EOTO #3: Ellen Willis

Ellen Willis was a journalist who was optimistic, honest, and fearless. She was an inspiration to many, but especially to young women. Born and raised in New York City, Willis carried a confidence and never back down attitude that she had to embody just to reach the places she deserved to be, particularly in the male dominated journalism industry of the late 20th century.

She was known as a journalist, activist, music critic but most famously as a feminist whose sharp perspective on the world around her jumpstarted her career in the 1960s. After earning her undergraduate from Barnard College and a graduate degree from UC Berkely, Willis began publishing in 1962 for independent magazines. As she navigated the New York journalism scene and honed her craft as a music critic, she caught the attention of The New Yorker and became their first pop music critic in 1968. 

As a critic she wasn't out trying to tear artists down or deny their talent. She was simply being an honest writer who wrote about what she personally experienced and observed, in the music, the live performances and the personal lives of the artists themselves. With a naturally curious mindset, Willis constantly experimented with her writing, pushing her pieces toward something rawer and more real. 

She took on the role of a true music critic by exploring what people listened to, how it made them feel and what it meant to both the fans and artists. Her criticism stood apart from other journalists because she wrote about the artists she genuinely loved, including some who were close friends. Willis used writing as a natural way to question the world around her and make sense of it, something many readers deeply admired. 

Willis explored personal and intimate emotions within American Rock music and gradually began to use music as a lens for politics and social justice. She used her natural tension and restless curiosity to ask unending questions in her work, keeping readers engaged while drawing connections between social culture and the economic realities of America.

Music criticism became Willis's entry point into political and social writing and began combining a creative skilled outlook on criticism of mass pop culture, politics, and civil liberties. Throughout every era she wrote in, one constant remained at the center of her work: everyone's right to a full and human experience. 

Willis is perhaps most famously known for her leadership within the Women's Liberation Movement in which further cemented her role as a feminist and a defining influence for future generations. Through her writing and activism, she consistently argued that women needed to lead and define their own movement, rather than accept the domination of men in yet another area of their lives. She organized public speak outs for women's groups such as the Redstockings and led one of the first public speeches on abortion in the U.S at a time it was illegal. As she witnessed the impact her words had on individuals, she expanded her focus to include antiwar and religious freedom writing as well.

Ellen Willis paved the way for future female journalist by challenging the boundaries between pop culture criticism and social justice. That evolution in her work ultimately. That transition in her writing ultimately gave her the grounds to found New York University's cultural reporting and criticism program in 1995. 

She elevated rock music into something beyond just entertainment and into something that was culturally and intimately significant. Her writing had no boundaries, if she realized she was wrong then she apologized, learned from it, and moved on. Willis admitted her insecurities and weaknesses but also knew her strengths: love, confidence and hope. That self-awareness only added to her credibility and authenticity as a journalist. 

Movie Reflection: Shock and Awe

'Shock and Awe' directed by Rob Reiner is a movie I wish I could experience for the first time again. The thrill, excitement, and even worry at times that filled my veins watching the series of events unfold is something only few movies can do. The urgency and dedication that was seen throughout the movie from the Knight Ridder journalists represents what it means to be a true writer, especially what it means to have the job and right to tell the world the truth. 

That was the difference seen in the movie between the Knight Ridder journalists and a lot of the journalists we often see in the real world, such as The New York Times or Fox News. The Knight Ridder publication and their ability to tell the raw truth that is backed up by sources is what other established journalists should strive for, especially in times where the state of the world is uncertain. 

What really stuck out to me throughout the film was the journalist's commitment to obtaining multiple sources and their sense of urgency to get the truth out to the public. The two star journalists Strobel and Landay were constantly writing, making calls, and doing interviews with multiple individuals within multiple different organizations. 

This built up their credibility as truthful writers within their publication, but also to their boss Walcott, whose goal was to publish the honest truth for his community. Walcott's role also showcased the dedication and responsibility of a publication as they published multiple stories in one day in a time of urgency. But also, during a time where not only was the truth hard to obtain, but sources that were supposed to be telling the world the truth, were telling pure lies to the public. 

Shock and Awe was set during a time where America and its government was in pure chaos, and it was up to journalists to make sense of it to the public. Though this was a difficult job for journalists as many sources that were US officials wanted their statements to be anonymous as they were worried of the consequences it may have. 

Yet, it was difficult for writers to publish the whole truth without confirmation from a credible source as if news stories constantly had all their sources as anonymous then readers naturally question if the story is really true. Strobel and Landay did the job of a dedicated journalist in which during a time where famous publications and the press were feeding the nation lies, they produced the truth within their newsroom. 

The role of journalists is to constantly question; report and fact find as a way to seek the truth for the public. It is our right as an American citizen to question and criticize the government, it is our right that is written within the first amendment, and this film shows the significant of freedom of the press. 

What was seen in the film is something we are still seeing today among popular news agencies, as the government is spoon feeding them misinformation and propaganda. The Knight Ridder's stood out to me as a publication as their only intentions behind their reporting was reporting for the people of America and through all their challenges they continued to find the truth.