Last post, we told you about a great event we’re helping to co-sponsor, Me in Media, which takes place on September 13, 2011, at the Vancouver Public Library (Central Location). Register now to attend for free.
To share more about each speaker and our moderator with you, we’ve posted their photos and bios below.
Stuart Poyntz, Ph.D.
An Assistant Professor at SFU’s School of Communication, Stuart Poyntz’ research addresses children and the media, theories of the public sphere, and young people’s historical thinking, particularly in relation to digital media. He has an extensive background in the history of media literacy, nationally and internationally, and has written on Canadian cinema and the relationship between film and historical representation. He has a new co-authored book, Media Literacies: A Critical Introduction, coming out this fall from Wiley-Blackwell, and has written for a number of publications, including: the Canadian Journal of Education, the Journal of Curriculum Theorizing, the Review of Education, Pedagogy and Cultural Studies and various edited collections.
Shima Ghailan
As a child, Shima always pointed out injustice by proclaiming, “It’s unfair!” Over the years, she’s held on to the same spirit but developed a more sophisticated approach to incidences of contested and controversial human rights issues. She has a keen interest in media and recognizes how it is a powerful institution capable of framing and shaping how individuals and groups within society are seen. Having earned a degree in Communications and Sociology, Shima is engaging in critical analysis of how constructed images of people can effectively marginalize them. In addition to her studies, she is actively involved in the non-profit sector, facilitating workshops on varying pressing issues, including human rights. As an activist, Shima is working towards a graduate degree in Media Policy so that she can represent a collective voice in the decision making process.
Riaz Meghji
Growing up in North Delta, Riaz graduated from Simon Fraser University with a degree in Finance. But entertaining an audience has always been his great passion so Riaz quickly made a decision to pursue his career in the entertainment. Riaz worked in radio at Z953FM before making the shift into television working for MTV Canada, interviewing A-List celebrities like Matthew McConaughey, Pink, and Kevin Smith. He joined CTV News as a weathercaster on their evening news and before moving to Ontario to anchor an entertainment show on SUN TV. Eventually, he joined the Citytv family in 2008 as co-host on Breakfast Television in Vancouver.
Riaz loves that his job allows him to contribute to several charities throughout the year, including the Aga Khan Foundation. Outside of work Riaz is writing his own screenplay and he enjoys reading, traveling and get pummelled at the gym by his personal trainer.
Sid Tan
A communications and media producer, Tan is involved with several movements. Perhaps best known for his long struggle against Canada’s head tax and exclusion (1885–1947) imposed on Chinese immigrants, he also co-produces the weekly community television programs EarthSeen (since 1994) and Saltwater City Television (since 2001), and regularly contributes reports and political commentaries to the Columbia Journal and other print and new media publications.
Jennifer Chen – Moderator
Jennifer Chen has just returned from climbing in the mountains through hail and fog near Darjeeling. She’s worked in the media for more than 10 years and is a graduate of the Columbia School of Journalism. Jennifer works at CBC Radio as an associate producer, chasing down current affair stories. Before that, she reported for The Ottawa Citizen, The Desert Sun in Palm Springs, California, and was a Joan Donaldson Scholar at CBC TV. Jennifer loves roaming the world and her neighbourhood, looking for good stories and works to connect communities and individuals through common values. As one of the founders of the Asian Canadian Journalists Association, she fosters community, mentorship and support among media professionals, while raising issues of diversity in our newsrooms.