List of IDC Projects
2016
December 2016 – IDC Speaker Series: Telling Diverse Stories in Theater and Media. IDC’s inaugural speaker event featured theater veterans discussing their diverse paths to Broadway. The event, hosted by PBS NewsHour Weekend’s Alison Stewart, featured actor Mandy Gonzalez, (Hamilton), actor and associate choreographer of Deaf West’s Spring Awakening, Alexandria Wailes, and costume designer for theater and dance on Broadway and for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Emilio Sosa. Lynette Taylor provided ASL interpretation. Panelists spoke about their early experiences in the field, how they have confronted challenges and the importance of fostering a space that supports people from all backgrounds.
2017
February 2017 - IDC Speaker Series: African-Americans in Film. Moderated by PBS NewsHour Weekend host Alison Stewart, IDC’s second Speaker Series event featured Oscar-nominated panelists discussing the future of African Americans in the film industry. Wynn Thomas, production designer for Hidden Figures; Lisa Cortes, producer for Precious; and Sam Pollard, director/producer for The Talk — Race in America spoke about creating a more inclusive film industry, how they came into their careers, and the challenges of the work they do. The panelists also had a candid conversation about the effectiveness of 2017’s #OscarsSoWhite campaign and takeaways from the campaign that can be used to foster a more inclusive film industry.
May 2017 – IDC Speaker Series: Asian Americans in Media. In time for Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, IDC’s third Speaker Series event featured a distinguished panel of Asian Americans in media: actor George Takei, producer Stephanie Foo (This American Life), and playwright Rehana Lew Mirza (Ma-Yi Theater). Moderated by Emmy winning co-anchor of ABC News’ Nightline, Juju Chang, the panel discussed representations of Asian Americans in media, the challenges faced working towards more authentic portrayals of their diverse communities, and their experiences and thoughts on creating a more representative creative industry. The panelists also touched on recent prominent issues of whitewashing in films such as Ghost in the Shell and other racist portrayals of Asians both in fictional works and in the news.
August 2017 – IDC’s First Staff Mixer. IDC’s first mixer was Game of Thrones-themed and featured high-stakes rounds of trivia, hosted by social media whizzes Whitney McGowan and Hanna Rioseco of IEG. Guests were encouraged to bring GoT-themed snacks (Chicken Little Fingers, Hodor’s Hot Chocolate, the Kingslayer Crab Dip, Dragon Eggs, You-Know-Nothing-Jon-Cronuts, and Red Wedding Cake).
October 2017 – IDC Speaker Series: Women in the News. IDC’s fourth panel event featured Janelle Burrell (CBS2, WLNY 10/55), Tiffany Pham (Mogul), Nina Roberts (Forbes), and Kate Zernike (The New York Times) in a discussion moderated by WLIW’s Diane Masciale. The diverse panelists discussed their unique experiences as women in this traditionally male-dominated industry, spoke about their career paths, as well as a variety of different topics that spanned from dealing with “fake news,” to gender-specific issues faced in their respective industries, and generational differences, and took a look at ways to minimize the gender gap and promote stories for and by women. Students from Flushing’s World Journalism Prep High School attended the event, held at Rubenstein Public Relations on Worldwide Plaza’s 35th Floor.
2018
February 2018 - IDC’s Black History Month Mixer. IDC’s first Black History Month Kick-Off Mixer featured inspiring presentations by Geraldine Moriba, Executive Producer of WNET’s PIONEERS: Reginald F. Lewis and the Making of A Billion Dollar Empire and Sam Pollard, Producer/Director of American Masters – Sammy Davis Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me. WNET’s archivist Winter Shanck took attendees on a fascinating tour of WNET’s vast archives, including interviews with civil rights leaders Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X; poets and writers like Maya Angelou and Toni Morrison; the groundbreaking series Soul!; and many all-time greats from the world of music and dance. IEG’s Whitney McGowan led the group in a rousing round of Black History Month trivia.
June 2018 - IDC’s First Pride Month Mixer. IDC’s first Pride Month mixer in celebration of LGBTQIA+ Pride month saw over 50 members of the WNET staff enjoying rainbow-themed baked goods and being treated to a screening of the trailer for WNET’s new Web series, First Person and a talk-back with show producers Joe Harrell, Sophia Clark, and Erin McIntyre. The event concluded with a round of Pride-themed trivia.
October 2018 - Voter Registration Staff Mixer. At IDC’s voter registration drive, participants not only voted for their favorite The Great American Read novel, but also registered to vote in their state elections. Featuring a book-themed trivia game highlighting WNET’s Great American Read initiative.
November 2018 - IDC Speaker Series: Latinx in Media Panel. IDC’S fifth Speaker Series panel featured Latinx media leaders Xorje Olivares (Sirius Radio), Carolina Moreno (The Huffington Post) and Ben DeJesus (Director/Producer/Cinematographer), who shared their unique experiences in their respective fields and discussed their views on cultural identity within the landscape of their chosen disciplines, and within society as a whole. Held at Rubenstein Public Relations on Worldwide Plaza’s 35th Floor.
2019
February 2019 – IDC’s Black History Month Mixer – IDC’s second annual Black History Month mixer showed clips from American Masters — Sammy Davis, Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me in conjunction with its THIRTEEN premiere and Boss: The Black Experience in Business. The event featured a high energy game of Black History Month Jeopardy! and snacks from Black-owned bakeries. ]
March 2019 – IDC Speaker Series: The Media Moguls. IDC’s sixth Speaker Series panel featured documentarian Stanley Nelson (Boss: The Black Experience in Business; American Masters — Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool), Krystie Mak (Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of Slant’d), and other diverse media entrepreneurs who break the mold of what a “traditional” media executive should be. Panelists shared their experiences as people of color building and leading businesses, outlining their beginnings in the industry and the challenges they faced building their businesses.
May 2019 – Game of Thrones Mixer. Back by popular demand, IDC hosted a second Game of Thrones mixer featuring trivia, treats and prizes in celebration of the final season of GoT.
August 2019 - GLAAD Media Institute Training: Representation 101- Creating LGBTQ Inclusive Media Content. Presented with WNET’s groundbreaking Web series First Person, and featuring GLAAD Institute’s Mackenzie Harte, this training focused on helping advocates and allies sharpen their skills to reshape the mainstream narrative and address the lagging cultural acceptance and understanding of the LGBTQ community and other marginalized communities.
September 2019 - WNET Archive & IDC’s “Black Journal” Screening & Mixer. This mixer, presented by IDC and WNET Archivist Winter Schanck, featured a screening and discussion of a 1972 episode of Black Journal, titled The Tuskegee Study: A Human Experiment from WNET’S archive.
October 2019 - IDC Workshop: The Danger of a Single Story. This interactive presentation focused on teaching fact-checking best practices for media organizations and consumers, techniques for inclusive storytelling, and tips for how to spot bias and misinformation, particularly surrounding immigration. Inspired by the novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s viral Ted Talk on biases in storytelling, the workshop was led by Joseph Hogan, lead fact-checker from non-profit news organization, Retro Report.
December 2019- IDC Holiday Party Mixer. This rousing Holiday mixer featured another spirited round of WNET “Family Feud!”