We are proud that the staff of the Maynard Institute is committed to advocating for racial equity in journalism and beyond. In addition to their work and service to the Maynard Institute mission, our organization’s team members have a positive impact across the industry and their communities. In this spirit, we congratulate Co-Executive Director, Evelyn Hsu and Maynard 200 Fellowship Program Director, Odette Alcazaren-Keeley on their recent achievements.

Co-Executive Director Evelyn Hsu elected Vice President of SPJ Foundation Board

The Maynard Institute congratulates Co-Executive Director Evelyn Hsu for her election as Vice President of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Foundation board of directors. The Society of Professional Journalists Foundation (formerly Sigma Delta Chi Foundation) is a 501(c)(3) charity with a mission to perpetuate a free press as a cornerstone of our nation through their educational programs and by supporting other journalism organizations that benefit SPJ members. Hsu was elected Vice President in October for a term beginning in 2023.

Evelyn Hsu was elected Vice President to SPJ Foundation Board in October 2022. Photo by Ray Chavez.

About SPJ Foundation Grants and Programs

The SPJ Foundation grants primarily support advocacy for freedom of the press and SPJ members directly but also provide support to organizations that advance the SPJ mission. Grant requests are first reviewed by the Foundation Grants and Awards Committee and then their recommendations are sent to the SPJ Foundation Board of Directors for their review and selection. Read more about the SPJ Foundation’s signature programs.

Maynard 200 Fellowship Director Odette Alcazaren-Keeley received the SPJ NorCal Unsung Hero Award

On November 21, 2022, the Society of Professional Journalists, Northern California chapter (SPJ NorCal) announced the recipients of their 37th annual Excellence in Journalism Awards. Maynard 200 Fellowship Program Director, Odette Alcazaren-Keeley received the board award for Unsung Hero. SPJ NorCal has hosted the annual awards banquet every fall for more than three decades to highlight extraordinary contributions of journalists based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento, and cities and towns throughout the region.

Odette Alcazaren-Keeley received the SPJ NorCal Unsung Hero Award in November 2022. Photo by Michelle Felix.

From the press release:

The board honors Odette Alcazaren-Keeley with the Unsung Hero award. As director of the Maynard 200 Fellowship with the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education, she has built one of the most powerful incubators for journalists of color in the country. She is also president and founding partner of the strategic, multicultural media consultancy Global MediaX. Alcazaren-Keeley’s career commitment to lifting all voices is exemplified in her own words, that we can “heal our democracy together, regardless of and respecting each others’ differing beliefs.”

Join us in Celebrating the Maynard Family Impact

We often use the term Maynard Family to refer to our extended network of founders, program alumni, staff, faculty, and supporters. Hsu and Alcazaren-Keeley are not the only industry leaders affiliated with the Maynard Institute recognized by professional membership associations. Many of our board members and staff are doing important work that aligns with the institute’s core values.

You can read more about the backgrounds and work of the Maynard Institute staff and board members on our website. For the latest Maynard Family updates, be sure to check out our blog and subscribe to our newsletter. Join the Maynard Family and Donate today!

Our latest video coincides with the launch of the Maynard Institute end-of-year fundraising campaign. Watch the brief 2-minute video to learn about the Institute’s mission. Find out makes our programs worthy of your support and donate today! Filmed during the June 2022 session of the Maynard 200 Fellowship program at USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, this video includes interviews with Maynard Institute staff as well as Maynard 200 faculty and leaders in the media industry.

Join the fight to ensure newsroom diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging

“We have a tremendous history that inspires us,” said Evelyn Hsu, Co-Executive Director of the Maynard Institute. In the wake of Kerner Commission report, a diverse group of journalism founded the Institute in 1977 to challenge the excuses of legacy media for racist hiring practices and news coverage. By providing training programs to journalists of color, the Institute helped ensure that newsrooms could no longer claim a lack of qualified candidates for hire. Since its founding, the impact of our programs stretches beyond hiring practices to journalims itself. “With our graduates who are editors, we can see changes in coverage,” Hsu added.

Co-Executive Director Martin Reynolds said, “We have an obligation to push journalism to understand the impact that it has had when it is perpetuating systemic racism. These institutions—if they are truly going to be seen as worthy of informing a diverse society—they have to get this right.”

Maynard 200 Guest Lecturer and AP Vice President Ron Nixon

Maynard’s staff, faculty and volunteers worktirelessly to provide journalists the skills needed to thrive in the industry through opportunities like the Maynard 200 Fellowship, the Oakland Voices community journalism program, Fault Lines diversity trainings, events and more. This is essential work, but it wouldn’t be possible without supporters like you.

Still going strong after 45 years!

The Maynard Institute was founded in 1977 to promote diversity and antiracism in the news media through improved coverage, hiring and business practices. We challenge the systemic lack of diversity in the news industry through training, collaborations and convenings. Through programs like the Maynard 200 fellowship, we are creating better representation in America’s newsrooms. The institute offers a range of tuition-free professional development and training programs. The institute also provides consulting services and trainings to help news organizations reach their full potential as equitable, productive and financially sustainable organizations.

