THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

The OpEd Project Byline Survey evaluated more than 7,000 articles in 10 media outlets over a 12-week period from 9/15/11 to 12/7/11 and categorized articles by media type. The results show that only 20 percent of the opinion pieces in traditional media such as the New York Times are written by women, with 33 percent female bylines in new media such as the Huffington Post and 38 percent female bylines in college media.

Much has improved since an initial review in 2005, but commentary on the findings in the Columbia Journalism Review, Poynter, the Atlantic, the Guardian, Chicago Tribune and more applaud the need to add different voices and points of view to the larger public discourse. With more than 5,000 alums of The OpEd Project since 2008, the percentages of female bylines in some outlets increased up to 40 percent, in large part due to the efforts of the project. But more change is needed.

With its partner, the Medill School www.medill.northwestern.edu at Northwestern University, this day-long seminar is aimed at connecting, empowering, and assisting women and minorities to participate as thought leaders in the public media conversation. Since June 2011,The OpEd Project has engaged more than 100 local thought leaders in Chicago in four seminars. Those alums have successfully published in local, national and international outlets on a wide variety of subjects. For a full list, click www.theopedproject.org/index.php .

Leaders of the 7/28 seminar are Deborah Siegel www.deborahsiegel.net, Midwest Regional Director, author and journalist; and Michele Weldon www.micheleweldon.com, author, journalist and assistant professor at Medill. The highly interactive day-long seminar will challenge participants to think more carefully and expansively about their knowledge and experience, and why it matters. A network of high-level mentor-editors will be officially available for a full year to participants. The best rate expires on June 28, so register soon.

WHAT: The OpEd Project Core Seminar, 105 W. Adams St., Suite 200, Chicago, Ill. July 28, 10 am.-5 p.m. For more information: Claudia Garcia-Rojas: claudia@theopedproject.org, Deborah Siegel deborah@theopedproject.org or Michele Weldon, michele@theopedproject.org