Women’s Media Center to honor Ashley Judd for speaking truth to power

Women’s Media Awards on October 26 in New York City

2017 Honorees: Jane Fonda, Maria Hinojosa, Ashley Judd, April Ryan, María Elena Salinas, Gail Tifford
Hosted by Maya L. Harris

New York, New York, October 13, 2017 — The Women’s Media Center will honor Ashley Judd with the WMC Speaking Truth to Power Award at the Women’s Media Awards on October 26 at Capitale in New York City.

Judd joins 2017 Honorees Jane Fonda, Maria Hinojosa, April Ryan, María Elena Salinas and Gail Tifford. Maya L. Harris, lawyer, MSNBC analyst, senior policy adviser to the 2016 Hillary Rodham Clinton presidential campaign, and former board co-chair of the Women’s Media Center, will host this event for the first time.

Judd was the first actor to be a named source, and to share her story about Harvey Weinstein’s alleged sexual harassment, which Judd did in The New York Times investigative report. 

Judd is chair of the Women’s Media Center Speech Project, which raises awareness about the scope and toxic impact of online harassment and its costs to women’s civic and political participation.

“It's crucial to call out those like Harvey Weinstein who misuse big power, and also to reward those who risk what small power they have by telling the truth,“ said Gloria Steinem, co-founder of The Women’s Media Center. “I would like to pay tribute to my friend Ashley Judd, who travels the world encouraging women and girls to tell the truth about being prostituted and sex trafficked, and who now has led global truth-telling in the most powerful way — by example.”

Judd is a feminist who has been working for social justice internationally — through NGO’S, grassroots organizations, governments, and supranational bodies — since 2004.  She received Golden Globe nominations for Norma Jean and Marilyn and De-Lovely and Emmy nominations for Norma Jean and Marilyn and Missing. She will next be seen starring in season two of Epix’s political thriller series, Berlin Station.

 “I chose Ashley to speak at TEDWomen2016 on her experiences as a survivor of cyber attacks, bullying, sexual harassment and her talk posted on TED.com has had huge impact around the world,” said Pat Mitchell, WMC’s board chair and curator and co-host of TEDWomen. “We are thrilled to have her perspective on our WMC program, speaking as she always does, for survivors everywhere.”

Lauren Embrey is the chair of the 2017 Women’s Media Awards. Co-chairs are Loreen Arbus, Abigail Disney, Jane Fonda, Mellody Hobson, Victoria Jackson, Pat Mitchell, Robin Morgan, Susan Pritzker, Bonnie Schaefer, Regina K. Scully, Gloria Steinem, and Mary & Steven Swig. Proceeds support the continuing work of the Women’s Media Center in advancing women and accuracy in the media.

Julie Burton, president of the Women’s Media Center, said: “At a time of political attacks on women’s equality, safety, bodily integrity, and educational and economic opportunity — and when the role of independent and honest media is being undermined at the highest level of government — our honorees represent trust, truth, and excellence. Whether in front of the camera or behind it, in traditional media or on-line, they tell the stories of our lives, and are champions of accuracy, empathy, and democracy for women in all our diversity. We are proud to celebrate them each year at the Women’s Media Awards.”

Past WMC honorees include Luvvie Ajayi, Christiane Amanpour, Amma Asante, Laura Bates, Samantha Bee, Ursula Burns, Katie Couric, Sady Doyle, Mona Eltahawy, Sarah Hoye, Gwen Ifill and Judy Woodruff, Sheila C. Johnson, Maria Teresa Kumar, Laura Ling and Lisa Ling, Lara Logan, Pat Mitchell, Martha Nelson, Soledad O’Brien, Salma Hayek Pinault, Elianne Ramos, Joy Reid, Yanique Richards, Anita Sarkeesian, Regina K. Scully, Mary Thom (posthumously), Marlo Thomas, Barbara Walters, Padmasree Warrior, Lindy West, and Maggie Wilderotter.

The Women’s Media Center was co-founded by Jane Fonda, Robin Morgan, and Gloria Steinem, and works to make women visible and powerful in media. We train women leaders in media skills, make women experts available to the media through WMC SheSource, and conduct groundbreaking research and reporting on inclusiveness and accuracy in the media. We also feature women’s voices and stories on our award-winning radio broadcast and podcast, “Women’s Media Center Live with Robin Morgan,” and in WMC Features, WMC Fbomb, WMC Speech Project and WMC Women Under Siege.

To buy tickets, or to find more information about the 2017 Women’s Media Awards and our ongoing work, go to: www.womensmediacenter.com.

For press information or to cover the Women’s Media Awards, contact Anna Nugent at JGPR via email at anna@jamesgrantpr.com or at (917) 626-1300.

For access to the WMC 2017 Women’s Media Awards downloadable press kit — featuring full bios and headshots for all the honorees and the host — please visit here. For a press kit about the WMC co-founders and president, visit here.

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Media Contact: Cristal Williams Chancellor - cristal@womensmediacenter.com or 202-270-8539.

Women's Media Awards 2017 event page

Press release: The Women’s Media Center announces our honorees for 2017:  Maria Hinojosa, April Ryan, María Elena Salinas, Gail Tifford Plus celebrating Jane Fonda’s birthday

Press release:  Hillary Rodham Clinton to receive the WMC Wonder Woman award