Elon Justice (ODL affiliate 2019-2021) is a filmmaker, writer, and 2019-2021 graduate student in MIT’s Comparative Media Studies program. An Eastern Kentucky native, Elon has long been acutely aware of media portrayals of underrepresented populations that are often one-dimensional, stereotypical, or altogether inaccurate, and of the real-life consequences these negative images can create. She aims to combat this phenomenon by working alongside these populations to co-create media that allows for more varied and truthful representations of their regions.
At MIT, Elon focuses on media representation, documentary methodologies, and digital media platforms. In addition to her activities around the Open Documentary Lab, she works as a research assistant for ODL affiliate Vivek Bald. She is currently producing her first participatory web-based documentary, called The Appalachian Retelling Project.
In her free time, Elon enjoys travel, music, and teaching others how to correctly pronounce her name. (Hint: It’s not like Elon Musk!)