We are able to do this work thanks to the generous support of funders and supporters like you! Your tax-deductible donation directly impacts the careers of journalists while supporting the institute’s mission to promote diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in the news media. Donate today!

One of the Maynard Institute’s core programs, the Maynard 200 Fellowship is designed to advance the careers of investigative storytellers, executive leaders, frontline editors and media entrepreneurs of diverse backgrounds (see bios). The fellowship provides professional development training and year-long mentorship. In 2022, media strategist Dickson Louie returned to lead the media entrepreneurship cohort and continued the media entrepreneurship award program originally launched in 2021. Based on the scores from a panel of media business experts, faculty, and Maynard 200 alumni, three fellows, Michael Tennant, Nancy Flores and Lisa D. Tinsley have been recognized for their outstanding media venture pitches.

About the Maynard 200 Media Entrepreneurship Awards

Given to the Fellow with the top overall score from the judges, the Dori J. Maynard Award honors the late president of the Maynard Institute and the daughter of Robert C. Maynard, our co-founder. The amount of this award, which is funded by Dickson Louie each year, is $1,000 and will go toward the operating expenses of the winning start-up.

The Quentin Hope Metrics Award in Entrepreneurship is a $1,000 prize funded by the Maynard Institute. The award honors Quentin Hope, who served as the coach for Institute co-directors Evelyn Hsu and Martin Reynolds in the year-long Media Transformation challenge and helped them define and create metrics for their projects.

We extend our thanks to the 2022 award judges Linda Lloyd da Silva, Peter Lamb, Ned Hawley, Clarisa Strohmeyer, Travers Johnson, Waylae Gregoire, Cathy Eckstein, Caroline Ceniza-Levine and Susan Leath.

Congratulations Media Entrepreneurship Award Winners

Dori J. Maynard Media Entrepreneurship Award

Michael Tennant is the recipient of this year’s Dori J. Maynard Media Entrepreneurship Award for his presentation on his start-up, Curiosity Lab.

Tennant is a founder, writer and movement builder dedicated to spreading tools of empathy and helping people find their purpose. Before founding Curiosity Lab in 2017, he spent 15 years becoming a media, advertising and nonprofit executive, and delivering awardwinning marketing strategies for companies like MTV, Vice, Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola, Sweetgreen and Oatly.

Tennant created Actually Curious, the conversation card game that became a viral sensation in 2020 during the pandemic and the rise of the racial justice movement for helping people to build meaningful connections and tackle important topics facing the world.

He has channeled his business success and momentum into a sustained movement supporting BIPOC and other underrepresented communities through speaking, writing, leadership, mentorship, consulting, partnerships and talent-pipeline programs.

Quentin Hope Metrics Award

In a statistical tie, Nancy Flores and Lisa D. Tinsley are the recipients of this year’s Quentin Hope Metrics Award. This award is given to the Fellow with the top overall score in the metrics category.

Flores had presented on her startup, Austin Vida, a digital news and culture site that amplifies, informs, and celebrates the Latinidad of the Austin community with culturally-competent news.

In addition to editor and publisher of Austin Vida, Nancy is an award-winning local journalist. She founded Cultura Media, Austin Vida’s umbrella organization, and was recently named one of “Austin’s Top Latina Entrepreneurs to Watch” by the digital news outlet Austonia.

Flores grew up in the bordertown of Eagle Pass, Texas, and is the proud daughter of Mexican immigrants. She has specialized in writing about underrepresented Central Texas communities, most recently reporting for the Austin American-Statesman and Austin360. Her contributions to Austin’s Latino community recently earned her
the Award of Excellence in Media Arts from the city’s Mexican American Cultural Center. In 2019, Remezcla listed her among the nation’s “Latino Columnists You Should Be Reading.”

Tinsley discussed her venture, KISA Public Radio (KPR), an independent, nonprofit media organization that was founded on a mission to enlighten the world about the African American community. Every day, KISA Public Radio connects with thousands worldwide on the air and online to explore issues affecting the African American community. Programming includes news about health, science, entrepreneurship, arts, culture and more.

Tinsley has worked as a news researcher and archivist for 25 years. She loves to share her research that will enrich the lives of others. Tinsley launched KISA Public Radio in 2017, and when not working as program director of the radio station, she can be found found volunteering with food banks and Habitat for Humanity, traveling with family and friends and watching documentaries.

About the Maynard 200 Fellowship Media Entrepreneur Track

Led by Executive-in-Residence Dickson Louie, the Maynard 200 entrepreneurship track is designed to support fellows navigating the modern media landscape. As Principal of Louie & Associates and Lecturer at the University of California Davis Graduate School of Management, Louie has over 25 years of professional management experience within the news media industry. He brings veteran expertise as a planning and business development executive at the Los Angeles Times, the San Jose Mercury News and the San Francisco Chronicle.

