NMWE is a unique initiative addressing opportunity, recruitment and retention for women in journalism. It fosters and spotlights the creativity, ingenuity and entrepreneurial abilities of women in media.
The awards program ended in 2013 following six years of generous support from the McCormick Foundation. We are currently seeking other funding sources.
Who's Blogging![]() AMY PENNINGTON is a food writer, garden enthusiast and producer for a food-related radio show out of Seattle's KIRO. ![]() JEN LAMSON has led numerous grassroots nationwide citizen action campaigns to promote buying from local food producers. ![]() KRISTIN HYDE created and implemented media strategies around the development of the first national organic standard. |
This project will connect consumers interested in food with larger public policy issues that affect food choices, security, safety, health and sustainability. Partners Kristin Hyde, Jen Lamson and Amy Pennington will use their deep experience in policy, marketing, journalism and digital campaigns "to leverage the growing concern and interest in food with a call to arms."
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
A national spotlight is being focused on our food system, thanks in part to thought leaders like Michael Pollan, Alice Waters and others, and an interested and engaged First Lady, and also as a result of the rising interest and concern among Americans about food safety, food prices, and to increased scrutiny of policies that govern what we grow and what we eat and how that impacts our health, the environment, and our pocketbooks. Folks in the so-called “good food movement” feel growing momentum behind initiatives to “buy local” or to improve school lunch programs. There is growing awareness that our food system, both from a policy standpoint, and in the private marketplace, may be adversely impacting public health, contributing to disease, obesity, health care costs, growing numbers of people seeking food stamps and unable to access or afford healthy food. There are hundreds of websites and blogs focused on providing information about food issues. Despite all this “evidence” that consumers may be ready for significant changes in our food system, and an avalanche of media coverage on the issues, very little actual change in policy or practices has been attained, and the core consumers making “conscious” choices about their diet is still a slim minority of the American public.
Are citizens who are already making “conscious” choices about the food they buy actually informed and engaged in the local and national dialog and policies that impact those choices? Are they getting the information they need, and constructive ways to channel their interest into action beyond the check out stand? Has the “movement” flexed its muscle and achieved any major policy reform victories on farm or food policy at the national level? Are there incremental objectives that if successfully attained would help build the army for this “major” reform of such intractable policies as our farm bill?
Our team has spent the last four months investigating how we can best leverage our New Media Women Entrepreneur grant to deliver an effective tool for informing and engage leading voices, “good food” businesses, and consumers to build a powerful community with shared knowledge and passion for positive change in our food system. We still have more questions than answers, but at a practical level we are making progress. What follows is an update on our project “Good Food Fight” and on the steps we are taking to maximize the impact of the grant dollars we received this year.
Our focus in January-June will be on fine-tuning the focus and mechanisms for the “Good Food Fight” and on building a site to begin testing our model. We will have discussions with additional journalists, bloggers, food writers, and nonprofit advocates to arrive at the best mix of aggregated news feeds, original content, and compelling civic engagement tools. And finally, we are building out an anticipated budget for the development, management, and anticipated growth of “Good Food Fight” and a business and fundraising plan to meet those budget needs.
We are increasingly excited about the potential for “Good Food Fight” to bridge a critical gap and engage communities of interested consumers in not only making positive personal choices, but in leveraging an informed citizenry into a powerful constituency for policy change. Thank you for the critical grant support without which this idea would have remained where its been for several years—in our minds, lunchtime conversations, and desk drawers!
Kristin, Jen and Amy