MIJE.org: Richard Prince's Journal-isms

Photog Arrested in Chicago Protests

Roberto Delgado — Mon, 21 May 2012 19:21:17 +0000

May 21, 2012

Joshua Lott, Getty freelancer, at NATO demonstrations (5/21/12); Census milestone eluded most front pages; L.A. Times to hire 5 with Ford Foundation grant; Donna Summer a part of Boston, and vice-versa; for journalism schools, a call for "radical reform"; new leader wants journalists back in press club; reporters' right to protect sources under attack; mixed response in covering anti-Romney ad; 1 in 14 black men from New Orleans is behind bars (5/18/12)

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Joshua Lott, Getty Freelancer, at NATO Demonstrations

News to Use: The Browning of America

May 18, 2012

Census Milestone Eluded Most Front Pages

L.A. Times to Hire 5 With Ford Foundation Grant

Donna Summer a Part of Boston, and Vice-Versa

For Journalism Schools, a Call for "Radical Reform"

New Leader Wants Journalists Back in Press Club

Reporters' Right to Protect Sources Under Attack

Mixed Response in Covering Anti-Romney Ad

1 in 14 Black Men From New Orleans Is Behind Bars

Short Takes

Census Milestone Eluded Most Front Pages

New U.S. Census figures showing that white births are no longer a majority in the United States have implications for the news media as well as for the rest of society.

The same figures pegged the "minority" population at 37 percent, a far cry from the 12.3 percent counted in newsrooms in the 2012 survey of the American Society of News Editors, which included newspapers and online outlets. While the U.S. population of people of color is rising, the number in newsrooms is sliding, down from 12.7 percent the previous year.

ASNE has a goal of having the proportion of journalists of color in newsrooms match those in the general population by 2025.

In local television, the figures are better, but not so for local radio. The Radio-Television Digital News Association put the TV workforce at 20.5 percent people of color and for radio, 7.1 percent [PDF].

If the attention that media outlets paid to the new census figures is an indication of how much they understand their significance, then not all news organizations get it.

The story led the New York Times, the Washington Post, USA Today, the Dallas Morning News and the South Florida SunSentinel, among others. It was on the front page of such papers as the Denver Post, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Courier-Journal in Louisville and the Salt Lake Tribune. But it was missing from the front pages of the majority of newspapers, according to an informal survey of Thursday's front pages displayed by the Newseum.

Howard Saltz, editor of the SunSentinel, was surprised to hear that it wasn't on more front pages. "Anytime you get something that's going to be unexpected by the reader, it's a strong story for the front page or our lead position," he told Journal-isms by telephone, explaining why the story led Friday's editions.

The census showed that as of July 1, 2011, 50.4 percent of the nation's population age 1 or under was either Hispanic or a race other than white. "That is a surprising percentage. In our case it's 70 percent" in Broward County. "That's even moreso," Saltz continued. "Secondly, I really like stories that say things about us as a culture or as a society. This speaks volumes about that. Twenty years from now you'll look back [at this.] There's that historical notion as well . . . as a community of South Florida and as a country. That's strong stuff."

Keith Woods, NPR's vice president, diversity in news and operations, told Tracie Powell, writing for the Poynter Institute, that NPR was paying attention. "Our desire, organizationally, is to grow our audience among people of color in a country where the future news consumer will look like those census numbers we are looking at today," Woods told Powell on Thursday. "At this moment NPR doesn't do that, so our work remains ahead of us."

The news organizations that did recognize the story's significance delved into the implications for their immediate area or teased out other ways to make the figures meaningful.

"Majority of U.S. Babies Are Now Minorities — but in Utah, Only 28 Percent Are," read the headline in the Salt Lake Tribune.

"Latinos will soon be California's largest ethnic group, Census says," said the Sacramento Bee.

"Census shows blacks moving to Macomb as more leave Detroit, Wayne County," Mike Wilkinson wrote in the Detroit News.

On the Internet, Jay Smooth, host of New York’s long-running "Underground Railroad," a hip-hop show on WBAI-FM, produced a video intended to reassure whites.

Colleen Curry of ABC News reported: "The number of radical hate groups and militias has exploded in recent years in reaction to the changing makeup of America, and new census figures showing the majority of babies born in 2011 were non-white could fuel those simmering tensions, experts who track hate groups warned."

Writing for Phyllis Schlafly's Eagle Forum, "Roger" said of the new figures, "It is not a good thing. The immigrants do not share American values, so it is a good bet that they will not be voting Republican when they start voting in large numbers."

On examiner.com, "Political Buzz" columnist Ryan Witt was more blunt: "Simply put, Republicans will find it impossible to win any national election in the future if the current percentages stay the same."

Columnist Colbert I. King, writing for Saturday's Washington Post, wondered whether Mitt Romney gets it. Recalling the putative GOP presidential nominee's speech at Liberty University last week, King wrote, "Missing in his Liberty offering, as with some other Romney speeches, is any recognition — not praises, mind you, but simple acknowledgment — that 21st-century America is more than a white, middle-class country."

A census provides a story for everyone. Iranian-Americans wrote about why their numbers seemed to dwindle.

NPR's "Talk of the Nation" looked at the larger picture, "how this trend will affect policy in the country, particularly with regard to education and social programs."

Jennifer Wheary of the progressive think tank Demos, where longtime New York Times op-ed columnist Bob Herbert took up residence, answered the traditional "so-what" question with more urgency than detachment:

"So here's the 'So What?,' Wheary wrote. "When we look at who has access to financial security, or who has hope for a stable economic future, African-Americans and Hispanics are in worse shape than whites.

"That means that the 1 out of 2 children born in 2011 to African-American and Hispanic families will face additional challenges to achieving that stability.

"African-American and Hispanic families are each twice as likely as white families to be living in poverty. . . . The stats are equally dismaying if we consider access to quality schooling, high school and college graduation rates, savings rates, employment rates, value of home equity, value of assets, etc. — unfortunately, etc.

"We have a problem on our hands when the groups that have the least access to economic opportunity are becoming the majority. Creating opportunity for Americans was already a priority, but our demographic future makes it an immediate imperative."

Wayne Bennett, the Field Negro: So America is going off-white, and "extremely literate conservative African American" needed.
Ronald Campbell, Orange County Register: Tipping point for California: New census data shows Hispanics will outnumber whites sometime in 2013.
Mary C. Curtis, Washington Post: Chill, America — a shift in demographics is what we do
Jeneba Ghatt, Politic365.com: Minorities Take Over, (Some) White People Head For the Hills
Earl Ofari Hutchinson, syndicated: America's Non-White Majority Won't Remake the GOP Anytime Soon
Carol Morello and Ted Mellnik, Washington Post: Census: Minority babies are now majority in United States
Michael Muskal, Los Angeles Times (via Orlando Sentinel): More minority births signal major shifts ahead for Florida
Doris Nhan, National Journal: Census: Minorities Constitute 37 Percent of U.S. Population
David Olson, Press-Enterprise, Riverside, Calif.: CENSUS: Almost all Inland growth thanks to Latinos, Asians
Brian Palmer, Slate: Are There Really Just Five Racial Groups?
Jeffrey Passel, Gretchen Livingston and D’Vera Cohn, Pew Research Center: Explaining Why Minority Births Now Outnumber White Births
Allie Shah, Star Tribune, Minneapolis: The changing face of Minnesota

L.A. Times to Hire 5 With Ford Foundation Grant

"The Los Angeles Times will use a $1-million grant from the Ford Foundation to expand its coverage of key beats, including immigration and ethnic communities in Southern California, the southwest U.S. border and the emerging economic powerhouse of Brazil," James Rainey reported for the Times.

"Times Editor Davan Maharaj announced the gift Thursday, calling it 'great news' that will bolster coverage of subjects vitally important to readers.

"A Ford Foundation spokesman said that, as media organizations face challenges funding reporting through advertising and traditional revenue streams, 'we and many other funders are experimenting with new approaches to preserve and advance high-quality journalism.'

"The Times plans to use the two-year grant to hire journalists who will focus on the Vietnamese, Korean and other immigrant communities, the California prison system, the border region and Brazil. Maharaj said that although The Times already covered those beats, the reporting was typically done by journalists who also had other responsibilities. The five new reporters will provide more robust coverage of those topics."

". . . Ford Foundation spokesman Joe Voeller said the nation's second-largest foundation would consider extending the grant beyond two years. The Foundation and Times editors said the money comes with no strings attached and the newspaper will have complete editorial control over the new reporters and their coverage."

Donna Summer a Part of Boston, and Vice-Versa

The surprising death of pop star Donna Summer, who rode the 1970s disco wave to prominence, was worldwide news. But the hometown paper can provide a perspective that no one else can, and so it is with the editorial in the Boston Globe for Saturday, "Donna Summer’s powerful voice was the soul of Dorchester." Editorial Page Editor Peter Canellos told Journal-isms it was the result of a "combination of all of the ideas" in Friday's editorial meeting, attended by six staff members.

"Every dance track on the radio today, every wedding that ends with the anthem 'Last Dance,' owes a debt to Donna Summer, the Dorchester-born singer and songwriter who died this week at 63," the editorial began. "Summer's big, smooth, confident voice, honed through years of singing gospel as a child at Grant AME Church in the South End, helped catapult her to stardom. As a singer and a lyricist, Summer channeled emotion and empathy. To generations of young people in dance clubs, her songs represented power, sensuality, and freedom.

"Summer also represented Boston, though that wasn't always known to the larger world. To many people outside New England, the image of the Boston music scene is bound up with white artists such as Aerosmith, the Cars, or New Kids on the Block. Summer was as much a product of her hometown, if not more so: a symbol of the many urban children who grow up singing, and never stop. She visited her old church over the years and sang at the 2004 World Series. As recently as 2010, she raised money for Action for Boston Community Development, the antipoverty agency that provided her with services as a child. In 2008, Summer told the Globe that Boston 'is a part of me.' The opposite is just as true, and always will be."

Mesfin Fekadu, Associated Press: Donna Summer, Queen of Disco, dies at 63
Patrice Gaines, BlackAmericaWeb.com: Honoring Disco's Pioneer
Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald: Boston gal Donna Summer became disco 'Hot Stuff'
Annette John-Hall, Philadelphia Inquirer: Donna Summer, a disco diva who defined an era
Jeremy Kinser, the Advocate: Donna Summer: The Music Legend Dies At 63
Bob Lefsetz, Lefsetz Letter: Donna Summer
Frances Martel, mediaite.com: Touré On Donna Summer: Anti-Disco Movement Pushed People To 'Get Back In The Closet'
Peter Ogburn, FishbowlDC: POTUS Mourns Donna Summer
Eugene Robinson, Washington Post: Last dance for Donna Summer and Chuck Brown
Marc Schneider, Billboard: Rock Hall Blames Voters for Donna Summer Snub, Calls Omission an 'Error'
Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone: Dim All the Lights for Donna Summer
Tavis Smiley, "Tavis Smiley Show," Public Radio International: Donna Summer (audio)
TMZ: Donna Summer: 9/11 Gave Me Cancer
Jacqueline Trescott, Washington Post: Donna Summer: Intimate and Untouchable, Trying To Cool Her Image (April 3, 1978)

For Journalism Schools, a Call for "Radical Reform"

In 2005, the Carnegie Foundation of New York and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation created a national initiative led by five of America's leading research universities. The goal was to advance the U.S. news business by helping to revitalize schools of journalism.

"This was before Facebook got big," Eric Newton, senior adviser to the president at Knight Foundation, explained in a May 11 speech before a conference of journalism educators. "Before Twitter, Instagram, Groupon or Pinterest. Before the iPhone or the iPad. Before the largest collapse in American newsroom history, with vanishing local journalism jobs totaling more than 15,000," Borderzine reported.

"Radical change requires radical reform," Newton said at the "Journalism Education in the Digital Age" conference at Middle Tennessee State University. "The digital age is turning journalism and communication upside down and inside out. It should be doing the same to journalism and communication education. You tell me: Is it? Has your program turned upside down and inside out?

"In my opinion it should, if you want to ride the four transformational trends demonstrated by Carnegie-Knight schools, and all top tier schools. To be relevant in the future, here’s what universities should do:

"1. Expand their role as community content providers. University hospitals save lives. University law clinics take cases to the Supreme Court. University news labs can reveal truths that help us right wrongs. Based on the teaching hospital model, they can provide the news people need to run their communities and their lives.

"2. Innovate. No longer must you be the caboose on the train of American media. You can be an engine of change. You can create both new uses of software and new software itself. Anyone can create the future of news and information. Anyone includes us.

"3. Teach open, collaborative methods. No longer must students be lone wolf reporters or cogs in a company wheel. In small, integrated teams of designers, entrepreneurs, programmers and journalists, students learned to rapidly prototype news projects and ideas.

"4. Connect to the whole university. This can mean team-teaching a science journalism class with actual scientists. Or creating centers with engineers or entrepreneurs. Or diving so deeply into topic expertise our colleagues at Harvard call it, as they did for Carnegie-Knight, 'knowledge journalism.' "

The initiative is formally called the Carnegie-Knight Initiative on the Future of Journalism Education.

New Leader Wants Journalists Back in Press Club

The Capital Press Club, founded in 1944 in the nation's capital when the National Press Club did not accept black journalists as members, lately has been an organization of marketing, public relations and other "communications professionals." But Hazel Trice Edney, its new president, told Journal-isms this week, "The strongest aspect of my vision is to return the historical Capital Press Club to its original mission and purpose."

". . . the CPC was initially founded by journalists. As stated in the original history, there is still 'very important unfinished business of American democracy — civil rights and equal opportunity.' "

Edney was elected by the press club board April 19 and took office on May 1. She is president and CEO of Trice Edney Communications, editor-in-chief of Trice Edney News Wire, former editor-in-chief of the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service and Blackpressusa.com and former interim executive director of the NNPA Foundation.

"Although we will continue to include strong membership and networking opportunities for all disciplines in the media/communications field, we are currently working to draw professional journalists back to the organization in order to re-establish the balance," she told Journal-isms by email.

"We are also discussing a long-range vision of expanding nationally. I have already reached out to Dr. Barbara Reynolds, Denise Rolark Barnes and other journalists . . . who I hope will serve as advisors on some of these matters. I also intend to form a group of CPC journalists who will specialize in interviewing high-level government officials, etc., such as President Obama — breaking barriers that have either never moved or seem to have been reset by forces of habit or antiquated policies."

According to a news release, "The new leadership team also includes First Vice President Robyn Wilkes, Director of Communications, Greater Washington Urban League; Second Vice President Sherrie Edwards-[Lassiter], Senior Account Manager, Campbell and Company; Treasurer Joan Davion of The Davion Group; Immediate Past President Nyree Wright, Senior Vice President, MSLGROUP Americas; and [Derrick] Kenny, who is also Digital Media Manager, Montgomery County Office of Cable and Broadband Services." Kenny is press club president emeritus and owner of Bold American Marketing.

Reporters' Right to Protect Sources Under Attack

"The Obama administration Friday morning continued its headlong attack on the right of reporters to protect their confidential sources in leak investigations," Michael Calderone and Dan Froomkin reported for the Huffington Post.

"Before a panel of the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, a Department of Justice lawyer argued that New York Times reporter James Risen should be forced to testify in the trial of former CIA agent Jeffrey Sterling, who is charged with leaking classified information to Risen about a botched plot against the Iranian government.

"Rather than arguing the specifics of the case, DOJ appellate lawyer Robert A. Parker asserted that there is no reporter's privilege when a journalist receives an illegal leak of national security secrets."

Mixed Response in Covering Anti-Romney Ad

"One of the moments in the 2012 presidential race that we all know was coming arrived this week: the Obama campaign launched its first round of attacks on Mitt Romney [video] over his tenure at Bain Capital," Jay Jones reported Friday for Columbia Journalism Review.

"Unsurprisingly, there was a swing-state emphasis to the offensive. In addition to new TV commercials and a website targeting 'Romney economics,' the President's people organized news conferences in three battleground states — Iowa, Nevada, and Ohio — using labor leaders and prominent Democrats to attack the record of the presumptive Republican nominee. Their focus was Stage Stores, a chain of clothing stores that filed for bankruptcy and reportedly shed 6,000 jobs after Bain sold most of its interest in the company at a huge profit in the late 1990s.

"The Obama campaign's strategy also posed a challenge for reporters at local media outlets: Would they take the story served up on a silver platter, or get deeper into the complexities and provide the necessary balance? A look at some of the coverage shows a mixed response."

Derrick Z. Jackson, Boston Globe: Mitt Romney failed to man up on bullying
Allen Johnson blog, News & Record, Greensboro, N.C.: Romney and Ricketts and racial politics
Jonathan Martin and James Hohmann, Politico: Race issues return with Rev. Jeremiah Wright
Ruben Navarrette Jr., Washington Post Writers Group: The fight for Hispanic votes
Sophia Nelson, USA Today: Why Romney should pursue black voters
Wendy Weiser, Nieman Watchdog: The mean-spirited, massive drive to cut down the vote, state by state

1 in 14 Black Men From New Orleans Is Behind Bars

"Louisiana is the world's prison capital," Cindy Chang wrote Sunday for the Times-Picayune in New Orleans, beginning an eight-part series.

"The state imprisons more of its people, per head, than any of its U.S. counterparts. First among Americans means first in the world. Louisiana's incarceration rate is nearly triple Iran's, seven times China's and 10 times Germany's.

"The hidden engine behind the state's well-oiled prison machine is cold, hard cash. A majority of Louisiana inmates are housed in for-profit facilities, which must be supplied with a constant influx of human beings or a $182 million industry will go bankrupt.

"Several homegrown private prison companies command a slice of the market. But in a uniquely Louisiana twist, most prison entrepreneurs are rural sheriffs, who hold tremendous sway in remote parishes like Madison, Avoyelles, East Carroll and Concordia. A good portion of Louisiana law enforcement is financed with dollars legally skimmed off the top of prison operations. . . .

"Meanwhile, inmates subsist in bare-bones conditions with few programs to give them a better shot at becoming productive citizens. Each inmate is worth $24.39 a day in state money, and sheriffs trade them like horses, unloading a few extras on a colleague who has openings. A prison system that leased its convicts as plantation labor in the 1800s has come full circle and is again a nexus for profit.

"In the past two decades, Louisiana's prison population has doubled, costing taxpayers billions while New Orleans continues to lead the nation in homicides.

"One in 86 adult Louisianians is doing time, nearly double the national average. Among black men from New Orleans, one in 14 is behind bars; one in seven is either in prison, on parole or on probation. Crime rates in Louisiana are relatively high, but that does not begin to explain the state's No. 1 ranking, year after year, in the percentage of residents it locks up."

Short Takes

"Congratulations, Mandalit del Barco, correspondent, national desk, NPR West. Our very important competition has determined yours to be the singular Best Name In Public Radio," blogger Mike Keliher wrote Thursday. "You must have a lot of Facebook friends or something because you turned in a handy whooping against your colleague Yuki Noguchi." Del Barco replied, ". . . Btw, Mandalit comes from one of the love songs in the musical work 'Carmina Burana' (13th century lyrics put to music in the 20th century by composer Carl Orff). My parents were culturally astute and really original and loved the dramatic sound. del Barco is Peruvian."

"A project exploring diversity and accessibility of media within the greater Los Angeles area is underway at the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism," the school announced Thursday. "Funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the study is using a national panel of experts to discover new approaches to measuring participation and diversity in communication and media."
In Philadelphia, "Fox 29 has hired Weather Channel morning anchor Scott Williams as its new chief meteorologist, finally installing a permanent replacement for John Bolaris who left the station in January," Dan Gross reported Thursday for the Philadelphia Daily News.

Chris Broussard, sports analyst for ESPN, and gospel performer Fred Hammond are spokesmen for Ties Never Broken, a campaign by Fathers Incorporated, a New York not-for-profit organization committed to eliminating fatherlessness and increasing the commitment of men to become mentors, Oretha Winston wrote May 5 for elev8.com.
"Spanish-language television anchor and producer Frank Cairo was charged Thursday with grand theft after he allegedly stole a set of chairs and a carpet from a neighbor in Doral," Alfonso Chardy reported Thursday for the Miami Herald. ". . . According to Cairo's website, he began his television career in 1982 with Telemiami's Juventud Miami Show (Youth Miami Show). He later worked at Telemundo, Univision and Mega TV, and most recently at TV Azteca."
"According to a new poll from Public Policy Polling, 55 percent of black voters in North Carolina 'believe same-sex couples should either be allowed to marry or form civil unions' — an 11-point jump from the last poll conducted on May 6 before the Tar Heel State's primaries," Gene Demby wrote Thursday for HuffPost BlackVoices. "Just a day before President Obama made his statement" endorsing same-sex marriage, "voters in North Carolina went to the polls to approve a constitutional ban on same sex marriage there. Two-thirds of the black voters cast votes in favor of the ban, according to Politico."
"Yesterday, Adult Swim uploaded a graphic announcing that there will indeed be a season four of The Boondocks," Michael Arceneaux wrote Friday for theGrio.com, referring to Aaron McGruder's newspaper-comic-turned-cartoon- series. Arceneaux said the third season was a disappointment. "Still, at this point even a weaker Boondocks is far more interesting to watch than a bunch of one-dimensional black characters hugging their way through a mundane issue in a fashion eerily similar to episodes of sitcoms that aired 20 years ago. . . ."
Jenice Armstrong, Philadelphia Daily News columnist, was not impressed with plans announced Monday by Jay-Z, the rapper and entrepreneur, to come to her city on Labor Day. "Not to sound like an old fogy, but hits of his such as '99 Problems' may be catchy, but I can't get with all the b-words and other misogynistic lyrics in Jay-Z's music," she wrote Wednesday. "It felt bizarre to me to see the performer of such awful songs as 'Big Pimpin' ' and 'Girls, Girls, Girls' standing with Mayor [Michael] Nutter acting like some kind of hero. As I watched, I couldn't help wondering whether Nutter and the city officials who arranged the photo op had ever stopped and really listened to Jay-Z's lyrics. A big festival coming to Philadelphia may well be an economic generator, but it still amazes me how people can just let all the other stuff go."
Referring to events in Syria, Reporters Without Borders said it was "shocked to learn of the death sentence passed today on the citizen journalist Mohammed Abdelmawla al-Hariri for 'high treason and contacts with foreign parties'. He was arrested on 16 April just after giving an interview to the television station Al-Jazeera about the situation in his hometown of Deraa."

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News to Use: The Browning of America

joaquin — Sat, 19 May 2012 01:42:44 +0000

May 18, 2012

Census milestone eluded most front pages; L.A. Times to hire 5 with Ford Foundation grant; Donna Summer a part of Boston, and vice-versa; for journalism schools, a call for "radical reform"; new leader wants journalists back in press club; reporters' right to protect sources under attack; mixed response in covering anti-Romney ad; 1 in 14 black men from New Orleans is behind bars (5/18/12)

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Census Milestone Eluded Most Front Pages

L.A. Times to Hire 5 With Ford Foundation Grant

Donna Summer a Part of Boston, and Vice-Versa

For Journalism Schools, a Call for "Radical Reform"

New Leader Wants Journalists Back in Press Club

Reporters' Right to Protect Sources Under Attack

Mixed Response in Covering Anti-Romney Ad

L.A. Times to Hire 5 With Ford Foundation Grant

"Times Editor Davan Maharaj announced the gift Thursday, calling it 'great news' that will bolster coverage of subjects vitally important to readers.

Donna Summer a Part of Boston, and Vice-Versa

Mesfin Fekadu, Associated Press: Donna Summer, Queen of Disco, dies at 63
Patrice Gaines, BlackAmericaWeb.com: Honoring Disco's Pioneer
Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald: Boston gal Donna Summer became disco 'Hot Stuff'
Annette John-Hall, Philadelphia Inquirer: Donna Summer, a disco diva who defined an era
Jeremy Kinser, the Advocate: Donna Summer: The Music Legend Dies At 63
Bob Lefsetz, Lefsetz Letter: Donna Summer
Frances Martel, mediaite.com: Touré On Donna Summer: Anti-Disco Movement Pushed People To 'Get Back In The Closet'
Peter Ogburn, FishbowlDC: POTUS Mourns Donna Summer
Eugene Robinson, Washington Post: Last dance for Donna Summer and Chuck Brown
Marc Schneider, Billboard: Rock Hall Blames Voters for Donna Summer Snub, Calls Omission an 'Error'
Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone: Dim All the Lights for Donna Summer
Tavis Smiley, "Tavis Smiley Show," Public Radio International: Donna Summer (audio)
TMZ: Donna Summer: 9/11 Gave Me Cancer
Jacqueline Trescott, Washington Post: Donna Summer: Intimate and Untouchable, Trying To Cool Her Image (April 3, 1978)

For Journalism Schools, a Call for "Radical Reform"

The initiative is formally called the Carnegie-Knight Initiative on the Future of Journalism Education.

New Leader Wants Journalists Back in Press Club

Reporters' Right to Protect Sources Under Attack

Mixed Response in Covering Anti-Romney Ad

Derrick Z. Jackson, Boston Globe: Mitt Romney failed to man up on bullying
Allen Johnson blog, News & Record, Greensboro, N.C.: Romney and Ricketts and racial politics
Jonathan Martin and James Hohmann, Politico: Race issues return with Rev. Jeremiah Wright
Ruben Navarrette Jr., Washington Post Writers Group: The fight for Hispanic votes
Sophia Nelson, USA Today: Why Romney should pursue black voters
Wendy Weiser, Nieman Watchdog: The mean-spirited, massive drive to cut down the vote, state by state

1 in 14 Black Men From New Orleans Is Behind Bars

"Louisiana is the world's prison capital," Cindy Chang wrote Sunday for the Times-Picayune in New Orleans, beginning an eight-part series.

"In the past two decades, Louisiana's prison population has doubled, costing taxpayers billions while New Orleans continues to lead the nation in homicides.

Short Takes

"Congratulations, Mandalit del Barco, correspondent, national desk, NPR West. Our very important competition has determined yours to be the singular Best Name In Public Radio," blogger Mike Keliher wrote Thursday. "You must have a lot of Facebook friends or something because you turned in a handy whooping against your colleague Yuki Noguchi." Del Barco replied, ". . . Btw, Mandalit comes from one of the love songs in the musical work 'Carmina Burana' (13th century lyrics put to music in the 20th century by composer Carl Orff). My parents were culturally astute and really original and loved the dramatic sound. del Barco is Peruvian."

"A project exploring diversity and accessibility of media within the greater Los Angeles area is underway at the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism," the school announced Thursday. "Funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the study is using a national panel of experts to discover new approaches to measuring participation and diversity in communication and media."
In Philadelphia, "Fox 29 has hired Weather Channel morning anchor Scott Williams as its new chief meteorologist, finally installing a permanent replacement for John Bolaris who left the station in January," Dan Gross reported Thursday for the Philadelphia Daily News.

Chris Broussard, sports analyst for ESPN, and gospel performer Fred Hammond are spokesmen for Ties Never Broken, a campaign by Fathers Incorporated, a New York not-for-profit organization committed to eliminating fatherlessness and increasing the commitment of men to become mentors, Oretha Winston wrote May 5 for elev8.com.
"Spanish-language television anchor and producer Frank Cairo was charged Thursday with grand theft after he allegedly stole a set of chairs and a carpet from a neighbor in Doral," Alfonso Chardy reported Thursday for the Miami Herald. ". . . According to Cairo's website, he began his television career in 1982 with Telemiami's Juventud Miami Show (Youth Miami Show). He later worked at Telemundo, Univision and Mega TV, and most recently at TV Azteca."
"According to a new poll from Public Policy Polling, 55 percent of black voters in North Carolina 'believe same-sex couples should either be allowed to marry or form civil unions' — an 11-point jump from the last poll conducted on May 6 before the Tar Heel State's primaries," Gene Demby wrote Thursday for HuffPost BlackVoices. "Just a day before President Obama made his statement" endorsing same-sex marriage, "voters in North Carolina went to the polls to approve a constitutional ban on same sex marriage there. Two-thirds of the black voters cast votes in favor of the ban, according to Politico."
"Yesterday, Adult Swim uploaded a graphic announcing that there will indeed be a season four of The Boondocks," Michael Arceneaux wrote Friday for theGrio.com, referring to Aaron McGruder's newspaper-comic-turned-cartoon- series. Arceneaux said the third season was a disappointment. "Still, at this point even a weaker Boondocks is far more interesting to watch than a bunch of one-dimensional black characters hugging their way through a mundane issue in a fashion eerily similar to episodes of sitcoms that aired 20 years ago. . . ."
Jenice Armstrong, Philadelphia Daily News columnist, was not impressed with plans announced Monday by Jay-Z, the rapper and entrepreneur, to come to her city on Labor Day. "Not to sound like an old fogy, but hits of his such as '99 Problems' may be catchy, but I can't get with all the b-words and other misogynistic lyrics in Jay-Z's music," she wrote Wednesday. "It felt bizarre to me to see the performer of such awful songs as 'Big Pimpin' ' and 'Girls, Girls, Girls' standing with Mayor [Michael] Nutter acting like some kind of hero. As I watched, I couldn't help wondering whether Nutter and the city officials who arranged the photo op had ever stopped and really listened to Jay-Z's lyrics. A big festival coming to Philadelphia may well be an economic generator, but it still amazes me how people can just let all the other stuff go."
Referring to events in Syria, Reporters Without Borders said it was "shocked to learn of the death sentence passed today on the citizen journalist Mohammed Abdelmawla al-Hariri for 'high treason and contacts with foreign parties'. He was arrested on 16 April just after giving an interview to the television station Al-Jazeera about the situation in his hometown of Deraa."

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"Heart & Soul" Skips a Beat

Roberto Delgado — Thu, 17 May 2012 03:01:53 +0000

May 16, 2012

No April issue amid drama over unpaid writers; go-go's Chuck Brown dies too late for black weeklies; NPR chief says no plans to cancel "Tell Me More"; N.Y. Times finds police missteps in Trayvon case; Carswell to head Washington Post diversity efforts; media choose false "balance" over calling out GOP; most blacks say opinion unchanged on Obama; Vogue Italia produces All-Africa issue (5/16/12 and 5/17/12)

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and May 17, 2012

No April Issue Amid Drama Over Unpaid Writers

WRC-TV anchor Jim Vance reminisces about go-go musician Chuck Brown, who died at age 75 on Wednesday. (Video)

Go-Go's Chuck Brown Dies Too Late for Black Weeklies

Chuck Brown, dubbed the godfather of go-go music, was arguably the musician most closely identified with District of Columbia natives since Duke Ellington. But his death on Wednesday at 75 won't be in the city's African American newspapers this week. Their publication deadlines had already passed, a reminder of how print-press technology, and that serving the black press in particular, has been surpassed by its more modern competitors.

"A lot of black newspapers' deadlines are Tuesday and Wednesday," Jake Oliver, publisher of the Afro-American Newspapers, told Journal-isms, even though the papers are distributed on Thursday or Friday. The deadlines were fixed originally so publication would be timed for supermarket sales, which are advertised midweek.

Brown died early Wednesday afternoon in Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore, where he had been hospitalized for pneumonia, hospital spokesman Gary Stephenson confirmed. The first news stories started appearing after 4 p.m.

But the Afro's editions for D.C. and suburban Prince George's County, Md., go to press at noon on Wednesday, and at 5 p.m. for Baltimore editions, Oliver said. For the tabloid Washington Informer, the city's other major black weekly, the deadline is "at least noon on Tuesday, for just about everything," publisher Denise Rolark Barnes said. Perhaps the Brown news could have been included if it were made public before 10 a.m. Wednesday, she said.

Neither publication owns its own presses, which would allow for later-breaking news. The Afro bought presses in the mid-1930s but sold them in 1984, Oliver said. They were expensive to maintain and were getting old, he said.

The Washington Post and the area's television stations jumped on the news of Brown's death with Internet photo galleries and other embellishments. By 5:15, the Post was announcing, "Great memories of Chuck Brown being shared with hashtags #Godfatherofgogo and #RIPChuckBrown." [In Thursday's print edition, the Brown story was prominently displayed on the front page above the fold, and took up the entire Style section front.]

WJLA-TV, the ABC affiliate, quoted Mayor Vincent Gray. "Go-go is D.C.'s very own unique contribution to the world of pop music, and Chuck Brown was regarded as Go-go's creator and, arguably, its most legendary artist," he said. "Today is a very sad day for music lovers the world over, but especially in the District of Columbia. Without Chuck Brown, the world — and our city — will be a different place. What a loss."

Barnes said the Informer had posted a story on its website, planned a Thursday morning email blast and had notified viewers of its Facebook page. Next week's edition would catch up with tributes and commemorations. Oliver echoed Barnes. "We're jumping on it for the eblast," he said.

Marc Fisher and J. Freedom du Lac, Washington Post: Brown's beat booms from speakers across city the night 'D.C. lost its president'
Matthew Stabley, WRC-TV: Godfather of Go-Go Chuck Brown Has Died
Clinton Yates, Washington Post: Chuck Brown, D.C. go-go legend dies 75

NPR Chief Says No Plans to Cancel "Tell Me More"

"We have no plans to cancel 'Tell Me More,' " Gary Knell, president and CEO of NPR, told Journal-isms on Thursday, referring to the multiculturally oriented show hosted by Michel Martin that just commemorated its fifth anniversary.

He urged all to wish Martin a happy birthday, which the journalist and show host celebrated Thursday.

Knell was reacting to a Washington Post story whose online version featured a large photo of Martin and the headline, "NPR sees sharp downturn in advertising revenue, leading to talk of cuts."

". . . Halfway through its fiscal year — and six months into Gary Knell's tenure as chief executive — Washington-based NPR has seen a sharp downturn in corporate 'underwriting,' or advertising revenue. The falloff has led to projections of an annual operating deficit and internal discussions about staff and program cuts," read the story by Paul Farhi.

The story noted that a 2008 financial crisis prompted NPR to drop two daily programs to save money, including " 'News and Notes,' a show designed to attract more African American listeners."

"This time, there have been internal discussions about dropping 'Tell Me More,' a daily program also aimed at African Americans and other minorities, according to people who are privy to the matter. They said nothing has been decided."

Despite statements to the contrary, Knell said, the Post "printed a rumor anyway."

Referring to Knell and "Tell Me More," Farhi told Journal-isms by telephone, "What I reported was there have been discussions about canceling it. It appears unlikely that they will. The subject specifically did not come up in our conversation because he made such a blanket statement about not cutting at all." [May 17]

N.Y. Times Finds Police Missteps in Trayvon Case

"The killing of Trayvon Martin here two and a half months ago has been cast as the latest test of race relations and equal justice in America. But it was also a test of a small city police department that does not even have a homicide unit and typically handles three or four murder cases a year," Serge F. Kovaleski wrote from Sanford, Fla., Wednesday for the New York Times.

"An examination of the Sanford Police Department's handling of the case shows a series of missteps — including sloppy work — and circumstances beyond its control that impeded the investigation and may make it harder to pursue a case that is already difficult enough.

". . . In interviews over several weeks, law enforcement authorities, witnesses and local elected officials identified problems with the initial investigation:

"On the night of the shooting, door-to-door canvassing was not exhaustive enough, said a law enforcement official familiar with the investigation. If officers had been more thorough, they might have determined that Mr. Martin, 17, was a guest — as opposed to an intruder — at a gated community called the Retreat at Twin Lakes. That would have been an important part of the subjective analysis that night by officers sizing up Mr. Zimmerman's story," Kovaleski wrote a reference to neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman, who was charged with second-degree murder. "Investigators found no witnesses who saw the fight start. Others saw parts of a struggle they could not clearly observe or hear. One witness, though, provided information to the police that corroborated Mr. Zimmerman’s account of the struggle, according to a law enforcement official. . . . "

Carswell to Head Washington Post Diversity Efforts

Shirley Carswell, deputy managing editor at the Washington Post, will head the newspaper's recruiting, hiring, diversity and training efforts, the editors announced on Tuesday in the wake of a buyout offer that is disproportionately claiming journalists of color.

"This role has never mattered more," Executive Editor Marcus Brauchli and managing editors Liz Spayd and John Temple said in a staff memo. "We face a new and constantly shifting array of competitors, making it crucial that our people be top-tier by any measure. Every hire counts. The quality of our people determines the quality of our journalism. And that is essential to our success.

"Shirley will chair a group including the three of us, as well as Peter Perl, that will approve all newsroom hires." Perl is assistant managing editor for personnel. "She will work closely with department heads to ensure they are seeing, considering and selecting the best candidates for every job. We want a newsroom that reflects the diversity of our society and can excel in serving all of our audiences — local and national, print and digital. Shirley will liaise with the human-resources department and will sign off on all Newsroom hiring and salary decisions.

"In addition, Shirley will take on responsibility for training and development. In that capacity, she will continue her work with Peter, who remains in charge of ethics and standards and who has done an outstanding job laying the groundwork for newsroom training programs that Shirley will now guide. Shirley will also retain authority over Newsroom real estate, deciding who should sit where. She also will remain in charge of Newsroom IT and operations.

"As a result of this change in Shirley's mission, her duties as the newsroom's budget manager with shift to Newsroom Budget Director Raquel Edora. Those of you who have worked with Raquel know how very good she is at keeping our costs down in ways that don't impair our journalistic ambitions or our ability to adapt rapidly to change. She will work closely with Newsroom department heads and already has a strong partnership with the company's finance department, which is a crucial partner for us in this area. Raquel will report to John Temple."

Carswell, 51, grew up in Pittsburgh, earned her undergraduate journalism degree at Howard University, and worked in Richmond and Detroit before joining the Post in 1988 as a copy editor. She has also been treasurer of the Washington Association of Black Journalists.

Media Choose False "Balance" Over Calling Out GOP

"Norman Ornstein and Thomas Mann are well-known in the Beltway. They work at big-time think tanks (Brookings and American Enterprise Institute), appear on television chat shows, and write books and op-eds that powerful people pay attention to," Peter Hart wrote Tuesday for Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting.

"Lately, though, it seems they've become dangerous men.

"Mann and Ornstein recently wrote an [Outlook section essay] in the Washington Post (4/27/12) based on their new book. In it, they argued that whining about increased polarization or partisanship in politics obscures a central truth: This problem is not seen in equal measure on both sides. The headline summed it up: 'Let's Just Say It: The Republicans Are the Problem.'

"They wrote:

" 'The GOP has become an insurgent outlier in American politics. It is ideologically extreme; scornful of compromise; unmoved by conventional understanding of facts, evidence and science; and dismissive of the legitimacy of its political opposition.'

"And the piece pointed a finger at the media's false balance:

" 'We understand the values of mainstream journalists, including the effort to report both sides of a story. But a balanced treatment of an unbalanced phenomenon distorts reality. If the political dynamics of Washington are unlikely to change anytime soon, at least we should change the way that reality is portrayed to the public.'

"Our advice to the press: Don't seek professional safety through the even-handed, unfiltered presentation of opposing views. Which politician is telling the truth? Who is taking hostages, at what risks and to what ends?

"The article became quite an internet sensation — with something like 200,000 recommendations on Facebook. But as Washington Post blogger Greg Sargent (5/14/12) points out, one class of people seem uniquely uninterested in the argument: Sunday talkshow bookers. It turns out neither man has been invited on to the Sunday shows even once to discuss this thesis. "

Ted Diadiun, Plain Dealer, Cleveland: 'Balance' fetish is best avoided in news coverage
Leonard Pitts Jr., Miami Herald: Don’t blame the Dems for hyper-partisanship

Most Blacks Say Opinion Unchanged on Obama

"Roughly half of Americans (52%) say Barack Obama's expression of support for gay marriage did not affect their opinion of the president," the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press reported Monday. "A quarter (25%) say they feel less favorably toward Obama because of this while 19% feel more favorably.

