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Communication students pick up national Gracie Award in New York City

Janice Ng | 

 

From left: Dr. Jimmy McCollum, associate professor, Department of Communication and Journalism, Brynn Watkins, Deborah Norville, Inside Edition, Marlee Vogel, Kathryn McKinley, Michael Fox, Donna Jo Fox, mother of Michael Fox, Kyrsten Turner
Dr. Norma Burgess, dean, College of Arts and Sciences, Michael Fox, Marlee Vogel, Kyrsten Turner, Brynn Watkins, Kathryn McKinley, Dr. Jimmy McCollum, Debi Tate, executive-in-residence in the Lipscomb Department of Communication and Journalism and former Federal Communications Commissioner
Michael Fox, Marlee Vogel, Kyrsten Turner, Brynn Watkins, Kathryn McKinley, Dr. Jimmy McCollum

Five Lipscomb University communication students traveled to New York City on Wednesday, June 26, to pick up their Gracie Award for Outstanding Public Service Announcement, a national honor bestowed by the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation.

At the Gracies Luncheon at the New York Hilton, the students were honored for their production of the children’s educational video “Guess Who?,” created last year on behalf of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media in partnership with Independent Television Service (ITVS) and ITVS’ Women and Girls Lead campaign.

Students worked under the advisement of Nashville Public Television producers to produce the spot, which aired in fall 2012 on NPT.

The video competed against professional local, online and public media nationwide to earn the Gracie. The Geena Davis Institute contracted Lipscomb students, along with four other universities across the nation, to develop one of five videos in the “Guess Who!” series, highlighting women in successful, non-stereotypical roles.

Awards hosts Nancy Giles, CBS News; Kim Guthrie, Cox Media Group; and Deborah Norville, Inside Edition, presented the award to students Jason Michael Fox, junior from Nashville; Kathryn McKinley, senior from McMinnville; Kyrsten Turner, junior from Lawrenceville, Ga.; Marlee Vogel, junior from Kingsport; and Brynn Watkins, senior from Freeburg, Ill.

“Guess Who? The Racecar Driver and the Pilot,” highlights two women in careers usually associated with men: an airline pilot and a race car driver.

The Gracies strive to encourage the realistic and faceted portrayal of women in entertainment, commercials, news, features and other programs.

Watch the two-minute PSA here

Read the Nashville Public Television blog post about the students here