“In this Maynard 200 media entrepreneur track, fellows learn the frameworks that will help increase the odds of their venture’s success: discovering market opportunities, identifying business models, learning how to pitch ideas, setting goals, and leading a start-up team.”
Dickson Louie, Principal of Louie & Associates

In October 2022, Louie received a partial scholarship from IDEO U for their Activating Strategy course, in recognition of his work in co-creating the Summer Strategy Sessions for the Maynard 200 Media Entrepreneurship and Executive Leadership Tracks with Virgil Smith. The scholarship will allow Louie to receive the IDEO U “Human-Centered Strategy” certificattion. IDEO, the parent organization of IDEO U, is a global consulting firm and a pioneer in the concept of design thinking.

The Maynard 200 program is grateful to all members of the 2022 faculty and mentors. In addition to media entrepreneurship, the Maynard 200 program includes three other areas of focus for investigative storytellers, executive leaders, and frontline editors. Each track is led by accomplished industry veterans such as peabody award-winning journalist Aaron Glantz for investigative storytelling, former newsroom C-suite executive Virgil Smith for the leadership track, and senior editor John X. Miller for frontline editors and managers.

Maynard 200 will return in 2023

The Maynard 200 Fellowship program will continue next year in a hybrid virtual and in-person format hosted at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism in Los Angeles, California. Maynard 200 fellows will benefit from tuition-free training and mentorship, plus air travel and lodging expenses will be covered by the Maynard Institute. Subscribe to our newsletter for the call for applications coming soon!

The Maynard Institute will welcome back over 50 Maynard 200 Fellows (see bios) on Tuesday, October 25th, for the second and final in-person training week hosted at the University of Southern California (USC) Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism. The video below captures the spirit of the first week of the Maynard 200 Fellowship gathering at USC Annenberg earlier this year.

The final day of the October training week will conclude with commencement celebrations and each fellow will be matched with a mentor from their respective field or specialization. The graduation activities will be preceded by a fireside chat with Maynard Institute Co-Executive Director, Martin Reynolds and Kevin Merida, executive editor for the Los Angeles Times. Fellows will also present their final projects, including the review of a special case study prepared by Maynard 200 fellows on the current development strategie of the Los Angeles Times.

Video asks Maynard 200 fellows to describe the program in one word

The new video about the Maynard 200 Fellowship program kicks off with scenes from the 2022 welcome reception, where guests were asked to describe how they felt about the program in one word. From “Inspired” and “honored” to “supported” and “connected,” fellows shared how they felt. The one word spoken into the microphone by Denise Watson, features editor at The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press in Virginia, was “empower…that’s what Maynard has always done and that’s what I hope to do.“

Watch the 3 minute video to understand why the Maynard 200 program is so meaningful to both fellows and faculty.

Class of 2022 returns to USC

During the final week of Maynard 200, each track will meet guest faculty speakers and leaders in the industry. We are proud to welcome back previous faculty as well as introduce new guest speakers. To read more about the Maynard 200 faculty roster, check out their full bios (PDF).

In addition to attending training sessions, fellows will also be presenting their final projects including a case study of The Los Angeles Times. As part of the in-person program, fellows will be presenting their case study findings directly to LA Times executive editor, Kevin Merida, and other executives in attendance.

Maynard 200 continues through mentorship

The Maynard 200 Fellowship program doesn’t end with the commencement celebration. One of the lasting positive outcomes of this fellowship is the signature 1:1 mentorship component. After the formal curriculum concludes, fellows are paired with a veteran media professional in their area of interest who has committed to mentoring the fellow for a year. This community building is key to pushing the industry forward.

This year’s mentors comprise a distinguished roster of award-winning media executives, academics, communications professionals and business and entrepreneurship experts. We are pleased to have several Maynard Institute alumni, including graduates from its legacy programs and past Maynard 200 programs, joining us as mentors this year.

About the Maynard 200 Fellowship

The program is tuition-free thanks to funding by Google News Initiative, Craig Newmark Philanthropies, The Hearthland Foundation, the McClatchy Foundation and supporters like you! Your tax-deductible donation directly impacts the careers of journalists while supporting the institute’s mission to promote diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in the news media.

We are creating better representation in newsrooms through our Maynard 200 fellowship program, which gives media professionals of color the tools to become skilled storytellers, successful managers, empowered executives and inspired entrepreneurs. Donate today!

Applications are now closed.

Is your news organization ready to establish a more equitable workplace and provide better coverage of underserved communities? Subscribe for email updates about our next program application period.

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What makes this program unique? The Equity & Belonging Newsroom Transformation Program leverages an embedded coaching model to help news organizations better inform underserved communities and establish workplace cultures of belonging. Our goal is to help newsrooms become more equitable and inclusive in their reporting, workplace, and in the communities they serve. The team of consultants piloting the program curriculum will work closely with Maynard Institute facilitators who are steeped in the Fault Lines® training methodology. As the extended application deadline approaches on October 14, we asked the program’s consultants why they think organizations should apply. Read their bios to learn more about their expertise and check out their quotes below.

