Speak up. Challenge social norms. Take risks.
These were just a few of the recommendations made by veteran news anchor Gretchen Carlson during her April 17 talk at Stony Brook University.
“I want women to know that their voice matters. It is important to honor the women who don’t have the resources that I did,” said Carlson, who was featured as part of the “My Life As” lecture series sponsored by the School of Journalism.
“I reach out to women everywhere and tell them to tell their stories locally, because if there was ever a time that the media would be interested in covering your story, it’s now,” she said. “Whole divisions of magazines and newspapers are dedicating staff just for covering this movement — which I could have never predicted in all the years I’ve been in the business.”
Gretchen Carlson, who has worked for CBS, NBC and most recently Fox News, is the latest notable journalist to appear at Stony Brook University as part of the School of Journalism series. Carlson helped bring to light the pervasiveness of sexual assault and sexual harassment, and has emerged as a key figure in the #MeToo Movement.
Carlson is in the midst of a nine-city tour as part of the Gretchen Carlson Leadership Initiative, which brings civic leadership and advocacy training to thousands of underserved women throughout the country. The tour consists of three days of workshops in each city where women can learn about legal aspects of sexual harassment and domestic violence.
The Stony Brook event featured a dialogue between Carlson and Marcy McGinnis, former senior vice president of CBS News. The pair worked together during Carlson’s stay at CBS from 2000 to 2005, where Carlson gained national attention as the co-anchor of The Early Show.
“We categorize sexual harassment as a ‘woman’s issue’ but it is really a ‘man’s issue,’” Carlson said. “We [shouldn’t] put the responsibility of fixing it on the shoulders of women. We can work together to try to solve this.”
– Anthony Vertucci
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