". . . The opinions of whites largely reflect the population as a whole: 49% say Obama's expression of support for gay marriage did not alter their opinion of the president. Among those who say it did, somewhat more say it made their view of him less favorable than more (29% vs. 20%). Most African Americans, on the other hand, say the announcement did not alter their opinion of Obama. About two-thirds (68%) say this, while about as many say it made them view Obama more favorably (16%) as less favorably (13%)."

Meanwhile, Patrick Winn wrote for Global Post, "According to a slew of established American media outlets — including USA Today, L.A. Weekly and Daily Kos — boxing megastar and Philippine congressman Manny Pacquiao believes gay people should be executed.

"How do they know?

"Because that's what Pacquiao said in this interview, titled 'Pacquiao Rejects Obama's [new twist] on the Scriptures,' which is cited as appearing in the National Conservative Examiner. The L.A. Weekly has squeezed the most from this interview with giddy reports on Pacquiao's subsequent ban from an L.A. mall and a post titled 'Ten Gays Who Could Beat The Crap Out Of Manny Pacquiao.'

"But there are several reasons why journalists should reconsider echoing that this Nike-endorsed athlete wants all gays dead.

"Here's the best one: the 'National Conservative Examiner' doesn't exist. . . ."

Alternative Newsweek covers on Obama and same-sex marriage
Associated Press: Manny Pacquiao pans anti-gay claims
Danielle Belton, the Black Snob: Everyone's New Favorite Story: Black People, the President and Gay Marriage
Jeri Clausing, HuffPost LatinoVoices: Barack Obama On Gay Marriage: Shift On Marriage Energizes Immigration Activists And Hispanic Voters
Maurice Garland, Loop21.com: Obama Scolds Media for Being Scandalous, Negative in Barnard Speech
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press: Obama Support for Gay Marriage Public's Top Story
Peter Richards, Inter Press Service: Obama's Gay Marriage Endorsement Makes Waves in the Caribbean
Alex Weprin, TVNewser: 4.7 Million Watch President Obama on 'The View'
Edward Wyckoff Williams, theGrio.com: Newsweek's 'first gay president' Obama cover: Daring or desperate?
Jeff Winbush, Loop21.com: The President Who Came Out of the Closet

Vogue Italia Produces All-Africa Issue

"Africa is in the news — but not just for the sad and familiar reasons of conflict and suffering. The continent is entering the fashion arena, with the quality of its handwork, artistic creativity and its potential for economic growth bringing Africa literally in vogue," Suzy Menkes wrote Monday for the New York Times.

"The key word for an overall résumé of changes in attitude and perception is 'rebranding.'

" 'They are not my own words — they come from Nigeria's president, Goodluck Jonathan — but I do believe in the 'rebranding' of Africa," said Franca Sozzani, editor in chief of Vogue Italia, which has devoted this month's men's wear issue to the continent.

"The May Uomo Vogue is an all-Africa magazine with images of beauty and grace far removed from violence and poverty. And the magazine's cover features an unlikely figure: Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the United Nations.

"Inside the magazine, an interview with Mr. Ban contains an impassioned plea to move Africa away from bad news toward positive thinking.

" 'Africa does not need charity — Africa needs investment and partnership,' said Mr. Ban. 'Joining forces with civil society and private sector, including non-traditional players, like the fashion industry, has become indispensable. Sustainable development is my top priority.'

"Ms. Sozzani did an 'all black' issue for women’s Vogue in 2008, and she has subsequently promoted multiculture with a focus on black creativity and beauty on the magazine's Web site, Vogue.it."

Ijeoma Ndekwu, Bella Naija: L'Uomo Vogue releases May 2012 "Rebranding Africa" issue featuring UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon & South African vocalist Lira
Andile Ndlovu, Times Live, South Africa: Lira helps the Italians fancy Africa
Franca Sozzani, L'Uomo Vogue: Blog del Direttore

Short Takes

"After years of speculation, estimates and projections, the Census Bureau has made it official: White births are no longer a majority in the United States," Sabrina Tavernise reported Thursday for the New York Times. "Non-Hispanic whites accounted for 49.6 percent of all births in the 12-month period that ended last July, according to Census Bureau data made public on Thursday, while minorities — including Hispanics, blacks, Asians and those of mixed race — reached 50.4 percent, representing a majority for the first time in the country’s history." [May 17]
Sports reporter R.L. Stockard, who integrated newspapers in Baton Rouge, La., and New Orleans, was sports editor at two black-owned newspapers and covered budding stars such as Walter Payton and Jerry Rice, will be among those honored with Sports Pioneer Awards from the National Association of Black Journalists, the NABJ Sports Task Force announced on Tuesday. Stockard "achieved all of that while doubling as a Southern University geography professor, where he taught baseball great Lou Brock." Also honored will be "sports broadcasting groundbreaker Ro Brown, for more than 20 years a sports anchor and reporter for New Orleans' local NBC affiliate. He's well-known for his incredible memory of New Orleans sports and his network of contacts in the local sports scene."
"Now, I'm moving to the South, though I've been told a few times by Georgians and Mississippians that Richmond is not the South — seat of the Confederacy or not," Denver Post columnist Tina Griego told readers on Tuesday. "My husband has accepted a job at Virginia Commonwealth University. It starts in the fall. The Post was offering severance packages, the timing was right. We venture forth." She said in a tweet, "I have no job lined up, yet." Meanwhile, Media General Inc. Thursday announced that it is selling the Richmond Times-Dispatch and 62 other newspapers to Berkshire Hathaway Inc., chaired by Warren Buffett, for $142 million. [May 17]
Rolando Nichols is news anchor at KWHY Channel 22 in Los Angeles and Spanish-language play-by-play man for Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Angels on ESPN Deportes. He will host a national newscast on MundoFox, the U.S. Spanish-language broadcast network launching this summer, Fox International Channels (FIC) and the RCN Television Group (RCN) announced, Richard Horgan reported Wednesday for FishbowlLA. "Nichols will continue to handle local nightly 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. newscasts at KWHY, where he holds the title of vice-president of news and production."
"ABC 'Good Morning America' anchor Robin Roberts is returning to the ESPN family to host a new eight-part interview series, the sports channel announced at its upfront presentation this morning," Alex Weprin reported Tuesday for TVNewser. "Roberts will host 'In the Game with Robin Roberts Presented by Lexus,' which will feature the anchor interviewing prominent female athletes. The first guest will be pro softball player Jennie Finch."
"Slim, host of streaming talk radio show The Slim Show, interviewed National Association of Black [Journalists] (NABJ) president, Gregory H. Lee regarding the position his organization took against Phil [Mushnick] and the NY Post. Phil [Mushnick] used [a hyphenated term for] 'nigga' in one of his columns."
In Fresno-Visalia, Calif., "A KMPH news crew went to cover an incident in which an eight-month-old baby fell out of a parked car on Monday, and they wound up coming face-to-face with the baby's father," Andrew Gauthier reported Wednesday for TVNewser. "The resulting confrontation made for 'a story you'll only see on KMPH.' The baby was flown to an area hospital just hours before KMPH anchor-reporter Nicole Garcia and photographer Matt Romero arrived at the scene . . . "
"Earvin 'Magic' Johnson announced today that Paul Butler has been named general manager of ASPiRE, the new African-American network set to launch in June," the network said Tuesday. "Butler will oversee all operations for the programmer and report to Johnson, who is chairman of ASPiRE and the network's Board of Directors. He will be based at ASPiRE's headquarters in Atlanta."
In Dallas-Fort Worth, "Veteran anchor Gloria Campos is officially on board with a new contract and a transition that will take her off WFAA8's 6 p.m. newscasts in September," television writer Ed Bark reported Monday on his blog. "But she'll continue co-anchoring the Dallas-based station's 10 p.m. newscasts with John McCaa."
"ESPN's faith in sports documentaries is so deep that on Tuesday it will announce a second go-round for its '30 for 30' series, which made its debut in the fall of 2009," Richard Sandomir reported Monday for the New York Times. "The first 30 films — produced by independent filmmakers as diverse as Albert Maysles, Barry Levinson and Ice Cube — were meant to celebrate ESPN's 30th anniversary over a 15-month period. But the network, which began in 1979 and is now owned by Disney, grew so enamored of documentaries that it kept making them under the ESPN Films banner before agreeing to introduce a new '30 for 30.' "
"John Derbyshire, the conservative writer fired from the National Review after writing a post on Taki's Mag suggesting that whites keep their distance from blacks, has written a new essay defending white supremacy," Gene Demby wrote Tuesday for the Huffington Post. "In a post called Who Are We? — The 'Dissident Right'? on VDare, a site that is opposed to immigration and multiculturalism — and which is considered a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center — the English-American writer muses on how those who share his ideology should refer to themselves. The term 'white supremacy,' he says, has gotten a bad rap."
"Jose Antonio Vargas has been chosen by San Francisco State University as the 2012 Alumnus of the Year," the school announced. "The Journalism department has selected Amy L. Alexander as Outstanding Journalism Alumna of 2012."
"A television anchor is coming forward with an emotional story of an attack in downtown Atlanta, hoping that she can find the man who came to her rescue more than two decades ago," WSB-TV in Atlanta reported Monday. "Diana Lewis, an anchor at WXYZ-TV in Detroit, was interviewing for a job at CNN in October 1986 when she took a wrong turn. Lewis said she was confronted by a man . . who began to chase her." Glenda Lewis, an anchor in Detroit who is Diana Lewis' daughter, did a story for WXYZ about her mother's search.
"In the days since the world celebrated World Press Freedom Day the Sudanese press has witnessed great setbacks," Abdelgadir Mohammed Abdelgadir reported Wednesday for the International Press Institute. "On May 3, the entire print run of Al Midan newspaper was confiscated by Sudan's National Security and Intelligence Services (NISS) and it happened again on May 6, May 8, May 10, May 13 and May 15. Al Jarida newspaper was confiscated on May 1, May 2, May 6, May 11, May 12 and May 14."
Ángel Alfredo Villatoro Rivera, a well-known Honduran radio journalist kidnapped on his way to work last week, was found dead in a housing development outside Tegucigalpa, news reports said, bringing the number of journalists killed in the violence-ridden Central American country this year to four, Scott Griffen reported Wednesday for the International Press Institute.
"Journalists in Mali are accusing the military authorities of illegally tapping their telephones as a means of silencing critical opinion in the country," the Media Foundation for West Africa in Accra, Ghana, said on Wednesday. "The accusation followed the arrest and subsequent detention of Birama Fall, managing editor of Le Prétoire, a privately-owned Bamako-based bi-weekly newspaper on May 12, 2012. The authorities had illegally listened to Fall's phone conversation with a former government minister over civilian deaths during the recent counter coup attempt."
In Mexico, "The body of Mexican reporter René Orta Salgado was found over the weekend by police in the trunk of his car in the central state of Morelos, prosecutors said," the EFE news service reported on Monday. Michel Martin, host of NPR's "Tell Me More," spoke Monday with Jose de Cordoba of the Wall Street Journal and Carlos Lauria of the Committee to Protect Journalists about how drug violence is increasingly affecting journalists.
"Crying onstage in front of a crowd is not my thing, but a few days ago, as I stood next to Serkalem Fasil, I couldn't hold back my tears," Charlayne Hunter-Gault wrote Tuesday for theRoot.com. "It was a bittersweet moment because Fasil had just received the prestigious PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award on behalf of her husband, Eskinder Nega. He faces life in prison on charges of terrorism and incitement to violent revolt after writing an article discussing the implications of the Arab Spring uprising for democracy in Ethiopia. And Nega is not alone in being on the receiving end of an ongoing government crackdown on independent journalists in Ethiopia, many of whom are also being silenced by arrests and imprisonment."

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"The First Gay President" — Not

Roberto Delgado — Tue, 15 May 2012 02:37:13 +0000

May 14, 2012

Blacks unlikely to agree with Newsweek cover; CBS said to have real story on Obama's declaration; clipping captures Romney protesting the protesters; on diversity, does "Fresh Air" need some fresh air?; reporters from the East miss Pine Ridge Indian story; blacks, Latinas to Time magazine: We breastfeed, too; suspect appears on TV — irked cops end collaboration; accepting cash from sources at issue in Mexico, Africa; Friday is deadline to nominate a J-educator who has helped diversity (5/14/12)

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Blacks Unlikely to Agree With Newsweek Cover

CBS Said to Have Real Story on Obama's Declaration

Clipping Captures Romney Protesting the Protesters

On Diversity, Does "Fresh Air" Need Some Fresh Air?

Reporters From the East Miss Pine Ridge Indian story

CBS Said to Have Real Story on Obama's Declaration

"Good Morning America" co-host Robin Roberts deserves credit for her interview with President Obama last week in which he declared that he personally supports same-sex marriage, but CBS News should be touted for the real scoop, according to David Zurawik, writing Friday for the Baltimore Sun.

"Look, this is to take nothing away from Roberts, who was professional and perfectly competent in the interview," Zurawik wrote. "Nor is to take anything away from ABC News, which would be crazy not to toot its metaphorical horn.

"But ABC News did little more than allow itself to be used by the White House, while CBS News served the public with an interview on the morning after Obama made history with his words. The interview was among the very best TV reporting on this story — really.

"The CBS 'This Morning' show interviewed Max Mutchnick, co-creator of 'Will & Grace.' [video] During that conversation, Mutchnick said he was at a 'private function' in Los Angeles two weeks before Vice President Joe Biden announced his support of same-sex marriage on 'Meet the Press.'

"The conventional wisdom all week among political analysts has been that Biden's off-the-cuff remarks last Sunday on 'Meet the Press' forced Obama into making a statement on the matter three days later with Roberts. . . .

"But what Mutchnick heard and saw two weeks earlier in Los Angeles, particularly with someone from the White House recording Biden's Hollywood encounter at the 'private function,' led him to believe the statements by Biden and Obama were 'very choreographed.' Mutchnick uses the perfectly apt show biz metaphor of an out of town tryout for what the administration did with Biden in Los Angeles where he said 'verbatim' what he later said on 'Meet the Press.'

"What Mutchnick says is important, because, at the very least, it makes you question Obama presenting his support for same-sex marriage as a moment of pure conscience. It also makes you question the White House account of Biden 'apologizing' to Obama for his 'Meet the Press' remarks. And what about the tape of the Los Angeles tryout? Was that used for focus groups . . . to see how the public — or, perhaps, fund raising audiences — might respond to the president supporting same-sex marriage? . . ."

Jahnabi Barooah, HuffPost LatinoVoices: African American And Latino Clergy On Obama's Gay Marriage Support
John Blake, CNN: Is the black church guilty of spiritual hypocrisy in same-sex marriage debate?
Ta-Nehisi Coates blog, the Atlantic: The Real Reason Black Voters Will Abandon Obama
Dan Gilgoff, CNN.com: Across country, black pastors weigh in on Obama's same-sex marriage support
Richard Gonzales, NPR: Obama's Gay Marriage Stand May Not Sway Latinos
Huffington Post: Don Lemon Compares Mitt Romney Marriage Comments To George Wallace Segregation Comments (VIDEO)
Viviana Hurtado, Latina: Election 2012: Same-Sex Marriage Now, Immigration Policy Later?
Eugene Kane, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Tolerance lacking for gay rights
Colbert I. King, Washington Post: Equality is bigger than the president
Dana Milbank, Washington Post: Barack Obama, the first female president
Nisa Muhammad blog, Third World Press: The Fury and the Facts: Why Marriage?
Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune: Obama's gay marriage gamble
Leonard Pitts Jr., Miami Herald: Serendipity in Obama's timing on gay marriage
Eugene Robinson, Washington Post: In Obama's stance on gay marriage, a return to hope
Jennifer Rubin, Washington Post: Not so subtle Obama-rooting in the media
Mary Sanchez, Kansas City Star: A big step in the struggle for equal marriage rights
Eric L. Wattree, Black Star News: Dr. Boyce Watkins' Preposterous Position On Gay Marriage
DeWayne Wickham blog: Gay Republican group attacks Obama, dithers over Romney

Clipping Captures Romney Protesting the Protesters

If newspapers are the first rough draft of history, then the old Palo Alto (Calif.) Times captured it in the mid-1960s as the Vietnam War raged and many campuses were in turmoil. Times staffer Gene Tupper photographed a young Mitt Romney protesting the protesters while at Stanford University. The clipping showed up on a website from Patton Oswalt, who describes himself as a standup comedian.

Boston Globe journalists Michael Kranish and Scott Helman describe the scene in their recently published "The Real Romney." They are discussing draft deferments and David Harris, the antiwar leader who became president of the Stanford student body.

"Across the campus, fear spread that the coveted deferment might be undermined. The issue came to a head when it was announced that 850 students would have to take a Selective Service test that could affect their status. The mere presence of the Selective Service on campus prompted a new uproar. Harris and several hundred other students held a protest on White Plaza and then walked to the office of the university president, Wallace Sterling. Two dozen students (Harris not among them) occupied the office overnight, in what became the first sit-in at Stanford.

"Mitt was incensed. Skipping his study discussion group for Western Civilization class, which was focusing that spring on the works of Lenin and Marx, Romney put on a blazer and attached a large sign to a pole: SPEAK OUT, DON'T SIT IN. Gene Tupper, a photographer who then worked for the Palo Alto Times, snapped an indelible image that showed Romney in his white shirt and dark jacket, thick hair sweeping over his forehead, appearing to lecture a protester as he brandished the sign.

"The picture ran the next day in the newspaper with a caption that read, 'Governor's son pickets the pickets. Mitt Romney, son of Michigan Gov. George Romney, was one of the pickets who supported the Stanford University administration today in opposition to sit-in demonstrators.' Mitt was at the forefront of a group of about 350 antiprotesters, who shouted at the antiwar group, 'Down with mob rule!' 'Out! Out!' and 'Reason, not coercion!' When a university official announced that students participating in the sit-in would be disciplined, Mitt shouted, 'Come out of the office and let school continue!. . .' "

Charles M. Blow, New York Times: Mean Boys
Bill Fletcher Jr., Washington Informer: Mitt Romney Leads 'Circle of Clowns'
Michael Kinsley, Los Angeles Times: Mitt Romney, the early years
Askia Muhammad, Washington Informer: 'Miss Ann' Romney is More of the Same

On Diversity, Does "Fresh Air" Need Some Fresh Air?

Friday marked the 25th anniversary of the day the popular interview show "Fresh Air" became a daily national NPR program. Before that, the show was broadcast only on its originating station, WHYY in Philadelphia. To celebrate, the staff posed for the portrait above, surrounded by WHYY employees.

WHYY spokesman Brian Rossiter did not respond to an inquiry Monday about whether the photo represented the diversity of the WHYY staff, but the station broadcasts in a city that is 36.9 percent non-Hispanic white, 43.4 percent black, 12.3 percent Hispanic, 6.3 percent Asian and 0.5 percent American Indian and Alaska Native, according to the 2010 Census. Hispanics can be of any race.

At a recent dinner with journalists in Washington, NPR President Gary Knell and Keith Woods, vice president, diversity in news and operations, said many listeners' impressions of diversity at NPR comes from what they see and hear on the local affiliates. "We're a national news organization," said Woods. "We both believe it's NPR's responsibility to lead on this matter. But we know it's imperative that stations get in the game, since they are the key link to the audience."

Reporters From the East Miss Pine Ridge Indian Story

"The 'beer sniffing' reporters from across the country, particularly those of The New York Times, descended upon the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota," Tim Giago wrote Sunday for the Huffington Post.

"First came Diane Sawyer from ABC Television immediately followed by a Tim Williams and Nicholas [Kristof] from The New York Times and Arthur Sulzberger, The New York Times' Bureau Chief for Kansas City, and then Tony Newman, listed as Director of Media Relations for the Drug Policy Alliance.

". . . When Tim Williams of The New York Times called me prior to his sojourn to Pine Ridge he asked if we could meet. . . . The first thing I cautioned him about in our initial phone conversation was not to make the beer selling stores in Whiteclay, Neb., the focus of his visit. Needless to say, that is exactly what he did.

"Like Ms. Sawyer, he made his visit to Whiteclay the centerpiece of his story. When Ms. Sawyer asked the Pine Ridge police chief, Rich Greenwald, about crime on the reservation, he replied that 80 percent of the people his officers arrested for traffic violations or other crimes were alcohol related. How did Ms. Sawyer report this comment? She said that 80 percent of the people living on the Pine Ridge Reservation were alcoholics. Say what? Didn't she hear what he really said or was she seeking some sort of sensationalism at the expense of the Lakota people of Pine Ridge?

"Newman built his column on the fact that 'Nicholas Kristof painted a heartbreaking picture' of the Pine Ridge Reservation. Yes he did, but he made Pine Ridge and Whiteclay synonymous with alcoholism. One is a community whose sole existence is selling beer and cheap wine to the residents of Pine Ridge and the other is a community with active programs struggling financially to combat alcoholism, a community with an extension of Oglala Lakota College in each district, a Boys and Girls Club actively working against crime, alcoholism and the deprivations of poverty, and also a community with four high schools such as Little Wound, Crazy Horse, Pine Ridge High School, and Red Cloud High School, that are working long and hard to stop the very problems caused by alcohol and poverty that the savvy reporters from New York failed to seek out.

". . . As I write this there is a reporter from The Huffington Post sniffing around Pine Ridge for a story on poverty. I hope and pray that his nose doesn't catch the whiff of beer and lead him across the border to Whiteclay. There are too many good stories on Pine Ridge that cannot be ignored."

Pia Gadkari, BBC News: Are beer firms to blame for Native American drink woe? (April 27)
Jose Leonardo Santos, Minnesota Public Radio: U.N. inquiry into U.S. treatment of Indians is overdue

Blacks, Latinas to Time Magazine: We Breastfeed, Too

"For many women, including myself, breastfeeding your child past a year-old is not an option, Maria Eugenia Alcón wrote for NBC Latino. "So when I saw the TIME cover with the title 'Are You Mom Enough?' featuring a 26-year-old stay at home mom still breastfeeding her 3-year-old, I was livid. For one, no one breastfeeds standing up. Second, TIME chose a young attractive mom for a reason, they knew sexualizing breastfeeding would give them more traction. Third, since I didn't see any Latinas interviewed by TIME on this issue, I thought I would offer my opinion."

Ebony weighed Friday in with a piece by author Eisa Nefertari Ulen. "I breastfed my amazing son until he was 2½" she wrote.

"African American women are the least likely to breastfeed of all women across ethnic lines in this country, which is too bad, since breastfeeding is the perfect nutrition for your child, guards against cancers in both mother and child, improves cognitive brain function and leads to higher test scores years after the breastfeeding has taken place."

Jeneba Ghatt, Politic365.com: Hey, Time Magazine: I Am a Black Attachment Parent

Suspect Aaron Parsons, left, apologizes on Baltimore's WBFF-TV after the beating of a tourist. (Video)

Suspect Appears on TV; Irked Cops End Collaboration

"For the past five years, news anchors at Baltimore's Fox affiliate have partnered with city police to hunt down fugitives," Peter Hermann wrote Friday for the Baltimore Sun. "The segments, aired on the last Friday of every month, were more telethon than ride-along, with mug shots, a brief description of crimes and officers shown at desks fielding calls from the public.

"But police pulled out of the collaboration — which helped take more than three dozen wanted suspects off the streets since 2007 — after a man sought in a high-profile assault walked into the studio at WBFF-TV (Channel 45), apologized on camera [video] and left without authorities being notified.

"Station managers are trying to revive the segment called 'Fugitive Files,' but so far their queries to the Police Department have gone unanswered. The last word from police — upset that they missed a chance to arrest the suspect — was an April 14 email that said 'this case raises significant ethical concerns and trust issues.'

"The dispute highlights the sometimes tricky symbiotic relationship between the media and government, where alliances can raise ethical concerns on both sides. . . . "

Accepting Cash From Sources at Issue in Mexico, Africa

"How much does a journalist in Mexico cost?" Tania Lara asked Friday for the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas. "According to an article in the Mexican newspaper Reforma, the answer could be hundreds of thousands of dollars if it's for Joaquín López Dóriga, news host for Televisa, the main Mexican broadcaster.

"The Reforma article, published Friday, May 11, made public receipts showing that current presidential candidate Enrique Peña Nieto paid roughly $2.4 million for journalistic 'mentions' during his tenure as governor of the state of Mexico from 2005 to 2011, reported Proceso. Of this amount, journalist Joaquín López Dóriga received about $680,000 between January 2006 and July 2007. The payments do not include ad space purchased on Televisa, said Reforma."

Meanwhile, Joseph Warungu, a Knight International Journalism Fellow from sub-Saharan Africa, wrote May 7 for the International Center for Journalists, "I've been in Tunis attending the UNESCO World Press Freedom Day Conference and the theme this year was, 'New Voices: Media Freedom Helping to Transform Societies.' However, I was attracted by one of the sessions that echoed old voices highlighting an embarrassing problem that imprisons good journalism: the brown envelope.

"The practice of journalists accepting money from news sources, especially politicians, in order to 'facilitate' their stories has become rather common in African media. Some of the journalists defend the habit, saying that media owners subject them to poverty wages and exploitative working conditions, leaving them little choice but to rely on politicians' and other corporate handouts for their daily survival."

Short Takes

"There is a saying that some of the greatest stories go untold. Reporter Matthew LaPlante and photographer Rick Egan made sure that the plight of the killing of 'cursed' children in Ethiopia wasn't one of them," Chelsea Boone wrote for the American Journalism Review. "Their work on the harrowing practice ran in Christianity Today, a monthly magazine, in August 2011 and on CNN.com three months later. On Thursday, May 17, they will receive the 2012 Ancil Payne Award for Ethics in Journalism. . . ." LaPlante, who had planned to leave the Salt Lake Tribune to teach at Utah State University, where he is currently an assistant professor of journalism, quit his job early. He cashed in his unused vacation pay to help finance the project. Egan took vacation time from the Tribune to make the journey to Africa.
In Cleveland, "A former reporter at WEWS NewsChannel5 has died after battling cancer. He was 42," Mike Waterhouse reported Monday for WEWS-TV. Brian McIntyre of Cleveland Heights passed away at the Hospice of the Western Reserve in Cleveland Sunday night. He most recently served as community relations specialist for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. Prior to his job at CMSD, he worked as a reporter at the Ohio News Network, WNWO-TV and WEWS NewsChannel5."

"Larry Kramer, founder of MarketWatch and 40-year media industry veteran, is USA TODAY's new publisher," John Waggoner reported Monday for USA Today. ". . . Kramer, 62, replaces Dave Hunke, who stepped down in April and will serve as chairman of USA TODAY until he retires in the fall."
NBC Bay Area reporter Jodi Hernandez and her photographer, Rich Goudeau, "had their video camera and tripod stolen in a brazen daylight theft as they were doing a story on San Pablo Avenue on Monday afternoon, but their story still led the 5 p.m. broadcast," Kristin J. Bender reported Monday for the Oakland Tribune.
"Donna Myrow, the founder and executive director of the nonprofit that publishes LA Youth, emails: 'We've received $187,000 from individual donors. Fundraising continues and the presses roll next week [on] the May-June issue,' Kevin Roderick reported Friday for LAObserved. "She had previously said the paper faced closure, prompting items here and mainstream media coverage."
Clarence Aaron, 24, was sentenced to three life terms for his role in a cocaine deal, even though it was his first criminal offense and he was not the buyer, seller or supplier of the drugs, Dafna Linzer reported Sunday for ProPublica. Aaron's case for early release was championed by lawmakers, civil rights activists and the media. Ultimately, the prosecutor's office and the sentencing judge supported an immediate commutation for Aaron. But the George W. Bush administration never knew the full extent of their views and Aaron's application was denied, illuminating "the extraordinary, secretive powers wielded by the Office of the Pardon Attorney, the branch of the Justice Department that reviews commutation requests," Linzer wrote. In December, ProPublica and the Washington Post published stories showing that, from 2001 to 2008, white applicants were nearly four times as likely to receive presidential pardons as people of color. Aaron is black.
Al Jazeera reporter Melissa Chan returned to Southern California last week as the first accredited foreign correspondent to be expelled from China in 14 years, Rosanna Xia reported Monday for the Los Angeles Times. ". . . Chan, 31, says she's not exactly sure what prompted her expulsion after five years of reporting in China. In March, she wrote about a distraught mother seeking a daughter who had been forcibly sterilized and put in an illegal 'black jail' for violating China's one-child policy." Her story "was probably the first" to get coverage on TV."
"NBC's Natalie Morales has signed on to moderate an election-year town hall addressing issues specific to U.S. Latinos," Chris Ariens reported Sunday for TVNewser. "The special, tentatively titled 'We Decide: 2012,' will air in August on nuvoTV, the first English-language cable network geared toward U.S. Latinos. Topics include unemployment, healthcare, education and immigration."
"Students from the Journalism and Mass Communications Department at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) partnered with New American Media's youth-led Voicewaves this semester to cover issues in some of the city's most diverse and economically disadvantaged communities," Brian Addison reported Monday for the Long Beach (Calif.) Post.
Howard Kurtz, host of CNN's "Reliable Sources," sided Sunday with conservative writer Tim Carney, whose microphone was cut off by MSNBC host Tamron Hall Friday after Carney accused Hall of trying "a typical media trick' with her questions. "I'm sorry, it was Tamron Hall who was being insulting by silencing him," Kurtz said. "Carney was perfectly entitled to say that, in his opinion, the story was being hyped. Does Hall only want guests who agree with her handling of every story?"
"Twenty-three students and young journalists from diverse backgrounds have been named Chips Quinn Scholars for summer 2012 by the Freedom Forum Diversity Institute and participating news organizations," the institute announced. "The Chips Quinn Scholar orientation and training will take place May 14 to 22 at the Freedom Forum's John Seigenthaler Center in Nashville, Tenn."

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Obama vs. "Automatic White Preference"

Roberto Delgado — Sat, 12 May 2012 02:46:44 +0000

May 11, 2012

Study finds race still at issue in 2012 campaign; MSNBC's Tamron Hall shuts off conservative's mic; blacks in key states unshaken in support for Obama; Greg Moore, Tom Friedman to co-chair Pulitzer board; S. African can have job back after his Nieman; retiring after 40 years at L.A.'s City News Service; support for call to boycott Anheuser-Busch; a priceless bond (5/11/12)

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Study Finds Race Still at Issue in 2012 Campaign

MSNBC host Tamron Hall told guest Tim Carney, "You're not gonna come on and insult me, you're not gonna come on and insult the network when you knew what we were gonna talk about. Done." (Video)

MSNBC's Tamron Hall Shuts Off Conservative's Mic

"MSNBC's Tamron Hall handily shut down guest Tim Carney on Friday, in an exchange so fiery that she immediately began trending on Twitter," Katherine Fung wrote for the Huffington Post.

"Hall asked Carney about Mitt Romney's testy reaction to a reporter asking about marijuana on Thursday. Before addressing the question, he alleged that she and the rest of the media were focusing too much attention on the candidate's past — including his bullying of two classmates in high school.

" 'What you're doing here is a typical media trick,' Carney charged. 'You hype up a story and justify the second-day coverage of the story.'

"That set Hall off. She began to tell him that he didn't have to 'answer a single question' she asked or 'accept the invitation to come on' and speak. Carney tried to interject, but she told him, 'You're kind of in my house,' and proceeded to smack him down for over a minute. . . ."

Tony Norman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Bullying story cuts into Romney's image

Blacks in Key States Unshaken in Support for Obama

"Like many black Americans, Dorsey Jackson does not believe in gay marriage, but he wasn't disillusioned when Barack Obama became the first president to support it," Errin Haines and Jesse Washington wrote Friday for the Associated Press. "The windows of his suburban Philadelphia barbershop still display an 'Obama 2012' placard and another that reads 'We've Got His Back.'

" 'If Obama needs to endorse same-sex marriage to be re-elected, said Jackson, so be it: 'Look, man — by any means necessary.'

"With that phrase popularized by the black radical Malcolm X, Jackson rebutted those who say Obama's new stand will weaken the massive black support he needs to win re-election in November. Black voters and especially black churches have long opposed gay marriage. But the 40-year-old barber and other African-Americans interviewed in politically key states say their support for Obama remains unshaken."

Meanwhile, in an essay Thursday for the Huffington Post, Herndon Graddick, president of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, wondered, "Why has CNN turned to Tony Perkins three times in the last few days to represent the 'other side?'

". . . when Perkins gets interviewed, a responsible journalist needs to tell the audience exactly who Perkins is speaking for. Based on his own statements — Tony Perkins represents people who believe supporting LGBT equality is akin to being a terrorist. Who believe marriage equality is the same as bestiality. . . . If CNN wants that side represented in this discussion, then Perkins is absolutely the right man for the job. But they need to make it clear to the audience that that's what he's there for. And by not doing so, they have not told the whole story. Wolf Blitzer's interview with Perkins is a perfect example of this."

At the Poynter Institute, Kelly McBride, senior faculty, ethics, reporting and writing, wrote Wednesday about how journalists reacted to Obama's new stance:

". . . the way you frame this issue — as religious, political or civil rights — puts you in a camp," McBride wrote. "Of course gay marriage could be placed in any or all three of those categories, but the one you put first tilts your hand.

"Whether you voice your reaction publicly, on Facebook or in any other forum, has more to do with what your boss expects and whom you want to consume your work."

McBride advised, "If you work for a newsroom that wants to reach an audience with diverse beliefs on gay marriage . . . try embracing the notion of being a conduit for everyone."

Wayne Bennett, the Field Negro: This "race war" will not be televised.
Dylan Byers, Politico: Gay marriage: Why Robin Roberts got the exclusive
Mary C. Curtis with Warren Olney, "To the Point," Public Radio International: President Obama Supports Gay Marriage
Michael Eric Dyson with Bishop Harry Jackson and Obery Hendricks, "The Ed Show," MSNBC: Church vs. Marriage Equality
Fannie Flono, Charlotte (N.C.) Observer: Legal discrimination will eventually lose
Sam Fulwood III, Center for American Progress: Race and Beyond: President Obama Can Come Out on Gay Marriage
Jeneba Ghatt, Politic365.com: Black Christians Outraged at Obama – But Where Else Will They Go?
Cynthia Gordy, theRoot.com: Blacks Won't Check Out Over Gay Marriage
Emil Guillermo blog, SFGate.com: Obama’s new middle on same-sex marriage
Earl Ofari Hutchinson, syndicated: It Was Never Whether, But When President Obama Would Say Yes to Gay Marriage
Harry A. Jessell, TVNewsCheck: TV Helps A Nation Come Out Of The Closet
Annette John-Hall, Philadelphia Inquirer: Hallelujah for President's stance on gay marriage
Jackie Jones, BlackAmericaWeb.com: Reactions to Obama's Gay Marriage Stance
Brooke Obie, ebony.com: President Obama Has My Christian Vote
Eugene Robinson, Washington Post: In Obama's stance on gay marriage, a return to hope
Allison Samuels, Daily Beast: African-Americans Support Obama's Same-Sex Marriage Stance
Barry Saunders, News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C.: Who will amendment backers target next?
Open letter from Rev. Al Sharpton, Julian Bond, Rev. Dr. Joseph Lowery and Melanie Campbell
Gail Shister, TVNewser: Want To Interview The President? How And Why The White House Chooses The Interviewer
Charlie Warzel, adweek.com: Twitter Erupts Over Obama Gay Marriage Interview

Greg Moore, Tom Friedman to Co-Chair Pulitzer Board

"Gregory Moore, editor of the The Denver Post, and Thomas L. Friedman, bestselling author and foreign affairs columnist for The New York Times, have been elected co-chairs of the Pulitzer Prize Board, Columbia University announced today," the Pulitzer board said Thursday.

"Both have served on the board since 2004. They replace co-chairs Jim Amoss, editor of The Times-Picayune in New Orleans; Kathleen Carroll, executive editor and senior vice president of The Associated Press; and Ann Marie Lipinski, curator of the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard. Board members serve a maximum of nine years while a chair serves for only one year. The new co-chairs will share responsibilities over the course of the year.

"Moore has been editor of the Post since coming to Denver in June 2002. He joined the newspaper after 16 years at The Boston Globe, the last eight as managing editor."

The chair leads the board, appointing committees, presiding at board meetings and helping to set board priorities, Sig Gissler, Pulitzer administrator and board member, told Journal-isms.

S. African Can Have Job Back After His Nieman

The South African media company that employed Beauregard Lucian Tromp, the journalist accepted into the Nieman Fellowship program at Harvard University who was forced to quit his job because his employer would not let him accept the fellowship, said Friday that Tromp could return to eNews after his fellowship ends.

"His future is in no way compromised by the decision to resign in order to take up the Nieman offer," said the statement from eNews, where Tromp, 36, was a television field producer.

The company explained that Tromp had worked at eNews only since last year and that it had imposed a requirement that staff members must have been employees "for a minimum of three years before being eligible for special leave. Regrettably, this policy was instituted after past employees have abused this privilege and have failed to return to our employment, despite contractual obligations, or have resigned with immediate effect upon returning to the country."

The eNews statement lashed out at criticism it had received from former Nieman fellows in South Africa, who select the South African Nieman fellow and help finance his or her stay in the United States. "We find these mean spirited statements to be unbecoming of this prestigious fellowship and will engage with the Nieman Foundation in the US directly to raise our concerns in this regard," the statement said.

While journalists who accept U.S. mid-career fellowships are expected to return to their employer, they do not always do so. Nor do employers always support their employees' applications.

Referring to Tromp's case, Bob Giles, curator at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism for a decade before retiring last June, told Journal-isms by email, "Sad as this story is, it is not uncommon.

"During the financial crisis, beginning 2008, we heard from a number of potential Nieman applicants who reported that their editors would not support a Nieman application.

"Moreover, they were told that if they applied anyway and got a fellowship, they would have to resign to come to Harvard. A number of editors were quoted as saying that their paper would no longer support long-term fellowships. Others told Nieman aspirants that they could not afford to let them be away from the newsroom for a year.

"Many journalists applied anyway and I don't recall any instances of a forced resignation to accept a fellowship.

"As the economic crisis ebbed, beginning in 2010, the attitude of editors seemed to change; they once again wrote supporting letters and celebrated their journalists who were selected as Nieman Fellows. It is true, however, that the exact circumstances in the South African case this year are different in that Beauregard Tromp apparently was told only after he had been awarded a Nieman that his choice was to resign if he intended to accept the fellowship.

"While most fellows return to their news organizations after the fellowship, there have been increasing instances in the past five years or so where fellows chose to go another way at the end of the Nieman year."

Abigail Dennis, Cape Times, South Africa: SA Nieman fellow forced to quit job
Glenda Nevill, themediaonline.co.za, South Africa: Nieman Fellows and eNews tussle over Tromp

Retiring After 40 Years at L.A.'s City News Service

"They don't make journalism careers like this anymore," Richard Horgan wrote Monday for FishbowlLA.

"To put it in perspective, when Yet Lock first began his long service with downtown LA's City News Service, Samuel L. Yorty was our mayor, Wilt Chamberlain was getting ready to lead the Lakers to their first post-Minneapolis NBA championship and X-rated flick 'Behind the Green Door' would go on to earn a domestic theatrical gross of $50 million.

"Although Lock (pictured) is still tying up a few loose ends, CNS tells FishbowlLA he is essentially already retired. He joined the service as vp in January of 1972 and held that same post for 40 years, making him quite possibly the longest-service news executive in Southern California."