Foster innovation and nurture a sense of belonging at your organization

“Too often diversity efforts are performative. We want to operationalize belonging so that BIPOC and folks of diverse backgrounds can thrive and contribute even more meaningfully to the growth, sustainability and credibility of the outlets where they work. We want to show that when organizations invest in equity and inclusion, working relationships between people improve, there is less labor strife, attrition and toxicity. Newsrooms that center the concept of belonging foster innovation, better journalism, and more importantly, the capacity to build or repair relationships with communities. We are excited to see what we can create through this program.”

Martin G. Reynolds, Co-Executive Director of the Maynard Institute

Increase the potential for revolutionary impact in your community

“Newsrooms face multiple levels of revolution internally and externally: from changing community and newsroom demographics and social and political tensions, to differing generational expectations about inclusion, work and journalism ethics. This program offers the opportunity to examine your dynamics, learn about who you are, how you work together and what your impact has been and could be on each other and in your communities. This holistic, in-depth approach aspires to help journalists of today face complex challenges with empowering insight and tools.”

Mei-Ling Hopgood, Maynard Institute program researcher and Professor at the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communication at Northwestern University

Ensure your organization’s long-term sustainability

“Newsrooms are feeling the pressure and urgency when it comes to understanding and implementing best practices surrounding DEI. We are excited to support organizations as they grow in their knowledge and implement sustainable, long term investments towards strengthening the equity and inclusion in their respective newsrooms.”

Kate Sultuska, Global Equity Collective

Further your organization’s brand and goals

“What would it mean for your news organization to be deeply understood and deeply challenged to grow in its diversity goals? Our mission is to partner with you in that process through the Newsroom Transformation Program program. Our team holds expert credentials in journalism, law, professional leadership, counseling, management, social policy, and advanced DEIB training. This background makes us uniquely positioned to understand your newsroom’s internal DEIB challenges and opportunities, as well as the essential community connections and impacts a newsroom must negotiate in today’s world. DEIB has an important role to play in your institution’s news voice and identity, and we promise to be a collaborative guide on that journey.”

Carol Ross-Burnett, CRB LLC

Acknowledge the urgency and societal demands for transformation

“There’s never been a more urgent time for newsrooms to grapple with inequity in their own businesses and in society. We are proud to be part of this important initiative.”

Anasstassia Baichorova, Global Equity Collective

Contribute to assist media outlets for a brighter future

“This initiative presents a great opportunity to bring experts in the field together to lead two news organizations toward sustainable, equitable change. Our goal is to test methodologies, re-test, and document the processes of both pilot programs in order to replicate the work to assist future media outlets that want to make meaningful change.”

Felecia D. Henderson, Director of Cultural Competency at the Maynard Institute

About the Program – Applications due October 14

The Newsroom Transformation Program will provide two news organizations with the opportunity to develop the tools needed to implement a sense of belonging and equity in the newsroom. The goal is to create a professional learning experience that will benefit a media outlet. The Maynard Institute wants to help contribute to best practices in community journalism and to the implementation of the Fault Lines® framework.

APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED. Application responses will be used to determine your training needs and how the training can build upon your existing knowledge, skills, and experiences. Learn more.

The Maynard Institute has trained journalists of color for over 45 years, so there are always alumni promotions and wins to celebrate! Check out the latest alumni updates from the summer and fall of 2022.

Brianna Tucker (Maynard 200 Fellowship 2022) becomes deputy politics editor at the Washington Post

In her new role, Tucker will help drive campaign and congressional coverage aimed at engaging the next generation of Post readers and subscribers. She has worked at the Washington Post on the newsletter team since 2021. She is in the Frontline Editors and Managers track of the Maynard 200 Fellowship.

Delonte Harrod (Maynard 200 Fellowship 2021) and The Intersection Magazine join Black Headline News

The Intersection Magazine, joined Black Headline News, a partnership of Black-owned media outlets, as founding member. Harrod, a Maynard 200 Felloship entrepreneur track alumni, founded the digital publication in 2020.
“The Black Headline News (BHN) channel is a collaborative movement, highlighting the importance of disseminating valuable information to communities across the nation from a Black perspective. The collective effort gives Black-owned media outlets a free, unified, safe, platform to connect with online readers, viewers, and listeners nationwide, sharing content across the world diaspora, expanding their reach, brand, and audience,” says the BNC’s call to action.

Lottie Joiner becomes the New Verite Managing Editor (Maynard 200 Fellowship 2021)

Joiner, an award-winning journalist with more than two decades of experience covering issues that impact underserved and marginalized communities, is joining Verite’s newsroom leadership team as assistant managing editor. Lottie was a Maynard 200 Fellow with a focus on executive leadership and a 2021 participant in the Poynter Leadership Academy for Women in Media program.

