FAST COMPANY “WORLD CHANGING IDEAS” WINNERS: PMC’S JOLOKOTO SELECTED AS FINALIST IN MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT

Population Media Center (PMC), a nonprofit leader in entertainment for social good, has been named a finalist in Fast Company’s 2020 World Changing Ideas in Media and Entertainment. The winners were announced today, honoring the businesses, policies, projects, and concepts that are actively engaged and deeply committed to flattening the curve when it comes to the climate crisis, social injustice, and economic inequality.

Jolokoto (“Mirror of Life”) began broadcasting in Nigeria on July 8, 2019 after months of research. It’s PMC’s seventh show in Nigeria and runs through August 24, 2020 on a total of 16 stations across Ogun State and Oyo State in southwestern Nigeria, addressing youth and young adults on a number of subjects that include gender-based violence, post-abortion care, and family planning. PMC works on difficult-to-address issues — ones that are deeply personal and deeply engrained. PMC shows are unique because they handle issues like misinformation and stigma, social perceptions, and cultural norms, navigating complex topics such as destigmatizing rape victims.

Now in its fourth year, the World Changing Ideas Awards showcase 26 winners, more than 200 finalists, and more than 500 honorable mentions. A panel of eminent judges selected winners and finalists from a pool of more than 3,000 entries. The 2020 awards featured entries from across the globe.

“We’re proud to be recognized by Fast Company as a Finalist in their World Changing Ideas Awards,” says Bill Ryerson, PMC President and Founder. “It’s a prestigious honor, knowing the quantity and caliber of entrants. We work every day to apply the power of entertainment to address some of the most pressing issues people face. We do, indeed, believe that this work contributes to a more sustainable planet with equal rights for all.”

“There seems no better time to recognize organizations that are using their ingenuity, resources, and, in some cases, their scale to tackle society’s biggest problems,” says Stephanie Mehta, editor-in-chief of Fast Company. “Our journalists, under the leadership of senior editor Morgan Clendaniel, have uncovered some of the smartest and most inspiring projects of the year.”

About the World Changing Ideas Awards: World Changing Ideas is one of Fast Company’s major annual awards programs and is focused on social good, seeking to elevate finished products and brave concepts that make the world better. A panel of judges from across sectors choose winners, finalists, and honorable mentions based on feasibility and the potential for impact. With a goal of awarding ingenuity and fostering innovation, Fast Company draws attention to ideas with great potential and helps them expand their reach to inspire more people to start working on solving the problems that affect us all.