Support for Call to Boycott Anheuser-Busch

New York Times columnist Nicholas D. Kristof won support this week for his call to boycott Anheuser-Busch over what he calls its exploitation of residents of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. They cannot buy alcohol on the reservation, but they can do so in adjacent Whiteclay, Neb., which "sells more than four million cans of beer and malt liquor annually — because it is the main channel through which alcohol illegally enters" Pine Ridge," Michael Yudell, an associate professor at Drexel University School of Public Health who blogs for the Philadelphia Inquirer, wrote on Tuesday.

"The situation at Pine Ridge . . . is so extreme that it calls for unusual measures," Yudell said.

"And even if the beer companies walk away, as Kristof himself admits, some residents may just drive farther to get their fix. But it would be a start. And Anheuser-Busch and the other companies involved should do the right thing and not only walk away, but dedicate some of the $39 billion towards making the lives of those at Pine Ridge just a little bit better. If they don't, I wouldn't underestimate the power of one New York Times reporter's ability to move the public on this issue."

Luiz F. Edmond letter, New York Times: Alcohol and the Reservation: Anheuser-Busch’s View

A Priceless Bond

"With her child's birth, an adoptee discovers a priceless bond," reads the headline over a Mother's Day story posted Thursday in the Los Angeles Times. "Abandoned in Korea and arriving in the U.S. at 2 not knowing how to hug, a mother who had feared that detachment was part of her nature takes joy in her infant son." Times staff writer Corina Knoll wrote the first-person story. (Credit: Christina House for the Los Angeles Times)

Charles M. Blow, New York Times: Teaching Me About Teaching
John W. Fountain, Chicago Sun-Times: My best asset: A mother who gave reason to hope
Mary Annette Pember, Daily Yonder: The Woman with the Beadwork Tattoo

Short Takes

In New York, "The Daily News has shut down its weekly Spanish-language publication, Hora Hispana, just a little over a year after relaunching it, Capital has learned," Joe Pompeo wrote Friday for capitalnewyork.com. "Maite Junco, a longtime News journalist who oversaw Hora Hispana and edited the paper's monthly 'Viva' section (as well as running the Latino vertical of nydailynews.com) has been let go, as have Hora Hispana editor Rodolfo Quebleen and sales rep Jose Santiago."
Zoe Saldana is the female star of the highest grossing movie of all time (James Cameron's "Avatar"), and the female lead in J.J. Abrams' popular "Star Trek" franchise, Lee Hernandez wrote Friday for HuffPost LatinoVoices. "With that kind of resume, you would think actress Zoe Saldana could grace the cover of any magazine in the world. 'There are a lot of magazines that are still sort of...that only cater to a certain demographic and only put certain people on their covers,' she added. 'And that's fine — I never lose hope that one day certain big magazines can broaden their exposure of what is an American face,' added the half-Dominican, half-Puerto Rican actress."
". . . despite countless hours of heated debate, shockingly little is known about the origins of the growing Latino presence in the U.S.," reads the blurb. "The new documentary 'Harvest of Empire' examines the direct correlation between long-standing U.S. intervention in Latin America and today’s immigration crisis. Adapted from the landmark book written by award-winning journalist Juan González of Democracy Now!, the film by Wendy Thompson and Eduardo López in conjunction with director Peter Getzels and editor Catherine Shields of Getzels Gordon Productions details the social conditions and U.S. government actions that led millions of Latino families to flee their homelands, triggering an unprecedented migration that is transforming America’s cultural and economic landscape." The film was to have been shown Wednesday at Hostos Community College in New York and is scheduled for the Brookings Institution in Washington on Tuesday.
"Writer-director Robert Rodriguez recently returned to his Alma Mater, the University of Texas at Austin, for a casual conversation moderated by his former professor Charles Ramirez Berg," Richard Horgan wrote Friday for FishbowlLA. "One of the central topics of discussion was El Rey, the national cable channel that Rodriguez will unleash in 2014 with help from Comcast. He has been traveling the country to promote the in-the-works outlet, which is designed to give Latino filmmakers a much needed public airwaves boost."
Quoting from Dan Rather's new book "Rather Outspoken," Justin Moyer wrote for the Washington Post, "CBS's focus on desegregation in the 1960s earned the network the nickname 'Colored Broadcasting System' and put Rather at the center of a historic movement. 'Dr. King and I were cordial, but we maintained a carefully defined separation,' he writes. 'I was closer to Medgar Evers, and our relationship was much less formal than the one I maintained with Dr. King. I considered Medgar a friend."
New York Post sports columnist Phil Mushnick, who was criticized last week for a hyphenated reference to a well-known racial epithet, made a mistake he had not considered, media writer Eric Deggans wrote Thursday for the National Sports Journalism Center: ". . . Thinking that someone has to be racist to say something racially insulting or rooted in prejudice." Gregory Clay wrote for McClatchy-Tribune News Service that the issue is one of outsiders and insiders.
"CBS News has added Manuel Bojorquez as a correspondent for the network, based out of Dallas, Texas, and M. Sanjayan as a science and environmental contributor," Alex Weprin reported Friday for TVNewser. "Bojorquez comes to CBS News from ABC affiliate WSB-TV in Atlanta, where he has been a reporter since 2006. . . . Sanjayan is lead scientist at The Nature Conservancy, where his fields of study focus on human well-being and conservation, wildlife ecology and environmental education."
The International Press Institute "welcomed the decision by Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to work toward the repeal of criminal defamation laws in her country, which came amid other recent positive developments with respect to libel laws around the world," Steven Ellis and Naomi Hunt wrote Friday for the institute.
"The International Center for Journalists will offer two online courses in English and Spanish on covering marketing concepts such as how to plan for retirement, understanding your [401(k)], stock and bond markets, mutual funds and private and public companies, among others," TalkingBizNews reported this week. "These courses will be available to U.S. journalists who report in minority communities. . . . At the end of the online courses, three participants will receive a McGraw-Hill Personal Finance Award and cash prizes of $2,000, $1,000 and $500."

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Obama Gives Historic Scoop to Robin Roberts

Roberto Delgado — Thu, 10 May 2012 03:09:10 +0000

May 9, 2012

President backs same-sex marriage in White House talk; terminology: "gay marriage," "same-sex marriage," "marriage equality"; advertiser boycott of Limbaugh cost company millions; sole journalist of color among next Michigan fellows; . . . one of color in business journalism fellowship class; blogger out after readers challenge black studies posting; did interest in FAMU victim wane after gay disclosure?; Mexico and U.S.: "Political Neighbors" (5/9/12)

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President Backs Same-Sex Marriage in White House Talk

Terminology: "Gay Marriage," "Same-Sex Marriage," "Marriage Equality"

Advertiser Boycott of Limbaugh Cost Company Millions

Sole Journalist of Color Among Next Michigan Fellows

. . . One of Color in Business Journalism Fellowship Class

Blogger Out After Readers Challenge Black Studies Posting

Advertiser Boycott of Limbaugh Cost Company Millions

"This spring's advertiser boycott of Rush Limbaugh over his insulting description of a female college student cost Cumulus Media 'a couple of million dollars,' Cumulus CEO Lew Dickey says," David Hinckley reported Tuesday for the Daily News in New York.

" 'It hit us pretty hard,' Dickey said in his quarterly call with financial analysts. 'A couple of million bucks in the first quarter and a couple of million bucks in quarter two.' "

". . . Cumulus' statement is the first that puts a dollar figure on the boycott's effect. But it comes with an interesting side note.

"Limbaugh is heard on more than 600 stations and only 38 of them are owned by Cumulus. So while the Cumulus outlets include cornerstones like WABC in New York, this suggests the total impact of the boycott on all radio station owners exceeded just the Cumulus loss.

"Limbaugh himself was relatively unaffected in any direct way, since he is paid through a long-term contract with his syndicator, Premiere."

Sole Journalist of Color Among Next Michigan Fellows

Suzette Hackney, a staff writer at Detroit Free Press and an African American, is the sole U.S. journalist of color in the Knight-Wallace Fellows program at the University of Michigan for the 2012-13 academic year, program director Charles Eisendrath told Journal-isms on Wednesday.

". . . this year we had two black applicants and took one," Eisendrath said by email.

". . . The number of applications from African Americans was down, which I regret. We had nine minority applications overall (2 black, 3 Hispanic, 4 Asian), made three offers and were turned down by two who went elsewhere."

The program named 12 American and seven international journalists to the incoming class this week.

The current class includes an African American and three Asian Americans. Eisendrath said last year that 16 of the 76 applications the program received then were from journalists of color, and that he was "very pleased" with the results of outreach the program had made at the journalist of color conventions.

Hackney plans to study "enhancing traditional journalism with technology." In November, the Free Press ran a series by Hackney and photographer Romain Blanquart, "Living With Murder."

According to a news release, "While on leave from regular duties, Knight-Wallace Fellows pursue customized sabbatical studies and attend twice-weekly seminars at Wallace House, a gift from the late newsman Mike Wallace and his wife Mary. . . . Knight-Wallace Fellows receive a stipend of $70,000 for the eight-month academic year plus full tuition and healthcare insurance."

Seven of the 13 U.S. recipients of the John S. Knight Fellowships at Stanford University announced last week are people of color, a development that James R. Bettinger, director of the program, attributed to working "very hard to broaden our outreach to journalists of color, especially those involved in untraditional news media ventures."

The Nieman Fellowship program at Harvard University announced an incoming U.S. class with two self-identified Hispanics, an "Asian-American and white/Caucasian" and no African Americans.

. . . One of Color in Business Journalism Fellowship Class

The 10 recipients of the Knight-Bagehot fellowships in economics and business journalism at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism include seven whites, one Asian and two who are undeclared, Terri Thompson, director of the program, told Journal-isms on Wednesday. For the second year, there are no African Americans.

The mid-career fellowships provide full tuition and a living stipend of $50,000 for experienced journalists to take graduate courses at Columbia's Schools of Business, Law, and International and Public Affairs, the university said in an April 25 news release.

The journalist of color in the group is Nandagopal Jayakumar Nair, 28, assistant news editor for CNBC-TV18 in Mumbai, India. "In charge of driving editorial content, he heads the news channel’s 14-member evening desk team and oversees production of shows, including India Business Hour, What's Hot, and Markets Today. He is part of the core team that is establishing CNBCTV18's online presence via Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and the channel's website – moneycontrol.com," the announcement says.

The current class includes three Asians and two Hispanics.

"I love diversity and this year we had the most diverse class ever," Thompson said by email. ". . . it was one of the best classes in the Knight-Bagehot Program's 36 year history. But I don't discriminate against non-minorities and for the 2012-2013 academic year the best applicants just happened to be white. Although, I must say, it is quite ethnically and culturally diverse; we have folks coming in from India, France, Greece and even Michigan! I'd love to reach the readers of your column and invite the best of those who cover business and economics to apply for the Knight-Bagehot Fellowship at www.jrn.columbia.edu/knight-bagehot. Please spread the word."

The Society of American Business Editors and Writers has said it is renewing a push to broaden its diversity efforts to increase the pool of business journalists of color.

Blogger Out After Readers Challenge Black Studies Posting

"The Chronicle of Higher Education dismissed one of its bloggers after outcry over a blog post she wrote questioning the legitimacy of black studies as an academic discipline," Gene Demby reported Tuesday for the Huffington Post.

"Naomi Schaefer Riley, a lecturer and author who wrote for the Chronicle's blog, Brainstorm, was let go after readers pushed back on an essay she published last week titled 'The Most Persuasive Case For Eliminating Black Studies? Just Read the Dissertations.'

"Riley's essay responded to a sidebar of a story in the Chronicle which profiled several up-and-coming black studies scholars in the process of writing dissertations. Riley looked at the titles of the dissertations — on subjects like the role of race in housing policy and the history of black midwifery in the United States — and called them 'left-wing victimization claptrap.'

"Nearly 6,500 people signed a petition calling for her dismissal from the blog. Yesterday, Liz McMillen, the site's editor, wrote a note apologizing for Riley's post, and said that the publication had decided to part ways with the author, who is also an affiliate scholar of the Institute of American Values, a conservative think tank based in New York."

Lindsay Beyerstein, In These Times: Naomi Schaefer Riley: You Knew What I Was When You Picked Me Up
Ta-Nehisi Coates blog, the Atlantic: Black Studies And 'Intellectual Cowardice'
Scott McLemee, Inside Higher Ed: The Trouble With Black Studies
Liz McMillen, Chronicle of Higher Education: Editor’s Note (May 3)
Naomi Schaefer Riley, Wall Street Journal: The Academic Mob Rules
Betsy Rothstein, FishbowlDC: An Editor's Dangerous Mea Culpa
Craig Silverman, Poynter Institute: Writer fired by Chronicle of Higher Ed: 'The vitriolic reaction is kind of surprising'

Did Interest in FAMU Victim Wane After Gay Disclosure?

". . . Twenty-six-year-old Florida A&M University drum major Robert Champion died of blunt force trauma after he was pummeled by more than a dozen fellow band members during a hazing ritual," Rod McCullom wrote Tuesday for ebony.com. "According to the lawsuit later filed by Champion's family, their son was beaten so brutally, he suffered 'severe bleeding' and was reportedly vomiting.

". . . Champion's case had become a cause célèbre among the Black e-telligentsia, Black gossip blogs and news portals. After Champion's parents announced that their late son was gay? Not so much.

"Reporting on the case virtually disappeared across Black cyberspace between January and May 2012. Several outlets — such as The Grio — published the AP's report on Champion's sexuality and never mentioned it again until last week's announcement that 13 people had been charged in connection with his death, most facing felony hazing counts. Just as well, because many of the posted comments around Champion's sexuality were hatefully heartbreaking. . . "

Mexico and U.S.: "Political Neighbors"

"Political Neighbors" opened this week at El Taller Latino Americano in New York, Arturo Conde wrote this week for Univision, offering Americans "a glimpse of the political cartoons of three Mexican master artists: Eduardo del Río (Rius), Felipe Galindo (Feggo), and Rafael Barajas Durán (El Fisgón.) . . . the panels of these Mexican artists compel viewers to question their own principles and awaken a deeper sense of consciousness."

Short Takes

"Al Jazeera English has closed its bureau in Beijing after the Chinese authorities refused to renew its correspondent's press credentials and visa, or allow a replacement journalist," the network reported on Wednesday. "The channel expressed its disappointment at the situation and said it would continue to request a presence in China." Speaking of Hong Lei, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman, Madeline Earp of the Committee to Protect Journalists wrote, "His explanations for the ministry's refusal to renew credentials for the channel's Beijing correspondent Melissa Chan were a mixture of denial and obfuscation."
"The New York Times Magazine recently ran a story on my home, the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans, a place one of the most powerful newspapers in the world insensitively dubbed a 'Jungleland,' " Jenga Mwendo wrote for the Maynard Institute's America's Wire. "Contrary to the article, residents of this community are not reconciled to life in the wilderness and we don't live in an untamed mess of overgrowth or in a forgotten wasteland. We are not resigned to anything; we are fighting to revive our community."
"Leaders on the ABC affiliates side applaud official word of the arrangement between ABC News and Univision to create a 24/7 English-language news and lifestyle network, but are unsure about what their role in the network will be," Michael Malone wrote Monday for Broadcasting & Cable. Alex Weprin of TVNewser reported that getting carriage by cable companies might be a problem and Melissa Pitts of HuffPost LatinoVoices listed five ways to turn off Latinos with the collaboration.
"JET® Magazine will host its first-ever open casting call for its JET Beauty® of the Week franchise," the magazine announced Tuesday. "The casting call will be held in Atlanta, Ga. and co-hosted by 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' co-star Cynthia Bailey, chief executive officer, The Bailey Agency School of Fashion this Saturday, May 12, noon-3 p.m. Mitzi Miller, editor in chief, JET, Cynthia Bailey and a special invited celebrity guest will be on hand to judge the women." For more information, email JETcastingbow (at) gmail.com.
"ESPN2's two-hour weekday morning live debate show, 'ESPN First Take,' will get a new look on Monday, June 4 as Stephen A. Smith joins the show fulltime in a key role five days a week," the network announced on Tuesday. "Smith, who now also hosts the daily radio program Stephen A. Smith and Ryan Ruocco (1-3 p.m. ET) on ESPN Radio in New York and will serve as a major contributor to SportsCenter year-round, has long been a frequent guest on 'ESPN First Take.' "
". . . as the first, and longest-running, radio station in the South to be founded by blacks, WVOE remains a voice of a community that can still remember when it had no voice at all," Chick Jacobs wrote Tuesday for the Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer. The station is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
"The governor of Puerto Rico is trying to do what more than a century of American citizenship has failed to accomplish: make Puerto Ricans fluent in English," Danica Coto reported Tuesday for the Associated Press. "Gov. Luis Fortuno, who has been mentioned as a possible Republican vice-presidential candidate, has proposed an ambitious, and what critics call far-fetched, plan to require all public schools to teach all courses in English instead of Spanish."
"FAIR's recent study of the Sunday morning network shows documented a distinct right-wing bias in the guestlists," Peter Hart wrote Monday for Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting. ". . . Since the study was released, [the] left-leaning commentator/TV host Tavis Smiley has been on two shows, CBS's 'Face the Nation' (4/22/12) and ABC's 'This Week' (5/6/12). The latter showed how a guest like Smiley can broaden the discussion — at one point he invoked Martin Luther King's critique of militarism to talk about current U.S. policy. And he talked about poverty. . . ."
The "Power Players Week" for the game show "Jeopardy!" has been taped and readied for airing starting May 14. NBA Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is scheduled for May 15 and Chicago Tribune columnist Clarence Page May 17.
"Why does MSNBC allow Al Sharpton to be involved in the [Trayvon] Martin story and still cover it on his 6 p.m. program 'PoliticsNation?' Isn't that a conflict of interest?" former newspaper editor Paul Janensch wrote Monday for the Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group in Stuart, Fla. ". . .The late Abe Rosenthal, a tough executive editor of The New York Times, once told a reporter who wanted to march in a demonstration he had been assigned to write about: 'You can make love to an elephant if you want to. But if you do, you can't cover the circus.' (Actually, Rosenthal said something earthier than 'make love to.')"
As commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War continues, C-SPAN3 plans to air a discussion of the contributions of African American women during the Civil War. The speaker is Hari Jones, curator and assistant director of the African American Civil War Memorial Freedom Foundation and Museum in Washington. The program airs Saturday at 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. Eastern time and 11 a.m. Sunday.
Referring to Honduras, "Reporters Without Borders calls on the authorities to render justice in the murder of Erick Martínez Ávila, a 32-year-old opposition journalist and gay rights activist whose body was found at the side of the road between Tegucigalpa and Olancho on 7 May, two days after his family reported him missing," the press-freedom group said on Wednesday. "Local officials said he appeared to have been strangled."
"On April 24, 2012 Philippine Journalist Michael Calanasan, 36, was shot dead by two gunmen riding tandem on a motorcycle at approximately 7:00 a.m. in San Pablo City, Laguna Province, in the Philippines," Molly Ochs wrote Wednesday for the International Press Institute. "Calanasan was a columnist for the local daily newspaper The Laguna Courier as well as a city traffic officer. . . . Calanasan's mother is the former editor-in-chief of the paper."

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Media Not Ready to Ban All Offensive Slurs

Roberto Delgado — Tue, 08 May 2012 02:45:37 +0000

May 7, 2012

NABJ leaders urge N.Y. Post never to use "that vile word"; S. African quits job to take Nieman; apartheid era echoed; ABC, Univision announce joint cable channel; Chinese activist seeks out U.S. reporter who helped him; columnist finds living on $5 a day "doable" — but; for Indians' sake, Nicholas Kristof urges boycott of Bud; L.A. riots led to better coverage of Asian Americans; Stanford fellowships cite outreach for diversity success; Jenkins to edit theRootDC for Washington Post; why have white men always hosted "Meet the Press?" (5/7/12, 5/8/12 and 5/9/12)

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Updated May 8, May 9

NABJ Leaders Urge N.Y. Post Never to Use "That Vile Word"

S. African Quits Job to Take Nieman; Apartheid Era Echoed

A South African journalist accepted into the Nieman Fellowship program at Harvard University has quit his job as a television field producer there because his employer would not let him accept the fellowship, the journalist, Beauregard Lucian Tromp, told Journal-isms on Tuesday.

"They told me they couldn't let me go," Tromp, 36, said by telephone. "After a lot of soul searching, I decided the Nieman Fellowship is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I decided to resign."

South Africa has sent a journalist to the Nieman program for 51 years, the only country outside of the United States to do so consistently. The selection is made by South African graduates of the program, known as the Nieman Society of Southern Africa. Tromp's selection was announced in Cambridge, Mass., on Thursday along with those of the 23 other U.S. and international fellows.

Tim Du Plessis, chair of the Nieman Fund Trust of Southern Africa, which raises funds for the fellowship, told Journal-isms by telephone that the last time a South African journalist was denied permission to accept the fellowship was in 1965, when the apartheid government would not grant a passport to Ndazana Nathaniel Nakasa, an assistant editor of Drum magazine, founder of the Classic literary magazine and columnist for the Rand Daily Mail.

Nakasa took an exit permit, which meant he would never be able to get back to his home country, according to the website South African History Online.

After Nakasa's studies, "As it became clear he would never be able to return home, he committed suicide on 14 July 1965 by jumping from a window of a high-rise building. Attempts to bring his body home bore no fruit, and he was buried at the Ferncliff cemetery in upstate New York," the history said. "That was the about the last time we had a similar kind of situation," Du Plessis said, although this one was not political.

Patrick Conroy, group head of news for Tromp's employer, e.sat tv, could not immediately be reached for comment. Tromp said the Nieman Society of Southern Africa, "the top people in the media in South Africa," emailed his editors explaining the significance of the Nieman — "you're sitting at the top table" — to no avail. Du Plessis said, "This is a serious fellowship. He's quite well known; he's an accomplished journalist. That's the point."

Etv explained that Tromp had been with the station less than a year, Tromp said. The Nieman society chose him as its recipient only two or three weeks ago, he said. Tromp resigned from the station a week ago Monday.

According to the Nieman program, Tromp "will study the practice of countries and global corporations purchasing large tracts of land in Africa to address future food shortages and the impact of that for trade agreements, governments and local communities concerned about possible exploitation under a 'new colonialism.' " (Added May 8)

Matiba Mutheiwana, Financial Mail, South Africa: Tromp goes to Harvard

Robin Roberts and George Stephanopoulos announce the ABC-Univision venture Monday on ABC's "Good Morning America." (Video)

ABC, Univision Announce Joint Cable Channel

"The Walt Disney Company’s ABC News division and Univision have tentatively agreed to create an English-language cable television channel for Hispanics in the United States," Brian Stelter reported Monday for the New York Times.

Univision said of the new network, ". . . It will deliver news content focused on issues, lifestyle interests and culture of importance to Hispanics and will feature the trusted, award-winning journalists of ABC News and Univision News. Now for the first time Hispanic Americans will have a choice for uncompromising coverage of current events and lifestyle with a Latino perspective in English."

Isaac Lee, president of Univision News, said in the announcement, “Univision News is proud to be working with ABC News in this groundbreaking venture to further deliver global news and investigative reporting to the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population which today is one of the most important influencers on the future of the United States and its role in the world. It will also provide all audiences with a multiplatform current events perspective on the issues that matter most to Latinos. This is an important moment for journalism in the U.S. and for the U.S. Hispanic community."

Stelter's story continued, "The companies, which will each own 50 percent of the joint venture, said Monday morning that the channel — which is, as yet, unnamed — would start sometime in the first half of 2013. Ben Sherwood, the president of ABC News, said it would be 'a 24/7 news, information and lifestyle network primarily in English that will serve the youngest and fastest-growing demographic in the country: U.S. Hispanics.'

". . . Through the joint venture, both companies see an opportunity to grow by collaborating: Disney, by negotiating a per-subscriber fee for the channel that will support ABC News; and Univision, the largest media company in the United States catering to Spanish-language speakers, by expanding into English-language programming.

"The financial terms of the joint venture were not disclosed. The two news divisions will share some news-gathering and production resources, potentially allowing ABC to trim some costs."

Chinese Activist Seeks Out U.S. Reporter Who Helped Him

"Activist Chen Guangcheng called The Washington Post last week because of a 2005 article by Philip P. Pan, says the author," Andrew Beaujon wrote Monday for the Poynter Institute. "Pan’s article introduced Chen's campaign against forced abortions and sterilizations in rural China to Western audiences. Pan now works for The New York Times, where he writes about his guilt over how that article got Chen arrested, leading to the detention he just escaped. Pan says the call to the Post after Chen decided to leave the American Embassy in Beijing, where he'd taken shelter, was a result of Chen not keeping up with media news: 'While en route in an embassy car, he borrowed a cellphone and called The Washington Post, apparently in an attempt to reach me and explain his choice.'

"In an audio clip, Keith Richburg, the Beijing-based Washington Post reporter whom Chen reached, discusses the phone call, which technically came from the American ambassador, Gary Locke, who passed the phone to Chen."

Mary Sanchez, Kansas City Star: The talented, and troublesome, Mr. Chen
Michael Wines, New York Times: China Expels Al Jazeera Channel

Columnist Finds Living on $5 a Day "Doable" — But

"Sponsored by the anti-hunger coalition and the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, the Food Stamp Challenge asked participants to live on $35 a week or $5 a day, columnist Annette John-Hall wrote last week in the Philadelphia Inquirer, ". . . the average benefit a person who is on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, receives in Pennsylvania. I participated with several other media members, including Radio Times host Marty Moss-Coane of WHYY, and community organizers and politicians, such as U.S. Rep. Bob Brady [D]."

How did she fare?

". . . On Day 4, already on carb overload, I couldn’t shake the mental and physical fatigue of eating the same thing. I looked in the mirror. My skin had lost its glow.

"Is eating on $35 a week doable? It is — if you're willing to sacrifice fresh fruits and vegetables for protein and carbs, traditional meal-stretching foods. It requires supreme organization and focus, which not many of us have on our best days. Let's face it: How many of us have brought food for the week only to go out for dinner or stop for McDonald's because we don't feel like cooking? Not a whole lot different from low-income folks who choose McDonald's regularly for convenience and affordability.

"To encourage nutritious choices, the city has been working hard to establish more farmers' market in low-income neighborhoods and to get corner stores to install refrigerated display cases so they can sell healthy foods, such as yogurt. Still, that won't do much to ease the huge hit SNAP recipients will surely take when congressionally enacted budget cuts — $14 billion over 10 years — take effect next year. That means benefits for a family of four will be reduced by as much as $60 a month, marking the first time there’s ever been a reduction in food stamps with no change in a family’s circumstance."

For Indians' Sake, Nicholas Kristof Urges Boycott of Bud

"After seeing Anheuser-Busch’s devastating exploitation of American Indians, I'm done with its beer," Nicholas D. Kristof wrote from Whiteclay, Neb., Sunday in the New York Times.

"The human toll is evident here in Whiteclay: men and women staggering on the street, or passed out, whispers of girls traded for alcohol. The town has a population of about 10 people, but it sells more than four million cans of beer and malt liquor annually — because it is the main channel through which alcohol illegally enters the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation a few steps away.

"Pine Ridge, one of America’s largest Indian reservations, bans alcohol. The Oglala Sioux who live there struggle to keep alcohol out, going so far as to arrest people for possession of a can of beer. But the tribe has no jurisdiction over Whiteclay because it is just outside the reservation boundary.

". . . That's why I'll pass on a Bud, and I hope you'll join me."

Nicholas Kristof blog, New York Times: The Height of Corporate Irresponsibility — Anheuser Busch

L.A. Riots Led to Better Coverage of Asian Americans

One of the outcomes of the 1992 Los Angeles riots, which erupted 20 years ago last week, was improved coverage of Asian Americans by a previously "clueless" media, according to Stewart Kwoh, president and executive director of the Los Angeles-based Asian Pacific American Legal Center.

"Media outlets . . . sensationalized coverage of the unrest, showing images of Korean business owners wielding guns outside their stores," Kwoh wrote for New America Media. "In actuality, police left them unprotected and with few other options. Not until several community leaders challenged the lack of Asian-American journalists in newsrooms did these outlets, such as the Los Angeles Times, hire Asian-American staff and improve their coverage."

Kwoh's center describes itself as "the nation’s largest Asian-American legal and civil rights organization that serves more than 15,000 individuals and organizations each year." Twenty years ago, though, Kwoh led a delegation of Asian American community leaders who went to see Shelby Coffey III, then the editor of the Times. The paper had Asian American journalists, Kwoh said, "but they weren't covering the Asian American community. They didn't have somebody who knew about the community covering the Asian American community."

Kwoh told Journal-isms Monday by telephone that Coffey, "on the spot," appointed Penelope McMillan to be that reporter. Four to six months later, K. Connie Kang was assigned to the beat. Though only one reporter at a time covered Asian Americans, "for our community it was a big achievement," he said. Later, the group gave Coffey an award.

For reporters of color, "half the battle is explaining" to the editors "that the story is important," Kwoh said, and both McMillan and Kang were good at that.

The Los Angeles riots were precipitated by a jury’s acquittal of four Los Angeles police officers who severely beat Rodney King, an African American motorist. But underlying the rioting was a sense of economic and political isolation. "People didn't feel they had a lot to lose," Kwoh said. About half the estimated $1 billion in property damage occurred to Korean-owned businesses.

"We could tell that things were happening," Kwoh said of the disquiet. "The media was clueless. The media did not pick up on the frustration, the anger and the lack of economic opportunity in South Central." Had journalists been covering Asian Americans and their businesses, he said, they would have understood "why was it that blacks were moving out, or African Americans or Latinos couldn't even get the loans. . . . I don't see that people saw that lead-up to the riots."

With the cutbacks at the Times, the paper's Asian American reporters now cover Asian Americans only if they fall in the reporter's subject area or geographic area, Kwoh said. The Times no longer covers demographic groups.

Coffey wrote his own remembrance of the events of 1992 last week for the Daily Beast.

Sasha Bronner, Huffington Post: Bob Tur And Marika Gerrard: LA Riots Reporters On Capturing The Reginald Denny Beating, Saving Lives & The Horror Of 1992
Jason Linkins and Jason Cherkis, HuffPost LatinoVoices: 'I Can Smell The Fires From Here': Broadcasts From The L.A. Riots (EXCLUSIVE AUDIO)
Sylvester Monroe, theRoot.com: LA Riots: Could They Happen Again?

Stanford Fellowships Cite Outreach for Diversity Success

Was it intentional that seven of the 13 recipients of the John S. Knight Fellowships at Stanford University announced last week would be people of color?

"I don't know if 'intentional' is the right word," James R. Bettinger, director of the program, told Journal-isms by email on Monday. "We worked very hard to broaden our outreach to journalists of color, especially those involved in untraditional news media ventures, and I would say we benefited from that."

Meanwhile, the Nieman program at Harvard University, which announced an incoming class with no African Americans on Thursday, actually received more black applicants this year than last, according to curator Ann Marie Lipinski.

"There were 147 U.S. applicants," she said by email. "Of those, 10 self identified as African American, 10 as Hispanic, and 7 as Asian American.

"[One-fourth] of the U.S. fellows chosen are non-majority; of the 12, two self-identified as Hispanic and one as Asian-American and white/Caucasian."

She would not identify the Hispanic and Asian-American/white/Caucasian recipients by name, citing "applicant confidentiality guidelines."

[However, Laura Wides-Muñoz responded Tuesday to a question from Journal-isms, "I . . . wanted to clarify that I am not Hispanic. I am married to a Guatemalan, thus the hyphenated surname." Lipiniski said Wides-Muñoz' declaration does not change her count.]

The number of African American applicants was 16 in 2010 and six in 2011; 15 Hispanics in 2010 and seven in 2011; two Native Americans in 2010 and one in 2011, curator Bob Giles told Journal-isms last year.

Lipinski, a former editor of the Chicago Tribune who became curator of the Nieman Foundation for Journalism last summer, declined to comment on the lack of African Americans among the newest selections.

Giles said last year, "Our African American applicant pool has been growing steadily. We put more recruiting time and energy into minority recruitment, especially African Americans, than any other group. The decline in the number of African American applicants is both disappointing and a mystery."

Jenkins to Edit TheRootDC for Washington Post

Chris L. Jenkins, deputy to Robert E. Pierre, departing editor of the Washington Post's theRootDC, is succeeding Pierre as editor of the web-and-print product targeting middle-class African Americans, editors announced on Monday.

Meanwhile, Shirley Carswell, the Post's deputy managing editor, conceded, "We did lose a lot of journalists of color" in the latest round of buyouts, and said the newspaper was "making a concerted effort to bring in more people of color." It is also attempting to do "a better job of promoting and developing the people we have here," she said.

Pierre was with the paper for 19 years. Not all of those who are leaving have publicly identified themselves. Fredrick Kunkle, co-chair, News, of the Post's unit of the Newspaper Guild, said last month, ". . . By our count, more than a dozen of these Guild-covered employees are minorities, most of whom are black."

According to the editors' memo, Jenkins, along with Pierre, "was the creative force behind our niche channel on washingtonpost.com aimed at local African American readers." He "joined The Post as a summer intern in 2000. Since then, he has reported from nearly every corner of suburban Virginia, bringing a seriousness of purpose and a deft writing touch to every assignment, whether it was GA [general assignment], politics or social policy. He also spent 2.5 years covering the state legislature in Richmond, including the 2005 governor’s race. The Harlem, NY, native attended Oberlin College and holds a master’s in journalism from University of California-Berkeley."

Carswell said she would not discuss numbers but said the proportion of journalists of color in the Post newsroom would remain about the same. "We continue to have one of the best records for diversity in our newsroom staffs," she said. "We will be looking at ways to keep diversity front and center." She clarified that a meeting she held two Fridays ago was not a formal one with Newspaper Guild representatives, just an informal gathering with employees in which she inquired about possible hires.

Why Have White Men Always Hosted "Meet the Press?"

On C-SPAN's "In Depth With Tom Brokaw" on Sunday, the NBC newsman was asked by Scott Pellegrino of Counterpunch magazine why of the 10 hosts in the 65-year history of "Meet the Press,' all have been white men. Brokaw spoke chiefly about women in his first response. Another caller, who identified himself as Max, later asked Brokaw why he hadn't addressed the issue of black journalists. Above, Brokaw says, "The time will come," mentioning Asian American and Hispanic journalists as well. (Video)

Short Takes

E.J. Mitchell was last in this column in 2010, when he abruptly left the Gannett Co.'s Courier-Post in Cherry Hill, N.J., where he was executive editor. Now Mitchell is managing editor of the Medicare NewsGroup in Glencoe, Ill., Joe Grimm reported last week in his career-advice column for the Poynter Institute. The Medicare NewsGroup site features original and curated content aimed at journalists covering Medicare.
Joseph Curl, columnist at the right-wing Washington Times, took note of the passing of Adam Nathaniel Yauch of the Beastie Boys of cancer at 47 last week and complained that "half-white Barack Obama (exactly my age) didn’t say a word, even though he was talking to college kids that day . . ." yet "The president took time from his busy schedule to comment on the passing of black musicians. When Whitney Houston, a longtime crack addict, died this year, the White House put out a statement. . . ."
"Medill Dean John Lavine announced today that ESPN journalist and Medill alumnus Michael Wilbon will be this year's speaker during the school's journalism graduation ceremony," the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications at Northwestern University said on Monday.
Kira Goldenberg of the Columbia Journalism Review identified Monday what she found wanting in the first-person Essence essay by Beyoncé Knowles that won a first-place in the New York Association of Black Journalists' journalism competition. ". . . the piece is devoid of any sense of the singer’s interiority. She relates details of her far-flung travels but never pauses to reflect on any spiritual or emotional growth spurred by her frequent-flier miles," Goldenberg wrote. "It's the magic of words to images to deeper meanings that produces the first-person pieces readers dog-ear and keep by their beds."
The Inland Press Association is accepting applications through Aug. 17 for its Inland Minority Fellowship Program, an initiative to support and foster diversity in newspaper leadership. "We'll choose up to three Fellows who will serve out an interactive three-year term. Fellows attend conferences and workshops (free of charge, of course), and become active participants on Inland committees and potential contributors to Inland workshops and webinars," the association says.
Attorneys for George Zimmerman, the Sanford, Fla., man facing second-degree murder charges in Trayvon Martin's killing, launched a website, Facebook page and Twitter account devoted to the case, Adam Hochberg reported Monday for the Poynter Institute. ". . . legal experts I spoke with could recall no previous case where a defense team has employed such tactics in a high-profile prosecution."
"In this press release, CNN Español correspondent Naibe Reynoso unambiguously hints at a quid pro quo deal to provide media coverage to any company that will sponsor her 'Celebrity Baby Shower,' " Hamilton Nolan wrote Friday for gawker.com. An update said, "Naibe Reynoso has been a freelancer for CNN en Español for a number of years. She has assured the network that she did not have any prior knowledge of the solicitation from FRH PR and has stated that it was sent without her approval. FRH PR has corroborated Reynoso's statements, issued her a formal apology for taking action without her knowledge and cancelled the event."
Columnist Bill Keller, former executive editor of the New York Times, wrote over the weekend that, "at least for Americans — Fox News is [Rupert] Murdoch's most toxic legacy. . . . My complaint is that Fox pretends very hard to be something it is not, and in the process contributes to the corrosive cynicism that has polarized our public discourse."
"An Ethiopian court has cited the editor of a leading independent newspaper for contempt after his paper published the verbatim courtroom statement made by the imprisoned journalist Eskinder Nega during his trial, according to news reports, the Committee to Protect Journalists reported Friday. It condemned the ruling, "which illustrates the growing severity of censorship in Ethiopia."

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Beyoncé Award Prompts New Look at Criteria

joaquin — Sat, 05 May 2012 03:40:25 +0000

May 4, 2012

N.Y. black journalists to honor pop star's essay in Essence; Gilbert Bailón named editor of St. Louis Post-Dispatch; NAHJ projects revenue surplus exceeding $100,000; no African Americans in incoming Nieman fellowships class; headlines, puns about Elizabeth Warren draw fire; N.Y. Post writer raises hackles over Jay-Z and N-word; a "Blood-American" helps answer "What is a Chicano?"; press freedom day begins with Mexican violence (5/4/12)

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N.Y. Black Journalists to Honor Pop Star's Essay in Essence

Gilbert Bailón Named Editor of St. Louis Post-Dispatch

NAHJ Projects Revenue Surplus Exceeding $100,000

No African Americans in Incoming Nieman Fellowships Class

Headlines, Puns About Elizabeth Warren Draw Fire

Arnie Robbins, left, outgoing editor of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and Gilbert Bailón, named to succeed him, in the lobby of the newspaper on Friday. (Credit: David Carson/Post-Dispatch)

Gilbert Bailón Named Editor of St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Gilbert Bailón, editorial page editor of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, was named editor of the paper on Friday, succeeding Arnie Robbins and becoming one of a handful of Latino editors of mainstream dailies.

"Gilbert is a strong and talented team leader with knowledge of our newsroom, our industry and our community,'' Publisher Kevin Mowbray said in his announcement. "I'm confident that Gilbert will continue the outstanding and exceptional work that is produced by our newsroom each and every day.''

Robbins has been editor for more than six years and was managing editor for seven years. His last day is to be May 18.

Bailón, a former executive editor of the Dallas Morning News who launched that paper's Spanish-language offshoot, Al Día, of which he was editor and publisher, was named editorial page editor of the Post-Dispatch in 2007.

