![Shannon Fisher - Writer, Activist, Radio Host 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/Shannon_Fisher_-_Writer%2C_Activist%2C_Radio_Host_2.jpg)
Shannon Fisher is a writer,
social
Social organisms, including human(s), live collectively in interacting populations. This interaction is considered social whether they are aware of it or not, and whether the exchange is voluntary or not.
Etymology
The word "social" derives from ...
and
political
Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that stud ...
commentator, and the host of two
talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often featu ...
shows on the Authors on the Air Global Radio Network,
''The Authentic Woman'' and ''Our Lives with Shannon Fisher.'' She is also a frequent host of the
National Press Club
Organizations
A press club is an organization for journalists and others professionally engaged in the production and dissemination of news. A press club whose membership is defined by the press of a given country may be known as a National Press ...
's ''Update-1'' Podcast.
and a notable
women's rights
Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countries, ...
activist.
Radio host
Fisher began her career in radio in September 2013 as a panelist on the Authors on the Air Global Radio Network's show, ''A Global Conversation on Domestic Violence''. She went on to host ''A Global Conversation on Human and Sex Trafficking'' in February 2014 and was subsequently asked by the network's owner to do a weekly show on women's social and political issues, in addition to highlighting women with careers in the arts. In February 2017, Fisher began hosting an additional show on the network, ''Our Lives with Shannon Fisher'', which covers a broader range of global societal issues.
Fisher is also among a small team of hosts of the
National Press Club
Organizations
A press club is an organization for journalists and others professionally engaged in the production and dissemination of news. A press club whose membership is defined by the press of a given country may be known as a National Press ...
's ''Update-1'' Podcast,
which addresses current events from the perspective of the news media.
Activism
![Shannon Fisher at March 3, 2012 Protest at Virginia Capitol](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/13/Shannon_Fisher_at_March_3%2C_2012_Protest_at_Virginia_Capitol.jpg)
Fisher participated in a demonstration on March 3, 2012 against
transvaginal ultrasound
Vaginal ultrasonography is a medical ultrasonography that applies an ultrasound transducer (or "probe") in the vagina to visualize organs within the pelvic cavity. It is also called transvaginal ultrasonography because the ultrasound waves go ''a ...
legislation in the
Virginia General Assembly
The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the oldest continuous law-making body in the Western Hemisphere, the first elected legislative assembly in the New World, and was established on July 30, 16 ...
, during which approximately 1000 protesters marched through the streets of downtown
Richmond, Virginia to the steps of the
Virginia Capitol building. Thirty protesters were arrested.
Photographs of the event were shared worldwide, encouraging protests against similar legislation introduced in other
state legislatures. The Virginia protest was featured in the film ''Political Bodies'', which won "Best Documentary" at the
Austin Film Festival in 2013.
In January 2013, Fisher was included among women's rights activists named the "2012 Richmonders of the Year" for their participation in the March 2012 protest by the staff of Richmond's ''
Style Weekly
''Style Weekly'' is an online alternative media outlet that was previously an alternative weekly newspaper started in November 1982 for news, arts, culture and opinion in Richmond, Virginia.
Style was originally owned by Landmark Media Enterpri ...
''
alternative newspaper
An alternative newspaper is a type of newspaper that eschews comprehensive coverage of general news in favor of stylized reporting, opinionated reviews and columns, investigations into edgy topics and magazine-style feature stories highlighting l ...
.
Fisher co-founded UniteWomen.org's "Unite Against Rape" campaign, along with fellow executive committee members Renee Davis, Karen Teegarden and Sarah Warfield Chamberlin. The raised public awareness of the issues of
rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual penetration carried out against a person without their consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or ...
,
human trafficking and
violence against women
Violence against women (VAW), also known as gender-based violence and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), are violent acts primarily or exclusively committed against women or girls, usually by men or boys. Such violence is often con ...
. An array of legislators, journalists and celebrities participated in the campaign, including U.S. Senators
Mark Warner and
Tim Kaine
Timothy Michael Kaine (; born February 26, 1958) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the junior United States senator from Virginia since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 38th lieutenant governor of Virgi ...
; comedians
Roseanne Barr
Roseanne Cherrie Barr (born November 3, 1952) is an American actress, comedian, writer, producer, and former presidential candidate. Barr began her career in stand-up comedy before gaining acclaim in the television sitcom ''Roseanne'' (1988–1 ...
,
Margaret Cho
Margaret Moran Cho (born December 5, 1968) is an American comedian, actress, LGBT social activist, and musician. She is known for her stand-up routines, through which she critiques social and political problems, especially regarding race and se ...
,
Annabelle Gurwitch
Annabelle Gurwitch (born November 4, 1961) is an American author, comedic actress, television host most recognizable from her stint as hostess on ''Dinner and a Movie on TBS','' and activist associated with environmental issues and secular huma ...
and
Lois Bromfield; social justice advocate
Sandra Fluke; Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle,
Ronnie Cameron, musician
Courtney Love
Courtney Michelle Love (née Harrison; born July 9, 1964) is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, and actress. A figure in the alternative and grunge scenes of the 1990s, her career has spanned four decades. She rose to prominence as ...
