Civil Society Briefing "Women Leaders in Media: Making Innovative Technology Work for Women and Girls"

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Ms. Irving is a well-known New York City broadcast journalist.  She retired after 18 years as a news writer and reporter for WCBS-AM/Newsradio 880.  It was her second employment at the station; she worked there as a reporter for 14 years before joining WCBS-TV/Channel 2 in the mid-1980s as a correspondent.  In addition, she served as news anchor for WebMD’s daily Internet news broadcast for physicians.  She was United States Researcher for productions by BBC television and fflic Films in Wales, and has been a freelance television correspondent for ABC News One (network syndication).

Ms. Irving has been a guest host on WNYC radio’s "On the Media" series and the "New York Beat" talk show.  She was a frequent talk show host on WLIB radio, for which she also covered the 1996 Democratic and Republican national conventions.  Irving has worked as a news anchor for radio stations WLIB, WBLS and WWRL, all in New York City.  She was a frequent guest expert on journalism on Newstalk Television and MSNBC.

From 1990 to 1996, Jane Tillman Irving was an Assistant Professor at the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University.  She has taught journalism at the City College of New York and the New York Institute of Technology in Manhattan, and guest lectured at Hofstra University.After studying oral history at Columbia University, she became a member of the department’s faculty advisory panel, and of the Oral History Association.In 1994, the United States Information Agency sent Ms. Irving to New Zealand to address a conference sponsored by that country’s Broadcasting Standards Authority.  Two years later, the USIA sent her to the Republic of Macedonia to confer with broadcast journalists.  

She has won more than 30 awards for journalistic excellence, including the Gracie from the Alliance for Women in Media, the WGA Award from the Writers’ Guild of America, and, most recently, from the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce. She is often called upon by civic groups to moderate panels, forums and other events. Ms. Irving is the immediate past president of the New York Press Club, and immediate past president of the Communications Alumni Group of the City College Alumni Association. She serves on the Board of Directors of the City College Alumni Association, and on the Board of Directors of the Hunter College High School Alumnae/i Association.  She is a member of the Inner Circle, an organization of political reporters; the New York Public Radio Community Advisory Board; Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, and the New York Silver Society.

Leah Mann, Communications and Community Management Officer of the The International Telecommunication Union's (ITU) Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development 

Ms. Ferrier is president of the International Association of Women in Radio and Television, IAWRT and executive director of the Media Innovation Collaboratory, an incubator for media and technology communication innovations and ventures. She leads the IAWRT global cadre of women media leaders in 55 countries and represents more than 400+ journalists in global forums on press issues and digital harms. She is the founder of TrollBusters, an educational service for journalists experiencing digital harms. Dr. Ferrier is an internationally-recognized, award-winning technologist, journalist, scholar, researcher, author and speaker around communication, technology and digital and media innovation. 

Dr. Ferrier has won international, national and professional recognition including six 2022 and 2023 Anthem Awards for social impact work, the Association for Educators of Journalism & Mass Communication Professional Freedom and Responsibility Award for press freedom work, and the Dewey Community Service Award from SXSW. Named a 2018 Top 10 Educators to Watch by MediaShift, Dr. Ferrier has led hundreds of presentations on engaged journalism and digital technologies and developed curricula in digital media, media innovation and entrepreneurship, and online journalism and collaborated with international organizations like the United Nations, OSCE, Article 19, and other professional organizations to ensure global press freedoms.

Her pioneering research mapping media deserts and monitoring and modeling digital harms has won her grant support from organizations like the Knight Foundation, Democracy Fund, and others. She is the author of the 2018 global report Attacks and Harassment: The Impact on Female Journalists and Their Reporting and is the co-editor of the open textbook, Media Innovation & Entrepreneurship, among other chapters and research on women in the media, restoring media ecosystems and challenging technological harms. She is the publisher and editor of Toxic Avenger magazine, with thoughtful analysis of global press freedoms and challenges to freedom of expression for women and girls through social and technological channels.

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As Chief Programs Officer, Dr. Johnson serves as a critical member of the executive management team. In collaboration with the CEO, the CPO will articulate and implement the strategic vision and direction of Black Girls CODE; oversee a significant portfolio of programs and related services, evaluate the effectiveness of programs to provide ongoing feedback, provide mentoring, guidance, supervision, and professional development to all leadership staff, and enhance the structure of the organization by staying abreast of developments in education, tech, and youth services.