He is also a past president of the American Society of Newspaper Editors, a past president of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and a former board member of the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education.

"The ranks of minority journalists at all levels have taken large hits in the newsroom downsizings, including top editors," Bailón told Journal-isms by email Friday. "Fewer people of color remain in top posts. Without a doubt, diversity of top newsroom executives has declined over the last five years although demographic trends continue to show the growth of minority populations."

Aminda "Mindy" Marques Gonzalez was named executive editor of the Miami Herald in 2010.

In 2008, when Mike Fannin was named editor at the Kansas City Star, that paper became the largest-circulation U.S. newspaper with a Hispanic editor. Fannin told readers then, "I am white and Latino, a mix of Irish, Mexican and German heritage, but, make no mistake, all American."

Carolina Garcia, the editor of the Daily News in Los Angeles, in October was named executive editor for the Daily Breeze and the Press-Telegram in Long Beach as well.

Both Garcia and Bailón can claim to lead the newsroom of the largest mainstream daily edited by a Hispanic, depending on how the numbers are counted. On Sundays, the Post-Dispatch claims a circulation of 333,529, larger than that of the Kansas City Star, the Miami Herald or the combined circulation of the three California papers. But the three California papers' combined Monday-through-Friday circulation of 238,846 is larger than that of the Post-Dispatch, the Star or the Herald.

Bailón said in the Post-Dispatch story that he was "excited for the opportunity to lead the newsroom as we evolve our print and digital products. Our future is bright and meaningful journalism remains our foundation and strength as we keep news content central to our readers' lives."

NAHJ Projects Revenue Surplus Exceeding $100,000

Rosa Morales, assistant editor at Mi Gente Hispana Magazine, was named Region 6 director of NAHJ. (Video)

"Members, we have a budget!" Michele Salcedo, president of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, said in a message to members posted on the NAHJ website Friday.

"The board of directors unanimously passed nearly a $900,000 budget for fiscal year 2012 during their spring meeting, held April 20 at the Uptown Sheraton in Albuquerque, N.M. Financial officer Russell Contreras and the Finance Committee, working with Interim Executive Director Anna Lopez Buck, proposed a very conservative spending plan, with the bulk of revenue coming from membership renewals, UNITY registrations, sponsorships and member donations.

"If we stay on plan, we should end 2012 for a second year with a revenue surplus of more than $100,000. I’m proud to report that the first installment of repayments to the Scholarship Fund and the Investment Fund is included in the 2012 budget, as is an audit of accounts — the first in several years. Members will receive details of the repayment plan as well as the financials at the membership meeting on Thursday, Aug. 2 in Las Vegas.

". . . We have two new board members. Please join me in welcoming Marcela Garcia of Boston and Rosa Morales of Ann Arbor. The board unanimously approved the appointment of Marcela Garcia, editor of La Planeta, as Spanish Language at-Large Officer, and Rosa Morales, assistant editor at Mi Gente [Hispana] Magazine, as Region 6 Director, effective immediately.

"Garcia will fill the unexpired term of Ada Alvarez Conde, who resigned January 31 to serve as communications director for Puerto Rico's Sen. Eduardo Bhatia and work on a doctorate degree.

". . . A founding member of NAHJ, Morales will fill the unexpired term of Region 6 director Marcela Toledo, who resigned March 9 for personal reasons."

No African Americans in Incoming Nieman Fellowships Class

Less than a week after the Knight journalism fellowships program at Stanford University chose a fellowship class comprising more than half journalists of color, the Nieman fellowships at Harvard University announced an incoming class that appears to be devoid of African Americans.

Ann Marie Lipinksi, a former editor of the Chicago Tribune who became curator of the Nieman Foundation for Journalism last summer, said she was in a day-long workshop on Friday, the day the new fellows were announced, and did not know the racial breakdown of the new fellowship class.

However, the fellows do include:

Alexandra Garcia, a video journalist at the Washington Post, who is to study how news organizations can create visual experiences that engage users. She also plans to explore interactive storytelling forms.
Laura Wides-Muñoz, Hispanic affairs writer for the Associated Press, who plans to study the nexus between immigration and economics. "She will examine how the global financial crisis affects the integration of immigrants into U.S. society and explore multimedia platforms for presenting the data in new and dynamic ways." [Wides-Muñoz clarified in an email to Journal-isms on May 8, "I am not Hispanic. I am married to a Guatemalan, thus the hyphenated surname."]

In the current Nieman class, Jonathan Blakley, an African American foreign desk producer at NPR, is the only U.S. journalist of color.

The number of African American applicants fell from 16 in 2010 to six in 2011, from 15 Hispanics to seven and from two Native Americans to one, curator Bob Giles told Journal-isms at the time.

"Our African American applicant pool has been growing steadily. We put more recruiting time and energy into minority recruitment, especially African Americans, than any other group. The decline in the number of African American applicants is both disappointing and a mystery," he said.

Headlines, Puns About Elizabeth Warren Draw Fire

"NAJA is disappointed that coverage of U.S. Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren's claimed Native heritage has resulted in a series of disrespectful headlines and puns that show disregard for Native Americans and our history," the Native American Journalists Association said in a statement Thursday.

Warren, a Harvard Law School professor and a Democrat, is vying for the seat held by Scott Brown, R-Mass. She has identified herself as having Cherokee and Delaware Indian heritage.

The NAJA statement said, "A recent article posted by Michelle Malkin with the headline 'Sacaja-whiner: Elizabeth Warren and the Oppression Olympics' paired partial references to multiple Native American names with ways to ridicule Ms. Warren's ancestry claims. Ms. Malkin wrote: 'Call her "Pinocchio-hontas," "Chief Full-of-Lies," "'Running Joke' or "Sacaja-whiner." '

". . . While allegations surrounding her claims are unsettling, making fun of Native names that have history, respect, and honor is worse. The names are being belittled by Ms. Malkin for a joke that many Americans had a laugh at.

"The Daily Caller further belittled the names by re-posting her piece, initially in connection with the headline 'Sitting Bulls**t.'

". . . Tribal nations deserve respect. They are not for the amusement of the media."

Joel Achenbach, Washington Post: Is Elizabeth Warren a Native American?
Howie Carr, Boston Herald: Indian lore will play OK in Elizabeth Warren’s ‘tribe’
Hillary Chabot and Matt Stout, Boston Herald: Elizabeth Warren has no reservations on Native status: Brown, Warren spar as records released
David Treuer, Washington Post: Elizabeth Warren says she's Native American. So she is.

N.Y. Post Writer Raises Hackles Over Jay-Z and N-word

"The NY Post has had their fair share of racist controversies — just recently, there was the cartoon which portrayed Muslims as terrorists — but it seems as though columnist Phil Mushnick really wants to take things to the next level," Ben Yakas wrote Friday on Gothamist.com.

"Today, he rails against the new Brooklyn Nets and Jay-Z, who owns 1.47% of the team: 'Why the Brooklyn Nets when they can be the New York N------s? The cheerleaders could be the Brooklyn B----hes or Hoes." Wow. Here's the full quote in its grotesque context:

" 'As long as the Nets are allowing Jay-Z to call their marketing shots — what a shock that he chose black and white as the new team colors to stress, as the Nets explained, their new 'urban' home — why not have him apply the full Jay-Z treatment?

" 'Why the Brooklyn Nets when they can be the New York N------s? The cheerleaders could be the Brooklyn B----hes or Hoes. Team logo? A 9 mm with hollow-tip shell casings strewn beneath. Wanna be Jay-Z hip? Then go all the way!"

Many in the blogosphere, including some black journalists, called for Mushnick's firing.

Mushnick replied to the Village Voice and others, "James — did you actually read what I wrote and what I've been writing for 30 years? I don't call black men niggas; my kids never heard the word until folks such as Jay-Z came along. I'd suggest you talk to him about it. What I wrote today was on Jay Z's artistry, and only the wishful and foolish would so badly misinterpret and mischaracterize it as you plan to do. Thanks — mushnick."

Dan Devine, Yahoo Sports: Here’s the Brooklyn Nets’ new logo, designed by Jay-Z
Deigo Mack, thyblackman.com: NY Post Phil Mushnick Brooklyn Nets comment (May 5)
National Association of Black Journalists: NABJ Condemns Columnist Phil Mushnick and New York Post Editors for Racially Insensitive Reference (May 5)
Larry Mcshane, Daily News, New York: Post columnist's use of N-word draws ire of New Yorkers (May 5)

A "Blood-American" Helps Answer "What Is a Chicano?"

In what is advertised by the Huffington Post as first in a series, "actor, director and art advocate" Cheech Marin, half of the '60s comedy team Cheech and Chong, asks, "What Is a Chicano?"

An excerpt:

"Because I am the only official version of what being Chicano is, I say Mexican-American is the politically correct middle ground between Hispanic and Chicano. Like in the song I wrote to be sung by a Chicano trying to be P.C. 'Mexican-Americans; don't like to just get into gang fights; they like flowers and music; and white girls named Debbie too.'

"All those names made it confusing for me growing up. I lived in an all-black neighborhood, followed by an all-white one, and other kids in the always called me Mexican in both neighborhoods.

"It never bothered me until one day I thought to myself 'Hey, wait a minute, I'm not Mexican.' I've never even been to Mexico and I don't speak Spanish. Sure, I eat Mexican food at family gatherings where all of the adults speak Spanish, but I eat Cheerios and pizza and hamburgers more. No, I'm definitely not a 'Mexican.' Maybe I was 'Mexican-ish,' just like some people were 'Jew-ish.'

"These thoughts all ran through my mind when I chased down an alley by five young African-American kids. 'Yo, Messican!' they called out in their patois. I stopped in my tracks and spun around. 'I'm not a Mexican!' I shouted defiantly. They stopped too, then stared at me. The leader spoke, 'Fool! What you talking 'bout? You Mexican as a taco. Look at you.'

" 'No,' I said. 'To be a Mexican, you have to be from Mexico. You're African-American. Are you from Africa?'

" 'N--. You crazy. I'm from South-Central, just like you.'

" 'That's exactly what I'm talking about!' I said. 'Did anybody knock on your door and ask you did you want to be African-American?'

" 'Hell no! The social workers don't even knock on our door, they too scared,' he said, cracking everyone up.

" 'Then why you letting people call you whatever they want? What do you want to be called?' I asked.

"He looked at the others, thought about it for a few seconds and then said proudly, 'I'm a Blood.'

" 'Ooo-kay,' I said making it up as I went along. 'Then you're a Blood-American.'

"That seemed to go over well. They all nodded. 'Yeah, we Blood-American.'

" 'Well, then go out and be the best Blood-Americans that you can be. Peace, brothers, I got to blow.' I walked away and so did they. Self-identification saved the day. Yet, I still was dissatisfied with what I wanted to call myself. . . ."

Russell Contreras, Associated Press: Cinco De Mayo 2012: The Mexican Holiday's Link To Slavery, Black Civil Rights
Unai Montes-Irueste, Politic365.com: Yes: Latinos Can Be Racist, Too
Rita Rico, HuffPost LatinoVoices: Latino? Why, Yes, Thank You
Richard Whitmire, USA Today: Teach black and Hispanic students differently
Marisa Treviño, Latina Lista blog: New study highlights reason why blacks, Latinos, Asians may look "all alike" to non-minorities

Press Freedom Day Begins With Mexican Violence

"It was a bloody start to World Press Freedom Day in Mexico as authorities in the eastern state of Veracruz discovered the bodies of three news photographers slain and dumped together in plastic bags near a canal, less than a week after the killing in the same state of a reporter for an investigative newsmagazine," Fox News Latino reported Thursday via the Associated Press.

"Press advocates called for immediate government action to halt a wave of attacks that has killed at least six current and former reporters and photographers in Veracruz over the last year, most of them among the few journalists still working on crime-related stories in the state. The deaths have spawned an atmosphere of terror and self-censorship among journalists."

Guy Berger, African Media Initiative, Nairobi, Kenya: AMI Principles Will Nourish Africa's Information Consumers
Committee to Protect Journalists: Gunmen kill Somali journalist in Puntland
Free Press: Free Speech and Digital Rights Groups Call on Department of Justice to Protect Everyone's Right to Record
Ferial Haffajee, journalism.co.uk: 'Africa is a place of hope and that is reflected in its journalism'
Voice of America: UN, Media Groups Mark World Press Freedom Day

Short Takes

Niala K. Boodhoo, a reporter with WBEZ-FM, Chicago Public Media, and the Asian American Journalists Association/Chicago chapter representative on the AAJA National Advisory Board, is running unopposed for vice president/broadcast, AAJA announced Friday. Gautham V. Nagesh, editor of the Technology Executive Briefing at Congressional Quarterly and a member of the AAJA/Washington, D.C. Chapter, is running unopposed for treasurer.

"Remember Khristopher Brooks, the young reporter who was fired from the Wilmington [Del.] News Journal before even starting the job because of an I've-been-acquired press release he posted?" Jim Romenesko asked Wednesday on his media blog. "Brooks says he was 'bombarded with great job offers' after that brouhaha, and he's accepted one of them." Brooks' LinkedIn page lists his occupation as K-12 education reporter for the Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville.

"Paper Tigers," by Wesley Yang in New York magazine, won a National Magazine Award in the essays and criticism category Thursday. "What happens to all the Asian-American overachievers when the test-taking ends?" a headline over the piece asked. "Time was the surprise winner of Magazine of the Year, beating out favorites like New York, The New Yorker and Esquire," adweek.com reported. How much does diversity count? Time lost its only black correspondent in December. List of winners.
At the Philadelphia Inquirer, "Effective today, Michael Days will take a lead role in coordinating our multimedia content at all levels," according to a memo Thursday from William K. Marimow, who returned to the paper as editor on May 1 [PDF], and Stan Wischnowski, Marimow's successor and predecessor as editor, and now part of Marimow's team. "This includes expanding our social media reach, working closely with Sam Wood," social media editor. Days, who is managing editor, "will also oversee the online breaking news desk, improve our network of bloggers, work . . . on the Inquirer iPad app, and ensure that our investigative and enterprise projects include strong audio and video components. Mike will continue to oversee the photo department and work with the metro team. At the same time, Mike Leary will become deputy managing editor for Metro; he will continue to supervise our investigative projects. As deputy managing editor, Mike will oversee the city desk, Jersey desk, the Pennsylvania suburban and political desk."
"North Carolina's largest newspaper rescinded its endorsement in a congressional primary Thursday, saying the Republican candidate 'has done nothing but embarrass us and himself ' since receiving their backing less than a week ago," Gregory Wallace reported for CNN. "Noting recent 'birther' comments Jim Pendergraph made shortly after receiving their nod last Saturday, The Charlotte Observer said in an editorial there are 'at least two better choices' among the nine GOP contenders seeking to fill the vacant 9th district seat."
"Fox News political analyst Juan Williams misses working for NPR 'big time,' " Glynnis MacNicol reported Friday for capitalnew york.com. " 'Because that's such an informed and influential audience,' he told me last night at the swanky Industria Studios, a big loft and event space in the far West Village. 'And the thing is that audience really liked me and I would often times help raise money for NPR.' "

"With the presidential election six months away, CNN this month will launch a series of documentaries that will focus on the issues surrounding minority and veteran voters," R. Thomas Umstead reported Friday for Multichannel News. ". . . In July, Voters in America will debut Who Counts, an in-depth look at how election law changes enacted in 14 states since 2008 may impact poll access for the elderly, students, and minorities and ultimately influence the election."
C-SPAN3 is broadcasting Sunday a conference at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum on the presidency and civil rights. Scheduled for 8:30 a.m., 7:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Eastern time, topics include Franklin D. Roosevelt's World War II internment of Japanese Americans, Harry S Truman's desegregation of the U.S. Armed Forces, and Dwight D. Eisenhower's Supreme Court appointments of five justices opposed to segregation.
Sports Illustrated is devoting much of its issue this week to Title IX and its impact on women's sports.
The Ida B. Wells Commemorative Art Committee and the Cliff Dwellers of Chicago co-hosted a fundraiser on March 7 to benefit development of a monument to honor Wells, journalist and anti-lynching crusader, the committee announced on April 28. Chicago artist Richard Hunt, who was commissioned to create the monument, was present as more than $10,000 was raised toward the $300,000 goal.
"Charlotte TV reporter Ken Ward, who was found stricken at his Lake Norman-area home Jan. 4, died of hypertensive heart disease, the Mecklenburg County Medical Examiner’s office said Thursday," the Charlotte (N.C.) Observer reported. "Ward, 44, a morning reporter on WSOC-TV (Channel 9), left the station at the end of December to take a new job at Tampa’s ABC affiliate."
In New York, "WBLS (107.5 FM) will retain the popular 'Open Line' public affairs show from the late Kiss-FM, WBLS program director Skip Dillard said Thursday," David Hinckley reported Thursday for the Daily News in New York. " 'Open Line,' which is cohosted by Bob Slade, James Mtume and Bob Pickett, will stay in its 10 a.m.-noon timeslot Sundays. It will follow The Rev. Al Sharpton, 9-10 a.m."
In Nigeria, media houses in Kaduna State have removed their signage after threats by the militant Boko Haram sect to attack them, Ismail Mudashir reported Friday for the Daily Trust in Abuja. "Early this week, the sect in an 18 minutes video posted on You Tube, said 11 media organisations are on their list for possible attack."

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How Word Leaked of Obama's Secret Trip

Roberto Delgado — Thu, 03 May 2012 03:06:29 +0000

May 2, 2012

Some outlets pulled their stories after official denials; how to write a book about Obama's dating years; in rematch, Paul Cheung, Janet Cho to vie for AAJA leader; Robert Pierre leaving Washington Post after 19 years; HuffPost replaces AOL Latino with Voces "online community"; Romney in no hurry to court Spanish-language media; PBS plans six-hour series on history of U.S. Latinos; 3rd at NBC out over editing of Zimmerman tape; six evaluate diversity efforts at NPR News; Latins reluctant to publish "juicy" WikiLeaks cables; Nigerian militants threaten Voice of America, other media (5/2/12)

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Some Outlets Pulled Their Stories After Official Denials

How to Write a Book About Obama in His Dating Years

"When Barack Obama met Genevieve Cook in 1983 at a Christmas party in New York's East Village, it was the start of his most serious romance yet," Vanity Fair writes in introducing an adaptation from the biography "Barack Obama: The Story," by David Maraniss, an associate editor at the Washington Post.

"But as the 22-year-old Columbia grad began to shape his future, he was also struggling with his identity: American or international? Black or white? Drawing on conversations with both Cook and the president," Maraniss "has the untold story of the couple’s time together."

In a separate question-and-answer, Vanity Fair's Jack Deligter asked Maraniss, "When you decide to write the biography of a living subject, how does the process work?"

"The most important thing for me is to block out the conventional wisdom of the moment, the Zeitgeist, what everyone is saying about that person — it almost requires the mind-set that my subject is dead and gone," Maraniss said. "The pressure to conform one's material to the popular assessment of the moment is a danger that leads to bad history and transient writing. I want my books to last, to stand the test of time, and to do that I focus on the forces that shape the subject — the cultural and sociological geography — to capture them in a way that will explain them no matter what they are doing."

Deligter: "Were Obama’s own books — Dreams from My Father and The Audacity of Hope — source material or impediments to you?"

"Memoir and biography are two very different things," Maraniss replied. "In the introduction to Barack Obama: The Story, I say that his memoir is a remarkably insightful exploration of his internal struggle but should not be read as rigorous factual history. It is not, and the president knew that when he wrote it and knows it now. I found his memoir extremely valuable in understanding him. But I did not rely on it for chronology, nor for fleshing out the stories of other people in his life. The theme of his memoir is race, and so both the chronology and the characters in his writing were used to advance that theme."

Perry Bacon Jr., theGrio.com: In new book, ex-girlfriend says young Obama 'needed to go black'
Ben Jacobs, Daily Beast: David Maraniss's 'Barack Obama: The Story' Excerpted in Vanity Fair: Juiciest Bits
Roxanne Roberts and Amy Argetsinger, "The Reliable Source," Washington Post: Obama's ex-girlfriends from his New York years share stories, letters in new biography
Glenn Thrush and Dylan Byers, Politico: The Dangerous New Obama Book (May 3)

In Rematch, Paul Cheung, Janet Cho to Vie for AAJA Leader

Paul Cheung and Janet Cho have filed to run for national president of the Asian American Journalists Association in a replay of the 2009 contest for vice president-print. Cho beat Cheung then by one vote, 165 to 164.

Cho, a business reporter for the Plain Dealer in Cleveland, was last in this column two weeks ago, when she explained why, as an AAJA representative to Unity: Journalists of Color, Inc., she voted against changing its name to Unity Journalists, a successful request made by the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the coalition's newest member.

Asked his position on the name change and the admission of NLGJA to Unity, Cheung told Journal-isms by email, "Since NLGJA's admission to UNITY and the name change are decided already, it's vital for me to focus on the goals of my presidency: how to include more minorities and journalism leaders in shaping the future of our industry."

By email, Cho gave Journal-isms this statement about her candidacy:

"After 15 years on the AAJA National Board, including four years as National Secretary and five years as National Vice President for Print, I'm finally running for AAJA National President. I'm proud to say I have the financial support and enthusiastic encouragement from my editors at The Plain Dealer to take on this role in addition to my job as a business reporter. I will also continue to represent AAJA on the UNITY Journalists board.

"AAJA members know that I've never sought national office with a personal agenda or for personal glory, but always to better serve our extraordinary members, ensure our financial stability going forward, and navigate this great organization through the uncertain waters ahead."

Cheung set up a Tumblr page devoted to his candidacy. "By day, I'm the Global Interactive Editor for the AP. By night, I'm a critical optimist of pop culture," he wrote. "On the side, I'm fixing online commenting at Newspanion.com and teaching a class at Columbia. And now, I'm running to be AAJA's next national president."

Cheung lists four priorities, "Expand our skills," "Grow and diversify our membership," "Build a sustainable future" and "Forge a closer relationship."

He adds, "I also have a deep understanding for AAJA's mission and priorities. As an ELP graduate, I helped create last year's Our Chinatown media demonstration project. As a JCAMP trainer, I have mentored young journalists. As a former convention co-chair and UNITY programming co-chair, I created workshops that also brought sponsors to AAJA. And as a board representative for both small and large chapters, I understand the challenges each of you is facing."

J Camp is a multicultural high school journalism workshop. ELP refers to the Executive Leadership Program, designed to advance diversity in media management.

Kathy Chow, AAJA's executive director, said the association would announce the candidates on Friday. Absentee voting begins June 1.

Robert Pierre Leaving Washington Post After 19 Years

Robert E. Pierre, a 19-year veteran of the Washington Post and editor of its theRootDC section targeting African American readers, is leaving the paper, Post editors told the staff on Wednesday. The Newspaper Guild, meanwhile, confirmed it was meeting with management about the effect the paper's buyout program is having on newsroom diversity.

In their note to the staff, Executive Editor Marcus Brauchli and Managing Editor Liz Spayd outlined Pierre's Post career, covering suburban Prince George's County, Md., the Maryland State Legislature, then-District of Columbia Mayor Anthony Williams, juvenile justice issues and communities east of the Anacostia River, an area often described as "forgotten." Pierre was also a Chicago bureau chief and a local editor.

"But that only begins to describe Robert's impact in this newsroom," Brauchli and Spayd continued. "He was the first one to propose doing a project on black men, back in 2000, and was a key member of the group that conceived of the groundbreaking 'Being a Black Man' series that ran in 2006. He wrote one of the early pieces — about a black boy growing up in a predominantly white suburban enclave. It was an illustration of the growing ranks of upwardly-mobile black families who are settling everywhere, and of the black children who are being raised in privileged environments.

". . . Most importantly, Robert has often been the conscience of The Washington Post. He was never afraid to challenge the fundamental ideas behind our strategy and direction, even when those challenges were aimed directly at newsroom leaders. He has always cared passionately about this institution and our mission as journalists. 'He has fire in his soul,' National Editor Kevin Merida said."

As newsroom reports circulated that Pierre, a former president of the Washington Association of Black Journalists, a Guild co-chair at
the Post and a bargaining committee member. was taking the buyout, Pierre steadfastly refused to respond to inquiries from this column. But Brauchli and Spayd said, "He's planning to hang his shingle as a consultant."

Discussing the buyouts two weeks ago, Fredrick Kunkle, co-chair, News, of the Post's unit of the Newspaper Guild, expressed concern "that a high number of the participants are Asian, African-American or Latino. By our count, more than a dozen of these Guild-covered employees are minorities, most of whom are black."

Kunkle confirmed Wednesday that "management is talking to the Guild about diversity in light of the buyouts."

Others of color taking the offer include Michael D. Bolden, a Local desk editor; Joanna Hernandez, a multiplatform editor who is president of Unity Journalists.; Sara Goo, real estate editor; Shauné Hayes of the News Information Technology department; news aide Stephen A. Crockett Jr., assigned to the Universal Desk, Kerry Flagg, sports editorial aide; photographer Mark Gail; Tony P. Knott, an assistant news editor; and Lisa Frazier Page, social issues editor on the Local staff. Page, Goo, Hayes and Pierre are not covered by the Guild.

Stacy-Ann Ellis and Lauren McEwen, Howard University News Service: The Root DC Editor Opens Up on Being Black and a Journalist
Jim Romenesko blog: Claudia Townsend leaves WaPo after three decades

HuffPost Replaces AOL Latino With "Online Community"

The Huffington Post Media Group Tuesday announced "the launch of HuffPost Voces, a Spanish-language online community for Hispanic Americans and all who take an interest in the Latino community.

"HuffPost Voces (http://voces.huffingtonpost.com) incorporates and enhances the former AOL Latino, the #2 Hispanic website*, with The Huffington Post's signature mix of news, blogging, community, and social engagement," an announcement said. The asterisk referred to a February report from the comScore Inc. research firm.

" 'With HuffPost Voces we want to celebrate the vibrancy of Spanish-speaking Latino life in America,' said Arianna Huffington, president and editor-in-chief of HPMG. 'Latinos make up the largest minority community in the U.S. and keep the American Dream alive despite a political debate that is far too often detached from the Latino experience, if not hostile to it. Latino issues cut to the core of who we are as Americans in the 21st century, and HuffPost Voces will enlarge the conversation by adding multiple perspectives and thousands of voices.'

"HuffPost Voces will have a dedicated editorial team and share a publishing platform with HuffPost LatinoVoices, which is a rapidly growing English-language site launched in August 2011 for the U.S. Hispanic community. The individual but cross-pollinated sites reflect the state of Hispanic America and cater to the fast-growing, increasingly influential population of bilingual/bicultural Hispanics — an audience that gets its information and entertainment from both English-language and Spanish-language outlets. . . ."

Miguel Ferrer was named managing editor of HuffPost Voces. He is already managing editor of HuffPost BlackVoices and HuffPost LatinoVoices.

". . . Bloggers will include Antonio Villaraigosa, Mayor of the City of Los Angeles; Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers with Cesar Chavez; Maria Teresa Kumar, co-founder of Voto Latino; and U.S. Congressman Xavier Becerra," the news release said.

Laura Martínez, Fox News Latino: Hasta La Vista, Aol Latino

Romney in No Hurry to Court Spanish-Language Media

"As his campaign [hurtles] toward election day — aggressively expanding its operation, and sharpening its focus on general election battleground states — Mitt Romney appears to be testing one of the central tenets of campaign conventional wisdom," McKay Coppins wrote Wednesday for BuzzFeed.

"The question: Can he win a national election in 2012 without courting the Spanish language media?

"While there's still plenty of time for a campaign course correction, Romney has exhibited little urgency in building a relationship with the Hispanic press, according to Latino reporters, activists, and political surrogates on both sides of the aisle."

Michael Calderone, Huffington Post: News Orgs Balk At Romney Campaign Deciding Press Pool Membership

PBS Plans Six-Hour Series on History of U.S. Latinos

"PBS said Wednesday it is preparing a six-hour documentary series on the history of Latinos in the United States, set to air in the fall of 2013," the Associated Press reported.

"English and Spanish-language versions are being produced for the project, which will air across three days. The supervising producer is Adriana Bosch, a Cuban-American who recently did a documentary for PBS on Latin music.

"Bosch said she began meeting with officials at WETA, the PBS station in Washington, in 2008 about the project. They spent nearly three years putting funding together before starting with the filming.

"It was in 2007 that Hispanic organizations criticized PBS and filmmaker Ken Burns for inadequately representing the contributions of Latinos in his 15-hour documentary on World War II."

Third NBC Journalist Out Over Editing of Zimmerman Tape

"Lilia Luciano, a Miami-based NBC News correspondent, is no longer working for the network, TVNewser has learned," Chris Ariens reported Wednesday for TVNewser.

"Luciano last reported for NBC News March 31. Until that point, she had been reporting mainly on the Trayvon Martin story. Sources tell TVNewser Luciano's dismissal came after an investigation which also led to the firing of a seasoned NBC News producer over a similar, misleading edit. In a story for the 'Today' show on March 20, Luciano used part of the George Zimmerman 911 call in which an entire phrase . . . was taken from a later part of the conversation:

". . . That edit resulted in the dismissal of the NBC News Miami producer. NBC News confirms with TVNewser that Luciano is no longer with the network. She joined NBC News from Univision just 18 months ago. Luciano is the third NBC employee to have lost their job over this story. As TVSpy reported last week, WTVJ reporter Jeff Burnside was fired for a similar circumstance."

Should Latinas Ditch Provocative Looks for Anglo TV? (Feb. 10)

Six Evaluate Diversity Efforts at NPR News

"At my request, NPR has released more information than any mainstream media organization on the diversity of its editorial staff and audience, Edward Schumacher-Matos, NPR ombudsman, wrote Tuesday. "My analysis two weeks ago turned on the question of which baseline to use in measuring progress. Now I have asked six national leaders and experts of different views what they think of how NPR is doing. They responded with great insight, some frustration and dollops of humor. The goal is for NPR to sound like America."

The six are Paul Delaney, theRoot.com contributor and former NPR board member; Rep. Mike Honda, D-Calif.; Rhonda LeValdo, president of the Native American Journalists Association; Janet Murguía, president and CEO, National Council of La Raza; Charles Murray, W.H. Brady scholar, American Enterprise Institute; and Michael Schudson, sociology professor, Columbia Journalism School.

Latins Reluctant to Publish "Juicy" WikiLeaks Cables

"According to a book published in the Argentine capital, major Latin American newspapers with access to the secret cables obtained by [WikiLeaks] decided not to print them because doing so would run counter to their own interests," Marcela Valente reported from Buenos Aires Monday for Inter Press Service.

" 'Wiki Media Leaks', by journalists Martín Becerra and Sebastián Lacunza, analyses the information about the relationship between the region's newspaper companies and the United States, through its embassies.

". . . Lacunza, an IPS contributor with a degree in communication sciences, said the idea arose when he and his colleague saw that media with access to the cables 'were reluctant to publish some "juicy" ones that referred to themselves.'

". . . The book by Lacunza and Becerra, who holds a doctorate in information sciences, shows that in some countries like Argentina and Brazil, renowned columnists from newspapers and television programmes have taken their protests against their (left-wing) national governments to U.S. embassies, where they have sought support for their opposition arguments.

". . . Lacunza told IPS that the practice of appealing to the embassies, while governments were attempting to create more progressive laws on the media, had turned out to be 'a failed strategy' by the media, 'belonging to bygone decades.' "

Nigerian Militants Threaten Voice of America, Other Media

The northern Nigerian militant group known as Boko Haram, which last week took responsibility for the bombing of three media houses, killing nine people, named the Voice of America and other media establishments and employees Tuesday as their next targets.

"In an 18-minute-long [YouTube] video, the group threatened to attack more media houses, naming Voice of America (Hausa), Radio France (Hausa), Daily Trust, Guardian Newspapers. The group also gave reasons why they bombed Thisday office in Abuja and other media houses last Thursday," Ruth Yamta reported for the Leadership newspaper in Abuja.

In Washington, VOA spokesman David Borgida told Journal-isms, "VOA has no comment, but takes the safety of all its journalists very seriously."

Yamta's story added, ". . . the Inspector- General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, has ordered [commissioners] of police in all states to intensify security in all media houses nationwide.

"Meanwhile, Newspaper [Proprietors'] Association of Nigeria (NPAN) has summoned an emergency meeting of members to deliberate on the matter."

The Voice of America added, "Boko Haram, whose name means 'Western education is a sin' in the Hausa language, is trying to turn Nigeria into an Islamic state. Human Rights Watch says the group has killed more than 1,000 people since 2009."

Nuruddeen M. Abdallah, Daily Trust, Nigeria: Nigeria: Boko Haram Threatens Daily Trust, 10 Other Newspapers
International Press Institute: IPI Calls on Nigerian President to Stop Militant Group’s Campaign Against Media
Simon Kolawole, ThisDay: Bloodied but Unbowed, We March On
Voice of America: Nigerian Soldiers Raid Suspected Militant Lair

Short Takes

The Rapid City (S.D.) Police Department investigated the case of Vernon Traversie, a 68-year-old blind Lakota man who returned from Rapid City Regional Hospital last fall with three Ks carved or burned into his abdomen, and "found no evidence of criminal activity," Tarah Heupel, a spokeswoman for the department, told Journal-isms on Wednesday. The investigation was closed on Oct. 18, she said. News directors for the ABC, CBS and NBC affiliates in Rapid City did not respond to an inquiry about whether they have reported on the case, which some in Indian Country say has been neglected by local media. Evan Coughlin of the Aberdeen bureau of KSFY-TV in Sioux Falls, across the state, interviewed Traversie on Monday and reported the story on Tuesday night.
"Last week, sources told us the Denver Post planned to lay off two-thirds of its copy editors as part of a newsroom restructuring, with discussion of the plan slated for a Monday meeting," Michael Roberts reported Tuesday for Denver's Westword. "That get-together took place, and while Post editor Greg Moore hasn't responded to our interview requests at this writing, an attendee confirms the two-thirds figure and includes details of an approach that's drawing strong objections from the Denver Newspaper Guild."
Attallah Shabazz, the eldest daughter of Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz, was among the mourners for CBS newsman Mike Wallace in New York Tuesday, Lloyd Grove reported for the Daily Beast. Wallace and CBS cameras were present in 2003, when Louis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam and Attallah Shabazz spoke together publicly for the first time in 2003 about the role Farrakhan played leading to her father's assassination.
"Alexis Chiu, the celeb-friendly writer who resigned as a senior writer at Time Inc.'s People last week, is heading to Bauer Publishing’s In Touch in a very senior job," Keith J. Kelly reported Tuesday for the New York Post's Media Ink column. "Bauer yesterday confirmed the defection, telling Media Ink that Dan Wakeford, the current editor-in-chief of Life & Style, is now going to also become editor-in-chief of Bauer's larger circulation In Touch title. Bauer Publications late yesterday confirmed that Chiu is indeed the new In Touch executive editor." Chiu, who wrote the current People cover story on Beyoncé, has been a member of the Asian American Journalists Association.
A tweet published Tuesday by media blogger Jim Romenesko asks about the Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, "Two white reporters beaten by a group of 30 black teens & the paper doesn't write it for 2 weeks. Confused.." Managing Editor Maria Carrillo replied, ". . . we handled this situation as if it involved any two people in our community. Police, at this point, still have it officially listed as a 'simple assault.' It has not been determined that this was a hate crime. It's beyond ludicrous for folks to assume that we would not report on this to protect those who attacked our reporters."
Los Angeles Times staff writer Richard Fausset won a Ruben Salazar Journalism Award in the print category for his series on "The New Latino South," CCNMA: Latino Journalists of California announced Wednesday. "The profiles explored the complexities of immigration in a region that has grown increasingly hostile to Latinos. . . . In the TV category, correspondent Yvette Cabrera and producer Saul Gonzalez of KCET-TV in Los Angeles won for their story 'The Border Between Them,' which tells the story of an immigrant family and how ties between parents and children have been tested by deportation and separation. . . .There were no winners in the Radio, Photography or Commentary categories."
Miguel Bustillo, a mainstay of the Wall Street Journal's Texas bureau, has been named deputy bureau chief, Leslie Eaton, the Dallas bureau chief, announced, according to TalkingBizNews.
"Ozzie Martinez has been promoted to assistant news director at WNBC, the NBC O&O in New York City," Merrill Knox reported Monday for TVSpy. "Martinez has been senior daypart manager at WNBC since 2008. He has overseen major breaking news events and the re-launch of the noon and 5 p.m. newscasts."
"The Online News Association, the world's largest membership organization of digital journalists, today announced its fourth year of free traveling digital training, thanks to a renewed grant from the Gannett Foundation," ONA announced Friday. "The $50,000 in funding enables ONA to continue one of its most popular and valued programs, ONACamp . . . ONA has partnered with the Birmingham Association of Black Journalists, the Society for Professional Journalists (SPJ), the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA), and the East-West Center to ensure trainings reached a diverse audience."
Latinos In Social Media is holding an invitation-only "Top Blogueras Retreat" May 20-22 in Washington. The retreat is to include a " 'Mini-MBA,' with sessions ranging from blog and business best practices, leadership skills, and social good," and a "briefing at the White House, where Administration officials will discuss the top issues affecting our Latino community: Education, Health and Jobs."
"Edward Albee, Margaret Atwood, E.L Doctorow, Zadie Smith, and Kwame Anthony Appiah were among the more than 500 PEN luminaries and supporters who joined last night in honoring Eskinder Nega, one of Ethiopia’s most courageous journalists and free expression advocates, with the 2012 PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award at its annual Literary Gala at the Museum of Natural History in New York," the PEN American Center reported Wednesday.
"The Palestinian Authority's arrest of journalists and activists critical of its policies are threatening freedom of expression and journalistic freedoms in the West Bank, according to local human rights groups," Jillian Kestler-D'Amours reported Wednesday for Inter Press Service.
"Shutting out international media and imposing dictatorial controls on domestic coverage, the Horn of Africa nation of Eritrea has emerged as the world's most censored country, the Committee to Protect Journalists has found in its newly updated analysis of press restrictions around the globe," CPJ reported on Wednesday. "Following closely on CPJ's 10 Most Censored Countries list are North Korea, Syria, and Iran — three nations where vast restrictions on information have enormous implications for geopolitical and nuclear stability."

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Joyner, Baisden Gone in N.Y. Radio Merger

Roberto Delgado — Tue, 01 May 2012 02:56:18 +0000

April 30, 2012

Civic-minded jocks out as KISS folds into WBLS; Stanford fellowships program picks majority-minority class; Indians say media downplay hate crime by hospital; Bolden leaves, Haynes moves up at Washington Post; good news for FAMU, N.C. A&T, but not for Southern U.; business journalists to renew push on diversity; why should HBO's "Girls" be any different? (4/30/12)

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Civic-Minded Jocks Out as KISS Folds into WBLS

Stanford Fellowships Program Picks Majority-Minority Class

Indians Say Media Downplay Hate Crime by Hospital

Bolden Leaves, Haynes Moves Up at Washington Post

Good News for FAMU, N.C. A&T, but Not for Southern U.

Business Journalists to Renew Push on Diversity

Why Should HBO's "Girls" Be Any Different?

Stanford Fellowships Program Picks Majority-Minority Class

Previewing what demographers say will be a United States approaching majority-minority status, the John S. Knight Fellowships program at Stanford University chose a fellowship class more than half journalists of color, the program announced on Monday.

By contrast, the 2011-12 U.S. class of 12 — there is also an international class— includes two Latinos, a journalist of Indian decent and no African Americans. For 2012-13, there will be three African Americans, two Latinos and two Asian Americans.

