The following is a response to a commentary published Oct. 26: “Student says sexism persists in ICTV.”

Ithaca College Television is an organization that takes all allegations of sexism and other oppressions seriously. There is no room for this type of behavior in our organization.

At ICTV, we pride ourselves on creating an inclusive environment for everyone. At every recruitment night, we make a promise that we will find a position for every student who wants to be involved. There are over 450 students involved in the production of 25 weekly television shows and various special projects. With that comes a variety of personalities, experiences and backgrounds from people who all learn to work together and accept one another.

It is our goal to create an atmosphere in which students feel comfortable sharing incidents of oppression with producers and the executive staff. This is the only way we can address prevalent issues. This should be an environment to learn, and everyone should feel comfortable in order to make it the best learning environment it can be.

Every incident of sexism that has been brought to producers or the executive staff has been appropriately handled. The specific incident that occurred on Sautéed, as referenced by a commentary previously published, was addressed. The crew member, now producer of the show in question, reported the incident to her producers, who worked to diffuse and improve the situation. To the producers’ knowledge, the situation had been resolved.

In the producer/director incident mentioned in the same commentary, the situation was brought to the Station Manager and Entertainment Director, who personally stepped in to better the working environment.  

The incidents cited in the original article were single-member experiences that we wish could have been handled in a more constructive manner. While we are sensitive to the voices of those who feel they have been victims of sexism, we do not see a problem of systematic sexism in Ithaca College Television.

ICTV is not perfect and there is always room for improvement. We have made huge strides toward equality in recent years and are continuing to make progress. The producing staff, chosen for their work ethic, ability and commitment, is comprised of 35 females and 25 males. The sports department contains seven female producers and eight male producers, with sports crews split nearly 50/50 male to female. The executive staff employs six females and seven males. Every organization – professional or collegiate, media or non-media – can probably cite incidents of sexism or other oppression. We are doing everything we can to prevent sexism in ICTV.

ICTV producers are students who have proven their commitment, talent and work ethic since their first day with the organization. Gender, along with all other surface-level attributions, has no impact on the decision of roles in ICTV. There is a level of professionalism required by producers, crew and cast members alike. We work to uphold positive attitudes and a cohesive environment free of sexism and other oppression in order to learn how to create the best content possible as part of a team. As the ICTV Executive Staff, it is not only our job but also our responsibility to this station and this school to create the best working environment for every student who wants to join our community. We encourage anyone feeling oppressed or observing oppression to notify any member of the ICTV Executive Staff so we can do our part to resolve this national problem.