Filling prominent offices as the youngest elected Pro Tempore Mayor and Councilwoman for the City of Muskegon Heights, Dr. Johnson capitalized on keen opportunities to advocate for her home town. Her effervescent efforts to encourage mindful promulgation have produced long-lasting, systemic change. Serving as an Executive Director of Boys Hope Girls Hope of Detroit, Dr. Johnson spearheaded fundraising campaigns, transformative partnerships, and programmatic innovation to increase equitable opportunities for youth. Including launching the first of its kind, 21st Century Urban Boarding Program for girls of color in Michigan.

A studied leader and scholar-practitioner, Dr. Johnson was the first person of color to complete a Doctorate of Education in Organizational Leadership and Development from Cornerstone University. Her research explored the impact of emergency financial management for predominately African American school districts in Michigan. This critical narrative study challenged policies that disproportionately affect communities of color and exacerbate racism. Dr. Johnson embraces multi-dimensional education, holding a Bachelor of Arts in Social Relations and Public Policy from Michigan State University and a Master of Arts in Ministry Leadership from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary.

With humility, grit, and grace, Dr. Johnson cohesively and effortlessly combines her faith and fight for equity. As a reflection of her values, Dr. Johnson has authored two faith-based books, Kingdom Perseverance and My Father’s Kingdom. Dr. Johnson is also an inspired editorial contributor, with works entitled, Dear Charles: Black Women Change the World, Carrying Your Burden in the Heat of the Day, and It Was All a Dream: A Message to President Joe Biden on Education. 

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Dijana Jelača is a scholar of film and media, and a professor in the Film Department at Brooklyn College. Her areas of research and interest include the role of media and technology in human rights, diverse representations and digital inclusivity, women's and minority cultural production, as well as the intersections between media, screen technology and trauma. Jelača is the author of Dislocated Screen Memory: Narrating Trauma in Post-Yugoslav Cinema, and co-author of Film Feminisms: A Global Introduction. She co-edited several scholarly volumes, including The Routledge Companion to Cinema and Gender and The Cultural Life of Capitalism in Yugoslavia. Jelača's scholarly essays have appeared in leading academic journals, including Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, Feminist Media Studies, Studies in World Cinema, European Journal of Women’s Studies and elsewhere. Jelača hails from Bosnia-Herzegovina and is a survivor of the Bosnian War.  

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Mia Shah-Dand is an entrepreneurial leader, speaker, and writer based in Brooklyn, New York. She is the founder of Women in AI Ethics (WAIE), a global non-profit with a mission to increase representation and inclusion of diverse ethical voices in AI. Since 2018, WAIE has published the “100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics” list to recognize talented women in the critical space of responsible and ethical AI. WAIE’s recent campaign #IamtheFutureofAI highlights non-traditional career pathways in AI and has received funding support from the Ford Foundation and Omidyar Network. Mia is also the CEO of Lighthouse3, an emerging technology consulting firm in Berkeley, California. With over 15 years in management and strategy consulting across ecommerce, technology, and finance industries, Mia advises large organizations on responsible adoption of new digital programs and technology platforms. 

Mia is a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion as the critical foundation for responsible innovation. Over the past decade, she has led hundreds of cross-functional programs and hosted multi-disciplinary tech events to increase the visibility of diverse AI experts, lower barriers for underrepresented communities, and democratize access to AI literacy. Mia is on the Selection Committee for Anita Borg ABIE Social Impact award committee and on the Advisory Board for Carnegie Council’s Artificial Intelligence & Equality Initiative. Her work has been featured in Forbes, Fast Company, Politico, and Venture Beat. Her pronouns are she/her.

Karin Orantes, UN Social Media, UN Department of Global Communications

Karin Orantes is the Acting Chief of the Social Media Section in the UN’s Department of Global Communication. She has been working for the United Nations for more than 15 years, in three different duty stations and various roles, all of which have had a strong communication focus.

In her current job, she manages the UN’s social media presence on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and TikTok with millions of followers around the world. She also provides social media guidance to UN leadership as well as training to the UN System and Member States and coordinates broader UN System social media campaigns.

Prior to her career with the UN, Ms. Orantes worked as a high school teacher in Vienna, Austria. She holds a Master’s degree in English, Spanish and geography from the University of Vienna.