The seven of color are:

Barbara Allen, producer/engineer, WTTW-TV, PBS, Chicago. Allen plans to develop a trans-media platform allowing audiences to virtually experience historical events.
Mary Aviles, editor, EFE News Services, San Jose, Calif., who is to work on a content sharing platform for independent Hispanic media to enable them to build larger audiences.
Melissa Chan, China correspondent, Al Jazeera English, who is to work on an online toolkit for journalists to protect their computers against hackers and safeguard communications with sources.
Wilson Liévano, editions coordinator, multimedia, the Wall Street Journal Americas, who plans to build a contextual, multimedia wire service for Spanish-language publications.
Latoya Peterson, editor and owner, Racialicious.com, District of Columbia, whose goal is to democratize communication and societal participation through the multimedia and text capabilities of mobile technology.
Samaruddin Stewart, media consultant, Budapest, Hungary, who is to research the use of image forensic tools to identify manipulation in potential news photographs.
Kevin Weston, new media entrepreneur, Oakland, Calif., who proposes to establish a sustainable, replicable, nonprofit business model for community-based media, with a focus on the San Francisco Bay Area.

During their stay at Stanford, the Knight Fellows pursue independent courses of study and participate in special seminars.

James Bettinger, director of the Knight Fellowships, told Journal-isms by email that the program received 134 applications for the U.S. fellowships, and by its count 46 were journalists of color. They included 17 African Americans, 14 Latinos, 14 Asian Americans and one Native American.

That contrasts with 104 applications last year, including 10 African Americans, nine Asian Americans, seven Latinos and one Native American.

The U.S. Census Bureau has projected that 42 percent of the U.S. population will be a member of a minority group by 2050 [PDF], with "minority" defined as people who are races other than white alone or Hispanic.

Vernon Traversie said he did not know he had been mutilated at Rapid City Regional Hospital until a hospital employee advised him to have pictures taken of his chest and abdomen as soon as he got home. (Video)

Indians Say Media Downplay Hate Crime by Hospital

Parts of Indian Country are abuzz about a story they describe as a hate crime that deserves attention from the mainstream media:

"A member and resident of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe of South Dakota came home from a 14-day stay in the hospital to find he had been horribly mutilated. Three Ks can be easily seen carved or burned into his abdomen in the shocking photograph taken the day after he came home," Evelyn Red Lodge wrote from Rapid City, S.D., Wednesday in Last Real Indians.

"Vernon Traversie, who is completely blind, said his nightmare began when he had a heart attack while at the Heart Doctors office in Rapid City last August. He said they immediately sent him a few blocks away to Rapid City Regional Hospital for emergency surgery.

"Traversie is a 68-year-old Lakota elder who told Last Real Indians, 'I was supposed to have emergency surgery on my heart, but they (hospital) had scheduling problems. Every night they would prep me for surgery which went on for four or five days. Every night they would shave my chest and stomach and wouldn’t feed me.'

"Being blind, Traversie said he didn't even know what was done to him until a RCRH employee came into his room and advised him to have pictures taken of his chest and abdomen as soon as he got home. He says she told him that she could not testify for him, but that her conscience got the better of her and she didn't agree with what they did to him."

Indian Country Today followed up with a story by Heather Steinberger on Thursday headlined, "Was Lakota Man Victim of a Hate Crime in South Dakota Hospital? The Troubling Story of Vern Traversie."

". . . he finally has gone public. In just two days, his YouTube video has been seen by 17,222 people, and a 'Justice for Vern Traversie' Facebook page had 2,348 members at the time of publishing."

In comments beneath the web versions of these articles, readers accuse the news media of burying the story.

Patrick Butler, managing editor of the Rapid City Journal, told Journal-isms by email Monday: "We wrote about this last week. It appeared in our Thursday paper and was posted on our website as well."

He added, "We have reached out to the family and they have declined to talk to us so far. The hospital won't say anymore, citing [HIPAA] regulations," a reference to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, which contains privacy provisions.

But Traversie told Journal-isms by telephone Monday that there is no family and he lives alone. "The newspapers in Rapid City and the television stations and the radio stations have blocked out all requests for my story. It's local people passing it on to friends and relatives," he said. "I'm the only one who has the story. I didn't authorize anyone to speak for me."

Why would the local media not want his story told? "They're prejudiced against Native Americans, and they're trying to protect that hospital," Traversie told Journal-isms. "It employs 80 percent of the Rapid City population."

However, he said, on Monday night he was interviewed for two hours by a reporter from the Aberdeen bureau of KSFY-TV in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Stephen C. Webster, the Raw Story: Lakota man accuses hospital of burning ‘KKK’ into his torso

Bolden Leaves, Haynes Moves Up at Washington Post

Michael D. Bolden, a local desk editor at the Washington Post, took a buyout and left the paper on Friday, an editor confirmed Monday, while V. Dion Haynes, managing editor of the Post's separately sold Capital Business tabloid, was promoted to real estate editor. He succeeds Sara Goo, an Asian American, part-Hawaiian journalist who took the buyout.

Bolden and Haynes are black journalists. Discussing the buyouts two weeks ago, the Newspaper Guild expressed concern "that a high number of the participants are Asian, African-American or Latino. By our count, more than a dozen of these Guild-covered employees are minorities, most of whom are black."

Meanwhile, reporter Theola Labbé-DeBose, another black journalist taking the buyout, has accepted a job as director of communications for the D.C. Public Charter School Board, the independent entity that oversees the city's 53 public charter schools, Local Editor Vernon Loeb announced to the staff.

Another African American leaving the news staff is Shauné Hayes, who has been with the News Information Technology department since 2008. She had been at the Post, off and on, since 1996, starting as a copy aide, then layout editor and assistant news editor, a supervisor wrote to the staff.

Fredrick Kunkle, co-chair, News, of the Post's Guild, said in a note Thursday, "it now appears that 28 Guild-covered employees have decided to take the company's buyout offer. Four people have changed their minds and rescinded their acceptance of the buyout offer."

Others of color who have confirmed taking the offer are Joanna Hernandez, a multiplatform editor who is president of Unity: Journalists of Color, Inc.; news aide Stephen A. Crockett Jr., assigned to the Universal Desk, and Kerry Flagg, sports editorial aide; photographer Mark Gail; Tony P. Knott, an assistant news editor; and Lisa Frazier Page, social issues editor on the Local staff. Page and Hayes are not covered by the Guild.

Dan Beyers, editor of Capital Business, wrote of Haynes in a memo, "Dion played a critical role in the launch of Capital Business, serving as the paper's very first managing editor.

"He took on anything and everything that came his way with grace and good cheer, whether it meant writing and editing stories, crafting headlines or talking up the new paper at countless business gatherings. A former Metro and Financial reporter, Dion oversaw the successful start of our On Small Business Web channel and he has worked tirelessly recruiting a diverse collection of voices for the Capital Business opinion page." Haynes also wrote part of the "Being a Black Man" series in 2006.

Bolden was the Post's development & transportation group editor, according to a bio. "He has been an editor with the Post's Magazine and Style sections and with The Miami Herald. He is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Online News Association and the National Press Club," it says.

Goo left to become a senior digital editor at the Pew Research Center. "I'm sure Dion will be great as RE editor and I'm sure he will have as much fun as I did with the section and the online content," she told Journal-isms by email.

Good News for FAMU, N.C. A&T, but Not for Southern U.

Florida A&M University and North Carolina A&T State University received good news Saturday from accreditation officials, but a third historically black institution, Southern University in Baton Rouge, La., won only provisional reaccreditation and saw its graduate program denied reaccreditation.

The North Carolina A&T Department of Journalism and Mass Communication was removed from provisional reaccreditation and received full reaccreditation.

"With the help of a great faculty and the tireless support of my assistant chair, I did the job I was asked to do," DeWayne Wickham, the USA Today columnist who has been interim chair, told Journal-isms in an email. "Soon, the university will hire a new chair for the Department of Journalism & Mass Communication and I will have time to figure out what I'm going to do next."

The undergraduate program in FAMU's Division of Journalism received reaccreditation.

The accrediting team report said Dorothy Bland, the FAMU journalism division director, has "strong leadership and management skills and a huge appetite for hard work," according to a FAMU news release. "The team report also gave the division high praise for 'strong relationships with local media and mass communication professionals,' " the release said.

Dr. Mahmoud Braima, chairman of Southern University's Department of Mass Communication, could not be reached for comment.

The accrediting council said the undergraduate program at Southern was out of compliance with the following standards:

Standard 4: Full-time and part-time faculty
Standard 5: Scholarship: Research, creative and professional activity

The graduate program was out of compliance with these standards:

Standard 4: Full-time and part-time faculty
Standard 5: Scholarship: Research, creative and professional activity
Standard 9: Assessment of learning outcomes

Business Journalists to Renew Push on Diversity

"The Society of American Business Editors and Writers is renewing a push to broaden its diversity efforts in 2012 ahead of its 50th anniversary in Washington and the Unity conference in Las Vegas in August," Talking Biz News reported on Monday.

"The business journalism organization held a committee meeting last week to go over initiatives that include recruiting minority candidates to join SABEW, ensuring that SABEW's board reflects the diversity of our readership and newsrooms, and raising funds for its Five for 50 campaign for five students of color to attend SABEW conferences for the next five years, starting with its 50th anniversary conference in Washington next year.

"The organization is also creating five $10,000 business journalism scholarships exclusively for students who have shown a strong commitment to business journalism, tying each scholarship to a paid summer internship. SABEW is asking major media companies such as the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, CNN, Thomson Reuters, Bloomberg, Dow Jones and newspapers to respond to these challenges.

" 'There's a yawning gap between many companies' diversity goals, and the reality you see in most newsrooms,' said Walden Siew, a New York-based editor for Reuters and chair of SABEW's diversity committee. 'SABEW too must do a better job to promote a board and membership that reflects our audience and industry.' "

Why Should HBO's "Girls" Be Any Different?

"Those looking for hints of racial tone-deafness on the second episode of 'Girls,' last Sunday on HBO, wouldn’t have been let down," Jon Caramanica wrote Sunday in the New York Times. "In an early scene Hannah, played by the show’s creator, Lena Dunham, and her nonboyfriend Adam (Adam Driver) have sex; as they're finishing, Adam promises to make the 'continent of Africa on' Hannah’s arm, a vexing intersection of eroticism and geography. Later Jessa (Jemima Kirke), nervously facing down an abortion, insists, 'I want to have children with many different men, of different races,' as if they were trinkets to be collected, like key chains or snow globes.

". . . Television is nowhere near diverse enough — not in its actors, its writers or its show runners. The problems identified by critics of 'Girls' are systemic, traceable to network executives who greenlight shows and shoot down plenty of others. It's at that level that diversity stands or falls.

"And 'Girls' is hardly alone in its whiteness. Far more popular shows like 'Two and a Half Men' or 'How I Met Your Mother' blithely exist in a world that rarely considers race. They’re less scrutinized, because unlike the Brooklyn-bohemian demimonde of 'Girls,' the worlds of those shows are ones that writers and critics — the sort who both adore and have taken offense at 'Girls' — have little desire to be a part of. White-dominant television has almost always been the norm. Why would 'Girls' be any different?"

Hilton Als blog, the New Yorker: Lena Dunham: Attacked for No Good Reason

Ta-Nehisi Coates blog, the Atlantic: It's Bigger Than 'Girls'
Jason Johnson, Politic365.com: A Black Man’s Take on HBO's "Girls"
Dodai Stewart, jezebel.com: Why We Need to Keep Talking About the White Girls on Girls
Damon Young, Ebony: Why HBO's 'Girls' Doesn't Need Any Black Friends

Short Takes

The Prime Movers Media program to help high school journalists received a boost Saturday when a video about the program was shown at the White House Correspondents Association dinner for a second year. Dorothy Gilliam, who founded the program after leaving the Washington Post, where she worked for 33 years, said Prime Movers is partnering with the association, bringing D.C. high school students to White House press briefings and correspondents into the high schools or to George Washington University, where the program has an office. Prime Movers operates in 10 District of Columbia high schools and has a second program in Philadelphia, where it partners with Temple University.
As L.A. Youth, a newspaper by teens for teens, approaches a quarter-century, "it is struggling to hang on," Rick Rojas wrote Sunday for the Los Angeles Times. "The foundations whose grants have long been the primary source of funding have pulled out, and board members who once brought in corporate donations have been laid off, said Donna Myrow, L.A. Youth's executive director."
"Weijia Jiang, who came to WJZ-TV in June of 2008 as a reporter, is leaving to join WCBS-TV in New York City. Both stations are owned by CBS. New York is the top market in the country," David Zurawik wrote Saturday for the Baltimore Sun.
"Philip C. Wilkinson has resigned from his position as President and Chief Operating Officer of Entravision, effective May 31, 2012," Veronica Villafañe reported Friday for her Media Moves site. "He'll remain a member of the company's Board of Directors and continue to advise the company on its strategic and operating plans as a consultant. . . . "
"Our stories, they're longer than what you'll find in other publications, but they're really more like conversations than interviews," senior editor Ericka Boston explained to Donya Blaze for a story on how to pitch stories to Sister2Sister, which targets black women. "Our mission is to try to teach. So, we'll talk to the entertainers about the lessons that they've learned from whatever experiences they've gone through, and it's more so about achieving an understanding, as opposed to just fishing for a headline."
"I had a little chat with my boss about the previous day's event, and in our last editorial meeting, the privilege of reviewing the papers all through the week preparatory for the next meeting fell on me," reporter-intern Grace Chimezie of Nigeria's ThisDay newspaper wrote Monday, setting the stage for recalling the bombing of three newspapers Thursday that left nine dead. "I felt on top of the world, a poor intern. I browsed through a copy of our publication to see if my story was published. After we got through with the conversation, I went on to check my mail and go through the papers, I was still in my multitask assignments when I had a loud explosion; I found myself on the floor, groaning in pain, apparently dazed. My thought pattern was disorganised. I was dazed and out of this world..."
"Stop the bleeding. It's a critical and fundamental step in aiding a journalist or anyone wounded in conflict," Lily Hindy wrote Monday for the Committee to Protect Journalists. "Hemorrhage is the number one preventable death on the battlefield. And yet large numbers of journalists covering wars and political unrest all across the world are untrained in this life-saving skill. It doesn't need to be that way."
"Authorities in the Mexican state of Veracruz say the body of a journalist with the national newsmagazine Proceso has been found dead inside her home," the Associated Press reported on Saturday. "The Veracruz Attorney General's Office has released a statement saying Regina Martinez's body was found in the bathroom of her house in Xalapa, Veracruz, and that authorities believe she was murdered. . . . Martinez was the Xalapa correspondent for Proceso, one of Mexico's oldest and most respected investigative newsmagazines, and often covered drug trafficking in her stories."

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Do Media Give Racist Hockey Fans a Pass?

Roberto Delgado — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 02:26:43 +0000

April 27, 2012

Beat writers say incidents get coverage, but not enough; 9 die as militants attack Nigerian newspaper offices; "Red Tails" film set for May 22 DVD release; USC Annenberg evicting Chicano journalists after 33 years; the night that looters went inside the L.A. Times building; NBC Miami reporter fired over edited Zimmerman tape; Jeffery Reid, producer of "Black in America," leaves CNN (4/27/12)

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Beat Writers Say Incidents Get Coverage, but Not Enough

9 Die as Militants Attack Nigerian Newspaper Offices

"Red Tails" Film Set for May 22 DVD Release

USC Annenberg Evicting Chicano Journalists After 33 Years

The Night That Looters Went Inside the L.A. Times Building

NBC Miami Reporter Fired Over Edited Zimmerman Tape

Jeffery Reid, Producer of "Black in America," Leaves CNN

9 Die as Militants Attack Nigerian Newspaper Offices

"For the first time since it began a series of deadly bomb attacks, the Boko Haram sect yesterday turned its attention to the media. It unleashed a string of coordinated attacks on three media houses in Abuja and Kaduna, killing no fewer than nine people in the process," the Nigerian newspaper Leadership reported on Friday.

Boko Haram, a group of militants based in northern Nigeria, aims to establish a government in the north functioning under a strict interpretation of Sharia law [PDF], according to the U.S. State Department.

"The three media houses attacked by the bombers were the Abuja office of ThisDay Newspaper, and then The Sun and The Moment offices in Kaduna which were hit almost simultaneously by the blasts," the Leadership story continued.

"Hardest hit was ThisDay whose office in Jabi, Abuja, was almost brought down by the impact of the blast that swept through the area at about 11:03am.

"Witnesses said that a suicide bomber forced his way through the back gate of the Jabi office of the media empire and rammed his black Isuzu Jeep into the main building housing the printing press and other facilities. Everything went up in flames, as the bomb went off."

The attack was denounced by Nigerian journalists and publishers, by international press-freedom organizations and by President Obama.

". . . The Boko Haram sect has claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing that rocked the Kaduna and Abuja offices of ThisDay, saying that the Nigerian media should expect more suicide bombings from them," the Leadership story said.

"It said it carried out the attack to sound a note of warning to media houses that it would no longer tolerate reports which misrepresent them in the media or blame them for attacks they know nothing about."

Hassan Abdul, Ronald Mutum, Judd-Leonard Okafor, Misbahu Bashir, Amina Alhassan, Abdulkadir B. Mukhtar, Ruby Leo, Isa Saidu, Isma'ila Mudashir, Christiana Alabi, Sunday Isuwa and Maryam Ahmadu-Suka, Daily Trust, Abuja, Nigeria: How Suicide Bomber Hit ThisDay Office
Abdul-Rahman Abubakar, Daily Trust, Abuja, Nigeria: Jonathan — No One Can Steal Our Press Freedom
Committee to Protect Journalists: CPJ condemns attacks on newspaper offices in Nigeria
Abbas Jimoh, Daily Trust, Abuja, Nigeria: Muslim Journalists Condemn Blasts
News Agency of Nigeria: Publisher, Journalists Condemn Attack On Thisday Offices
Press Trust of India: Nigeria: Boko Haram attacks media houses, 8 dead
Reporters Without Borders: Government urged to protect media after two carbomb attacks on newspapers
Nish Thanki, International Press Institute: Bomb Attacks on Nigeria Newspapers
Vanguard, Lagos, Nigeria: Why We Attacked ThisDay, Others — Boko Haram
Vanguard, Lagos, Nigeria: ThisDay, Sun, the Moment Bombed

President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama greet Tuskegee Airmen before a screening of “Red Tails” in the Family Theater of the White House on Jan. 13. (Credit: Pete Souza/White House)

"Red Tails" Film Set for May 22 DVD Release

The "Red Tails" movie about the Tuskegee Airmen of World War II went on sale in Blu-ray/DVD and DVD formats Wednesday for release May 22, Home Media Magazine reported, after a U.S. theatrical release in January that included a White House screening and promotion by black media outlets and such African American organizations as the National Association of Black Journalists.

A spokeswoman for Lucasfilm, which produced the movie, denied a report last month by Hollywood writer Roger Friedman for forbes.com that the film was "one of the biggest turkeys of all time" and that producer George Lucas, who had put up his own money, lost "something close to $70 million."

The spokeswoman pointed to upcoming DVD and syndication and noted that, according to boxofficemojo.com, the film ranked No. 10 on the list of top-grossing World War II movies. "Saving Private Ryan" (1998) was first. "Red Tails" ranked ahead of such films as "The Thin Red Line" (1998) and "Flags of Our Fathers" (2006).

The Blu-ray version of "Red Tails" is to feature technology used for the home version of "Star Wars," which was also produced by Lucas. The THX Media Director is described as "a technology that transforms digital media into smart content, enabling CE devices (i.e., Blu-ray players, set-top boxes, AVRs, HD displays) to automatically select the audio and video settings that best represent the director's vision, vastly simplifying the home entertainment experience and preserving artistic intent," an announcement said, ". . . so fans will be able to sit back and enjoy the high-flying, action-adventure film as its creators intended."

Home Media Magazine added, "Bonus material includes the documentary Double Victory: The Tuskegee Airmen at War; featurettes about Lucas, director Anthony Hemingway, composer Terence Blanchard and the cast; and more."

USC Annenberg Evicting Chicano Journalists After 33 Years

CCNMA: Latino Journalists of California, which in its 40th year calls itself the nation's oldest organization of journalists of color, is looking for new office space after being asked to vacate the USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism. It has been on that Los Angeles campus since 1979.

"We were notified a couple of weeks ago that USC Annenberg needed our current space for another program and that Annenberg did not have any other space for us at this time. We need to vacate by Aug. 1," Executive Director Julio Moran told Journal-isms via email.

"We have begun contacting other area universities to see if they can provide free office space for CCNMA, and also will explore media companies and other nonprofits."

The school told Journal-isms, also by email: "USC Annenberg regrets that after providing CCNMA office space pro bono for more than a dozen years, we will no longer be able to accommodate their office at our School. We have been faced with a shortage of space at USC Annenberg for years, and we have juggled many of our faculty and staff, doubling up their offices to be able to accommodate CCNMA. We have also had to move a dozen of our centers and programs off campus due to space constraints. As a result, we've been in ongoing conversations with CCNMA about space shortages for more than a decade.

"Unfortunately, this coming academic year, with the addition of some new faculty, we are no longer able to hold space for the association. USC Annenberg continues to support CCNMA, its programs and scholarships, and we will continue to work with them in multiple endeavors to ensure the success of their organization and the very important work they do for journalists and the media."

Moran added, "We are saddened that our partnership with USC Annenberg is coming to an end, but we appreciate the support Annenberg has provided CCNMA for the past 33 years, and that we were able to help Annenberg achieve some of its diversity goals, exemplified in its recent national Equity & Diversity Award from the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication."

The organization was formerly known as the California Chicano News Media Association.

The Night That Looters Went Inside the L.A. Times Building

"The rocks smashed my office windows just after dark — broken glass all over the carpets of the Los Angeles Times's proud fortress on Spring Street," Shelby Coffey III wrote Thursday for the Daily Beast. "Down the block, two buildings were on fire. I remember how red the flames looked against the black sky. Chemical fire?, I wondered. Way too close to us, in any case, as were the sirens.

". . . At the end, more than 50 were dead, scores of buildings were burned, looting had become near-epidemic, and the newsroom of the Times had been stretched beyond all previous limits. But the end was, as always, not the end.

". . . What was not up for debate that opening night was that we at the Times needed police help. As editor, I called Parker Center (police headquarters), hoping the title might get a little notice on what was looking like a bad night for the fabled LAPD. (Worst ever, it turned out.) The phone rang endlessly, without answer.

"Next call was to our own uniformed security guards across the street. In the afternoon, the usual couple-of-hundred protestors had marched at Parker Center, two blocks away. By night, the crowd (multihued, it should be noted) had become a broiling mass. More than a few ripped up pavement from a street project unluckily right beside the Times and were hurling away.

" 'We're pinned in,' said our security guard. An unarguable but disheartening reply.

"Then I got a call that looters were inside on the street floor. With one of our bravest newsroom administrators, I headed down to defend our…what? Our computers? Our sense of order? Our flammable mass of paper?

"One intruder was coming through the broken windows. I grabbed a pair of scissors and shouted, 'Get out!' Luckily for me, he did. . . ."

Karen Grigsby Bates, NPR: How Koreatown Rose From The Ashes Of L.A. Riots
Paige Brettingen, neontommy.com: L.A. Riots: 20 Years Later, No Rearview Mirror For Joe Hicks
Bill Boyarsky, truthdig.com: 20 Years After the L.A. Riots and Nothing Has Changed
James E. Causey, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Rodney King: 'The life of young black men mean nothing to people'
Brian Crawford, Los Angeles Wave Newspapers: The Los Angeles riots: An eyewitness's perspective
CNN: LA Riots: When a city turned war zone: CNN journalists look back at their coverage of the 1992 riots that engulfed Los Angeles following the acquittals. (video)
Peter Hong, office of Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas: 20 Years After the Riots: A More Worldly Los Angeles, A More Insular Los Angeles Times
David A. Love, TheGrio.com: LA riots 20 years later: How they changed the way we talk about race
Zerlina Maxwell, theGrio.com: LA riots 20 years later: Social media comes of age in the wake of Rodney King
Melissa Pamer and John Cadiz Klemack, NBCLosAngeles.com: Unborn baby shot in Los Angeles riots: 'I'm still here'
Donovan X. Ramsey, theGrio.com: 'Uprising' captures hip-hop spirit inspired by LA riots
Anthony Asadullah Samad, syndicated: Between the Lines: Twenty years of promises later, it's time to make South L.A. whole
Yussuf J. Simmonds and Jennifer Bihm, Los Angeles Sentinel: Race and Rage: L.A. Civil Unrest 20 Years Later
Hector Tobar, Los Angeles Times: Channeling a voice of Eastside L.A. (April 28)

NBC Miami Reporter Fired Over Edited Zimmerman Tape

"WTVJ reporter Jeff Burnside was fired Friday after being involved in editing a tape of George Zimmerman's 911 call before he shot Trayvon Martin," Andrew Beaujon reported Thursday for the Poynter Institute. "Burnside, who has been with the NBC owned and operated Miami station for 13 years, still has a bio page on its website.

" 'As anybody in the news business knows, something that seems very clear is often very, very complicated,' Burnside said by phone this evening. 'I have nothing but great things to say about the NBC team.'

"The WTVJ video, though edited similarly, was not the one that aired on NBC’s 'Today' show, according to two people with knowledge of the matter. The video that aired on the 'Today' show actually came from NBC’s Southeast headquarters, also based in south Florida.

"The 'Today' show video removed context from Zimmerman's conversation with a 911 operator. The original call transcript said:

"Zimmerman: This guy looks like he's up to no good. Or he's on drugs or something. It's raining and he's just walking around, looking about.

"Dispatcher: OK, and this guy — is he black, white or Hispanic?

"Zimmerman: He looks black.

"The edit changed Zimmerman's words to: 'This guy looks like he's up to no good. He looks black.' "

Keith A. Beauchamp, HuffPost BlackVoices: Emmett Till, Trayvon Martin and the Resurgence of Injustice
Ta-Nehisi Coates blog, the Atlantic: Television News and Accountability
Eugene Kane, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: There is no New Black Panther Party
Nancy Lockhart blog: Stand Your Ground Marissa Alexander: Please Sign Marissa's Petition
Abraham Morales, SE2 The Megaphone: One more time: What "white Hispanic" means
Alberta Phillips, Austin (Texas) American-Statesman: Painting Trayvon case in black and white hurts all

Jeffery Reid, Producer of "Black in America," Leaves CNN

Jeffery Reid, a veteran broadcast journalist who as executive producer for CNN Productions oversaw editorial content for the network’s long-form programming that appears in programs including "CNN Presents" and "CNN: Special Investigations Unit," left CNN on Friday, he told Journal-isms.

"Today is my last day. I'm just ready for a new adventure," he said by email. "I have a few irons in the fire and hope to share the news soon."

In his LinkedIn profile, Reid says, "Reid’s last projects, Black in America I and 2: took a hard look at the myths, the facts, the stereotypes and the realities of being Black in America.

"Reid also produced Martin Luther King: Words that Changed a Nation. This documentary gave viewers a rare look inside the U.S. civil rights movement and used King's own writings to explore his philosophy and theology. Words that Changed a Nation and Black in America were both nominated for an NAACP Image Award. Reid's other documentary work for CNN includes programs about the Virginia Tech massacre, the Iraq war, the Oklahoma City bombing, among other topics. Reid along with Soledad O'Brien was named to Ebony Magazine’s Power 150 in 2009. Among the 15 named in the media category Reid and O’Brien ranked third behind Oprah and Tavis Smiley."

Short Takes

"In the ugliest race" of the Pennsylvania primary on Tuesday, "D. Raja, the Mt. Lebanon businessman and unsuccessful GOP candidate for county executive, survived the thinly veiled racist ads of state Rep. Mark Mustio and took the nomination in the 37th Senate District," the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette editorialized Thursday. "Mr. Mustio had the ignominy of finishing third, a case of just deserts." Citing the offensive ads, the Post-Gazette retracted its endorsement of Mustio Saturday and backed Raja.
Merissa Green, a reporter for the Ledger in Lakeland, Fla., produced "Black Males Can," a multimedia project about black men that went up last week on the Ledger's website. It was in the works before the shooting of unarmed Florida teenager Trayvon Martin renewed media focus on young African American men, she told Journal-isms.
Controversial posts on personal social media sites by journalists aren’t unique to Essence. But Michael Bullerdick's right-wing posts go directly to concerns raised when he was hired as managing editor, "and that threatens to undermine a unique brand more than 42 years in the making," Tracie Powell wrote Thursday for the Poynter Institute.
"A memo from Contra Costa Times Executive Editor Dave Butler shows that another MediaNews paper is shifting copy-editing responsibilities within the newsroom," Steve Myers wrote Thursday for the Poynter Institute. "Thursday morning, Westword published a memo from Denver Post Editor Gregory Moore saying copy-editing would be moved to the 'content-generating level,' with cuts to the copy-editing staff. Now Butler tells his staff that senior editors have been discussing changes at the Contra Costa Times and with other Digital First Media newspapers."
At Chicago's WMAQ-TV, "Anthony Ponce, who has been the main fill-in on the weekend morning newscasts since Stefan Holt was promoted to weekday mornings in February, will now get the 'fill-in' tag removed," according to "Larz," writing Wednesday for chicagoradioandmedia.com "He has been named as the new weekend morning news anchor, working alongside WMAQ-TV veteran Kim Vatis. . . . His father, Phil Ponce, is the former longtime WBBM-TV reporter and WTTW-TV correspondent, and current host of WTTW-TV's 'Chicago Tonight.' His brother Dan Ponce is a former reporter for WLS-TV and current reporter for WGN-TV."
Sheila Brooks, CEO of SRB Communications in Washington, D.C., has agreed to pay convention registrations for three Grambling State University students to attend the National Association of Black Journalists convention in New Orleans in June, Justin Madden of Grambling State University wrote Wednesday for the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism. Brooks and her husband, USA Today personal finance editor Rodney Brooks, visited Grambling April 16-17. Will Sutton, Reynolds Visiting Professor of Business Journalism at Grambling, has called attention to the need for more journalists of color in business journalism.
"Rosana Franco, sports anchor for 'Primer Impacto' and formerly co-host of 'República Deportiva,' is out of Univision after a 13 year run. Her last day was yesterday," Veronica Villafañe reported Wednesday for her Media Moves site.
"New episodes of Oprah's Next Chapter and Our America With Lisa Ling (returning June 10), will make up OWN's Sunday lineup," Tim Baysinger reported Friday for Broadcasting & Cable.
"Several leading musicians spoke out against the Village Voice Media-owned Backpage.com's Adult classified section, where teens and children have been sold for sex," FoxNews.com reported on Thursday. "Artists such Alicia Keys, Daniel Bedingfield and Roseanne Cash and bands including Pearl Jam, R.E.M., The Roots, Alabama Shakes, Drive-By-Truckers added their names to the list of individuals calling for an end to the site’s posting of ads featuring minors for sex."
"When Gov. Rick Snyder signed anti-bullying legislation into law on Dec. 7, 2011, MSU visiting instructor Joe Grimm saw a perfect opportunity for one of his classes to create a book researching the ways bullying has evolved over time," Derek Blalock wrote for the State News at Michigan State University. "This semester, Grimm's Journalism 400 class wrote, 'The New Bullying: How Social Media, Social Exclusion, Laws and Suicide Have Changed Our Definition of Bullying — and What to Do About it.' The book focuses on how bullying has changed over the course of the last 15 years."
"A radio program in Puerto Rico has a new plan to create positivity on the Caribbean island," the EFE news service reported Thursday. "Starting May 1, the program 'Noticias OK,' will only report good news as a way to try and minimize violence on the streets."
The Federal Communications Commission "is proposing to allow noncommercial stations to spend a modest amount of their total annual broadcast time — up to one percent — conducting fundraising activities on behalf of non-profit organizations," RadioInk reported on Thursday. "Under the current rules, public stations can only conduct fundraising activities for the benefit of the station."
Reporters Without Borders said Thursday it "is very worried to learn that access to the Amharic website of Ethiopia’s leading independent, privately-owned weekly, The Reporter, has been blocked for the past five days. No one has been able to access the site from within Ethiopia since around 4:30 p.m. on 21 April unless they use a proxy server."

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"One Lonely Crusader" Sees Case Reopened

Roberto Delgado — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 02:40:12 +0000

April 25, 2012

Reporter believes convicted gang members were set up; Lawyer: no First Amendment right to keep Essence job; Unity president takes Washington Post buyout; immigration from Mexico to U.S. at historic standstill; Lloyd LaCuesta retiring after four-decade career; black-oriented sites focus on specifics of Trayvon case; Obama likes "Daily Show," reads "all" N.Y. Times pundits; C-SPAN to air National Black Writers Conference (4/25/12)

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Reporter Believes Convicted Gang Members Were Set Up

Lawyer: No First Amendment Right to Keep Essence Job

Michael Bullerdick, the Essence magazine managing editor who was transferred to another division of Time Warner after right-wing material was discovered on his Facebook page, has no First Amendment right to post such material without consequences, a First Amendment lawyer told Journal-isms on Wednesday.

David L. Hudson Jr., a First Amendment scholar with the Freedom Forum's First Amendment Center in Nashville, Tenn., said First Amendment claims apply only to government actions, not to those of private businesses. An exception might be made if there were a state law that covered such situations, he said.

An Essence spokeswoman said Friday that Bullerdick, a white male at a magazine that targets black women, was moving to the book division of Time Warner, the conglomerate that has owned Essence since 2005. The announcement came after Journal-isms shared screen shots of Bullerdick's Facebook page taken by a reader.

In one screen shot, an April 10 posting is headlined, "No Voter Fraud, Mr. Attorney General?" touting a video by James O'Keefe, the conservative activist who worked with right-wing trickster Andrew Breitbart. The same day, Bullerdick shared a photo illustration of the Rev. Al Sharpton headlined, "MSNBC Race Pimp." Bullerdick also recommends material from the conservative magazine Human Events and the right-wing website townhall.com.

The transfer of Bullerdick — some websites erroneously reported that he was fired — was reported widely on the Internet, particularly on black-oriented sites. Many applauded the action, others attributed Bullerdick's presence to Essence's white corporate ownership, and some questioned whether Bullerdick was being punished for his views, even though Essence's brief but carefully worded statement did not give a reason for the transfer.

One journalist asked in a tweet, "I don't know all details, but this call by Essence doesn't look good. Right wing views are protected, too."

Hudson said the Essence situation brought to mind the 1998 case of Weicherding v. Riegel III, decided by the Seventh Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals.

Wallace Weicherding was a prison guard at the Graham Correctional Center in Illinois, which housed about 1,500 inmates, more than 60 percent of whom were black or Hispanic. In 1993, Weicherding appeared on a local television newscast promoting a rally of the Ku Klux Klan to be held on his property. An investigation by prison authorities found that Weicherding used hand signals associated with the Klan, and phrases such as "weiss macht" (German for "white power") hundreds of times while at Graham. After a hearing, Weicherding was fired.

"If Graham were perceived by the inmate population and staff to tolerate a supporter of the Ku Klux Klan,"the Seventh Circuit determined, "the perception of fairness by prison administrators would be impaired and racial tensions within the prison would be exacerbated. . . . The defendants reasonably concluded that the interests of safety, promoted by avoiding racial violence at Graham, outweighed Weicherding's interest in protected speech and association."

While no one at Essence was threatening violence over Bullerdick's Facebook postings, and Bullerdick was not accused of Klan membership, a commenter to the Root noted that bottom-line considerations were at stake.

"I cant [imagine] FOX keeping a top staffer or anchor after they've touted extreme left wing content in a public forum (Yes people! Unless you actually use your privacy control setting FB is a public forum) or an LGBT mag keeping a top staffer after they've supported Prop 8 or the sanctity of marriage movement. At the end of the day, it hurts your bottom line and erodes your cred with readers. Period," this reader said.

Essence editor-in-chief Constance E.R. White has emphasized that Bullerdick had no editorial role, that his was a production job. Regardless, he was not the first white male managing editor. John Stoltenberg, now managing editor at AARP The Magazine and communications consultant at the D.C. Rape Crisis Center, held the job from 1980 to 1985, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Dr. Boyce Watkins, a Syracuse University professor and one of several in cyberspace who commented on the Essence transfer, said Bullerdick's race and gender are not the issue. "Bullerdick has been in his position for months, and it's disturbing when an editor of a major black women's publication espouses views which communicate that he has very little respect for black people," Watkins wrote. On EURWeb.com, Watkins posed "5 Questions to Ask Essence Mag. About their White Managing Editor."

In another report, Danielle Canada of rollingout.com listed other white editors at black-oriented publications, including Vanessa Satten, XXL editor in chief and Julia Beverly, editor of Ozone. Both are hip-hop publications.

Fishbowl NY posted "a Media Beat segment where we asked White about the flak she caught for hiring Bullerdick and [Ellianna] Placas before him ." The 2010 hiring of Placas, who is white, as fashion director created a similar stir.

Amy Wicks, Women's Wear Daily: Time Inc. Developing Social Media Policy for Employees
Julee Wilson, HuffPost Black Voices: Michael Bullerdick, 'Essence' Managing Editor, Is Reassigned After Racist Facebook Comments

Unity President Takes Washington Post Buyout

Joanna Hernandez, a multiplatform editor at the Washington Post who is president of Unity: Journalists of Color, Inc., which voted last week to change its name to "Unity Journalists," has accepted a buyout from the Post and is returning to New York, Hernandez told Journal-isms on Wednesday.

"Yes, it's official, I applied for the buyout and it's been accepted. My last day at the Washington Post is May 31," Hernandez said by email.

"This was not an easy decision. You know, I have been working in newsrooms for more than 20 years. I have enjoyed working at the Washington Post, and I will miss my colleagues as well as living in the nation's capital.

"But an opportunity presented itself, and I just couldn't pass it up. In June, I will be joining the City University of New York's Graduate School of Journalism as career services director. I'm very excited about this opportunity, because it means I will be able to use both my personal and professional experiences to help the next generation of journalists enter our trade. I can't think of a better next step in my career and life."

Hernandez joined the Post in December 2009. According to her Unity bio, "previously, she worked as a copy editor for The Record and the Herald News, two newspapers owned by the North Jersey Media Group. Before that, she was director of the Feature Production Center for The New York Times Regional Media Group; held several newsroom positions, including weekend entertainment editor, at The Star Ledger in Newark, N.J.; was a copy editor at the San Francisco Examiner in California; and was a copy editor at Newsday in Melville, N.Y."

Fredrick Kunkle, co-chair, News of the Washington Post unit of the Newspaper Guild, said last week that ". . . 32 Guild-covered employees have chosen to accept the company's buyout offer. It also appears, as many of you have been hearing, that a high number of the participants are Asian, African-American or Latino. By our count, more than a dozen of these Guild-covered employees are minorities, most of whom are black."

Two news aides who are African American also confirmed to Journal-isms that they are leaving: Stephen A. Crockett Jr., assigned to the Universal Desk, and Kerry Flagg, sports editorial aide. "I want to write books and movies and plays but I will need to find something that pays me until I can finish books and movies and plays," Crockett said by email. He has interned as a Style section writer.

Reporter Theola Labbé-DeBose; photographer Mark Gail; Tony P. Knott, an assistant news editor; and Lisa Frazier Page, social issues editor on the Local staff, all black journalists, confirmed earlier that they were taking the buyout.