Robin Turner (Editing Program 1985) becomes new VP, Training, Culture and Community at Dow Jones/Wall Street Journal

The longtime diversity, equity and inclusion executive was most recently the Director of Editorial Diversity Initiatives at Politico, before joining the the team at Dow Jones/Wall Street Journal, where she will focus on Dow Jones newsrooms, as well as working with leaders and others across company verticals to drive DEI strategy into all aspects of our global business. She helped to found the Politico Journalism Institute (PJI), an initiative to advance young journalists of color, in 2014, with guidance from Dori Maynard and Evelyn Hsu of the Maynard Institute of Journalism.

Media venture by Michael Tennant (Maynard 200 Fellowship 2022) is featured on Good Morning America

Tennant is the founder of Curiosity Lab, a movement to spread empathy. Actually Curious, the empathy card game created by Curiosity Lab, was recently featured on a segment for Good Morning America. The Maynard 200 2022 Fellow focusing on entrepreneurship, describes the deck as “a conversation card game that uses the science and psychology of trust-building and emotional connection to bring people closer together.”

Teresa Frontado (Multimedia Editing Program 2012) joined WAMU as executive editor

With over 20 years of experience working as a bilingual journalist and editor for media organizations in the United States and Latin America, Frontado joins the NPR affiliate in Washington, DC, WAMU 88.5. She most recently worked as the executive editor for the NPR affiliate in Austin, Texas for over 2 years.

Leroy Adams (Maynard 200 Fellow 2019) receives capital investment for his Black travel magazine, The Buddy Pass

Adams founded The Buddy Pass in 2018 based on a mission to promote, celebrate, and encourage Black travel. The 2019 Maynard 200 Fellowship alum received capital investment, multi-year content partnership from the yet-unnamed entity. Adams commented that, “Everything I learned from Maynard–from the business model canvas to the practice pitch sessions–helped me get here.”

About the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education

For 45 years, the Maynard Institute has fought to push back against the systemic lack of diversity in the news industry through training, collaborations and convenings. Founded by Robert C. Maynard, the Institute promotes diversity and antiracism in the news media through improved coverage, hiring and business practices. We are creating better representation in U.S. newsrooms through our programs , which gives media professionals of color the tools to become skilled storytellers, empowered executives and inspired entrepreneurs. Visit the Maynard Institute website to learn more.

Are you an alumni with exciting professional news?

Contact Community Engagement Manager, Ava Macha, at amacha@mije.org to be featured in our next Maynard Family Update.

Photo by Henry Fuhrmann via Twitter.

We at the Maynard Institute were shocked and deeply saddened to learn of Henry Fuhrmann’s sudden passing on September 14, 2022. His staunch allyship serves as enduring inspiration for us all. We are humbled by Fuhrmann’s support of the institute’s programs to further diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in journalism. We were fortunate to spend time with Henry at the institute’s networking reception at the 2022 Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) convention. At the news of his death, AAJA announced Fuhrmann would receive the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award for “his lifelong dedication to excellence in journalism, his leadership through humble service, his generous mentorship of future generations, and commitment to AAJA.”

(L-R) Odette Alcazaren-Keeley, Pete Camarillo, Henry Fuhrmann at the AAJA 2022 Convention

Beloved USC Professor and Mentor

Fuhrmann’s mentorship has transformed the path of many emerging journalists. He joined the USC Annenenberg Media Center as an adjunct instructor and writing coach in 2016. A statement from USC Annenberg honored the late professsor, “Known for his kindness and expertise, Fuhrmann indisputably left a mark on USC Annenberg and the Media Center, both on its students and teachers alike.”

Fuhrmann’s support of the institute included being part of the faculty for the inaugural class of Maynard 200 in 2018. He shared his expertise as a veteran editor of the Los Angeles Times, providing the fellows with concrete skills in self editing and copy editing to embolden their narrative writing.

Later, Fuhrmann also served as a mentor for Maynard 200 Fellow Samantha Guzman. Executive Editor of Decibel at Austin PBS, Guzman graduated from the Fellowship’s executive leadership program in 2021. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Guzman and Furhmann were not able to meet in person until 2022. As outpourings of appreciation for Fuhrmann spread online, Guzman tweeted “I don’t know what I would have done without Henry’s guidance during some of my most challenging times.”

Photo and tweet by Maynard 200 Fellow Samantha Guzman of meeting mentor Henry Fuhrmann for the first time in person in Austin, Texas.

His legacy as an industry leader

As the rise of the internet was forever changing journalism, Fuhrmann helped his newsroom navigate the new terrain of blogging. The Los Angeles Times reported: “In the 2000s he was deputy editor of the Business section, and later, as more stories were being published online, he helped create style and usage rules for the new medium where none had existed.”

Fuhrmann, a self-described “word nerd,” also initiated changes in the newsroom to retire other outdated terms, such as replacing “transvestite” with “transgender.” He also campaigned to replace the word “internment” when describing the forcible incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II.

