The founders of a new Northwestern group are hoping to give more prominence to LGBT issueson campus.
About 10 students attended the first interesting meeting of the NU chapter of the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association on Tuesday evening in the McCormick Tribune Center.
Medill sophomores Zach Wichter and Camille Beredjick are serving as the heads of NU’s chapter, one of the organization’s first student chapters in the nation.
“A lot of media in general is sort of controlled by heteronormative white people,” Wichter said. “Any community that isn’t in that box has issues with the media.”
He said it is important that minority groups are accurately presented in the media, and because Medill is one of the premier journalism communities in the country, NU students should have exposure to LGBT issues in the news.
“We want to help aspiring journalists learn how this fits into their lives as reporters and how to address LGBT issues in their work,” Beredjick said.
While Medill students will probably make up the majority of the chapter, anyone interested in professions involving the media or is passionate about LGBT issues would benefit from participating, Beredjick said.
The exact level of interest in the association amongst the NU community at this point is uncertain, Wichter said, but he suspects there is a market for it.
“Part of my goal would be to help students network with professionals, have panels to bring speakers and to get people engaged talking about these issues,” Wichter said.
NU’s chapter is still in the process of being incorporated into the national organization, but Wichter and Beredjick are working with a national coordinator. Medill Prof. Doug Foster, who has been involved with the NLGJA since its founding in 1990, will serve as an adviser for the chapter.
“LGBT issues are being discussed so much in the media now,” Wichter said. “I think this will help open the dialogue at Northwestern.”