Immigration From Mexico to U.S. at Historic Standstill

"The largest wave of immigration in history from a single country to the United States has come to a standstill," Jeffrey Passel, D'Vera Cohn and Ana Gonzalez-Barrera wrote Monday for the Pew Hispanic Center. "After four decades that brought 12 million current immigrants — more than half of whom came illegally — the net migration flow from Mexico to the United States has stopped — and may have reversed, according to a new analysis by the Pew Hispanic Center of multiple government data sets from both countries.

"The standstill appears to be the result of many factors, including the weakened U.S. job and housing construction markets, heightened border enforcement, a rise in deportations, the growing dangers associated with illegal border crossings, the long-term decline in Mexico’s birth rates and changing economic conditions in Mexico."

Fox News Latino via Associated Press: Romney Passes on Rubio's DREAM Act Plan — for Now
Emil Guillermo blog, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund: Immigrant go home? Gladly, sort of.
Mary Sanchez, Kansas City Star: Time for Supremes to quash Arizona’s immigration law
Marisa Treviño, Latina Lista blog: Pew Hispanic reports Mexican migration no longer an issue, but will it make any difference to conservatives?

Lloyd LaCuesta Retiring After Four-Decade Career

"One of the most enduring reporters in Bay Area television history announced Tuesday that he is approaching the finish line," Rick Hurd reported Tuesday for the Contra Costa (Calif.) Times.

"KTVU's Lloyd LaCuesta, the station's South Bay bureau chief and a fixture on breaking news stories for nearly 36 years, will retire June 15.

" 'I have spent more than half my life at KTVU, which makes it all the more difficult to say goodbye. But it is time,' LaCuesta wrote in a message posted on Facebook. 'I need to slow down and truly enjoy life.'

"LaCuesta arrived at KTVU in August 1976, according to the station, and over the years has won six Emmy Awards for his reporting.

"He reported on the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989, the Oakland [Hills] firestorm in 1991, and the Columbine High School shooting in Colorado in 1999, among others.

"He also was the first elected national president of the [Asian American] Journalists Association, for which he earned a Lifetime Achievement Award. He presided over the Unity Journalists of Color, as well."

In a congratulatory news release from Unity, Doris Truong, national AAJA president, said, "Lloyd has groomed more than one generation of journalists to careers that follow on his example of excellence in reporting and to serving our Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. He has inspired us in AAJA by sharing his personal stories, and this is a well-deserved transition for someone who understands the value of maintaining a balanced life."

Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle: All hail Lloyd LaCuesta: Iron man of local TV news

Black-Oriented Sites Focus on Specifics of Trayvon Case

While national coverage of the Trayvon Martin story has waned, Tracie Powell wrote Monday for the Poynter Institute, niche sites targeting African Americans continue to publish key developments in the case of the slain, unarmed Florida teenager "and are also connecting it to larger stories and issues that are similar to Martin’s case.

"While mainstream publications debate whether the hoodie Martin wore led to his death or whether racism played a role in his killing, black publications see an opportunity to fulfill a greater mission. They are also more focused on the specifics of Martin’s case than more mainstream news organizations."

Powell quoted Jeff John Roberts of paidContent.org: "Since its first piece on March 8, theGrio has published more than 250 stories on Martin and many of its videos have landed on shows like the 'Today' show and ‘NBC Nightly News.' The Grio’s success reflects the rise of a new generation of African American news as well as a new symbiosis between niche and mainstream media outlets."

Meanwhile, "A Florida judge unsealed court records relating to the case of George Zimmerman — who is charged with the second-degree murder of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin — following legal requests by several news organizations," the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press reported on Tuesday.

"Judge Kenneth Lester, Jr., who took over the case after Judge Jessica Recksiedler recused herself due to a conflict of interest, reversed the previous judge's order to seal the records, and posted about two dozen documents to the court's website Monday. The records were initially sealed at the request of Zimmerman’s attorney, Mark O'Mara."

David Carr, New York Times: TV Corrects Itself, Just Not on the Air
Ta-Nehisi Coates, the Atlantic: Trayvon Martin Update
Jarvis DeBerry, Times-Picayune, New Orleans: Trayvon Martin's death evokes pain and fear for black boys here and yet to come
Eric Deggans, NPR: Examining Coverage Of The Trayvon Martin Case
Lewis Diuguid, Kansas City Star: A vow long ago to fight destructive stereotypes
John W. Fountain, Chicago Sun-Times: I am Trayvon’s father
GlobalGrind: MURDERED! Another Unarmed Black Man Gunned Down
Eugene Kane, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: Zimmerman bail raises issues of fairness
Darryl E. Owens, Orlando Sentinel: FAMU hazing victim as deserving of justice as Trayvon Martin

Obama Likes "Daily Show," Reads "All" N.Y. Times Pundits

In an interview with Jann S. Wenner of Rolling Stone, President Obama describes where he gets his news and reaffirms that "I never bought into the notion that by electing me, somehow we were entering into a post-racial period."

Wenner asked, "What do you read regularly to keep you informed or provide you with perspectives beyond the inner circle of your advisers?

[Laughs] Other than Rolling Stone?

Q. That goes without saying.

A. I don’t watch a lot of TV news. I don’t watch cable at all. I like 'The Daily Show', so sometimes if I'm home late at night, I'll catch snippets of that. I think Jon Stewart's brilliant. It’s amazing to me the degree to which he's able to cut through a bunch of the nonsense – for young people in particular, where I think he ends up having more credibility than a lot of more conventional news programs do.

I spend a lot of time just reading reports, studies, briefing books, intelligence assessments.

Q. Newspapers?

A. I’ll thumb through all the major papers in the morning. I'll read the Times and Wall Street Journal and Washington Post, just to catch up.

Q. Do you read Paul Krugman?

A. I read all of the New York Times columnists. Krugman's obviously one of the smartest economic reporters out there, but I also read some of the conservative columnists, just to get a sense of where those arguments are going. There are a handful of blogs, Andrew Sullivan's on the Daily Beast being an example, that combine thoughtful analysis with a sampling of lots of essays that are out there. The New Yorker and The Atlantic still do terrific work. Every once in a while, I sneak in a novel or a nonfiction book.

Q. I thought you were going to say Playboy.

A. No [laughs].

On race relations, Obama said, ". . . race has been one of the fault lines in American culture and American politics from the start. I never bought into the notion that by electing me, somehow we were entering into a post-racial period."

But, he added, ". . . you shouldn't also underestimate the fact that there are a whole bunch of little white girls and white boys all across the country who just take it for granted that there's an African American president. That's the president they're growing up with, and that's changing attitudes.

"My view on race has always been that it's complicated. It's not just a matter of head — it's a matter of heart. It's about interactions. What happens in the workplace, in schools, on sports fields, and through music and culture shapes racial attitudes as much as any legislation that's passed. I do believe that we're making slow and steady progress. When I talk to Malia and Sasha, the world they're growing up with, with their friends, is just very different from the world that you and I grew up with."

Peter Hart, Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting: Obama's Not Quite Silver Spoon Swipe
Sahil Kapur, Talking Points Memo: Fox News' Steve Doocy Corrects Fabricated Obama Quote
Alex Weprin, TVNewser: Watch Out Brian Williams: President Barack Obama 'Slow Jams The News'

C-SPAN to Air National Black Writers Conference

C-SPAN2 plans to air four panels from the 2012 National Black Writers Conference on Saturday, the network said this week.

The panels, all at Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn, N.Y., are:

A discussion with author and talk show host Tavis Smiley, moderated by journalist Esther Armah
"The Impact of Popular Culture on Politics in Literature," with William Jelani Cobb, author and associate professor, Africana Studies, Rutgers University; Keli Goff, author and political analyst; Anthony Grooms, author; Lita Hooper, playwright and poet; Michael Simanga, executive director, National Black Arts Festival; and the Rev. Conrad Tillard, senior pastor, Nazarene Congregational Church, Brooklyn, N.Y. Moderator: Obery Hendricks, professor of New Testament Studies at New York Theological Seminary.
"Being Sold or Selling Ourselves: Black Writers and the Marketplace": Regina Brooks, founder and president, Serendipity Literary Agency; JLove Calderon, author; Linda Duggins, director of multicultural publicity, Hachette Book Group; Lisa Moore, founder and editor, RedBone Press; Johnny Temple, publisher and editor-in-chief, Akashic Books; Cheryl Woodruff, associate publisher and president, SmileyBooks. Moderator: Calvin Reid, senior news editor of Publishers Weekly.
"The Role of Social Media: Black Writers Take Literature to the Web": Angela Dodson, content manager, Kweli Journal; Troy Johnson, founder and webmaster, African American Literature Book Club; Montague Kobbe, writer and blogger; Akoto Ofori-Atta, assistant editor, the Root; Laura Pegram, founding editor, Kweli Journal; Joel Dreyfuss, senior editor-at-large, the Root. Moderator: Grace Aneiza Ali, founder and editorial director, Of Note online magazine.

Short Takes

"In a candid ruling, a New York judge said a protester can't stop prosecutors from searching his Twitter account because he doesn’t own the tweets in the first place," Jeff John Roberts reported Tuesday for paidcontent.org. "Judge Matthew Sciarrino Jr. cited a 'widely-believed' but 'mistaken' notion about online privacy rights and said that search and seizure protections don't apply because we 'do not have a "physical" home on the Internet.' "
"Beyoncé, the international superstar singer, wife of Jay-Z and mother to four-month-old Blue Ivy has been named People magazine's world's most beautiful woman, it was revealed on TODAY Wednesday morning," Randee Dawn reported for NBC's "Today" show.
Moses Newson, who risked his life covering some of the most notable events of the civil rights era for the black press, is among those featured in "Investigating Power," a new online multimedia project, Robert Siegel reported Wednesday for NPR's "All Things Considered." The project, created by veteran journalist Charles Lewis, "records the work of former investigative reporters who are retired or now university professors throughout the nation. The goal is to make sure the techniques, sensibilities and editorial standards of the craft don't become hieroglyphics," Seigel said.
"Ka Nako," by Wandoo Makurdi of Florida A&M University won in the Television In-Depth Reporting category in the Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence Awards, recognizing collegiate work published or broadcast during 2011. The documentary, on South Africa, was filmed when Makurdi was among a group of FAMU and Chinese journalism students who went to South Africa to cover the 2010 World Cup.
The Howard University News Service was judged best independent online student publication for a four-year college/university in the Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence Awards.
The "Anchorman 2" movie sequel, set in the 1970s, will have the push for diversity in television as a theme, according to writer/director Adam McKay. Phil de Semlyen of empireonline.com wrote, ". . . 'We know these guys never deal well with change,' says McKay, 'and the good thing is that there's a big blast of change coming, according to the regular timeline. We're going to be throwing a lot of innovation at them, and they're not going to handle it well. . . . All of a sudden, local news stations diversified and had Latino anchors and African- American anchors, and any time you're talking about diversity and the Action News team, that's always fun to deal with.' "
Isabel Wilkerson, a Howard University alumna and author of the acclaimed "The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration," about the black migration to the North, is among four "distinguished leaders in fields of communication, business, and the arts" to receive an honorary degree at Howard on May 12. The others are musician and humanitarian John Legend, MSNBC host Chris Matthews and Julieanna L. Richardson, a leader in preserving African American oral history.
"CNN has named Vladimir Duthiers an international correspondent, based out of Lagos, Nigeria," Alex Weprin reported Tuesday for TVNewser. "Duthiers has been with CNN for much of his career, starting out on Christiane Amanpour's program, and most recently as an associate producer for 'AC360.' He was part of the team that led CNN's coverage of the earthquake in Haiti in 2010."
"Bonnie Cha, a tech reporter for CNET for the past eight years, has been hired by All Things Digital, the Wall Street Journal's tech site, to review new tech products, Talking Biz News reported on Tuesday.
"A media blackout is being enforced by the military junta in Guinea-Bissau that staged a coup d'état on April 12, 2012," the Media Foundation for West Africa reported on Monday from Accra, Ghana. "The Media Foundation for West Africa's (MFWA) source in the country reported that on the day of the coup, the coup makers forced all the media houses to close down."
"The Palestinian Authority has blocked up to eight critical news websites in the West Bank since February, according to a report released by an independent news agency on Monday," the Committee to Protect Journalists reported Tuesday. "The websites, Amad, Fatah Voice, Firas Press, In Light Press, Karama Press, Kofia Press, Milad News, and Palestine Beituna, have been inaccessible to most Internet users in the West Bank since early February, according to a report released by the Bethlehem-based Ma'an News Agency."
"Wattan TV bills itself as the voice of the voiceless. But since the Israeli army gutted its Ramallah headquarters in a predawn raid two months ago, that voice has been reduced to a whisper," Robert Mahoney reported Tuesday for the Committee to Protect Journalists. "The station's general director, Muamar Orabi, went to Washington this month to urge the U.S. government to press Israel to return Wattan's confiscated equipment. The equipment was funded in large part by U.S. agencies, including the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Middle East Partnership Initiative, a fund controlled by the State Department."
"Brazilian political journalist and blogger Décio Sá was shot and killed Monday night in the city of Sao Luis in northeastern Brazil, according to news reports," the Committee to Protect Journalists reported Tuesday. "The journalist was sitting in a bar waiting for a friend when an unidentified man entered, walked to the bathroom, and shot Sá six times before fleeing the scene with a motorcyclist who was waiting outside."

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Romney Wins Race for Favorable Coverage

Roberto Delgado — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 02:26:07 +0000

April 23, 2012

Tone became "solidly positive" after Michigan primary; coverage of Obama more about campaign than policy; State Department spotlights imperiled journalists; Labbé-DeBose, Mark Gail take Washington Post buyout; Pittsburgh paper pulls endorsement after "racist" appeal; Unity co-founder says change of name is "dead wrong"; nominate a J-educator who has helped diversity; "Metro Seven" 40th year reunion; The Washington Post's Metro Seven (NABJ Journal, 2002)

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Tone Became "Solidly Positive" After Michigan Primary

Coverage of Obama More About Campaign Than Policy

State Department Spotlights Imperiled Journalists

Labbé-DeBose, Mark Gail Take Washington Post Buyout

Pittsburgh Paper Pulls Endorsement After "Racist" Appeal

Unity Co-Founder Says Change of Name Is "Dead Wrong"

Nominate a J-Educator Who Has Helped Diversity

Coverage of Obama More About Campaign Than Policy

"Of all the presidential candidates studied in this report, only one figure did not have a single week in 2012 when positive coverage exceeded negative coverage — the incumbent, Democrat Barack Obama," Tom Rosenstiel, Mark Jurkowitz and Tricia Sartor wrote Monday for the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism.

"While a sitting president may have access to the 'bully pulpit,' that does not mean he has control of the media narrative, particularly during the other party's primary season.

"In Obama’s case, his negative coverage was driven by several factors. One was the consistent criticism leveled at him by each of the Republican contenders during primary season. The other involved news coverage of issues — ranging from the tenuous economic recovery to the continuing challenges to his health care legislation — with which he was inextricably linked. An examination of the themes in Obama's coverage also reveals that the coverage placed him firmly in campaign mode. His coverage that focused on the strategic frame exceeded that relating to policy issues by 3:1.

". . . Several factors drove Obama’s negative coverage in recent weeks. One of them was the continued rise in gas prices, which triggered criticism of the administration's energy policy. Another was the uncertainty surrounding the health care legislation as the Supreme Court held hearings on the law in late March.

"Still another element was the accidental open mic comment when Obama was overheard telling Russian President Dmitry Medvedev that he would have 'more flexibility' in dealing with the Russian-U.S. relations 'after my election.' That comment quickly became part of the campaign narrative with Romney characterizing it as 'alarming' and 'troubling.'

Michael Calderone, Huffington Post: Richard Grenell, New Mitt Romney Spokesman, Scrubs Online Attacks On Media And Women
Mary C. Curtis, Creative Loafing Charlotte: Democratic National Convention 2012 Notebook: Protesters and Pushback at Romney's Prebuttal'
Editorial, Washington Informer: Romney, the Republicans and Black Folks
Tim Giago, indianz.com: Rocky history of Natives and the Mormon Church
Jill Hanauer, HuffPost LatinoVoices: Romney's Latino Problem: Not Resolved by Hispanic VP
Howard Kurtz, Daily Beast: Media Favored Romney Over Obama During GOP Primaries: Study
Howard Kurtz, Daily Beast: How Mitt Romney Beats the Press, Avoiding Most National Interviews
Elizabeth Llorente, Fox News Latino: Latinos are Deeply Divided over Marco Rubio
Myriam Marquez, Miami Herald: Marco Rubio, Dreamers and political calculations
Askia Muhammad, Washington Informer: Romney's Racist Theology?
Raul A. Reyes, Los Angeles Times: Marco Rubio's Dream Act: A nightmare for immigrants
Eugene Robinson, Washington Post: Republican rhetoric over the top
Janell Ross, HuffPost LatinoVoices: Romney's Election Conundrum: Win Independent and GOP Vote, Risk Making Latino Voters Anti-Romney

State Department Spotlights Imperiled Journalists

The State Department has begun a "Free the Press" campaign spotlighting independent journalists under attack around the world in hopes that journalists will "use it as a resource and a reference for human rights policy statements . . . We'd like to provide the information so that you can ask the hard questions," a State Department official told opinion writers on Monday.

Deborah E. Graze, principal deputy assistant secretary in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, told members of the Association of Opinion Journalists, formerly the National Conference of Editorial Writers, that the campaign would continue until World Press Freedom Day on May 3.

The first journalist highlighted on the State Department's human rights website is Yoani Sanchez, "a blogger and technological innovator. She has attracted an international following for her blog, Generacíon Y, which gives readers unprecedented insight into life in Cuba," the site says.

"She has worked to improve the ability of ordinary Cubans to access and disseminate information, and to expand information flow and free expression throughout Cuba. Ms. Sanchez has been credited as the 'founder' of the independent Cuban blogosphere, and her work has expanded beyond blogging to training and advising dozens of newcomers to the blogosphere, providing a voice for young Cubans and for established civil society leaders."

Graze was one of nine who spoke to the opinion writers on their fields of expertise at an all-day briefing at the department's Foggy Bottom headquarters. The officials were reluctant to articulate differences with the foreign policy of the Bush administration, preferring to characterize their policies as bipartisan. However, they did attempt to point out diplomatic work that did not make headlines.

For example, Ambassador Melanne Verveer of the Office of Global Women's Issues and Roberta Jacobson, ambassador of the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, emphasized that the recent hemispheric summit in Colombia, overshadowed by the Secret Service scandal involving patronage of prostitutes, also addressed efforts to aid women-owned businesses.

Differences over Cuba, the Falkland Islands and drug legalization, which also prompted headlines, "really isn't what took up a lot of time in the preparation," Jacobson said. Verveer noted Colombia's years of victimization by drug cartels and said the conference addressed "land rights for victims of strife. Women have borne the brunt of the consequences of the strife."

Overall, the speakers said, diplomats work on an alphabet soup of committees and programs that address trade, infrastructure and empowerment issues. That's especially true in Afghanistan, Verveer said. "Don't look at women only as victims," she urged, pointing out political and economic gains by women in that country. An official with an Asian portfolio noted that Asia has no counterpart to the European Union, another U.S. priority.

Differences with Bush administration policies seemed minor. While Jacobson cited a "strong sense of bipartisanship," she noted that labor and environmental issues were taken into account in trade agreements. The "war on drugs" was called a misnomer because the same conduits for drugs are used for other criminal enterprises. The "war on terror" should really be the "war on Al Qaeda," said Ambassador Daniel Benjamin, a former correspondent for Time magazine and the Wall Street Journal who heads the Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism. He repeated the Obama administration's argument that terrorism is a means to an end.

Asked what he thought of media coverage of his subject area, Benjamin said, "Media coverage of terrorism is quite good. It reflects society as a whole in its focus on the terrible and the immediate."

But, he added, "I'd love it" if the media also covered the department's efforts to blunt the appeal of radicalism, to "provide alternatives to at-risk youth."

However, he said, "As a former journalist, I know you can't stand on the beach and tell the tides to go somewhere else."

Committee to Protect Journalists: Three Colombian journalists flee homes in recent months
Leonard Pitts Jr., Miami Herald: If not drug legalization, what, Mr. President?
Tom Retterbush, censorshipwatch.net: Censorship has a New Name, TPP aka the Trans-Pacific Partnership... of Oppression (March 17)
Bob Ray Sanders, Star-Telegram, Fort Worth, Texas: Secret Service scandal not new
David Squires, Daily Press, Newport News, Va.: Winning the 'war' on drugs
Nisha Thanki, International Press Institute: Deadly Week for Journalists Across the Globe

Labbé-DeBose, Mark Gail Take Washington Post Buyout

Amid concern about the buyout offer's effect on diversity, Monday was the deadline for Washington Post employees to change their minds about accepting it. Reporter Theola Labbé-DeBose and photographer Mark Gail, both black journalists, confirmed they are leaving.

Fredrick Kunkle, co-chair, News, of the Washington Post unit of the Newspaper Guild, wrote in a memo last week that 32 Guild-covered employees had chosen to accept the company's buyout offer and "that a high number of the participants are Asian, African-American or Latino. By our count, more than a dozen of these Guild-covered employees are minorities, most of whom are black."

He told Journal-isms Monday he had no further information.

Black journalists Tony P. Knott, an assistant news editor, and Lisa Frazier Page, social issues editor on the Local staff, confirmed earlier that they were taking the buyout.

Executive Editor Marcus Brauchli said then that the Post was monitoring the impact the buyouts would have on newsroom diversity, but Peter Perl, the Post's assistant managing editor for personnel, asked about the buyouts on Monday, told Journal-isms, "We're not putting out anything on it."

Labbé-DeBose, a local reporter covering public safety, was the National Association of Black Journalists' Emerging Journalist of the Year for 2004, awarded after her coverage of the war in Iraq. Of Haitian heritage, she was sent to that country to cover the aftermath of the catastrophic 2010 earthquake.

She started at the Post in 2001. Gail said he had been at the Post 14 years. Asked what he'd like to next, he messaged, "Freelancing and maybe teaching english in Asia."

Pittsburgh Paper Pulls Endorsement After "Racist" Appeal

"Two weeks ago, the Post-Gazette called the race in the Republican Senate primary between businessman D. Raja and state Rep. Mark Mustio ugly," the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette editorialized Saturday. "Turns out, Mr. Mustio was just getting started.

"Since then, he has dragged an already mean-spirited contest into the gutter with a mailing so offensive that the Post-Gazette has no choice but to withdraw its endorsement of Mr. Mustio and recommend Mr. Raja instead.

". . . Mr. Mustio went further when he superimposed an image of the flag of India behind a photo of Mr. Raja in earlier advertisements and fliers. Although born in India, Mr. Raja — like millions of immigrants before him — came to this country as a young man, made it his home by becoming a U.S. citizen and founded a successful business here. He also earned master's degrees at the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University.

"Mr. Mustio followed that up by crossing a line this week with an insidious mailing aimed at stirring up prejudices about Mr. Raja's foreign birth. Even though Mr. Raja is known simply as Raja or D. Raja in his business dealings, personal life and politics, Mr. Mustio displayed prominently his opponent's full given name —Dakshinamurthy — in a campaign flier."

Unity Co-Founder Says Change of Name Is "Dead Wrong"

Will Sutton, a co-founder of what became Unity: Journalists of Color, Inc., says he is saddened by last week's decision to remove "Journalists of Color" from the name of the coalition, which now includes the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association.

The National Association of Black Journalists withdrew last year, leaving the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, the Asian American Journalists Association and the Native American Journalists Association.

"As co-founder with Juan Gonzalez of what became UNITY: Journalists of Color I am saddened by the news that UNITY won't have journalists of color as a key and primary focus of the coalition," Sutton told Journal-isms Friday by email.

" 'We never envisioned a coalition of associations focused on anything but journalists of color. Though I am disappointed that NABJ is no longer a part of the group, that still left three associations with journalist members of color, members who I am certain care [about] our issues as journalists of color and covering communities of color.

"I have always been encouraging to and supportive of NLGJA as an organization and its members, but this is dead wrong — and it may have nailed the door shut on NABJ returning to the fold."

Gonzalez did not respond to requests for comment.

According to the conventional history of the Unity alliance, as outlined in "Building Unity," [PDF] a booklet prepared for the 2008 Unity convention, Unity has this starting point:

"1986. UNITY’s unofficial beginnings starts with the meeting of Juan González, an active member of the NAHJ, and Will Sutton Jr., an active member of NABJ, as they started comparing notes about their experiences as journalists of color. . . . "

The second milestone took place in 1988, with the first joint meeting of boards of the NABJ, NAHJ, AAJA and NAJA.

DeWayne Wickham, who convened that meeting, said of the change to "Unity Journalists," "I think it amounts to a final divorce decree. UNITY was a head without a body. It had no membership beyond that which it claimed from the ranks of the groups that spawned it. NABJ correctly severed its relationship with UNITY last year. Now we should use direct contacts with NAHJ, AAJA and NAJA to pursue common interests."

However, Mark Trahant, who was NAJA president at the time of the Baltimore meeting, said by email, "The name change came after my service with Unity — so I don't have strong feelings about it. I liked the simple 'Unity' all along as a statement of where we want to end up. Personally I wasn't keen on adding the journalists of color tag."

Evelyn Hernandez, who was then NAHJ president, and Lloyd LaCuesta, then AAJA's president, did not respond to emailed requests for comment.

[Update: Hernandez replied Wednesday: "I like Unity Journalists. It's lean and efficient for the 21st Century. We know who we are."] [April 25.]

Nominate a J-Educator Who Has Helped Diversity

The Association of Opinion Journalists, formerly the National Conference of Editorial Writers, annually grants a Barry Bingham Sr. Fellowship — actually an award — "in recognition of an educator's outstanding efforts to encourage minority students in the field of journalism." The educator should be at the college level.

Nominations, which are now being accepted for the 2012 award, should consist of a statement about why you believe your nominee is deserving.

The final selection will be made by the NCEW Foundation board and announced in time for the Sept. 20-22 convention in Orlando, when the presentation will be made.

Since 2000, an honorarium of $1,000 has been awarded the recipient, to be used to "further work in progress or begin a new project."

Past winners include James Hawkins, Florida A&M University (1990); Larry Kaggwa, Howard University (1992); Ben Holman, University of Maryland (1996); Linda Jones, Roosevelt University, Chicago (1998); Ramon Chavez, University of Colorado, Boulder (1999); Erna Smith, San Francisco State (2000); Joseph Selden, Penn State (2001); Cheryl Smith, Paul Quinn College (2002); Rose Richard, Marquette University (2003); Leara D. Rhodes, University of Georgia (2004); Denny McAuliffe, University of Montana (2005); Pearl Stewart, Black College Wire (2006); Valerie White, Florida A&M University (2007); Phillip Dixon, Howard University (2008); Bruce DePyssler, North Carolina Central University (2009); Sree Sreenivasan, Columbia University (2010); and Yvonne Latty, New York University, 2011.

Nominations may be emailed to Richard Prince, AOJ Diversity Committee chair, richardprince (at) hotmail.com. The deadline is May 18.

"Metro Seven" 40th Year Reunion

Washington Post's "Metro Seven" Hold 30-Year Reunion (Aug. 19, 2002)
Steven Gray, The Washington Post's Metro Seven (NABJ Journal, September 2002)
Additional photos

Short Takes

"Today MALDEF filed a petition for writ of mandate to compel Sheriff Lee Baca to release public records relating to the death of Ruben Salazar," the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund announced Monday in Los Angeles. "Sheriff Baca has refused to release the complete files despite waiving exemption rights when he made the records available for public inspection in March 2011. Salazar was a Mexican American journalist killed by a Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy during the national Chicano Moratorium in August 1970." The petition was filed on behalf of documentary filmmaker Phillip Rodriguez, who said unresolved issues remain about Salazar's killing.
"Betty Liu, an anchor on Bloomberg Television, will have her own radio show beginning next week," TalkingBizNews reported on Saturday. "This coming Monday, Bloomberg Radio will [launch] 'In the Loop At the Half' with host Liu. It's a new radio show airing at 12 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET featuring a look at market activity and what investors can expect in the afternoon as they head to the close."
"A local TV station has come up with a provocative way to mark the 20th anniversary of the calamitous events sparked by the announcement of a not-guilty verdict for four LAPD officers involved in the beating of Rodney King," Richard Horgan reported Monday for FishbowlLA. "NBC Southern California, driven by the question of how social media might have factored into the 1992 LA riots, has launched a Twitter account that is replicating the events of 20 years ago."
". . . The paper has started a new site, Homicide KC at Homicide.KansasCity.com," Derek Donovan, public editor at the Kansas City Star, wrote on Sunday. "Its slogan is 'Tracking every Kansas City homicide. Remembering every victim,' with the goal of creating an entry for each individual. The site lists information such as the victims' age, place and cause of death, and suspects in the crimes. So far, most of the reader feedback I’ve heard about it has been positive" but some dissented.
"I'm racking my brain trying to come up with creative ways to eat three square meals on $35 a week," Annette John-Hall wrote Friday in the Philadelphia Inquirer. "Will $5 a day fill me up? Provide the occasional fruit or vegetable? Can I even stretch $35 over seven days before my money gets funny and my stomach starts to growl? Well, starting Monday, I'll find out by taking the Greater Philadelphia Food Stamp Challenge."
"Michael Carr has been promoted to news director at KFSN, the ABC O&O in Fresno," Calif., Merrill Knox reported Friday for TVSpy. "Carr, an executive producer at the station, has served as acting news director since Tracey Watkowski left KFSN for KGO last month. He joined KFSN in 1999 as a weekend assignment editor."
"Sula Kim is joining WDSU, the NBC-affiliate in New Orleans, as a morning anchor," Merrill Knox reported Friday for TVSpy. "She will be paired with Randi Rousseau, who currently anchors solo in the mornings. Kim will join the station after the May ratings period. . . . Kim has worked at WVEC, the ABC-affiliate in Norfolk, VA, since 2005. She is currently the station’s weekend evening anchor."
Tributes to the late Gil Noble from Gary Byrd, Bob Law, Bill McCreary and Les Payne, who all appeared on Noble's "Like It Is" public affairs show on New York's WABC-TV, are available on YouTube [video]. Noble died April 5 at age 80. The wake took place April 12 at Harlem's Abyssinian Baptist Church. Payne's tribute is available separately [video].
April 15 marked the 25th anniversary of tha landmark jury trial that found the New York Daily News guilty of discrimination. Surviving plaintiff Causewell Vaughan recapped the case in the April 18 edition of Daily Challenge in New York, which is not online. The other plaintiffs were David Hardy, who died in 2010; Steven Duncan, 2002; and Joan Shepard, 1992.
". . . The hardest part about working for a Hispanic news outlet is overcoming the stereotype that she’s only trying to report one side of an issue," Griselda Nevárez said in an April 10 Washington Post story by Heather Caygle about Hispanic Link News Service, a national Hispanic newswire based in Washington. ". . . Nevárez, 22, was named a 2012 Chips Quinn Scholar, a program that places . . . journalists in news organizations across the country to help improve newsroom diversity."
"HLN’s Richelle Carey has recently launched RichelleCarey.com to provide a place where women and their supporters can have a genuine conversation about the challenges and triumphs of women and girls," Carey announced last week. "RichelleCarey.com highlights critical issues facing women and girls including domestic violence, the sexualization of girls in the media, sexism, victim blaming and much more."
Ted Diadiun, reader representative at the Plain Dealer in Cleveland, wrote on Sunday that, ". . . The local newspaper has two critical things going for it that no other information source can match: Its reputation. The paper has been there day after day for as long as any reader has been alive, and readers have learned they can trust the information they find in it. (2) Its newsroom. Smaller though most newsrooms have become, the newspaper still has the largest group of professional journalists you will find in any city or town, and the only one with the firepower capable of keeping watch on how government spends our money and enforces our laws, and reporting the news in our far-flung region."
"Brian Carter and his sidekick, Dave Sanborn, thrilled morning radio in Philly as entertaining yakkers and disc jockeys on Power 99 from 1987 to 1999, and later on WDAS," John F. Morrison wrote Monday for the Philadelphia Daily News. "Carter, the brasher and funnier of the mixed-race duo, died Sunday of a heart attack at home in his native Baltimore. He was 54."

The Washington Post's Metro Seven

Thirty years ago, they fought for a fair chance. Today, there's still work to be done.

By Steven Gray, NABJ Journal
National Association of Black Journalists
September 2002 (edited version)

In August, six former Washington Post reporters met at a colleague's home for a commemoration. Not to mark the 30th anniversary of the break-in at the Watergate Hotel, but of a landmark Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaint charging the newspaper with discrimination against its black employees.

The case, believed to be the first of its kind against a major American newspaper, unarguably accelerated the hiring and promotion of scores of journalists of color. More important, it helped solidify the role of black journalists in the interpretation of contemporary American history. Yet, it seems the complaint and its significance has been largely ignored. There was no formal recognition of it scheduled at this year's NABJ convention in Milwaukee, where we relished in the ascension of more blacks to top newspaper posts.

African Americans head bureaus in Mexico City, Paris and Johannesburg, while black columnists write on topics ranging from the African AIDS crisis to personal finance. Sure, at first glance, there is much to celebrate.

To the Metro Seven — as the group of black Post reporters came to be known — the struggle for equality in the nation's newsrooms is hardly over, as some wish to believe. Within the complaint's allegations lie stark parallels to scores of issues that still linger. Yet, some of the Metro Seven survived at the Post, in journalism, partly on their own resilience, in the days before there was a deputy managing editor, or even an executive editor, to turn to for counsel. They had nothing but themselves.

Constant challenges for Dash

In 1966, a Howard University student named Leon Dash was working as a copy aide at the Washington Post when then-city editor Stephen D. Isaacs offered him a spot in that summer's intern class. Dash quickly accepted, and was eventually hired as a full-time reporter assigned to cover the District's Metropolitan Police Department. From the beginning, he faced constant challenges from Southern-bred police officers fresh from the Vietnam War, as well as from his own Post colleagues, whom he learned could be "some of your stiffest competition."

Two years later, he left to serve in the Peace Corps, in Kenya — soon after, riots erupted in Washington and dozens of other American cities in the wake of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination. Editors looked around their newsrooms and realized, perhaps for the first time, the consequences of the absence of people who could penetrate communities of color and authoritatively explain just what was ticking inside Black America's head. And so they plucked reporters from the ranks of black-owned newspapers, then they even recruited police officers, teachers and government officials. Then in March 1968, the Kerner Commission concluded that "along with the country as a whole, the press has long basked in a world, looking out of it, if at all, with the white man's eyes and perspective."

Indeed, The Post realized this, too, and by Dash's return in 1971 had hired several more Black reporters. Among them was Penny Mickelbury, a child of the Civil Rights Movement who just a few years earlier had become the first black reporter at the Athens (Ga.) Banner-Herald. To Mickelbury, then in her early 20s, the jump to the Post's "large, noisy" downtown Washington newsroom was at first glance daunting, but surmountable. "There were these people who were ephemeral, who floated around in sort of a rarified world," recalls Mickelbury, who was quickly promoted from night police reporter to the District government beat, largely because, she is convinced, editors realized that many emerging black bureaucrats were reluctant to talk to white reporters.

Still, Dash did not see strengthened coverage of black culture in the Post's pages, or significant improvement in the status of the newsroom's blacks, for that matter. White editors, he believed, "didn't see anything extraordinary in that. They thought our development was consistent with our entry into the industry." Dash flatly rejected that notion, and believed black reporters were stifled primarily because of their race. In his own intern class, for instance, he watched silently as a white male Harvard University intern was quickly assigned a story that was destined for page one.

"I didn't see any kind of consideration of that sort given to black reporters. There was a lopsidedness of the trajectory toward becoming a journeyman reporter. . . Blacks were kept at a low level of personal and professional development, and not given any chance to rise above it," says Dash, who received the 1995 Pulitzer Prize for explanatory journalism and left the Post three years later to become a professor of journalism at the University of Illinois at Champaign.

Talk of the disparate assignments dominated casual conversations between black reporters. Recalls Richard Prince, then a young Metro reporter, "Black reporters kept asking, 'why did this or that happen? How come Shirley Chisholm's campaign wasn't covered? Why did they close the Africa bureau? Why, on major breaking news stories, were black reporters only assigned to do legwork?'"

Soon, the keen observations turned to formal meetings, and strategizing.

Received unsatisfactory response

In the first week of February 1972, the nine black Metro reporters sent a three-page memo to then-executive editor Benjamin C. Bradlee asking, essentially, why there had never been more than a single black reporter assigned to the national desk. Why there were no originating black editors on the foreign, national, sports, financial and style desks. And, among other issues, why were there no Black reporters in sports, and only two in Style?

Why, after Leon Dash obtained information in an unreleased report on halfway houses in the city, was the assignment given to a white reporter?

Within a week, Bradlee issued a memo acknowledging difficulty striking a balance between the newspaper's "commitment to hire, assign and promote the very best journalists we can find" with its "commitment to hire, assign and promote blacks." In addition, he noted The Post "now employs more black editors, reporters and photographers than any newspaper in America." Indeed, of 396 Washington Post newsroom employees, 37, or 9.3 percent, were black; black reporters comprised 17.5 percent of the 51-member Metro staff. Blacks accounted for 2 percent of the staffs of newspapers with circulation of more than 10,000, and 149 newspapers had none.

What is more, Bradlee promised the newspaper would amplify its recruitment efforts, and hire two more black reporter-interns into its fiercely competitive program within a month. And he said the paper had twice offered the District editor job to blacks who declined. The Africa bureau was closed because of financial constraints incurred by the Indo-Pakistani war, he said.

However, Bradlee's five-page response failed to appease the Metro reporters, who'd begun generating support from white colleagues. Later that month, the black Metro reporters demanded that the Post implement a stronger affirmative action program to bolster the number of blacks in virtually every job category to at least 35 percent. Within six months, the reporters requested that blacks account for between 15 and 25 percent of national and foreign, financial, sports and editorial desk staffers. Black copy editors also should be hired in virtually every other section, as should assignment editors, the Metro reporters argued.

"The city of Washington was overwhelmingly black, and I'd guess 35 to 45 percent of the stories in the paper had blacks in them or were about civil rights," says Mickelbury, who left the paper one year later and is now a Los Angeles-based novelist. "So, I don't think it was an unreasonable request. It was an effort to get the Post where it needed to be."

In turn, Bradlee offered to hire even more black reporter-interns, and in the following month appointed Robert E.L. Baker as the newsroom's equal opportunity officer, charged with overseeing the affirmative action plan. In addition, he promised to hire an additional African American reporter to the national staff, a black editor to the Metro desk, and initiate a formal coaching system that would pair senior staffers with cub reporters.

To the Metro 8 (one person dropped out), Bradlee's response was "an insult to our commitment, vague and totally unacceptable." A round of contentious meetings between the Metro reporters and editors followed, ending in an impasse.

"No alternative" to EEOC complaint

Penny Mickelbury had had enough. "I wasn't in the mood for racism. I was disappointed and tired, and I really hadn't come to Washington to put up with the same kind of crap I put up with in Athens," she says. "My tolerance level had peaked."

As it had for black Metro reporters, whose coalition had dwindled to seven.

On March 23, 1972, the Metro Seven — as they came to be known — gathered before a throng of reporters and photographers at Metropolitan AME Church, literally behind The Post's building, and announced they had filed an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaint charging the newspaper with "denying Black employees an equal opportunity with respect to job assignments, promotional opportunities, including promotions to management positions and other terms and conditions of employment."