In addition to Fuhrmann’s advances at the Times, his role as thought leader has had a lasting impact on the industry as a whole. In 2019, Fuhrmann successfully advocated for dropping the hyphen in words like “Asian-American” and “African-American.” He wrote in his essay for the Conscious Style Guide, “Those hyphens serve to divide even as they are meant to connect. Their use in racial and ethnic identities can connote as otherness, a sense that people of color are somehow not full citizens or fully American.” Fuhrmann’s essay influenced the AP Stylebook to remove the hyphen.

We extend our sincere condolences to Fuhrmann’s family and friends of Fuhrmann. As a dearly departed member of the Maynard family, we will honor hime by continuing to fight for fairness in this industry.

Applications are now closed.

Is your news organization ready to establish a more equitable workplace and provide better coverage of underserved communities? Subscribe for email updates about our next program application period.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — Oakland, Calif. (September 9, 2022): The Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education, a nonprofit dedicated to expanding diversity in the news media and dismantling structural racism in newsrooms, announced today the launch of the Equity and Belonging Newsroom Transformation Program. The pilot program, funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, is an initiative that will pair news organizations with consultants who have a wealth of experience training journalists on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) issues. The goal is to help transform workplace structures, organizational cultures and news coverage to be more inclusive and reflective of the United States.

To launch the new initiative, Maynard will pilot the program in two news organizations during two five-month periods. One organization selected will be an alumni of the Table Stakes Local News Transformation Program. The second pilot program is open to nonprofit, for-profit and independent news organizations across the country. Applications for the Equity and Belonging Newsroom Transformation Program must be submitted by 11:59 P.M. PDT on Oct. 7.

Each news organization will work closely with the Maynard Institute team and consultants Global Equity Collective and CRB Global LLC & Rich Diversity Consulting LLC to create the strategies, plans, benchmarks and training to implement DEIB values for lasting impact. Joining the Maynard team will be Jean-Marie Brown, Maynard Fault Lines® senior trainer and professor of professional practice in journalism at Texas Christian University. Mei-Ling Hopgood, journalist and professor at the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communication at Northwestern University, will document the impact of the initiative and publish a case study at the conclusion of the pilot program.

“Too often diversity efforts are performative,” said Martin G. Reynolds, co-executive director of the Maynard Institute. “We want to operationalize belonging so that BIPOC and folks of diverse backgrounds can thrive and contribute even more meaningfully to the growth, sustainability and credibility of the outlets where they work.

“We want to show that when organizations invest in equity and inclusion, working relationships between people improve, there is less labor strife, attrition and toxicity. Newsrooms that center the concept of belonging foster innovation, better journalism, and more importantly, the capacity to build or repair relationships with communities. We are excited to see what we can create through this program,” Reynolds said.

“This initiative presents a great opportunity to bring experts in the field together to lead two news organizations toward sustainable, equitable change,” said Felecia D. Henderson, director of cultural competency at the Maynard Institute. “Our goal is to test methodologies, re-test, and document the processes of both pilot programs in order to replicate the work to assist future media outlets that want to make meaningful change.”

About the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education

For 45 years, the Maynard Institute has fought to push back against the systemic lack of diversity in the news industry through training, collaborations and convenings. Founded by Robert C. Maynard, the Institute promotes diversity and antiracism in the news media through improved coverage, hiring and business practices. We are creating better representation in U.S. newsrooms through our programs , which gives media professionals of color the tools to become skilled storytellers, empowered executives and inspired entrepreneurs. Visit the Maynard Institute website to learn more.

Questions?

CONTACT:

Felecia D. Henderson
Director of Cultural Competency, Maynard Institute
fhenderson@mije.org

Martin G. Reynolds
Co-Executive Director, Maynard Institute
mreynolds@mije.org

Join the Newsroom Transformation Program

Applications are now closed. Subscribe for email updates about our next program application period.

The Maynard Institute was fortunate enough to present two in-person events at this year’s NABJ-NAHJ Convention in Las Vegas. In addition to a cocktail reception celebrating the institute’s 45th anniversary, Felecia Henderson, an award-winning newspaper editor and Director of Cultural Competency at the Maynard Institute, organized and moderated a panel discussion titled, ‘The New Face of Executive Leadership: Black Women Smash Print Industry’s Glass Ceiling.’ This blog details some highlights and key takeaways from the standing-room only session.

Print industry’s history-making trailblazers

Last year proved to be history-making for Black journalists in positions of power. In 2021, six women were tapped to lead print news organizations as executive editor, roles traditionally held by white men. They are charged with coverage, operational budgets, hiring, retention and the overall health and viability of their organizations. In a wide-ranging conversation, seven ground-breaking women shared their journeys, issues they face inside and outside their organizations, and what they are doing to ensure more journalists of color have opportunities to succeed.

