Ivy Fofie is an assistant professor of media studies. Originally from Ghana, her research focuses on feminist media in sub-Saharan Africa. A journalist of 16 years, she was drawn to this scholarship because she experienced firsthand the many ways women are disadvantaged in the industry.
“In my country – and I think it’s universal – most women struggle to rise in journalism because of the patriarchal nature of newsrooms,” she says. She wasn’t getting the beats she wanted as a journalist and found herself excelling, instead, in public relations, an area predominately made up of women. “I felt like they were ghettoizing women in journalism,” she says. When Fofie moved into teaching, she noticed the same trend of female students being drawn towards subjects like PR and away from journalism.
The lack of female representation inspired Fofie to dig deeper into feminist scholarship, and her work in this space has been rewarding. To add to her long list of accolades, Fofie received the 2024 Anita Taylor Outstanding Article Award, Honorable Mention at the Organization for the Study of Communication, Language, and Gender (OSCLG) conference this October. Her paper, “‘My feminism is better than yours!’ the lack of intersectionality in feminist digital discourses in Ghana” examines divisive feminist discourse and argues in favor of intersectionality.
Fofie’s scholarship fuels her class discussions. She joined LMU College of Communication and Fine Arts this fall and now teaches two courses. She approaches Gender Communication (CMST 3110) from an intersectional perspective. After defining gender, race, class, and other categorizations that marginalize people, she prompts her students to examine them at various intersections—gender and race behind the scenes of Hollywood for example. Then they assess what acts of social justice and activism is happening across the globe within these groups. In her class Digital Rhetoric (CMST 3530), Fofie leans into her work as a critical journalist, helping students analyze ethics and regulations to understand what is happening online. Throughout the class, they become better versed in criticism of digital texts and media.
“I seek to inspire my students to not just watch their favorite TV shows or ads casually, but to be critical of representational practices in all forms of media and challenge the status quo,” Fofie says.
