the "Killing Us Softly: Advertising's Image
        of Women" Film Series
    --  Linda Kinney, Vice President for Regulatory Affairs, Motion Picture
        Association of America
    --  Jeanine Liburd, Executive Vice President, Communications and Public
        Affairs, Black Entertainment Television
    --  Vicki Lins, Chief Marketing Officer, Canoe Ventures
    --  April McClain-Delaney, Washington Director, Common Sense Media
    --  Cindy McConkey, Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications, Scripps
        Network
    --  Lesli Rotenberg, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications,
        Children's Media, Public Broadcasting Service
    --  Katherine Schwarzenegger, author, Rock What You've Got
    --  Ann Shoket, Editor-in-Chief, Seventeen Magazine
    --  Jennifer Siebel Newsom, Director, Miss Representation
    --  Dr. Nancy Snyderman, Chief Medical Editor, NBC Nightly News
    --  Belinda Van Sickle, President and CEO, Women in Games International
    --  Alexa Verveer, Senior Vice President, Discovery Communications
    --  Jess Weiner, Author, Self-Esteem Expert and Dove's Global Self-Esteem
        Ambassador

The first meeting of the Healthy MEdia Commission will take place next week in Washington, D.C., and will involve framing and exploring the issue of how females are portrayed in the media. The day will conclude with a private screening of the highly-acclaimed Miss Representation, a documentary addressing the effects of media on girls.

Healthy MEdia: Commission for Positive Images of Women and Girls will:

    --  Host the national discussion on best practices to promote positive and
        balanced images of girls and women.
    --  Convene industry leaders, subject-matter experts, youth representatives,
        media leadership, and the creative community to develop a blueprint on
        how to create a positive media environment for kids.
    --  Produce concrete recommendations to media and policy leaders.
    --  Champion media leaders who are promoting positive content and balanced
        images of girls and women.
    --  Work to secure industry-wide, public commitments to take steps toward
        positive change.

About Girl Scouts of the USA (www.girlscouts.org)

Founded in 1912, Girl Scouts of the USA is the preeminent leadership development organization for girls with 3.4 million girl and adult members worldwide. Girl Scouts is the leading authority on girls' healthy development, and builds girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place. The organization serves girls from every corner of the United States and its territories. Girl Scouts of the USA also serves American girls living overseas in 90 countries. For more information on how to join, volunteer, reconnect or donate to Girl Scouts, call (800) GSUSA 4 U (800-478-7248) or visit www.girlscouts.org.

About The Creative Coalition (www.TheCreativeCoalition.org)

The Creative Coalition is the premier 501(C)(3) nonprofit, nonpartisan social and public advocacy organization of the arts and entertainment community. Founded in 1989 by prominent members of the creative community, The Creative Coalition is dedicated to educating and mobilizing its members on issues of public importance, particularly in the areas of public education, arts advocacy and First Amendment rights.

About NCTA (http://www.ncta.com)

NCTA is the principal trade association for the U.S. cable industry, representing cable operators serving more than 90 percent of the nation's cable television households and more than 200 cable program networks. The cable industry is the nation's largest broadband provider of high-speed Internet access, serving 45 million customers, after investing more than $170 billion to build two-way interactive networks with fiber optic technology. Cable companies also provide state-of-the-art digital telephone service to 24 million American consumers.

About NAB (www.nab.org)

The National Association of Broadcasters is the premier advocacy association for America's broadcasters. NAB advances radio and television interests in legislative, regulatory and public affairs. Through advocacy, education and innovation, NAB enables broadcasters to best serve their communities, strengthen their businesses and seize new opportunities in the digital age. Learn more at www.nab.org.

About The Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media (http://www.thegeenadavisinstitute.org )

The Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media and its programming arm See Jane work with entertainment creators and companies, educate the next generation of content-creators, and inform the public about the need to increase the number of girls and women in media aimed at kids and to reduce stereotyping of both males and females.

SOURCE Girl Scouts of the USA