We Can Do Better
Feminist Manifestos for Media and Communication

Linda Steiner (Edited by), Stine Eckert (Edited by), Linda Steiner (Contributions by), Stine Eckert (Contributions by), Frieda Werden (Contributions by), Lori Kido Lopez (Contributions by), Meenakshi Gigi Durham (Contributions by), Carolyn Kitch (Contributions by), Denetra Walker (Contributions by), Erin L. Perry (Contributions by), Summer Harlow (Contributions by), Dustin Harp (Contributions by), Carolina Velloso (Contributions by), Dafna Lemish (Contributions by), Gina M. Masullo (Contributions by), Kim Hong Nguyen (Contributions by), Katy Fulfer (Contributions by), Eve Ng (Contributions by), Jade Metzger-Riftkin (Contributions by), Amara Imari Brighe Sugalski (Contributions by), Sahar Khamis (Contributions by), Miglena Sternadori (Contributions by)

9781978838178

Paperback / softback, published 15 April 2025

234 pages, 3 B-W images
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.8 cm, 0.286 kg

"Direct, accessible, engaging, powerful, and evidence-based. This treasure trove of feminist manifestos-on extraordinarily important issues-is a welcome gift to instructors of media and communication studies seeking to provoke students' attention and their activism as media consumers and future professionals." - H. Leslie Steeves (coauthor of Communication for Development: Theory and Practice for Empowerment and Social Justice) “In We Can Do Better, two outstanding scholars bring together virtually every major feminist researcher across a broad swath of communication. These essays provide actionable solutions for fair and equitable media practices for women. I can't wait to share this book with both my undergrad and graduate students, not to mention every woman I know in communication. Let's all buy this book and get going." - Esther Thorson (coeditor of Digital Advertising: Theory and Research)

Feminist Manifestos for Media and Communication brings together evidence-based manifestos for media and communication that take a feminist perspective and add up to a provocative vision of feminist media practices and of feminist communication. The book discusses critical problems and complaints in ways that identify and make the case for actionable, concrete solutions to media problems and deficiencies; it shows how feminist thinking can be usefully and effectively applied to a wide range of journalism, media, and communication practices. The manifestos are not “only” about women but rather offer specific, feasible blueprints for restructuring media in ways that make them fairer and more equitable along many vectors of identity, so that media can better serve democracy. These manifestos give concrete solutions to specific problems that can and should be implemented by journalists, media practitioners, students, faculty, and scholars. The manifestos are organized around three sets of demands: for better media practices, for more participatory online spaces, and for more precise and appropriate language.
 
     
 

Introduction: The herstory of the (feminist) manifesto, Stine Eckert and Linda Steiner
           
Part I: What the F-k: Demands for Better Media Practices
Chapter 1: A Feminist Media Manifesta, Frieda Werden                                                                                               
Chapter 2: How to Fight for Representational Change, Lori Kido Lopez                                                                                                        
Chapter 3: Power, passion, and politics: Vulnerability and feminist ethics in journalism, Meenakshi Gigi Durham                                                                   
Chapter 4: Women Are Not War or Weather: A Short History of Journalism’
s Relationship with Feminism and Why It Needs to Change, Carolyn Kitch
Chapter 5: We Know This Story Too Well: Black Women Struggles in Newsrooms and Journalism Classrooms, Denetra Walker and Erin L. Perry     
Chapter 6: More Than Pink Pussyhats: For Better Protest Coverage, Summer Harlow
Chapter 7: For Gender-Sensitive Journalism: Stop Stereotyping, Diminishing, and Marginalizing Women, Dustin Harp                                                               
Chapter 8: Still on the Sidelines: Women’
s Sports, Women Athletes, and Women Sports Journalists Deserve Better, Carolina Velloso
Chapter 9: We Need Gender Equality in Children’
s Media, Dafna Lemish
 