Panelists included:

• Rana Cash, executive editor, The Charlotte Observer
• Katrice Hardy, executive editor, The Dallas Morning News
• Mary Irby-Jones, executive editor, The Courier Journal (Louisville, Ky.)
• Maria Reeve, executive editor, The Houston Chronicle
• Leisa Richardson, executive editor, The State Journal-Register (Springfield, Ill.)
• Monica Richardson, executive editor, The Miami Herald
• Debra Adams Simmons, executive editor-culture, National Geographic

Photo by Mark Russell / The (Memphis) Commercial Appeal

In addition to her role as Director of Cultural Competency at the Maynard Institute, Henderson has served as a coach on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging issues to more than 100 print and broadcast news organizations nationwide that participate in Table Stakes digital newsroom innovation programs. Prior to joining the institute, Felecia was Assistant Managing Editor at The Detroit News where she was a member of the senior management team responsible for newsroom operations. Henderson shared she was inspired to create the panel session for NABJ-NAHJ convention, in part, because of lack of attention to this key milestone.

“I conceived this discussion to shine a spotlight on the extremely talented, groundbreaking women who are leading print news organizations in 2022. There has been no full-scale story on this historic period in the journalism industry, and the women deserve recognition,” she said.

Holding the door open for the next generation of trailblazers

The ‘New Face of Executive Leadership’ session was designed to help participants take away strategies on earning or maintaining a seat at the leadership table. Key points ranged from addressing racist and sexist hate mail and social media vitriol, to tips for developing mentors and allies.

Henderson opened the session to a completely packed room. As attendees continued to stream in when there was standing-room only, she acknowledged that panelists Katrice Hardy and Mary Irby-Jones were forced to cancel their appearances at the convention.

Photo by Odette Alcazaren-Keeley

Henderson led with asking panelists about some of the positive experiences they have had as some of the first Black, female executives at their respective papers. Leisa Richardson of The State Journal-Register in Springfield, Ill., said, “I have had the opportunity to shape the careers of BIPOC journalists. Relaunching careers or starting young careers.”

As executive editors, the panelists also emphasized their ability to impact diverse hiring and fair reporting practices on communities of color at their organizations. “To be able to shape coverage and hold the door open and wait to fill a job until the applicant pool is diverse is critical,” said Reeve of the Houston Chronicle, “and it’s not something you see unless there are executives of color.”

Monica Richardson of the Miami Herald echoed the importance of holding space and nurturing journalists of color, saying that she feels joy when, “journalists come to me and say that they have never had anyone else to go to before.”

The audience reaction was palpable upon hearing about the panelists’ experiences with overt and covert racism. Richardson, who is the first Black executive editor in the history of the Miami Herald, shared her decision to publicly address a piece of particularly egregious hate mail. She was concerned with backlash. “You have to be fearless in order to stand up to hate and racism and to say that this is not ok,” she said.

When Henderson transitioned to hear audience questions, journalists of all generations shared their gratitude for the sacrifices made by the trailblazers.

Debra Adams Simmons, who also serves on the Maynard Institute board of directors, closed by praising the community that the group of panelists have forged. “We may have been some of the first, but we will not be the last.”

Don’t miss our next session at ONA22

Shortly on the heels of the NABJ-NAHJ Convention, the Maynard Institute will be joining Online News Association conference in Los Angeles to continue our Vision25 Pay Equity series on Thursday, Sep 22 – 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM PT. This session is a follow-up to the August 11th webcast featuring guest speakers from Media2070. The Online News Association, OpenNews and the Maynard Institute have come together to create Vision25: Building Racial Equity in Newsrooms, a catalyst in a social change movement that seeks to build journalistic institutions where newsrooms are actively anti-racist and collaborative, and journalists of color feel like they truly belong. Learn more and register for the event.

From Left: Oakland Voices alumni Marabet Morales Sikahall and Tony Daquipa meet with Norman “Vogue” Chuck and his wife Gloria at their studio. (Photo by Kat Ferreira)

This article was originally published on the Oakland Voices website.

Today, we updated the Oakland Voices website–for ease of reading, maximizing visual storytelling, and improved accessibility. We also updated the Oakland Voices design and masthead to capture the history and spirit of our community journalism program, formed in 2010 by a partnership between the Oakland Tribune and the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education. We commissioned local, veteran aerosol artist Norman “Vogue” Chuck of the legendary Bay Area street art collective, TDK crew.

Chuck was engaged to create a new logo for the Oakland Voices program that reflected elements of the city’s history, diversity, and pluralities. When Chuck was approached to design the logo for Oakland Voices, he said it wasn’t normally something he did. While he did graphic design when he was younger, he normally paints aerosols on large-scale canvases. “I wanted to try stuff that may be challenging,” Chuck said.

Oakland Voices needed a visual identity to emphasize the program’s deep East Oakland roots and its long history of amplifying the voices of everyday Oakland residents. Engaging a legendary street artist like Vogue for custom artwork made sense because TDK murals are so iconic and regionally-specific to Oakland’s local culture.

