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What I Want My Words to Do to You (2003)

By Madeleine Gavin, Judith Katz and Gary Sunshine

In this Case Study
The Film
Strategy & Goals
Resource Materials
Outcomes

Campaign Outcomes

The broadcast of What I Want My Words to Do to You reached over 1.1 million households, with some of the highest ratings in New York, San Francisco, Washington, DC, and Fort Myers, Florida.

PROMOTION

The media campaign was developed targeting social-issue and women's-interest writers, television and film critics, and family and education reporters in print, radio, television and online. P.O.V. worked with Harpo productions to secure an appearance by Eve Ensler and Rosie Perez on The Oprah Winfrey Show and Oprah After the Show, as well as a feature article in O: The Oprah Magazine. Ms. Ensler and Judith Katz also attended the Television Critics Association Press Tour in Pasadena, California, where they were interviewed by television critics from around the country. Ms. Ensler, Glenn Close and P.O.V. Executive Director Cara Mertes participated in a satellite media tour, and Ms. Katz did interviews for a radio tour. In addition, Ms. Ensler did an online chat with Washingtonpost.com.

As a result, we secured interviews with Glenn Close and Eve Ensler on Good Day L.A., Good Day Dallas, KRON Morning News in San Francisco, and Good Morning Arizona. Radio highlights included interviews with Westwood One (1,700 affiliates including NBC, CBS, Source and Mutual Networks); USA Radio Network; KNX-AM, Los Angeles; WTOP AM/FM, Washington, D.C.; KIRO, Seattle; WAOK, Atlanta; and KRLD, Dallas. Print highlights included a feature in Vanity Fair, along with reviews in TV Guide, the Associated Press, The San Francisco Chronicle, the Tribune Media Services wire, the Dallas Morning News, the Newark Star Ledger and The Independent.

OUTREACH

P.O.V. partnered with three public television stations, 13 educational institutions and 21 community-based organizations, including youth-serving organizations targeted by our Youth Views initiative, to present over 40 screening and discussion events in 32 cities in 17 states. For example, P.O.V. partnered with Intermedia Arts and The Women's Prison Book Project to present a free screening and discussion event of What I Want My Words to Do to You for family members of current prison inmates and supporters of the Women's Prison Book Project. The goal of the Book Project is to send free books and resources to women in prison, build connections between women in prison and women on the outside, and educate people about the realities of the criminal justice system. 100 people attended the event.

52 people attended a screening of What I Want My Words to Do to You to build momentum for a performance by 15 women in the "sister pod" unit of the San Francisco County Jail. These women attended a four day workshop similar to the one documented in the film. This intensive four-day performance and writing workshop was led by artists/writers Laleh Khadavi and Shailja Patel. KQED's Event Coordinator, Sonya Shah, was pleased that the event built a relationship with the San Francisco County Jail and created a unique curriculum to be replicated in Oakland, with KQED's Making Connections Media Outreach Initiative.

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