The group said during the news conference that "the complaint to the EEOC represents our belief that this discrimination cannot continue to exist at a publication in a city that is 71.1 percent Black." They added that the discrimination complaint — the first filed against any American newspaper — "came after very much thought, very much consideration. We're very sorry we had to take this step. There is no alternative."

Post attorney Joseph A. Califano told the New York Times that, "The Post feels it is as good or better than any other publication in this country" in the employment of blacks, and that the newspaper had already established an affirmative action program. For the young reporters, all that mattered was ensuring that African Americans had a significant role in interpreting contemporary events in American history, and so any feelings of nervousness were minute — although the risk was great.

Ron Taylor, for instance, had been at the newspaper only four months, and was still on probation when he signed onto the complaint. "I thought it was important. I wasn't going to worry about my career. I could compete with anyone, so I didn't have any real concern about whether I'd be blackballed."

News of the filing triggered a series of columns. They followed one by the Post's ombudsman Ben H. Bagdikian, the first public notice of the negotiations. He wrote that "if The Post is the best, it is still inadequate."

Eventually, as the Post reported, the EEOC commissioners voted against pursuing a staff finding of "reasonable cause to believe" that discrimination existed at the paper. But they gave the plaintiffs a letter entitling them to sue in federal court. The suit was not pursued for financial reasons.

However, it inspired a group of female Post staffers to file a discrimination suit, which the newspaper settled in 1980 with five-year hiring goals. The New York Times settled a discrimination suit by women in 1978, and black staffers in 1980. Newspapers and, indeed, other corporations, implemented affirmative action programs in part to thwart the risk of lawsuits.

In 1978, the American Society of Newspaper Editors adopted an ambitious goal of achieving racial parity in the nation's newsrooms by 2000, pledging that at least 17 percent of newspaper journalists would be of color. Twenty years later, only 12.07 percent of newspaper journalists were of color, though people of color comprised more than one-quarter of the U.S. population.

The Washington Post changed, too. In a region that is more than 42 percent of color — and is projected to be majority-minority by decade's end — 20.6 percent of the newspaper's 640 reporters, editors, photographers, copy editors and information technology professionals are racial or ethnic minorities. In the last five years, there has been increased diversity on the newspaper's foreign, financial and news desks. However, some departments, such as investigative and outlook, remain all white, and there are sharp declines on its sports and metro desk — the traditional entry point for the vast majority of reporters. This decline has enormous short- and long-term implications, acknowledged Milton Coleman, who as deputy managing editor, is the newspaper's highest-ranking African American.

"Given the role that Metro plays in the ultimate staffing of the newspaper, if editors of sections can't turn to Metro to find journalists who've been developed in The Washington Post tradition, it makes it harder for other staffs to diversify," he said.

Still work to do

The Metro Seven remained in contact sporadically over the years, more frequently, lately, through e-mail. Now, they say, it is a joy watching a new generation of black journalists climb to new heights. Ron Taylor, now a copy editor at the Bureau of National Affairs in Washington, pointed to DeNeen L. Brown, who as te Post's Toronto bureau chief has reported from the North Pole.

"I think she does what I'd like to do," he said, "stuff that, frankly, goes where Black people have never been."

Yet, there is still much work to do. Earlier this year, Richard Prince, who returned to The Post part time as a foreign desk copy editor, noticed the newspaper briefed a story about President Bush's appointment of Gerald A. Reynolds, a black lawyer who is a critic of preferences for racial and ethnic minorities, to head the Office of Civil Rights in the Department of Education. The New York Times ran a full story. "It's those kinds of things that just go past the radar, and shows there's still work to be done."

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Essence Shifts White Male Managing Editor

joaquin — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 04:18:45 +0000

April 20, 2012

Facebook page filled with right-wing messages; live shot interrupted by shoving, shouting of N- word; Native paper tired of TV newscast "perp walk" shots; James Mallory, senior M.E. at Atlanta paper, retiring at 56; business journalists responding to diversity challenge; Marc Watts, taking job with NFL Network, has a boss again; prosecutor investigating former editor turned professor (4/20/12)

Facebook Page Filled With Right-Wing Messages

Live Shot Interrupted by Shoving, Shouting of N-word

Native Paper Tired of TV Newscast "Perp Walk" Shots

James Mallory, Senior M.E. at Atlanta Paper, Retiring at 56

Business Journalists Respond to Diversity Challenge

Marc Watts, Taking Job With NFL Network, Has a Boss Again

Prosecutor Investigating Former Editor Turned Professor

Live Shot Interrupted by Shoving, Shouting of N-word

"In the midst of a live TV report about a South Carolina crime crackdown, a 20-year-old man last night shoved a female reporter, grabbed her microphone, and screamed, 'I am that nigger!' into the camera," the Smoking Gun reported on Thursday.

"Shortly after bumrushing reporter Ashley Taylor, 23, during her report on the 11 PM news, Justin Moore, 20, was collared by Myrtle Beach cops. Taylor, a reporter with WMBF, an NBC affiliate, was not injured during the incident.

"According to a Myrtle Beach Police Department report, Taylor told cops that '4-5 black males' approached her crew as they prepared for a report. 'When she went live with her report one of the black males pushed her to the side almost to the ground and ripped the microphone from her hand.'

"After interrupting the broadcast, Moore ran off 'laughing and yelling,' reported police. He was later located by cops — who examined video of Taylor's report — and apprehended after he attempted to flee. Moore, a Charlotte, North Carolina resident, was also positively identified by Taylor.

"Moore . . . was charged with misdemeanor assault and battery, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest. . . ."

WMBF added, "Moore was placed under arrest and charged with third degree assault and battery. He was released from jail Thursday afternoon on a bond of just under $1,400.

"Taylor returned to work Thursday afternoon and reports that she is fine and appreciative of WMBF viewers who have reached out in concern.

"Capt. David Knipes with the Myrtle Beach Police Department mentioned the unusual nature of this case. Knipes stated, 'It's very odd. In the 25 years I've worked here I don't remember an incident like this happening.' "

Comments about the story on the WMBF website, unsurprisingly, were filled with racial references.

Native Paper Tired of TV Newscast "Perp Walk" Shots

"Native Sun News has come to the conclusion that there is no 'educating' the local media. The media in Rapid City is so set in its ways that if it was pointed out to them that some of the things they report on are borderline racist, they just wouldn't know it or believe it," the South Dakota newspaper said on its website.

"Case in point: Although NSN has written about it extensively, the local television stations still, nearly every night of the week, point their cameras at long lines of Native Americans wearing prison garb and shackled hand and foot in order to point out one person. In the interim, many Native Americans in the parade are clearly identifiable. Most have not been tried before a judge as yet, and many of them are innocent of the crimes for which they may have been charged.

". . . While watching the news on KOTA-TV the other night, some of the employees at NSN were appalled to see this blatant abuse of the media's power when several Native Americans were paraded in front of the camera and the employees of NSN recognized some of their friends whose main violation involved traffic citations.

". . . For the umpteenth time, NSN graciously asks the news directors at the local television stations to cease and desist this practice. Stop and consider the harm you are doing to Native Americans."

Mark Walter, operations manager of KNBN, the NBC affiliate, told Journal-isms that the issue lies with the authorities. "The only opportunity that TV stations have to shoot video is when they march these people from one building to another," Walter said. "A lot of times we don't know who we're shooting. We're out there for 15 seconds. I assume the public understands these are people who are heading" to court. "I don't know how else to do it," he said.

Jim Rowenhorst, commander of the Pennington County Jail, was in meetings and could not be reached for comment Friday about the county's rules on media access.

James Mallory, Senior M.E. at Atlanta Paper, Retiring at 56

James Mallory, a senior editor and veteran journalist at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, announced his retirement Thursday after a 30-year career in journalism, upbeat about the future of the profession but believing that "the 'golden era' of diversity in journalism is over."

Monica R. Richardson, a black journalist who is team leader over beat reporters, was promoted to become one of three managing editors, responsible for digital and beats. The others are Bert Roughton, managing editor and senior editorial director responsible for watchdog, investigative and major enterprise coverage, and Mark Waligore, managing editor responsible for the Sunday and daily print products.

"Mallory, 56, is senior managing editor at the newspaper and second in command," Ken Foskett wrote for the Journal-Constitution.

"A long-time business reporter and business editor, Mallory helped guide the AJC through the turmoil that roiled the newspaper industry as advertising revenues shrank and the paper cut staff to pare expenses.

"Kevin Riley, the AJC's editor, credited Mallory with helping rebuild the AJC into a stronger newspaper and boosting its credibility among readers.

". . . Mallory, a Detroit native, joined the AJC in 1988 and held a number of key roles and ascended management ranks. He was the assistant business editor, news personnel manager, night assistant managing editor, AME/Business and deputy managing editor/Metro & Business. He was named a managing editor in 2002, the first African American to hold the position at the AJC. He became senior managing editor/vice president in 2007.

Journal-isms conducted a brief Q-and-A with Mallory by email:

Q: Why retire at 56?

A: It is a good time in life to make a change. Professionally, I've reached a point where I wanted to try something different, something outside the day-to-day world of journalism. Personally, my youngest graduates from college in May so that is an added milestone.

Q. Have you a plan for another life?

A. I’m going to take a month or so to do some deep thinking about a few ideas I have been noodling in my head.

Q: There have been lots of big changes in journalism in your lifetime — some of it is about survival in a new economy. Have they been changes for the better?

A. On the positive side, I believe digital has forced us to think about the type of news we deliver to our readers and how we delivered that news. I also think the economy forced us to be smarter about what we were doing because we were operating with fewer people.

We've lost a lot of talented journalists as our industry struggled through the changes caused by the digital revolution and the Great Recession, so that is a negative. I also think the "golden era" of diversity in journalism is over for a variety of reasons. That's unfortunate because the communities and this country need news outlets with reporters and editors of colors who can help explain the complexities of our changing world.

Q. Your kid wants to go into journalism "just like daddy." What would you tell her?

A. I’m upbeat about the future of journalism because the new digital mobile devices are expanding the platforms from which journalists can present the news. I would tell him or her to nail down the basics skills that all good journalists need, and to also be flexible, innovative and entrepreneurial.

Q. Could you expand on why you believe "the 'golden era' of diversity in journalism is over"? . . . Do you think it's foolish to believe there will be any further advances? Particularly toward the goal of parity by 2025?

A. In the '80s and '90s, the "golden era," many newspapers had a mission to diversify their staffs in part because of the ASNE parity goal. Papers and staffs were bigger, so there were more jobs available. The economy forced newspapers, and other media outlets, to learn how to work more efficiently, i.e., smaller staffs. With fewer job openings, I'm not sure where applicant diversity ranks when the final hiring decision is made. We also have fewer people of color in the positions to make those decisions, which I know is essential to having a diverse workplace.

Business Journalists Responding to Diversity Challenge

"A conversation sparked on the heels of this year's Society of Business Editors and Writers annual conference about the visible void of diversity in business journalism. And now, just two weeks after the topic took center stage, the chatter has turned to action," Kelly Carr wrote last week for the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism at Arizona State University.

"Christopher Nelson, a freelance journalist and graduate student at Georgetown University Law Center, wrote a blog that explored the lack of journalists of color covering business. Soon after, Will Sutton, a journalism professor at Grambling State University, jumped in. Sutton penned a column for the Reynolds Center detailing the minority gap in financial journalism. His conclusion: caring alone is not enough. With vigor, he proposed a plan.

"Sutton’s 11-point challenge offered solutions for ensuring journalists of color have fruitful opportunities and support to enter business journalism. He called on the industry to offer feedback and to pledge action on his points, which included funding high school programs and offering scholarships to encourage minority journalists to explore financial stories.

"It wasn't long before his challenge buzzed on the internet. Then, people took notice and started making promises.

"One was newly elect SABEW President Jill Jorden Spitz. She accepted the challenge and will attempt to bring business journalism training to five high schools. She also said the organization will strive to award five minority students scholarships to the 2013 SABEW Annual Conference in Washington D.C."

". . . 'Now we need business journalism associations, news organizations and even business leaders to step up and join the conversation,' said Sutton in an e-mail. 'They need to say what's on their minds so others of us will know what they're thinking about, how they see the challenges and what they propose we do. They don't have to wait to join the conversation when they have something to offer. We can help them once they're talking with us all.' "

Sutton is a Reynolds Visiting Professor of Business Journalism at Grambling.

Marc Watts, Taking Job With NFL Network, Has a Boss Again

Marc Watts, who left his CNN correspondent's job in 1997 and became a self-employed Chicago-based agent, business manager and media trainer, is about to have a boss again.

Watts told Journal-isms Friday that he has accepted a job with the NFL (TV) Network, based in Los Angeles, in the newly created position of director of media talent.

Watts moved to Los Angeles in February 2011 after he and his wife, former Chicago anchor Diann Burns, sold their 13-room Lincoln Park mansion for $4.525 million, the Chicago Tribune reported at the time.

Before the move, Watts also dissolved Signature Media Group, his speakers bureau and talent agency whose clients included Burns, CNN correspondent Suzanne Malveaux and CNN contributor Roland S. Martin. With Watts as her agent, Burns was once thought to be the highest-paid personality on Chicago television. She was dropped by WBBM-TV in 2008 after failing to boost the CBS-owned station's ratings or justify her record-breaking $2 million-a-year salary, according to Chicago media reports.

Watts said he and Burns "are not really together anymore." Their son, Ryan, is a high school freshman in Orange County, Calif. He said the split was amicable.

In his new position, Watts will conduct media training for athletes, something he had been doing increasingly since he moved to Los Angeles. "I decided to go in a different direction," he said.

Prosecutor Investigating Former Editor Turned Professor

"The county prosecutor's office has taken over an inquiry related to Mercer County Community College professor Jamal Eric Watson, officials said," Alex Zdan wrote Wednesday for the Times of Trenton N.J.

"Watson was the subject of inquiries by the college administration and West Windsor police starting in mid-March. The results were passed along to the prosecutor early this week."

Watson is a former executive editor of the New York Amsterdam News who in 2006 pleaded guilty to a felony charge of third-degree grand larceny after being accused of cashing checks made out to summer interns.

An assistant professor of English, Watson told Journal-isms a week ago that he no longer considered himself a journalist, though he continues to freelance. He also said the college was not investigating him. "There's no story here," he said. On April 5, the College Voice, the Mercer County Community College newspaper, published a story by Noelle Gilman, Laura Pollack and Kellie Rendina. It was headlined, "Jersey professor Jamal Eric Watson under investigation by college and police."

The Times story said, "Neither the college nor law enforcement officials will say exactly what allegations have been levied against Watson.

"College president Patricia Donohue said the college received an anonymous communication with several allegations against Watson in March. When asked if they were related to Watson's credentials, and a dispute over whether he has received a doctoral degree, she said that was 'possible.'

" 'The college is in the process of looking into the allegations to determine what the facts are,' she said last week.

"Watson remains on the faculty and is teaching classes."

Short Takes

". . . To the shock of most sentient beings, Facts died Wednesday, April 18, after a long battle for relevancy with the 24-hour news cycle, blogs and the Internet," Rex W. Huppke of the Chicago Tribune wrote Thursday in an essay touted by some as the best op-ed they'd read recently. "Though few expected Facts to pull out of its years-long downward spiral, the official cause of death was from injuries suffered last week when Florida Republican Rep. Allen West steadfastly declared that as many as 81 of his fellow members of the U.S. House of Representatives are communists."
"President Barack Obama's team is looking to hire more African-Americans, a search that has stirred a debate among black Democrats about Obama's record on diversity and its implications for his reelection," Jonathan Allen and Joseph Williams wrote Wednesday for Politico. ". . . An Obama campaign photograph of the Chicago headquarters last week had black Democrats buzzing about diversity — or lack of it. The picture, saturated with white faces, was reposted on the news site Buzzfeed and made the rounds of other well-trafficked sites, including The Drudge Report."
In Afghanistan, "President Hamid Karzai said Thursday that a speeded-up departure of Western troops from his country is the only way to prevent a recurrence of 'painful experiences' such as the sight of American soldiers posing with the body parts of dead insurgents," Laura King reported Thursday for the Los Angeles Times. "In a statement issued by the presidential palace 24 hours after the Los Angeles Times published photos showing U.S. troops manipulating the remains of suicide bombers and mugging for the camera, Karzai called the behavior depicted 'inhumane and provocative.' "
"Sharon Pian Chan has been named the new associate opinions editor/digital for The Seattle Times, effective May 29," the newspaper announced on Thursday. "She also becomes a member of the newspaper’s editorial board, which determines the board’s policy positions. . . . Most recently, Chan was a senior producer for The Seattle Times home page and mobile platforms. She spent 12 years as a Times reporter, most recently covering Microsoft for the business section. She has also covered Seattle City Hall, King County and the University of Washington. Chan is currently serving as vice president for UNITY Journalists, a nonprofit alliance that advocates diversity in the news, and has served as national president of the Asian American Journalists Association."
The Washington Post sent emails Friday to journalists who put in for a buyout, letting them know whether the offer was accepted, Peter Perl, assistant managing editor for personnel, told Journal-isms. The buyout offer expired on Monday, and employees have seven days to change their minds. "We're waiting to hear if any will be refused," said Nikita Stewart, a Post reporter who is a vice chair of the Post unit of the Newspaper Guild.
"Jesse Linares, a journalist who helped launch the Spanish-language newspaper Hoy Los Angeles, died Saturday at Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Park Medical Center," Francisco Castro wrote Friday for Hoy Los Angeles. "He was 49 and had cancer." Baldwin Park Patch said Tuesday, "Linares studied journalism and political science at Cal State Northridge, and worked at La Opinión as a reporter and editor before leaving to join Hoy as an editor since the start of that publication eight years ago, Latino California reported."
In a story following up on January's suspension of the Mexican American Studies program in public schools in Tucson, Ariz., Roque Planas of Fox News Latino wrote that Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne "cited Salomón Baldenegro's columns for the Tucson Citizen as an example of the Mexican American Studies mindset. 'I found his writings very troublesome. I thought they were very racially oriented and designed to create negative feelings about the United States,' Horne said." Baldenegro is a political historian and activist.
"At least two more advertisers have pulled their business from Village Voice Media, citing concerns over the company's classified website, Backpage.com, which has come under fire for allegedly providing a forum in which underage girls can be sold into prostitution," Joe Pompeo wrote Friday for Capital New York. "The Tribeca Performing Arts Center, which is run under the auspices of CUNY's Borough of Manhattan Community College, will no longer advertise with the company's namesake paper, The Village Voice, after this week. And Trans High Corporation, the parent company of High Times magazine, announced in a press release on Tuesday that it would 'discontinue any advertising or promotional relationship with Village Voice Media due to their continued financial stake in Backpage.com.' "
In Roanoke, Va., WDBJ-TV, the CBS affiliate, announced the additions of Bryce Williams, who has worked as a reporter at several stations throughout the South, and Orlando Salinas, who covered domestic and international stories for more than 12 years as a national news correspondent for Fox News based in Miami, Andrew Gauthier reported for TVSpy.
Tom Arviso Jr., publisher of the Navajo Times in Window Rock, Ariz., is scheduled to receive the Phil Alvidrez Award for Excellence in Journalism Saturday at the annual Arizona Freedom of Information Awards, sponsored by the Valley of the Sun Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
"In 2010, following midsummer negotiations between the Catholic Church and the government of President Raúl Castro, Cuban authorities began releasing imprisoned journalists, sending them into forced exile with their families," María Salazar-Ferro reported Tuesday for the Committee to Protect Journalists. "In April 2011, the last of more than 20 journalists arrived in Spain. They had been granted liberty and respite, and were promised support from Spanish authorities while they settled into the new country. But almost two years after the first crop of journalists arrived in Spain, the four who remain in the country are living under extremely difficult conditions, struggling even to feed themselves."

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Unity Leader Saddened by Name-Change Vote

Roberto Delgado — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 03:09:38 +0000

April 18, 2012

Supporters portray alliance as returning to its "roots"; Unity board members' statements on vote to change name; author says don't forget Dick Clark's Philly segregation; L.A. Times delayed publishing Afghan photos 72 hours; winner says Pulitzer is endorsement of diversity; more than dozen of color seek Washington Post buyout; black, Latino support for Obama at same level as in '08 (4/18/12)

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Supporters Portray Alliance as Returning to Its "Roots"

Unity Board Members' Statements on Vote to Change Name

Author Says Don't Forget Dick Clark's Philly Segregation

L.A. Times Delayed Publishing Afghan Photos 72 Hours

Winner Says Pulitzer Is Endorsement of Diversity

More than Dozen of Color Seek Washington Post Buyout

Unity Board Members' Statements on Vote to Change Name

Tom Arviso Jr., Native American Journalists Association

Arviso is publisher and CEO, Navajo Times and Navajo Times Publishing Co., Inc., in Window Rock, Ariz.

I was one of the four board members that voted no on the motion to change UNITY - Journalists of Color to UNITY Journalists.

My reason and what I presented to the entire board was that I felt this proposal to change the name of UNITY was so important to all of us as UNITY members that I felt it was in the best interest of all the Alliance members to have an opportunity to voice their support or non-support for a name change. I felt that we had enough time before the UNITY conference in August for us as board members to go back to our members and seek their input on this issue. Then, we could further discuss the proposed name change at the UNITY conference where we would will all be together as one united group.

"After that, based on what we heard and learned from our members, then we could justify a vote on whether to change or not change the UNITY name. And, if we did decide to change the name, what would the members like to change it to. I felt it was important to include the input of all of the Alliance members in this matter and that we did not need to rush this decision.

I also felt it was important to respect and acknowledge all of the sincere hard work that was put forth from our prior UNITY leaders and board members, and the decisions that were made by them. One of those decisions was to make the name, UNITY - Journalists of Color. This name was reflective and respectful of who we are, and still are. I was proud of the name UNITY - Journalists of Color and I know that many of the NAJA members were proud of that name as well.

I also felt the UNITY Journalists of Color was all inclusive of all its alliance members, past and present, including NABJ and NGLJA. A few of us board members felt that way but we were outnumbered by those who thought differently.

We, as UNITY board members, did have a long, healthy and lively discussion on the proposed name change. I admit that I was disappointed at the outcome of the board vote but I also respect the decision that was made by the entire board and I will honor it.

So, we now have a new logo, a new name and we will have a great UNITY conference for all journalists this August at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. I am excited and looking forward to it.

Janet Cho, Asian American Journalists Association

Cho is a business reporter at the Plain Dealer in Cleveland and past national vice president for print of AAJA.

My "no" vote was as much an objection to the way the name was changed as it was a desire to keep the name "Journalists of Color."

I believe a decision of that magnitude can't and shouldn't be made by 16 board members without consulting the members we represent, our former UNITY officers, longtime friends and supporters and yes, our founding partner NABJ. Former UNITY leaders I spoke to urged us to postpone any decision on the name until after we'd asked our members what they thought, and to me the August UNITY convention was a perfect opportunity to discuss the pros and cons and hear directly from our constituents.

I was also offended by accusations that the name "Journalists of Color" was homophobic and hostile to LGBT journalists, because UNITY has always welcomed everyone — regardless of race, gender, ethnicity or sexual orientation — who shares our desire for greater diversity in the news media and better, more inclusive coverage of issues affecting minorities and other underrepresented groups. The latest ASNE census report that we've lost more than 1,728 minority journalists in the past decade and that journalists of color are leaving the profession at twice the rate of our non-minority colleagues underscores how critical and urgent our mission is.

Since welcoming NLGJA to the UNITY alliance last fall, we have changed our mission statement, our bylaws and our strategic plan to reflect the concerns of our newest partner. But changing the name feels too much like we abandoned our historic and hard-fought roots.

Rhonda LeValdo-Gayton, Native American Journalists Association

LeValdo-Gayton teaches media communications at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kan., and is president of the Native American Journalists Association.

I think it reflects all the alliance groups represented, inclusion is always good!

Peter Ortiz, National Association of Hispanic Journalists

Ortiz is a reporter for a Financial Times-owned online publication, Ignites, and covers the regulatory and compliance beat focusing on the mutual fund industry.

I'm proud to have been part of an organization that made history by unifying Latino, Black, Asian American and Native American journalists. UNITY: Journalists of Color, made the industry take notice that we would stand together to fight for diversity. NLGJA knew of our legacy and the struggle journalists of color faced when they became a part of this historic and one-of-a-kind union. And I have always and still support NLGJA's mission on behalf of gay and lesbian journalists. Their struggle became our struggle.

As journalists of color we understand as well as anyone what it means to be excluded and we embrace other groups that have experienced similar struggles. In this spirit, I welcomed NLGJA when they joined our board expecting that they would honor and respect what our founders created and join our fight as I would join their fight. NLGJA came on board as an equal partner with the same rights as the other alliance groups and soon learned that, UNITY: Journalists of Color in no way excluded them or their members. This was true going back to the beginning when we have always welcomed gay and lesbian journalists to our conventions. The NLGJA board expressed concerns that having "Journalists of Color" as part of our identity conveyed a sense of homophobia or exclusion. They soon acknowledged that these perceptions did not reflect their experience as a UNITY partner. I had hoped they would go to their members and share their experience as a partner in UNITY: Journalists of Color. When false perceptions persist, you don't allow them to fester. You attack them with the truth, no matter how difficult it is for your members to accept.

When NLGJA joined UNITY: Journalists of Color, they became part of our family and I fully embraced them as equal partners. But joining our family means respecting its roots, respecting why we became a family in the first place, and respecting how the issues we face are as real today as they were when we joined together. I truly hoped NLGJA members would have appreciated this sense of family with journalists of color under the banner of UNITY: Journalists of Color. I'm sad we will no longer be meeting under a name that means so much.

Michaela Saunders, Native American Journalists Association

Saunders is web editor at Washburn University in Topeka, Kan.

I did abstain from the vote on the name change. Personally, I believe the name change better reflects UNITY's mission and goal of increasing newsroom representation of and accurate coverage about under-served communities. But I did not have an opportunity to visit with NAJA members, who I represent at the UNITY table, specifically about the name change.

Doris Truong, Asian American Journalists Association

Truong is national president of AAJA and a multiplatform editor at the Washington Post.

The name change sends a clear signal that we welcome our brothers and sisters in NLGJA. UNITY continues to be an organization that strives for inclusiveness, which is even more clearly reflected now.

Author Says Don't Forget Dick Clark's Philly Segregation

"Dick Clark, the ever-youthful television host and tireless entrepreneur who helped bring rock 'n' roll into the mainstream on 'American Bandstand,' and later produced and hosted a vast range of programming from game shows to the year-end countdown from Times Square on 'New Year's Rockin' Eve,' has died," Lynne Elber reported Wednesday for the Associated Press. "He was 82."

Elber noted, "He helped give black artists their due by playing original R&B recordings instead of cover versions by white performers, and he condemned censorship."

Berry Gordy Jr., founder of Motown Records, said, "Dick was always there for me and Motown, even before there was a Motown. He was an entrepreneur, a visionary and a major force in changing pop culture and ultimately influencing integration. It happened first emotionally. Music can do that. He didn't do it from a soap box, he just did it. That’s who he was. American Bandstand was a platform for all artists. For me personally, he helped bring Motown into living rooms across America."

The research of Matt Delmont didn't make the initial obits found in the search engines. Delmont is an assistant professor of American studies at Scripps College and author of "The Nicest Kids in Town: American Bandstand, Rock 'n' Roll, and the Struggle for Civil Rights in 1950s Philadelphia," published this year.

Delmont told Journal-isms by email Wednesday, "For the obituaries on Dick Clark, I hope that the obituary writers will note that Dick Clark was a tremendous businessman and music entrepreneur and that his American Bandstand was one of the most influential television programs of all time. I hope, however, that they will also note that counter to Clark's claims, American Bandstand [continued] to discriminate against black teenagers during the show's years in Philadelphia. And that this history of segregation needs to be remembered as part of his legacy."

Delmont's website says, "American Bandstand, one of the most popular television shows ever, broadcast from Philadelphia in the late fifties, a time when that city had become a battleground for civil rights. Counter to host Dick Clark's claims that he integrated American Bandstand, this book reveals how the first national television program directed at teens discriminated against black youth during its early years and how black teens and civil rights advocates protested this discrimination."

Clark had his own explanation for the racial makeup of the teens who danced on the show. From a 1998 Q&A interview with William Kashatus in Pennsylvania Heritage Magazine:

"Philadelphia, in those days, was the northernmost 'southern' city in the country. Blacks and whites didn't socialize. That's just the way it was. Then, in 1957, at the time we went national, producer Tony Mammarella and I concluded, 'The times they are a-changing,' and so we invited a few black kids on the show. It still wasn't acceptable for them to dance with white kids, so the blacks just danced with each other. We were waiting for the explosion, but it never happened. The wonderful part about our decision to integrate then was that there were no repercussions, no reverberations, no battles at all — it just happened right there on a television screen in front of millions of people. That was a giant step forward.'

" 'We also introduced a lot of black musical talent to white America and I'd imagine that since the show was so highly visible and seen by so many millions of people, the idea of integration simply crept into society. There was no overt statement, no headline grabbing, no trumpets blaring — it just happened. And that was probably the best way for it to occur. I certainly didn't think of myself as a hero or a civil rights activist for integrating the show; it was just the right thing to do....' "

Dan DeLuca, Philadelphia Inquirer: Chubby Checker, Dick Clark and "The Twist"
Matthew Delmont with Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez on "Democracy Now!" Pacifica Radio: Despite Rep for Integration, TV’s Iconic "American Bandstand" Kept Black Teens Off Its Stage (March 2)
Molly Eichel, Philadelphia Daily News: Not so nice: No matter what Dick Clark says, 'American Bandstand' blocked black teens
Brian McCollum, Detroit Free Press: Dick Clark championed Detroit musicians, records
Gabriel San Roman, OCWeekly: American Bandstand, Rock & Roll and the Struggle for Civil Rights: An Interview with Matt Delmont (Part I)
Gabriel San Roman, OCWeekly: American Bandstand, Rock & Roll and the Struggle for Civil Rights: An Interview with Matt Delmont (Part II)

L.A. Times Delayed Publishing Afghan Photos 72 Hours

"Key editors at the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday explained the decision to publish a story and pictures of U.S. soldiers posing with body parts of Afghan suicide bombers, after questions were raised by the White House, the Pentagon and readers," Michael Muskal wrote Wednesday for the Los Angeles Times.

"In a live chat on latimes.com, Editor Davan Maharaj explained the decision to publish the material, especially the pictures, even though the events occurred two years ago. The publication comes at an especially sensitive time, with the U.S. and its NATO allies seeking to disengage from the Afghanistan war that began in October 2001.

" 'We considered this very carefully' Maharaj said. 'At the end of the day, our job is to publish information that our readers need to make informed decisions. We have a particular duty to report vigorously and impartially on all aspects of the American mission in Afghanistan. On balance, in this case, we felt that the public interest here was served by publishing a limited, but representative sample of these photos, along with a story explaining the circumstances under which they were taken.' "

Maharaj also said that the newspaper weighed the impact of publication on troop safety and that reporter David Zucchino had numerous conversations with the appropriate military officials.

"When we made the decision to publish, the Pentagon asked us to wait 24 additional hours to protect troops depicted in the photographs," Maharaj said. "We agreed to push back our publication date until the Pentagon told us they had taken the necessary precautions. In fact, we waited more than 72 hours after their request."

Still, "George Little, the Pentagon press secretary, suggested that the newspaper’s decision could put U.S. troops at risk. 'The danger is that this material could be used by the enemy to incite violence against U.S. and Afghan service members,' he said in a statement," Craig Whitlock reported for the Washington Post.

Maharaj, a Trinidadian whose great-grandparents came from northern India, was named to the top newsroom job in December. He had been managing editor.

David Zucchino, Los Angeles Times: U.S. troops posed with body parts of Afghan bombers

Winner Says Pulitzer Is Endorsement of Diversity

Wesley Morris, the African American film critic for the Boston Globe who won the Pulitzer Prize for criticism on Monday, said Wednesday that his award speaks to the need "to have everybody in on the conversation."

He noted that black journalists Margo Jefferson of the New York Times won the same award in 1995, and Robin Givhan of the Washington Post received it in 2006.

Morris appeared on NPR's "Tell Me More" with Michel Martin.

Martin asked, "Do you think that this prize — unexpected, well deserved, in our opinion — does this expand the universe of what you think you can do? It's no secret that, you know, our business, in general, is in some difficulty, particularly on the newspaper side, if you don't mind my saying."

Morris replied, "No. It's true."

MARTIN: "Does this change anything? Do you think it expands the universe of what people think is possible?"

MORRIS: "That's a really complicated question. I will say this: You know, Margo Jefferson and Robin Givhan and I are three African American people who've won this prize and I think that we have won it for doing work that is beyond the purview of race, but is not unaware of it and is willing to take it into consideration.

"I think that what it actually says to me — it's something that I've been thinking a lot about with this Trayvon Martin situation — which is that it's really important to have everybody in on the conversation. It's really important to have everybody looking at things and perceiving things and have other people listening to what other people are seeing.

"I mean, I feel really lucky to have this job. I feel really lucky to be a critic of anything. I really value that, but I also sort of understand what I bring to the table as someone who is, you know, several minorities and..." [Morris did not respond to a request to explain "several minorities."]

MARTIN: "OK. All right."

MORRIS: "...you know, interested in a lot of different things."

Matt Apuzzo with Terry Gross on "Fresh Air," NPR: Stories Put Spotlight On NYPD Surveillance Program
BBC News: Photo of Afghan girl after bomb attack wins Pulitzer

More than Dozen of Color Seek Washington Post Buyout

"We have learned today that 32 Guild-covered employees have chosen to accept the company's buyout offer," Fredrick Kunkle, Co-Chair, News of the Washington Post unit of the Newspaper Guild, wrote Wednesday in a memo to colleagues.

"We do not know how many editors have elected to participate in the buyouts, but union reps are hearing that the number probably puts the total close to 50.

"It also appears, as many of you have been hearing, that a high number of the participants are Asian, African-American or Latino. By our count, more than a dozen of these Guild-covered employees are minorities, most of whom are black. We thought we would tell you as soon as we knew the numbers, but we won’t be giving out any names. In what has to be one of the most dismal weeks in recent Post history (blogger resignation, buyout deadline and Pulitzer skunking, in case you're keeping score at home), we certainly wish the best for those who have decided to leave."

The Post is offering a severance payment equal to 3.25 weeks of pay for every year of service, according to the Guild. Staffers had until 5 p.m. Monday to apply for the buyout but have seven days to change their minds.

Moreover, Executive Editor Marcus Brauchli said in a February memo, ". . . In those departments where we do offer the buyout, there will be caps on the number of people who can participate, in order to moderate the impact and preserve our competitiveness in core coverage areas. In addition, we may turn down some volunteers if we feel their departure would impair our journalism."

In addition to concern that a disproportionate number of journalists of color might be leaving, some Post journalists are noting that staffers of color, particularly African Americans, were not assigned in great numbers to the units that were considered "essential," such as the National and Foreign news staffs. Blacks were represented most on the staffs of "non-essential" units, such as Local news.

Black, Latino Support for Obama at Same Level as in '08

Fully 95 percent of blacks back President Obama for reelection — identical to the black vote for Obama in 2008, the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press reported on Tuesday.

"Hispanic registered voters back Obama by a 67% to 27% margin. The Hispanic vote was 67% Obama, 31% McCain four years ago," it said, referring to Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

"These figures also are consistent with a Pew Hispanic Center survey of 557 Latino registered voters in December, in which 68% backed Obama and 23% Romney despite widespread dissatisfaction with Obama’s immigration policies," it continued in a reference to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, the likely Republican nominee.

The Pew survey was released a day before a CBS News/New York Times poll found that Romney has closed the gap with Obama among registered voters, putting Romney in a dead heat with the president for the White House.

Obama and Romney each received support from 46 percent of registered voters when asked who they would vote for if the election were held today.

Marisa Treviño, Latina Lista blog: Corporate America and Washington are wrong to think the only language to reach Latinos is Spanish
Linton Weeks, NPR: Obama Is The Best And The Worst President. Discuss (April 6)
Gary Younge, the Nation: What Do We See in Obama?

Short Takes

The April 23 cover of the New Yorker magazine features a white man and a black woman having an outdoor breakfast, and there is no racial message intended, according to Francoise Mouly, the art editor who oversees the covers. She told Journal-isms through a spokeswoman, "I just checked again with the artist (Frank Viva), and he confirmed that he portrayed a black woman (and a white man) as representative of any New Yorker having breakfast on a terrace." The spokeswoman said the woman is sneezing.
"It has finally happened: After being included in every single Time 100 list since its inception in 1999, Oprah Winfrey has failed to make a showing in the magazine’s inventory of the world’s most powerful figures," Julie Miller reported Wednesday for Vanity Fair.
"The Cherokee Nation Tribal Council on Monday unanimously approved an act shielding journalists from punitive or retaliatory action if they refuse to reveal sources for information about official proceedings," the Tahlequah (Okla.) Daily Press reported.
Chicago Tribune columnist Clarence Page and NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are among the participants in "Power Players Week" on the syndicated game show "Jeopardy!" Alex Weprin reported Tuesday for TVNewser.
"Telemundo and NBC News announced jointly today that Jorge Castañeda is joining both networks as Latin American Policy Analyst," the networks announced on Wednesday. "Castañeda begins his role in April 2012 and will contribute reports to Telemundo, NBC News and MSNBC shows and on-line platforms. Castañeda was Foreign Minister of Mexico from 2000 to 2003 . . ."
Sports commentator Stephen A. Smith spent more than 10 minutes on ESPN's "First Take" Wednesday reacting to what he called personal criticism from Ryan Clark of the Pittsburgh Steelers. "I have spent more than 20 years defending the black athlete," Smith said, telling Clark, "you know what you can kiss." The commentator said he was offended that Clark accused him of saying athletes in general were not educated. Show host Skip Bayless told Smith that "you have given Ryan Clark more attention than he deserves."
All the bylines on the front page of Monday's Wall Street Journal belonged to women, Talking Biz News reported.
"Evaluating the four Sunday morning talk shows — ABC's This Week, NBC's Meet the Press, CBS's Face the Nation and Fox News Sunday — for the eight months from June 2011 through February 2012, FAIR found a distinct conservative, white and male skew in both one-on-one interview segments and roundtable discussions," Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting said on Wednesday. ". . . It seems that whatever the political climate or stories of the moment, Sunday TV gives us viewers an overwhelmingly white, male and conservative perspective on the world." Read the study.

"Laurence Alexander, an associate dean in the graduate college at the University of Florida, has the background and Cowboy state of mind that OSU’s largest college deserves," the Daily O'Collegian, student newspaper of Oklahoma State University, editorialized on Wednesday. The College of Arts and Sciences, to which the School of Media and Strategic Communications belongs, is seeking a dean. Alexander headed the journalism department at the University of Florida and worked at the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Times-Picayune in New Orleans. Moreover, "Alexander, a black male and former director of the University of Florida’s Office of Minority Programs, would alleviate the university’s lack of diversity in leadership positions," the editorial said.
Rob Redding's "Redding News Review," which airs on SiriusXM Satellite Radio from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET on Sundays, will now air weekdays from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Redding announced on Wednesday.
BET is airing a half-hour documentary special, "I AM TRAYVON: A Family’s Fight For Justice," on Friday at 7:30 p.m., rebroadcast on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. on BET and at 8 p.m. on BET's Centric channel. Hosted by Emmett Miller, the show follows the family of slain Florida teenager Trayvon Martin "behind the scenes through their 6-week ordeal as they campaigned for personal justice and triggered a national movement," according to a news release.
In Namibia, "legal history was made in the High Court in Windhoek on Friday with a ruling holding Swapo legally liable for defamatory statements made on the party's website," Werner Menges reported Monday for the Namibian. "In a judgement handed down by Acting Judge Kobus Miller it was found that the ruling party is liable to compensate freelance journalist John Grobler for damages he suffered as a result of defamatory statements about him which were published on the Swapo website in early September 2009." Swapo, originally the South West Africa People's Organization, is Namibia's ruling party.
"Brazil, Pakistan, and India — three nations with high numbers of unsolved journalist murders — failed an important test last month in fighting the scourge of impunity," Elisabeth Witchel reported Tuesday for the Committee to Protect Journalists. "Delegates from the three countries took the lead in raising objections to a U.N. plan that would strengthen international efforts to combat deadly anti-press violence."
"Last week's coup in Guinea-Bissau, in which Prime Minister Carlos Gomez Junior and Interim President Raimundo Pereira were arrested, has been followed by grave violations of the right to information, including threats to journalists, a news blackout and media censorship," Reporters Without Borders said on Wednesday.