Part II: This Was Supposed to be a Better Place -- Demands for Online Spaces 
Chapter 10: Imagining a Better Internet Through a Feminist Lens, Gina M. Masullo                                                                               
Chapter 11: Online and Unguarded: Newsrooms Must Be Radical About Protecting Black Women Journalists, Erin L. Perry and Denetra Walker                                                                            
Chapter 12: When White Feminists Become Mean Girls: Calling White Feminists In to Stop Gaslighting, Gatekeeping, and Girlbossing, Kim Hong Nguyen and Katy Fulfer
Chapter 13: The Complexities of “
Cancel Culture,”
Its Practices and Politics, Eve Ng
Chapter 14: The Internet Is (and Remains) for P0rn, Jade Metzger-Riftkin and Amara B. Sugalski
Chapter 15: Can You See Me Beyond, NOT Behind, My Hijab? Resisting Muslim Women’
s (Mis)Representation and (Under)Representation in Western Media, Sahar Khamis
                                                                                               
Part II: Precision, Precision –
Demands for Language
Chapter 16: Repeat After Us: Gender Is About Culture
Sex About Biology, Linda Steiner and Stine Eckert
Chapter 17: Let Me Blow Your Mind: “
Biological Sex”
Is a Made-Up Category That Belies the Complexity of Nature, Miglena Sternadori

Introduction: The Herstory of the (Feminist) Manifesto 1
ST INE ECKERT AND LINDA S TEINER
Part I What the Fuck: Demands for Better
Media Practices
1 A Feminist Media Manifesta 15
FRIEDA WERDEN
2 How to Fight for Representational
Change 27
LORI K IDO LOPE Z
3 Power, Passion, and Politics: Vulnerability
and Feminist Ethics in Journalism 36
MEENAKSHI G IGI DURHAM
4 Women
Are Not War or Weather: A Short History
of Journalism’
s Relationship with Feminism and
Why It Needs to Change 47
CAROLYN K ITCH
5 We Know This Story Too Well: Black Women
Struggles
in Newsrooms and Journalism Classrooms 57
DENE TRA WALKER AND ERIN L. PERRY
6 More than Pink Pussyhats: Demanding Better Protest Coverage 68
SUMMER HARLOW
7 For Gender-Sensitive
Journalism: Stop Stereotyping,
Diminishing, and Marginalizing Women
79
DUST IN HARP
8 Still on the Sidelines: Women’
s
Sports, Women
Athletes, and Women
Sports Journalists Deserve Better 91
CAROLINA VELLOSO
9 We Need Gender Equality in Children’
s
Media 104
DAFNA LEMISH
Part II This Place Was Supposed to Be Fairer:
Demands for Better Online Spaces
10 Imagining a Better Internet through a Feminist Lens 119
GINA M. MASULLO
11 Online and Unguarded: Newsrooms Must Be Radical about
Protecting Black Women
Journalists 131
ERIN L. PERRY AND DENE TRA WALKER
12 When White Feminists Become Mean Girls: Calling
White Feminists in to Stop Gaslighting, Gatekeeping,
and Girlbossing 141
KIM HONG NGUYEN AND K AT Y FULFER
13 The Complexities of “
Cancel Culture,”
Its Practices
and Politics 149
E VE NG
14 The Internet Is (and Remains) for P0rn 159
JADE ME T ZGER- RIF
TKIN AND AMARA B. SUGALSKI
15 Can You See Me Beyond, NOT Behind,
My Hijab?
Resisting Muslim Women’
s
(Mis)Representation
and (Under)
Representation
in Western Media 171
SAHAR KHAMIS
Part III Precision, Precision: Demands for Language
16 Repeat after
Us: Gender Is about Culture,
Sex about Biology 187
LINDA S TEINER AND ST INE ECKERT
17 Let Me Blow Your Mind: “
Biological Sex”
Is a
Made-Up
Category That Belies the Complexity of Nature 197
MIGLENA STERNADORI
Notes on Contributors 211
Index 000