N E W S S O U R C E
Topic: Homosexuality, Diversity and Electronic Media
Source: Phylis Johnson, co-author, Queer Airwaves: The Story of Gay and Lesbian Broadcasting (M.E. Sharpe, 2001)
As is vividly illustrated by hit TV shows like Will & Grace and Queer as Folk, mainstream media has become increasingly gay-friendly in the last few years. But it wasn't so long ago that major media rarely dared to feature gay characters or address gay issues. Nevertheless, in the last three decades a few pioneering broadcasters, journalists, producers, and filmmakers worked to give a public voice to the gay community -- and to change the history of American radio and television.
In the new book, Queer Airwaves: The Story of Gay and Lesbian Broadcasting (M.E. Sharpe, 2001), Phylis Johnson and Michael C. Keith explore both the history and current state of the gay/lesbian/transgender community's use of electronic media. The authors carefully weave the story around substantial interviews with many of the most influential voices in gay and lesbian broadcasting, including Charles Ignacio (producer, PBS' In the Life), Frieda Werden (founder, Women's International News Gathering Service), John McMullen (president, GAYBC), and John Scagliotti (producer of the major PBS documentaries Before Stonewall and After Stonewall).
The story of the emergence of gay electronic media is one of creating community, forging identity, and countering the stereotypes and suspicions of the straight media. Johnson writes, "As Americans became absorbed by images on the evening news and as hate fueled conservative and shock talk radio, the only way to ensure accurate messages about gays and lesbians and to create any sense of discussion was for the queer community to participate in the media and to seek to control it."
Phylis Johnson is an associate professor of audio production and performance at Southern Illinois University. She has more than 20 years of professional experience in radio programming and broadcasting, and is able to comment on a number of topics, including: cultural diversity and specialized audiences in the media, content regulation and censorship, and the societal impact of the medium of radio.
To arrange an interview contact: Heidi Reinholdt at Halstead Communications (212/734-2190) or [email protected].
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