Chuck’s artwork has been commissioned all over the world. But, he refined his art chops in the Town. Chuck started out as a youth painting the train yards in Oakland and developing his lettering flair in the 1980s. Chuck grew up in San Leandro but spent much of his career painting in Oakland. He also owned a shop in East Oakland, airbrushing and doing custom artwork on low-riders. Chuck notes that his style is influenced by BMX, lowrider culture, and nature.

Over the years, Chuck has developed an exquisite, almost hyperreal painting technique for aerosol spray paint. His influence can be seen in commissioned murals throughout the region– from the Dubs Dynasty mural at the downtown Marriott to the East Bay Dragons mural and Ghost Ship fire memorial. In 2018, Chuck’s work was curated by the Oakland Museum of California in the exhibit titled RESPECT: Hip-Hop Style and Wisdom.

“Oakland allowed me to thrive in painting and be creative,” Chuck told Oakland Voices about his love for the Town.

Oakland Voices design inspiration in murals and mastheads

The new Oakland Voices visual identity uses the old English font for the word “Oakland” as a nod to The Oakland Tribune masthead, where the community journalism training program first began. Oakland Voices was co-founded by Martin Reynolds, managing editor at the Tribune at the time and now Maynard Institute’s Co-Executive Director. The Oakland Voices program emerged from a partnership between the Oakland Tribune and the Maynard Institute so it was important to capture the program’s history in the new design.

Another part of the inspiration for Oakland Voices’ new look was the “Oakland is Proud” mural, painted by Chuck’s TDK crewmate, Del Phresh. The original mural located on East 12th Street no longer exists, but many artists have painted the phrase including Ise Lyfe’s 2013 art exhibit called Brighter than Blight.

In 2013, artist Ise Lyfe transformed East Oakland’s Greenside housing complex into an art exhibit before it was demolished. The exhibit included a version of the iconic mural. Photo via KALW Staff.

The lettering of “Voices” is a throwback to East Oakland street art culture. The early years of the Oakland Voices program focused on training community members specifically from East Oakland to tell stories of their neighborhoods.

The collage color palette was influenced by the mash-up of design elements, directly influenced by local street art and the Maynard Institute’s branding. The choice of green as the primary color echoes the city’s green street signs, and more importantly, the iconic green patina of the Oakland Tribune Tower bronze roof. Oakland Voices is over 10 years old and still thriving. The new design’s primary green color is both minty fresh and rooted in Oakland’s rich history. Just like oxidized bronze grows more beautiful with time and exposure, so does the Oakland Voices program.

Inclusive design process with Oakland Voices alumni

Some Oakland Voices alumni participated in the design process. Marabet Morales Sikahall (2016) and Tony Daquipa (2016-2017 and 2022 Maynard 200 Fellow) both went to Chuck’s art studio in San Leandro to look at the design and give their thoughts. Sikahall grew up in East Oakland and Daquipa lives in East Oakland.

Chuck had created an initial mock up before the meeting. “We all agreed we liked the old English, and we agreed that we also liked the way the other Oakland worked,” Daquipa said about the process. “So [Chuck] said, I’ll make the Voices look like this. So we all participated.”

Chuck said that sometimes these things go bad in person, with too many ideas, “because they don’t usually know anything about art, but it went really well.”

“There aren’t many living artists that could better represent that legacy than Vogue, whose legendary TDK crew earned international acclaim by writing their stories on the walls of East Oakland.” Tony Daquipa, Oakland Voices alum.
Photo: Norman “Chuck” Vogue drafting design ideas for Oakland Voices at his studio (credit: Tony Daquipa).

Sikahall, who is now the Program & Community Manager at Oakland’s Chapter 510, a nonprofit youth writing center, said that Oakland Voices–and the new logo–represents Oakland well.

“This is the real Oakland, that’s always made ripples in the world. Oakland is small but mighty–I’ve always thought that about Oakland. The logo is one of these opportunities to say, we’re here, we’re going to keep kicking butt. Oakland Voices has succeeded in that it’s maintained its integrity by honoring that truth of Oakland, because people take storytelling to heart. Oakland Voices is just a really amazing community of people, people who grew up in Oakland but also people who moved to Oakland and felt naturally at ease in Oakland.”

Daquipa adds that he is proud to be associated with Chuck in any way, as he sees him as one of the most legendary–and certainly of living graffiti artists–of the Bay Area.

“There aren’t many living artists that could better represent that legacy than Vogue, whose legendary TDK crew earned international acclaim by writing their stories on the walls of East Oakland,” Daquipa added.

About Oakland Voices

Oakland Voices is a journalism training program led by the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education that trains Oakland residents to tell the stories of their neighborhoods. Oakland Voices correspondents are trained in digital media storytelling — writing blogs and online pieces, taking photos, shooting video, and using social media to discuss issues that matter most in their communities. Visit oaklandvoices.us for the latest stories and more!