Media Democracy Day comes to Lakehead University
Lakehead Orillia’s Media Action Research Group (MARG), along with the student union, is presenting a film screening on Tuesday, November 10 to celebrate Media Democracy Day. MARG members include (l to r): Lakehead Media Studies student Cassidy Croft; Lakehead Associate Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies/Media Studies Dr. Sandra Jeppesen; and Sharmeen Khan and Dr. Kamilla Petrick (shown via computer), MARG researchers.
November 5, 2015 – Orillia, ON
Lakehead Orillia’s Media Action Research Group (MARG) and the Lakehead University Student Union are joining forces to bring Media Democracy Day to Orillia, with a free screening of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay (part 1) on Tuesday, November 10 at 7 pm.
The event is free of charge and is open to students, staff, faculty and the community. The screening will be followed by a discussion about media manipulation, gender, politics, and other themes related to media democracy.
MARG is a feminist research collective, based out of the Orillia campus, which studies radical, activist media around the world. The group is currently involved in a research project funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) that is investigating radical grassroots media practices and building networks among media-maker communities from local to global.
“Media Democracy Day (MDD) has become the signature event for democratic media in Canada,” explains Sandra Jeppesen, Associate Professor with Lakehead’s department of Interdisciplinary Studies/Media Studies.
MDD brings diverse communities together with leading media makers, activists, and scholars to discuss the relationship between media and democracy, and engages the public in critical debates on issues relating to art, media, politics and culture.
“This is the first year MDD will take place at Lakehead University Orillia,” adds Jeppesen.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay (part 1) is a Hollywood blockbuster that touches on a number of themes related to the objectives of MARG and MDD. The film offers a critique of power structures within media and society, providing interesting examples of movements organizing resistance to power abuses. Equally important is the film’s representation of the lead character, Katniss Everdeen, as a powerful and complex heroine – a role that continues to be uncommon in mainstream Hollywood films today.
The screening takes place at Lakehead University Orillia, 500 University Avenue, at 7 pm in room OA 1033, Simcoe Hall. Students, staff, faculty, and community members are invited to attend. Popcorn will be provided, and participants are encouraged to bring their own water.
For more information, please visit the group’s website at mediaactionresearch.org or contact Sandra Jeppesen at sjeppese@lakeheadu.ca
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MEDIA: For more information, please contact Communications Officer, Kathy Hunt, at 705-330-4008 ext. 2014 or kjhunt3@lakeheadu.ca.
In 2015, Lakehead University celebrates 50 years of exceptional education. Guided by its Strategic Plan (2013-2018), Lakehead is known for providing an education focused on independent thinking, unconventional scholarship, and a close sense of community. About 9,700 full-time equivalent students and 2,000 faculty and staff learn and work in ten faculties at two campuses in Orillia and Thunder Bay, Ontario. Lakehead University is a fully comprehensive university: home to Ontario’s newest Faculty of Law in 44 years, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, and faculties of Engineering, Business Administration, Health & Behavioural Sciences, Social Sciences & Humanities, Science & Environmental Studies, Natural Resources Management, Education, and Graduate Studies.
Maclean’s 2015 University Rankings places Lakehead University 2nd in Ontario and among Canada’s Top 10 undergraduate universities, and 1st among Ontario’s undergraduate universities for Total Research Dollars, Social Sciences & Humanities Grants, and Library Expenses. In 2014, Re$earch Infosource ranked Lakehead 2nd in Ontario and 3rd among Canada’s undergraduate universities.
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