Women's Media Center

Women's Media Center
Company type	Nonprofit organization
Industry	Media advocacy
Founded	2005; 21 years ago
Founder	Jane Fonda, Robin Morgan, Gloria Steinem
Headquarters	United States
Key people	Julie Burton (president)
Products	Advocacy initiatives, media training, original programming, awards
Website	womensmediacenter.com

Women's Media Center (WMC) is a nonprofit entity registered under 501(c)(3) in the United States, established in 2005 by activists and writers Jane Fonda, Robin Morgan, and Gloria Steinem. Operating from its U.S. headquarters, WMC is dedicated to enhancing women's participation and leadership within the media landscape. Led by president Julie Burton, the organization spearheads advocacy initiatives, provides training in media and leadership skills, creates original programming, and honors women’s accomplishments through awards. WMC’s operational approach capitalizes on the credibility of its founders alongside focused programs to shape industry norms and foster gender equality across media platforms.

Women's representation in media

The primary mission of the Women's Media Center (WMC) is to guarantee strong representation of women in media while enriching content diversity and sources to portray women and girls more authentically. The organization facilitates panel discussions, publishes analytical reports, mobilizes grassroots efforts, and collaborates with media entities to enhance diversity and improve women's visibility.

Following the American Psychological Association's Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls report, WMC joined forces with more than ten organizations to host the SPARK Summit at Hunter College in October 2010, concentrating on addressing the sexualization issues affecting girls and women.

Additionally, WMC awards a Social Media Award that acknowledges individuals who promote women's empowerment and visibility in media. Jude Doyle was honored as the first recipient in 2011.

Media training and expert sources

In 2008, WMC introduced the Progressive Women's Voices initiative to link female experts with media professionals. Their SheSource directory includes over 500 women specialists, providing journalists with access to qualified female commentators and sources.

Sexism watchdog

WMC actively monitors sexist content within media outlets and advocates for equitable representation. During the 2008 presidential race, it released a video titled "Sexism Sells but We're Not Buying It" accompanied by a petition addressing sexist treatment of female candidates. The video "Media Justice for Sotomayor" drew attention to both racist and sexist narratives during Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s 2009 confirmation process.

In 2010, WMC launched the Name it. Change it. (NICI) campaign nationwide with partner organizations to challenge sexism directed at women politicians by establishing a rapid response system aimed at curbing misogynistic media coverage.

Health care reform and reproductive rights

Reacting to the 2009 Stupak–Pitts Amendment alongside other health care reform measures that restricted abortion access and funding, WMC took an active role defending women's reproductive rights. On December 10, 2009, it initiated the Not Under The Bus campaign designed to maintain fair, safe, and accessible health care for women. The campaign initially targeted opposition against the Stupak Amendment and comparable restrictions, which WMC characterized as the most significant constraints on women's health care since the 1977 Hyde Amendment limited federal Medicaid abortion funding.

2010 campaign against CBS and Focus on the Family ad

In January 2010, the Women's Media Center partnered with a coalition exceeding 30 groups—including the National Organization for Women and NARAL Pro-Choice America—to call on CBS, the NFL, and advertisers to withdraw a Super Bowl XLIV commercial featuring football athlete Tim Tebow, sponsored by the conservative organization Focus on the Family (FOTF). This effort attracted widespread national media coverage. Previously, CBS had declined advertisements from a gay dating service in 2010 and a gay-affirming church in 2004, citing a policy against controversial Super Bowl ads. CBS eventually abandoned this policy, permitting the anti-abortion commercial to be broadcast—a move criticized by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) as reflecting a "homophobic double standard."

The coalition involving WMC denounced both Focus on the Family’s messaging and CBS's decision to air the advertisement. Nonetheless, this campaign encountered backlash regarding free speech issues. Editorial pieces in The New York Times characterized it as censorship and recommended that pro-choice advocates utilize such platforms to advance their perspectives instead. The Los Angeles Times, while supportive of abortion rights, commended CBS for its choice. Fox News commentator Bill O'Reilly accused Greene and WMC of trying to "silence" dissenting opinions. In response, WMC published an op-ed by former President Jehmu Greene clarifying that censorship was not their objective and drawing parallels to other contentious groups.

In the end, CBS broadcast both 30-second spots during Super Bowl XLIV, incorporating Tebow’s personal narrative within an anti-abortion framework.

Women Under Siege

Women Under Siege is an initiative by the Women's Media Center dedicated to exposing the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war, particularly in regions like Syria and Myanmar. This project sheds light on systematic rape employed as a tool of oppression and intimidation, offering vital analysis of conflict-related abuses.

Selected works

WMC Status of Women in US Media (reports from 2012 to 2017)
WMC Investigations:

Gender-focused analysis of Oscar and Emmy non-acting nominations (2012–2017)
Decade-long reviews of gender representation among Oscar and Emmy nominees

WMC Media Watch:

Studies on sexist portrayals of female candidates and election reporting (2016)
Monitoring gender and racial diversity among U.S. presidential election TV commentators (2016)
Reports addressing media coverage deficiencies regarding reproductive health and campus sexual assault (2015–2016)

WMC Guides:

Coverage guidelines for reproductive issues (2013)
Research on gender-neutral candidate coverage and appearance bias (2012–2013)

Additional reports:

Bias, Punditry, and the Press (2008)
Unspinning the Spin: A Guide to Fair Language (2014)
Speech Project Wheel of Online Abuse & Harassment (2016)

These publications underpin the organization’s strategic objectives to shape media industry standards, expand influence in advocacy communications, and strengthen its position as a leading authority on gender equity within media fields.

External links