Women's Interfaith Media Literacy Initiative Launched

March 28, 2007

Source: Independent Catholic News

http://www.indcatholicnews.com/wimli329.html

A major initiative to promote media literacy was launched yesterday when the Women's Interfaith Media Literacy, a network of women from across the major faith communities in England, unveiled its website: http://www.wiml.org

Keynote speaker, the Rt Hon Clare Short, MP, said: " We live in a spin-dominated media culture. Media regulators and producers need to be challenged. Women have to speak up to support what is good and positive and say what should be improved. And when there are so many forces promoting division in our multi-cultural society, this is a really imaginative way of encouraging women to come together across different faith communities to promote the values they share."

Yogi Sutton, President of the National Board of Catholic Women, (NBCW), which initiated the project, said: "We are delighted to be able to work with women of different faiths specifically to develop media literacy. We want to affirm both the good in the media and to draw attention to what could be improved, in particular how the media portray faith and faith communities, marketing to children and the exploitation and stereotyping pf women and girls. We hope that, through the website and a series of regional events in 2007, the project will help women become more confident and skilled media users."