; social and political commentators
Meghan McCain
Meghan Marguerite McCain (born October 23, 1984) is an American television personality, columnist, and author. She has worked for ABC News, Fox News, and MSNBC. The daughter of politician John McCain and diplomat Cindy McCain, she has been a pu ...
, Alexandria Goddard (the
Steubenville
Steubenville is a city in and the county seat of Jefferson County, Ohio, United States. Located along the Ohio River 33 miles west of Pittsburgh, it had a population of 18,161 at the 2020 census. The city's name is derived from Fort Steuben, a ...
blogger), Leslie Salzillo, Kimberley A. Johnson and Tanya Tatum; Editor-in-Chief
Jane Pratt
Jane Pratt (born November 11, 1962) is the founding editor of '' Sassy'', ''Jane and'' xoJane. She is the host of the talk show ''Jane Radio'' on Sirius XM Radio.
Early life
Jane Pratt was born in San Francisco, California, to Sheila Marks Blake ...
; writers
Mandy Stadtmiller, Alison Freer, Marci Robin and Julia Allison; actors
Yuri Lowenthal
Yuri Lowenthal (born March 5, 1971)Birthday references:
*
*
*
is an American voice actor, producer and screenwriter known chiefly for his work in cartoons, anime and video games. Some of his prominent roles in animations and anime include S ...
, Pia Glenn and Sharon Gardner; celebrity artist Tormented Sugar; writers Herman Williams, III, Pat Bertram, Michele Rolle and
Toni Morrison
Chloe Anthony Wofford Morrison (born Chloe Ardelia Wofford; February 18, 1931 – August 5, 2019), known as Toni Morrison, was an American novelist. Her first novel, ''The Bluest Eye'', was published in 1970. The critically acclaimed '' So ...
; executive director of the Military Rape Crisis Center,
Panayiota Bertzikis; and celebrity relationship experts Dr. Gilda Carle and
Dr. Sheri Meyers.
The "Unite Against Rape" team also partnered with the
Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network
The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) is an American nonprofit anti-sexual assault organization, the largest in the United States. RAINN operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline, as well as the Department of Defense Safe Helpline ...
for a national RAINN Day campaign to raise awareness of sexual assault on college campuses.
Fisher spoke on the grounds of the Washington Monument on November 9, 2014 at an event held by the Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation to help raise awareness of
female genital mutilation.
Education
Fisher is a 2002 graduate and Past Class Chair of the
Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership at The
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia (UVA) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United States, with highly selective ad ...
and received her undergraduate degree from The
College of William and Mary
The College of William & Mary (officially The College of William and Mary in Virginia, abbreviated as William & Mary, W&M) is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693 by letters patent issued by King William III ...
in 1994.
Writings
Fisher's articles and essays have been published in newspapers, magazines, anthologies, news sites and blogs since the 1990s. She writes about
Society
A society is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction, or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. Soci ...
,
Politics
Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that stud ...
,
Health
Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...
,
Entertainment
Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and delight. It can be an idea or a task, but is more likely to be one of the activities or events that have developed over thousa ...
, and
Pop Culture.
"Why ‘
Slacktivism
Slacktivism (a portmanteau of '' slacker'' and ''activism'') is the practice of supporting a political or social cause by means such as social media or online petitions, characterized as involving very little effort or commitment. Additional fo ...
’ Matters" is an article Fisher wrote for
PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
, explaining various methods of Social Media Activism and demonstrating its potential effectiveness in raising global awareness using the
#BringBackOurGirls hashtag as an example.
Memberships
Fisher is a member of the
National Press Club
Organizations
A press club is an organization for journalists and others professionally engaged in the production and dissemination of news. A press club whose membership is defined by the press of a given country may be known as a National Press ...
, the
Society of Professional Journalists and the
Online News Association
The Online News Association (ONA), founded in 1999, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization located in Washington D.C., United States. It is the world's largest association of digital journalists, with more than 2,000 members.
The majority of ON ...
. She is an alumna of the Beta Delta chapter of
Alpha Chi Omega
Alpha Chi Omega (, also known as Alpha Chi or A Chi O) is a national women's fraternity founded on October 15, 1885.
As of 2018, there are 132 collegiate and 279 alumnae chapters represented across the United States, and the fraternity counts ...
.
Notable radio shows and podcasts
References
External links
Official websiteShannon Fisher's blogat wordpress.com
UniteWomen.org websiteAuthors on the Air website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fisher, Shannon
Living people
American women's rights activists
Radio personalities from Virginia
College of William & Mary alumni
American women writers
American non-fiction writers
American women journalists
Year of birth missing (living people)