DATE: 7:30 p.m., Jan. 28, 2010.

EVENT: Meenakshi Gigi Durham, associate professor of journalism and mass communication at the University of Iowa, will give the Motorola Lecture at the University of Michigan, “Combating the Lolita Effect: How the Media Sexualize Young Girls and What We Can Do About It.”

The event will feature a panel discussion with Sharon Gold-Steinberg, clinical supervisor, University Center for the Child and the Family; Lore Rogers, staff attorney, Michigan Domestic Violence Prevention and Treatment Board; and Patricia Montemurri, reporter, Detroit Free Press.

Durham said sexualization?which refers to the distorted, objectifying, commercially motivated, and often harmful representations of sexuality?proliferates in mainstream media. She says effective strategies can challenge the myths, prompting parents to raise strong, media-literate girls.

“We don’t want our kids to grow up to be passive media audiences,” she said. “We want them to be active, critical media consumers who can make good decisions for themselves as they get older.”

A reception begins at 6:45 p.m.

Established in 2001 with support from the Motorola Foundation, the Motorola Lecture aims to expose U-M students to journalists addressing issues concerning women and gender and to engage students about ways the media can reframe public understanding of complex issues.

PLACE: Palmer Commons, 100 Washtenaw Ave. The event is free and open to the public.

SPONSORS: U-M Women’s Studies Department, the Institute for Research on Women and Gender, the College of Literature, Science & the Arts, and the Department of Communication Studies.

WEB: http://www.lsa.umich.edu/women/LolitaEffect.html