Source: Karin Westman, 785-532-2190, westmank@k-state.edu
News release prepared by: Rosie Hoefling, 785-532-2535, media@k-state.edu

Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2010

K-STATE FIRST, KANSAS STATE BOOK NETWORK HOST LECTURE BY MEDIA CRITIC JENNIFER POZNER SEPT. 21

MANHATTAN -- The Kansas State Book Network and the K-State First program will host a lecture by media critic Jennifer Pozner at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 21, in Forum Hall at the K-State Student Union.

Pozner's multimedia presentation at Kansas State University, "Project Brainwash: Why Reality TV is Bad for Women (… and men, people of color, the economy, love, sex and sheer common sense)," focuses on feminism and the effects of reality television. The event is free and open to the public.

"Dr. Pozner's presentation will give our students, faculty, staff and general community a wonderful opportunity to examine the very popular media venue of reality TV in a critical and thoughtful manner," said Stephen Kiefer, co-chair of the Kansas State Book Network committee, director of the University Honors Program and professor of psychology at K-State.

The lecture is also a complement to the university reading program that began this year, according to K-State's Karin Westman, head of the department of English and member of the Kansas State Book Network committee.

"Jennifer Pozner's lecture will expand the conversations already under way about the role of reality television in Suzanne Collins's dystopian novel 'The Hunger Games,' as first-year students and the K-State community discuss this inaugural selection of the Kansas State Book Network," Westman said.

Named one of the "20 Inspiring Women to Follow on Twitter" by Forbes magazine, Pozner is the founder and executive director of Women In Media and News, a media analysis, education and advocacy group that amplifies women's presence and power in the public debate.

Her work on gender, race and class in the media has been published in news outlets such as Newsdayand the Chicago Tribune. She has also appeared as a commentator on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, ABC News Now, Grit-TV, Democracy Now!, NPR and Comedy Central's "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart."

Based on her reality TV lecture, Pozner's first book, "Reality Bites Back: The Troubling Truth About Guilty Pleasure TV,"will be published in November.