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Unity Drops "Journalists of Color"

princeeditor — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 15:29:02 +0000

April 17, 2012

Gay and lesbian journalists pressed for name change; 'NABJ president: Dropping "of color" is "most unfortunate" (4/17/12) Boston Globe's Wesley Morris wins Pulitzer for criticism; Latino magazines, Ebony buck slump in magazine ads; Obama: Americans have links to Colombia, Africa, Asia; CBS says Atlanta correspondent broke Trayvon story; Orlando Sentinel to compete for national eyeballs; anchor Is "unofficial Asian-American ambassador"; nominate a J-educator who has helped diversity (4/16/12)

Gay and Lesbian Journalists Pressed for Name Change

NABJ President: Dropping "of Color" Is "Most Unfortunate"

Boston Globe's Wesley Morris Wins Pulitzer for Criticism

April 16, 2012

AP, Philadelphia Inquirer, Manning Marable Honored

Latino Magazines, Ebony Buck Slump in Magazine Ads

Obama: Americans Have Links to Colombia, Africa, Asia

CBS Says Atlanta Correspondent Broke Trayvon Story

Orlando Sentinel to Compete for National Eyeballs

Anchor Is "Unofficial Asian-American Ambassador"

Nominate a J-Educator Who Has Helped Diversity

Short Takes

Boston Globe critics Ty Burr, left, and Wesley Morris review "For Colored Girls." Morris said, "It’s too much — too much screaming, too much crying, too much preaching, too much reaching, too much healing, too much feeling, and, by the time a man dangles two small black children from an apartment window, it’s too much too-much." (Video)

AP, Philadelphia Inquirer, Manning Marable Honored

Wesley Morris of the Boston Globe, one of the few film critics of color at a daily newspaper, won the Pulitzer Prize for criticism on Monday.

Morris won "for his smart, inventive film criticism, distinguished by pinpoint prose and an easy traverse between the art house and the big-screen box office," the Pulitzer board said.

The gold medal for public service went to the Philadelphia Inquirer "for its exploration of pervasive violence in the city’s schools, using powerful print narratives and videos to illuminate crimes committed by children against children and to stir reforms to improve safety for teachers and students."

Co-winners in the investigative category were journalists for the Associated Press "for their spotlighting of the New York Police Department's clandestine spying program that monitored daily life in Muslim communities, resulting in congressional calls for a federal investigation, and a debate over the proper role of domestic intelligence gathering."

In the non-journalism categories, the late Manning Marable won in the history competition for his controversial biography of Malcolm X, "Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention."

Marable, a noted African American historian at Columbia University, died in March 2011, three days before his long-awaited biography was published. He was 60.

The book, the product of 10 years, touched on a subject the news media have been loathe to investigate: the true identity of Malcolm X's killer. But that was overshadowed by brief sections dealing with alleged infidelity on the part of at least one parent and Malcolm's encounter with an older white man during Malcolm's earlier days as a street hustler.

The family objected to those passages, and Ilyasah Shabazz, third daughter of Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz, walked off NPR's "Tell Me More" when asked about them. Other Malcolm followers agreed that those sections were poorly supported.

More than 30 African American scholars have collaborated on a book responding to Marable's.

However, the Pulitzer board called the book "a work that separates fact from fiction and blends the heroic and tragic."

Another African American among the non-journalism winners was Tracy K. Smith of Brooklyn, N.Y., who won in the poetry category. She was honored on her 40th birthday, Erica Pearson reported for the Daily News in New York.

Before joining the Globe, Morris "wrote film reviews and essays for the San Francisco Examiner, and later at the San Francisco Chronicle. He also wrote for and edited the Culture section for Student.Com, a website for college students.

"He graduated from Yale University in 1997 and grew up in Philadelphia," according to his Globe bio.

"Morris, 36, who joined the Globe staff in 2002, won the prize for a range of movie reviews and essays published in 2011," Joseph P. Kahn wrote for the Globe.

"Among the pieces submitted with his nomination were reviews of 'The Help,' 'Drive,' 'Water for Elephants,' and 'Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol.' His essays included two written upon the deaths of Oscar-winning director Sidney Lumet and Apple cofounder Steve Jobs.

" 'Wesley's writing can be playful, and it can be explosive,' " said Globe editor Martin Baron. 'Always, there’s a boiling energy, informed by seemingly boundless knowledge. In one review after the next he helps us see the world in ways that might not come naturally. All of us at the Globe are immensely proud that Wesley has received our profession’s highest honor.' "

". . . 'It's a huge honor,' Morris said Monday afternoon. Awards, he added, 'are not something you think about when you're doing your job.' "

Also nominated as finalists in the criticism category were Philip Kennicott of The Washington Post for his ambitious and insightful cultural criticism, taking on topical events from the uprisings in Egypt to the dedication of the Ground Zero memorial, causing readers to reflect on the world around them; and Tobi Tobias for work appearing on ArtsJournal.com," the Pulitzer board said.

The Inquirer said its seven-part series, "Assault on Learning," "revealed that violence in city schools was widespread and underreported, with 30,000 serious incidents over the last five school years. Those findings were later corroborated by a Philadelphia School District blue-ribbon panel on safety, spurred an overhaul of incident reporting in the district, and prompted the hiring of a state-funded safe-schools advocate.

". . . The idea for the series, which ran March 27-April 2, 2011, emerged after racial violence erupted among students at South Philadelphia High School in December 2009.

". . . Reporters John Sullivan, Susan Snyder, Kristen A. Graham, Dylan Purcell, and Jeff Gammage spent a year examining violence in Philadelphia public schools, conducting more than 300 interviews with teachers, administrators, students and their families, district officials, police officers, court officials, and school-violence experts," Mike Armstrong wrote for the Inquirer.

The Inquirer's only African American photographer, Ron Tarver, was also on the team.

The Associated Press wrote of its winning series, "The NYPD stories revealed that the department had become one of the nation’s most aggressive domestic intelligence agencies, sending undercover officers into minority neighborhoods, student groups and houses of worship, though there was no indication they harbored criminals or terrorists.

"In documenting the extent of the NYPD's undercover operations, conducted with the advice and guidance of the CIA, the AP team’s stories ignited ongoing debate in the halls of government, in the ethnic communities, on editorial pages and across the Web.

" 'We’re especially gratified by this award, which recognizes the deep digging of our reporters on a story of vital interest,' said AP President and CEO Tom Curley. 'The AP series has set off a healthy, important and timely debate on what tactics government can or should use to prevent another terrorist attack on the United States.' "

For international reporting, Jeffrey Gettleman of the New York Times won for his "vivid reports, often at personal peril, on famine and conflict in East Africa, a neglected but increasingly strategic part of the world," the Pulitzer jury said.

The journalism winners: Public Service — The Philadelphia Inquirer

Breaking News Reporting — The Tuscaloosa (Ala.) News staff

Investigative Reporting — Matt Apuzzo, Adam Goldman, Eileen Sullivan and Chris Hawley of the Associated Press and Michael J. Berens and Ken Armstrong of The Seattle Times

Explanatory Reporting — David Kocieniewski of the New York Times

Local Reporting — Sara Ganim and members of the Patriot-News staff, Harrisburg, Pa.

National Reporting — David Wood of the Huffington Post

International Reporting — Jeffrey Gettleman of the New York Times

Feature Writing — Eli Sanders of the Stranger, a Seattle weekly

Commentary — Mary Schmich of the Chicago Tribune

Criticism — Wesley Morris of the Boston Globe

Editorial Writing — no award

Editorial Cartooning — Matt Wuerker of Politico

Breaking News Photography — Massoud Hossaini of Agence France-Presse

Feature Photography — Craig F. Walker of the Denver Post

Jessica DeLeon, Hispanic Reader: Latinos and the Pulitzer Prize

Latino Magazines, Ebony Buck Slump in Magazine Ads

Magazines targeting Latinos — Ser Padres, Siempre Mujer, Latina, People en Español — and the venerable Ebony magazine defied an advertising slump that gripped the magazine business for the first three months of 2012, according to figures released on Monday.

"According to the latest report from industry authority Publishers’ Information Bureau, ad pages for the consumer magazine sector were down 8.2 percent in first quarter 2012 when compared to the same period in 2011—36,868.25 pages to 33,827.7 pages," Folio: reported.

"Clearly the Hispanic category is continuing its momentum from 2011, where it saw 17% gains," Lauren Michaels, co-president and publisher at Latina Media Ventures, told Journal-isms Monday by email.

"The trend continues into the 1st quarter of 2012, where the Hispanic print category is up 19%. One of the factors creating these gains is that this is the first full planning cycle after the April 2011 Census results. The whole category is feeling the positive impact of those numbers."

Speaking of Latina magazine, she continued, "Latina has seen a very positive 26% increase in the 1st quarter. Some of Latina's most important gains year to date are in the categories of beauty, retail and food. Overall, we have seen both a deepening commitment from marketers already in the space, as well as new advertisers either coming in for the first time, or back in the Hispanic market with renewed and refreshed commitments."

Latina's income from advertising dollars rose 26.2 percent over the same period last year, and advertising pages increased 25.8 percent.

Ser Padres and Siempre Mujer, Spanish-language publications produced by Meredith Corp., which publishes Better Homes and Gardens and other mainstream magazines, rose 55.6 percent and 45.1 percent, respectively, in ad dollars. Ad pages were up 24.6 percent and 26.2 percent, respectively.

Enedina Vega, vice president and publisher of Meredith Hispanic Ventures, attributed the increase to "the growing awareness among advertisers about the importance of the Hispanic market," as she has previously.

Ebony rose 28.2 percent in ad dollars and 19.2 percent in ad pages. Its sister publication, Jet, rose 9.2 percent in ad dollars and 7.4 percent in ad pages. Stephen Barr, Johnson Publishing Co. senior vice president/group publishing, disclosed on Tuesday that Jet had moved from weekly to every two weeks as 2012 began and said by email this about the advertising increase:

"EBONY's 1st quarter sales increases are a result to an increase in new business from the European Luxury Automotive, Beverages/Spirits, Beauty, Entertainment, Tourism and Packaged Goods categories. Clients include: BMW, OWN, The Oprah Winfrey Network, STARZ Channel, L'Oreal Prestige, Smirnoff Flavored Vodka, USVI, smartwater, EOS and Wrigley.

"JET became a bi-weekly in 2012. As compared to last year, we've seen an increase in SOM [share of market] for the 1st quarter with fewer issues. Jet will continue to evolve in 2012 with a forthcoming new aesthetic design, edit features and unique content."

Essence, Black Enterprise and O: The Oprah Magazine did not fare as well. Essence declined 15.6 percent in ad dollars and 14.9 percent in ad pages; Black Enterprise fell 6.9 percent in ad dollars and 7.8 percent in ad pages; and O, The Oprah Magazine declined 22 percent in advertising dollars and 24.1 percent in ad pages. [Updated April 17]

Obama: Americans Have Links to Colombia, Africa, Asia

President Obama is often accused of skirting questions of race, yet he was asked about the issue again in an interview Sunday with Enrique Acevedo, new co-anchor of Univision’s late evening newscast "Noticiero Univision Edición Nocturna." This time, he linked the question to his trip to Colombia for a hemispheric summit, the occasion for the interview.

Acevedo asked, ". . . Why is it that half a century after the civil rights movement and after the American people elected their first African American president do I have to stand today here in front of you and ask you about racial tensions in the U.S.? And of course, I'm referring to the Trayvon Martin case."

Obama replied:

"Well, I think we all understand that issues of race are deeply embedded in the history of this country. Sometimes that history has been tragic, slavery, Jim Crow, but also more recent examples of anti-immigrant sentiment, and you know, I think what I always tell people is that, you know, my election alone is not going to completely transform attitudes because this has to do with hearts and not just minds. It has to do with attitudes, not just laws.

"On the other hand, I think we have to take heart from the fact that things have changed profoundly since I was born, and you know, when you see the next generation, when I talk to Malia and Sasha and their friends, their attitudes are more enlightened than the attitudes of my generation. So with each successive generation there are going to be misunderstandings; there are going to be tensions; there's going to be tragedy sometimes, and what's important for us to do is to look at it honestly, look at it squarely, but then move forward.

"And that's part of the reason why issues like immigration reform are so important. We're a nation of laws, but we're also a nation of immigrants. We draw strength from our diversity. The fact that I can talk to you as president of the United States; you're a major television anchor, both of us having backgrounds that 20, 30 years ago wouldn't have existed in these positions. Well, that tells a story of American progress and American strength because what it means is we have connections to Colombia and Latin America and Africa and Asia, and that's part of our influence around the world, is that we're not just one type of people. We're one people, but we come from many places, and we need to build on that strength in order to win the future."

After the summit, Obama joined his Colombian counterpart, Juan Manuel Santos, in Cartagena, Colombia, to hand over land titles to descendants of the country's runaway African slaves.

Representatives of some 1,000 Afro-Colombian families were to receive ownership titles to more than 8,200 acres of ancestral land they occupy, Agence France-Presse reported.

Perry Bacon Jr., theGrio.com: The Obama Coalition: Do female voters care about Ann Romney's work?
Frances Martel, mediaite.com: Awkward: Obama Excuses Chris Matthews During Panel With Latin American Presidents
John McWhorter, Daily News, New York: We already talk about race (April 5)
Patrick B. Pexton, Washington Post: Debating the cost of Obamacare
Juan Williams, the Hill: How race may affect this year's election

Mark Strassmann's first story on the Trayvon Martin killing aired on CBS-TV March 8. (Video)

CBS Says Atlanta Correspondent Broke Trayvon Story

CBS News is crediting Mark Strassmann, its correspondent in Atlanta, with breaking the story of the Trayvon Martin killing, a distinction others have similarly claimed.

Strassmann's story appeared on CBS "This Morning" on March 8, the same day that Trymaine Lee wrote about Martin for HuffPost BlackVoices, and the less-visible Clutch magazine and Black Youth Project ran pieces that gained less attention. (The Black Youth Project linked to a March 7 Reuters report on the Yahoo site; Clutch linked to a Feb. 27 report from WOFL-TV, the Orlando area Fox station.)

On CBS-TV's "Face the Nation" Sunday, host Bob Schieffer said:

"From time to time with our new expanded format, we're going to bring in the reporters who break big stories. And we begin that today, I'm proud to say, with a CBS News correspondent Mark Strassmann of our Atlanta bureau. He ran across the story in Florida in early March. It had actually happened in February that he thought deserved more than just local attention than it was getting. And he brought it to the attention of 'CBS This Morning.' "

Asked what caused him to notice the story, Strassmann said, "It just sat there as a sort of a local Orlando story. It was the shooting of a teenager on a rainy Sunday night. And we get a phone call about 10 days after it happened from a guy who was aligned with the family, who was a contact of ours, he is the producer Chris St. Peters in our Atlanta bureau and I. He said please take a look at this. And he described it to us. And so we — we set up a conference call with Tracy Martin, Trayvon's father, and attorney Ben Crump. They walked us through the facts of the case, asked for the police report, contacted the Sanford Police Department. And essentially this was just a story that was crying out for a second look. And we came along and gave it one."

Orlando Sentinel to Compete for National Eyeballs

"The Orlando Sentinel’s Twitter account for the Trayvon Martin case is up and running," Brian Stelter reported Sunday for the New York Times. "So, too, is its topics page, with links to all the newspaper's articles about Mr. Martin and the man who shot and killed him, George Zimmerman, as well as video clips of its reporters talking about the case on television. A Facebook page will go online on Monday. And a Web video series might be next.

"For The Sentinel, the story is local; the shooting of Mr. Martin happened in Sanford, a suburb of Orlando. But the newspaper senses an opportunity to reach a national and even international audience with online coverage. It is competing with all manner of national media, which have seized on the story with a ferocity that has already drawn comparisons to the Casey Anthony trial and, years before it, that of O.J. Simpson."

In another development Monday, news media attorneys asked that the case file be unsealed, Rene Stutzman reported for the Orlando Sentinel.

Mark O'Mara, lawyer for shooter George Zimmerman, "and attorneys for the state last week agreed that they wanted paperwork in the file kept secret. That also includes all the evidence that the state will, in the next few days and weeks, provide Zimmerman's attorney.

"Two sets of media attorneys on Monday filed motions, saying Zimmerman had not shown a need to seal the case.

"One was filed by Tribune Co., the owner of the Orlando Sentinel, and WFTV-Channel 9.

". . . The other was filed on behalf of The New York Times, The Miami Herald, The Tampa Bay Times, The Florida Times-Union, CNN, NBC and several others. several broadcasters and other publishing companies as well as The First Amendment Foundation, a non-profit group in Tallahassee."

Gustavo Arellano, "Ask a Mexican," OC Weekly: Do Mexicans Support Trayvon Martin's Killer?
Tommy Christopher, mediaite.com: Michael Eric Dyson Blasts Conservatives For 'Swallowing Camels' In Trayvon Martin Story
Ta-Nehisi Coates blog, the Atlantic: In Defense of Cable News
Mary C. Curtis, Washington Post: Trayvon Martin: Communities sort out facts, feelings and what comes after
Matt Gertz, Media Matters for America: NRA's LaPierre Responds To Trayvon Martin Killing By Attacking The Media
Adam Hochberg, Poynter Institute: CNN’s unedited epithets raise questions about when to use unfiltered hate speech
Wil LaVeist, urbanfaith.com: Trayvon and America's Damascus Road
Roland S. Martin, Creators Syndicate: Trayvon Martin: Moving From a Moment to a Movement
Julie Moos, Poynter Institute: How CNN homepage evolved with news of Zimmerman charges, arrest for Trayvon Martin shooting
Geraldo Rivera, Fox News Latino: George Zimmerman Should Face Manslaughter, Not Murder
Jeff John Roberts, paidcontent.org: Trayvon Martin, theGrio and "new guards" of black media
Frances Robles, Miami Herald: Trayvon’s parents find purpose, solace in activism
Brent Staples, New York Times: Young, Black, Male, and Stalked by Bias
Rene Stutzman, Orlando Sentinel: George Zimmerman judge: My husband works for a lawyer who's doing case commentary for CNN
Mallary Jean Tenore, Poynter Institute: How 5 news sites monitor, moderate conversation about Trayvon Martin stories

Anchor Is "Unofficial Asian-American Ambassador"

"It's hard to keep up with Shannon Hori," Johnny Diaz reported Saturday for the South Florida SunSentinel.

"Whether she's traveling to Japan to see recovery efforts from last year's tsunami disaster, or attending an April lunch presented by the Consulate-General of Japan in Miami, the WFOR-Ch. 4 lead news anchor has become an unofficial Asian-American ambassador in South Florida.

"On camera, she is the Fort Lauderdale-Miami TV market's first and only Asian-American primary TV news anchor, and one of the few nationwide in top TV markets. Off-camera, the third-generation Japanese-American shares stories about her bicultural upbringing at local and national events.

". . . Hori's ascension to the main anchor chair reflects South Florida's changing demographics and the expanding presence of Asian-Americans in broadcast. Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties are among the largest Asian hubs in Florida. The number of Asians in Broward County grew by 6 percent to 56,795 people in 2010 from 2000, according to the U.S. Census. The number of Asians in Palm Beach also increased, and they represent 2.4 percent of the county, or about 31,100 people according to the census."

Nominate a J-Educator Who Has Helped Diversity

Nominations, which are now being accepted for the 2012 award, should consist of a statement about why you believe your nominee is deserving.

The final selection will be made by the NCEW Foundation board and announced in time for the Sept. 20-22 convention in Orlando, when the presentation will be made.

Since 2000, an honorarium of $1,000 has been awarded the recipient, to be used to "further work in progress or begin a new project."

Past winners include James Hawkins, Florida A&M University (1990); Larry Kaggwa, Howard University (1992); Ben Holman, University of Maryland (1996); Linda Jones, Roosevelt University, Chicago (1998); Ramon Chavez, University of Colorado, Boulder (1999); Erna Smith of San Francisco State (2000); Joseph Selden, Penn State (2001); Cheryl Smith, Paul Quinn College (2002); Rose Richard, Marquette University (2003); Leara D. Rhodes, University of Georgia (2004); Denny McAuliffe, University of Montana (2005); Pearl Stewart, Black College Wire (2006); Valerie White, Florida A&M University (2007); Phillip Dixon, Howard University (2008); Bruce DePyssler, North Carolina Central University (2009); Sree Sreenivasan, Columbia University (2010); and Yvonne Latty, New York University, 2011.

Nominations may be emailed to Richard Prince, AOJ Diversity Committee chair, richardprince (at) hotmail.com. The deadline is May 18.

Short Takes

Halimah Abdullah, shown with her husband, John Irons, and daughter, Zahra, on the White House lawn, has left the McClatchy Co., where she was a Washington correspondent, and is now a political contributor to the "Today" show's website. "I love the gig and it's given me a chance to write with more voice and spend a lot more time with our baby," she writes. "The TODAY folks also gave me a weekly political roundup column. "The column appears every Friday. . . . Last week, I 'came out' about our infertility battle and covering politics in this piece.
Journalists at the Washington Post eligible for a buyout had until 5 p.m. Monday to submit their paperwork but have seven days after to change their minds and withdraw.
Kimberley Martin is officially Newsday's beat writer for the NFL's New York Jets. "It was announced in a memo on April 11," Hank Winnicki, assistant managing editor/Sports, told Journal-isms Monday by email. "Kimberley's first official day on the Jets beat is today. The Jets are such an important beat for our readers that there really is no offseason. The team has optional workouts this week and the NFL draft is next week, so Kimberley is jumping right into it." Winnicki wrote in his memo, "Kimberley has covered everything from high school sports to George Steinbrenner's funeral to the Giants victory in the Super Bowl."
ABC Television Network executives have apologized to the New York group Boricuas For a Positive Image for a line in the Jan. 3 pilot episode of the now-canceled prime time sitcom "Work It." Angel Ortiz, a character seeking work, said, "I am Puerto Rican. I'll be great at selling drugs." "This was followed by a smile on his face and the sound of laughter," the group said in a March 30 letter [PDF]. The group listed 13 ways that ABC could improve its relations with the Puerto Rican community, provide equal employment opportunities and improve programming.
"Spanish-language channels in the US are getting only half the advertising revenues they should, according to the new chief executive of Telemundo, the second largest broadcaster in a Hispanic television market that is becoming more crowded," Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson reported Sunday for the Financial Times. "Hispanic television media get 8 per cent of the viewership on average on a single day and only 4 per cent of the total advertising [revenue], Emilio Romano told the Financial Times, six months after Comcast’s NBCUniversal unit named him to run the network in Miami. ". . . Their growing spending power is attracting more advertisers, but many brands remain unsure about how to reach an increasingly bilingual audience."
"Coupled with a handful of new affiliates, fresh deals with cable distributors Time Warner Cable and Cablevision in New York has the multicast channel Estrella TV in 78% of Hispanic households, according to the company," Michael Malone reported Thursday for Broadcasting & Cable. "Finalizing partnerships with WANN Atlanta and KOCY Oklahoma City, among others, Estrella has 31 broadcast partners, including stations owned by Hearst TV and Belo, along with eight O&Os held by parent Liberman Broadcasting."
Mychal Denzel Smith, a writer for theGrio.com, wrote Friday of his disappointment that T.J. Holmes, the former CNN anchor, will head a new show on BET that seeks to emulate late-night comedians Jon Stewart, Bill Maher and Stephen Colbert. Smith said of BET, "In Holmes, they have the potential to establish a serious news program focused on the issues and concerns of black America, an opportunity to highlight the work of black journalists, thinkers, and activists across the country that are otherwise locked out of the national agenda setting conversation. They don't have to take the approach of The Daily Show to accomplish that."
This columnist has been named a "Game Changer" by the Politic365 website. The "Game Changers" are defined as "a distinguished group of bi-partisan, multi-cultural leaders from across the country whose foresight and active engagement in both the public and private sectors are critical to America’s domestic success and global leadership," according to Kendrick B. Meek, the former Democratic congressman from Florida who is editorial board chairman of Politic365.com.
"A TV reporter claims an Albuquerque police officer with a history of bad behavior destroyed evidence of the cop knocking down a teen-ager — which the reporter was able to recover with help from a forensic technician," Evan Prieskop reported Thursday for Courthouse News Service. "Christina Rodda, a reporter and news anchor for KOB-TV in Albuquerque, sued Officer Stephanie Lopez and the City of Albuquerque in Federal Court."
Black journalists Mary C. Curtis, a contributor to the Washington Post's "She the People" website, among other roles, and Jarvis Holliday, who "freelances at many places, now most consistently now at Charlotte Magazine’s 'The DNC In The CLT' feature," are among four voices from Charlotte, N.C., cited by Andria Krewson in Columbia Journalism Review. The four "present that truer story, every day, through consistent, on-the-ground reporting, writing, and analysis," and "flesh out the political story and add to the region's sense of itself." Charlotte is hosing the Democratic National Convention in September.

Follow Richard Prince on Twitter

Facebook users: "Like" "Richard Prince's Journal-isms" on Facebook.

Boston Globe's Wesley Morris Wins Pulitzer for Criticism

princeeditor — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 17:59:09 +0000

April 16, 2012

AP, Philadelphia Inquirer, Manning Marable honored; Latino magazines, Ebony buck slump in magazine ads; Obama: Americans have links to Colombia, Africa, Asia; CBS says Atlanta correspondent broke Trayvon story; Orlando Sentinel to compete for national eyeballs; anchor Is "unofficial Asian-American ambassador"; nominate a J-educator who has helped diversity (4/16/12)

Pulitzer_Poynter.jpg

AP, Philadelphia Inquirer, Manning Marable Honored

Latino Magazines, Ebony Buck Slump in Magazine Ads

Obama: Americans Have Links to Colombia, Africa, Asia

CBS Says Atlanta Correspondent Broke Trayvon Story

Orlando Sentinel to Compete for National Eyeballs

Anchor Is "Unofficial Asian-American Ambassador"

Nominate a J-Educator Who Has Helped Diversity

Latino Magazines, Ebony Buck Slump in Magazine Ads

Latina's income from advertising dollars rose 26.2 percent over the same period last year, and advertising pages increased 25.8 percent.

Obama: Americans Have Links to Colombia, Africa, Asia

Obama replied:

After the summit, Obama joined his Colombian counterpart, Juan Manuel Santos, in Cartagena, Colombia, to hand over land titles to descendants of the country's runaway African slaves.

Representatives of some 1,000 Afro-Colombian families were to receive ownership titles to more than 8,200 acres of ancestral land they occupy, Agence France-Presse reported.

Perry Bacon Jr., theGrio.com: The Obama Coalition: Do female voters care about Ann Romney's work?
Frances Martel, mediaite.com: Awkward: Obama Excuses Chris Matthews During Panel With Latin American Presidents
John McWhorter, Daily News, New York: We already talk about race (April 5)
Patrick B. Pexton, Washington Post: Debating the cost of Obamacare
Juan Williams, the Hill: How race may affect this year's election

Mark Strassmann's first story on the Trayvon Martin killing aired on CBS-TV March 8. (Video)

CBS Says Atlanta Correspondent Broke Trayvon Story

CBS News is crediting Mark Strassmann, its correspondent in Atlanta, with breaking the story of the Trayvon Martin killing, a distinction others have similarly claimed.

On CBS-TV's "Face the Nation" Sunday, host Bob Schieffer said:

Orlando Sentinel to Compete for National Eyeballs

In another development Monday, news media attorneys asked that the case file be unsealed, Rene Stutzman reported for the Orlando Sentinel.

"Two sets of media attorneys on Monday filed motions, saying Zimmerman had not shown a need to seal the case.

"One was filed by Tribune Co., the owner of the Orlando Sentinel, and WFTV-Channel 9.

Gustavo Arellano, "Ask a Mexican," OC Weekly: Do Mexicans Support Trayvon Martin's Killer?
Tommy Christopher, mediaite.com: Michael Eric Dyson Blasts Conservatives For 'Swallowing Camels' In Trayvon Martin Story
Ta-Nehisi Coates blog, the Atlantic: In Defense of Cable News
Mary C. Curtis, Washington Post: Trayvon Martin: Communities sort out facts, feelings and what comes after
Matt Gertz, Media Matters for America: NRA's LaPierre Responds To Trayvon Martin Killing By Attacking The Media
Adam Hochberg, Poynter Institute: CNN’s unedited epithets raise questions about when to use unfiltered hate speech
Wil LaVeist, urbanfaith.com: Trayvon and America's Damascus Road
Roland S. Martin, Creators Syndicate: Trayvon Martin: Moving From a Moment to a Movement
Julie Moos, Poynter Institute: How CNN homepage evolved with news of Zimmerman charges, arrest for Trayvon Martin shooting
Geraldo Rivera, Fox News Latino: George Zimmerman Should Face Manslaughter, Not Murder
Jeff John Roberts, paidcontent.org: Trayvon Martin, theGrio and "new guards" of black media
Frances Robles, Miami Herald: Trayvon’s parents find purpose, solace in activism
Brent Staples, New York Times: Young, Black, Male, and Stalked by Bias
Rene Stutzman, Orlando Sentinel: George Zimmerman judge: My husband works for a lawyer who's doing case commentary for CNN
Mallary Jean Tenore, Poynter Institute: How 5 news sites monitor, moderate conversation about Trayvon Martin stories

Anchor Is "Unofficial Asian-American Ambassador"

"It's hard to keep up with Shannon Hori," Johnny Diaz reported Saturday for the South Florida SunSentinel.

Nominate a J-Educator Who Has Helped Diversity

Nominations, which are now being accepted for the 2012 award, should consist of a statement about why you believe your nominee is deserving.

The final selection will be made by the NCEW Foundation board and announced in time for the Sept. 20-22 convention in Orlando, when the presentation will be made.

Since 2000, an honorarium of $1,000 has been awarded the recipient, to be used to "further work in progress or begin a new project."

Past winners include James Hawkins, Florida A&M University (1990); Larry Kaggwa, Howard University (1992); Ben Holman, University of Maryland (1996); Linda Jones, Roosevelt University, Chicago (1998); Ramon Chavez, University of Colorado, Boulder (1999); Erna Smith of San Francisco State (2000); Joseph Selden, Penn State (2001); Cheryl Smith, Paul Quinn College (2002); Rose Richard, Marquette University (2003); Leara D. Rhodes, University of Georgia (2004); Denny McAuliffe, University of Montana (2005); Pearl Stewart, Black College Wire (2006); Valerie White, Florida A&M University (2007); Phillip Dixon, Howard University (2008); Bruce DePyssler, North Carolina Central University (2009); Sree Sreenivasan, Columbia University (2010); and Yvonne Latty, New York University, 2011.

Nominations may be emailed to Richard Prince, AOJ Diversity Committee chair, richardprince (at) hotmail.com. The deadline is May 18.

Short Takes

Halimah Abdullah, shown with her husband, John Irons, and daughter, Zahra, on the White House lawn, has left the McClatchy Co., where she was a Washington correspondent, and is now a political contributor to the "Today" show's website. "I love the gig and it's given me a chance to write with more voice and spend a lot more time with our baby," she writes. "The TODAY folks also gave me a weekly political roundup column. "The column appears every Friday. . . . Last week, I 'came out' about our infertility battle and covering politics in this piece.
Journalists at the Washington Post eligible for a buyout had until 5 p.m. Monday to submit their paperwork but have seven days after to change their minds and withdraw.
Kimberley Martin is officially Newsday's beat writer for the NFL's New York Jets. "It was announced in a memo on April 11," Hank Winnicki, assistant managing editor/Sports, told Journal-isms Monday by email. "Kimberley's first official day on the Jets beat is today. The Jets are such an important beat for our readers that there really is no offseason. The team has optional workouts this week and the NFL draft is next week, so Kimberley is jumping right into it." Winnicki wrote in his memo, "Kimberley has covered everything from high school sports to George Steinbrenner's funeral to the Giants victory in the Super Bowl."
ABC Television Network executives have apologized to the New York group Boricuas For a Positive Image for a line in the Jan. 3 pilot episode of the now-canceled prime time sitcom "Work It." Angel Ortiz, a character seeking work, said, "I am Puerto Rican. I'll be great at selling drugs." "This was followed by a smile on his face and the sound of laughter," the group said in a March 30 letter [PDF]. The group listed 13 ways that ABC could improve its relations with the Puerto Rican community, provide equal employment opportunities and improve programming.
"Spanish-language channels in the US are getting only half the advertising revenues they should, according to the new chief executive of Telemundo, the second largest broadcaster in a Hispanic television market that is becoming more crowded," Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson reported Sunday for the Financial Times. "Hispanic television media get 8 per cent of the viewership on average on a single day and only 4 per cent of the total advertising [revenue], Emilio Romano told the Financial Times, six months after Comcast’s NBCUniversal unit named him to run the network in Miami. ". . . Their growing spending power is attracting more advertisers, but many brands remain unsure about how to reach an increasingly bilingual audience."
"Coupled with a handful of new affiliates, fresh deals with cable distributors Time Warner Cable and Cablevision in New York has the multicast channel Estrella TV in 78% of Hispanic households, according to the company," Michael Malone reported Thursday for Broadcasting & Cable. "Finalizing partnerships with WANN Atlanta and KOCY Oklahoma City, among others, Estrella has 31 broadcast partners, including stations owned by Hearst TV and Belo, along with eight O&Os held by parent Liberman Broadcasting."
Mychal Denzel Smith, a writer for theGrio.com, wrote Friday of his disappointment that T.J. Holmes, the former CNN anchor, will head a new show on BET that seeks to emulate late-night comedians Jon Stewart, Bill Maher and Stephen Colbert. Smith said of BET, "In Holmes, they have the potential to establish a serious news program focused on the issues and concerns of black America, an opportunity to highlight the work of black journalists, thinkers, and activists across the country that are otherwise locked out of the national agenda setting conversation. They don't have to take the approach of The Daily Show to accomplish that."
This columnist has been named a "Game Changer" by the Politic365 website. The "Game Changers" are defined as "a distinguished group of bi-partisan, multi-cultural leaders from across the country whose foresight and active engagement in both the public and private sectors are critical to America’s domestic success and global leadership," according to Kendrick B. Meek, the former Democratic congressman from Florida who is editorial board chairman of Politic365.com.
"A TV reporter claims an Albuquerque police officer with a history of bad behavior destroyed evidence of the cop knocking down a teen-ager — which the reporter was able to recover with help from a forensic technician," Evan Prieskop reported Thursday for Courthouse News Service. "Christina Rodda, a reporter and news anchor for KOB-TV in Albuquerque, sued Officer Stephanie Lopez and the City of Albuquerque in Federal Court."
Black journalists Mary C. Curtis, a contributor to the Washington Post's "She the People" website, among other roles, and Jarvis Holliday, who "freelances at many places, now most consistently now at Charlotte Magazine’s 'The DNC In The CLT' feature," are among four voices from Charlotte, N.C., cited by Andria Krewson in Columbia Journalism Review. The four "present that truer story, every day, through consistent, on-the-ground reporting, writing, and analysis," and "flesh out the political story and add to the region's sense of itself." Charlotte is hosing the Democratic National Convention in September.

Follow Richard Prince on Twitter

Facebook users: "Like" "Richard Prince's Journal-isms" on Facebook.

"That Girl That's Named After a Prison"

Roberto Delgado — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 02:15:30 +0000

April 13, 2012

Fox Chief Roger Ailes takes swipe at Soledad O'Brien; diversity a concern in Washington Post buyouts; some big players still missing in online diversity survey; hundreds fill Harlem church at sendoff for Gil Noble; student fired before he started is getting other offers; Whoops! that tweet wasn't intended to be public; tips for diversity at alt weeklies, in business journalism; white nationalists still writing for MarketWatch; race and media discussed, from hip-hop to Haiti coverage (4/13/12)

Ailes_UNC_Teaser.jpg

Ailes_UNC.jpg

Lisa Frazier Page.jpg

michelle_morgante.jpg

page5_blog_entry2368_1.jpg

Fox Chief Roger Ailes Takes Swipe at Soledad O'Brien

Diversity a Concern in Washington Post Buyouts

Some Big Players Still Missing in Online Diversity Survey

Hundreds Fill Harlem Church at Sendoff for Gil Noble

Student Fired Before He Started Is Getting Other Offers

Whoops!

Diversity a Concern in Washington Post Buyouts

Amid scuttlebutt that a disproportionate number of black journalists at the Washington Post are planning to take a buyout offer by Monday's deadline, both the Newspaper Guild and management said they would be conscious of the impact of departures on newsroom diversity.

"Yes, we're watching that closely," Executive Editor Marcus Brauchli told Journal-isms by email on Friday. "As I've said before, diversity in the newsroom, and in every department of the newsroom, is essential to our success. The Post serves a diverse community, a diverse nation, a diverse world. We should reflect that diversity, and we will work to ensure that we do."

Nikita Stewart, a Post reporter who is vice chair of the Post unit of the Guild, said in a message, "We actually have teamed with black employees with committees to help guide folks through the buyout and to think about the opportunities that could be created internally after the buyouts. . . . we would like to have conversations with management about how to guarantee a commitment or an effort to diversity. Some conversations have taken place already though briefly and informally."

The Post is offering a severance payment equal to 3.25 weeks of pay for every year of service, according to the Guild.

Brauchli said he did not know yet how many people the Post is hoping will take the buyout.

Despite the scuttlebutt, only one black journalist was willing to say on the record that she plans to take the buyout. Lisa Frazier Page, social issues editor on the Local staff, said in a message, "I am taking the buyout, and I am very excited about it. We are moving home to New Orleans. My husband is retiring. I hope to write books full time. I am finishing up my fourth book project and planning to start another this summer."

In the 2012 diversity census of the American Society of News Editors, the Post reported 25.3 percent journalists of color: .5 percent American Indian, 8.0 percent Asian American, 12.9 percent black and 3.8 percent Hispanic.

[Update: Tony P. Knott, an assistant news editor, said Sunday that he planned to take the buyout.]

Some Big Players Still Missing in Online Diversity Survey

The number of online-only news organizations participating in the American Society of News Editors' diversity census has almost tripled since 2010, from 27 to 75, according to figures ASNE released last week, but some of the largest online news sites still are missing.

They include about.com, annarbor.com, Huffington Post, Salon, Slate, Talking Points Memo, the Daily Beast, Tucson Citizen and Yahoo.

Some, such as Yahoo, have steadfastly refused to cooperate, citing a desire to protect "trade secrets." Others offered Journal-isms different explanations this week.

"I spoke with the [woman] who runs the survey and told her that I would definitely fill out the survey as soon as it included our whole organization," Josh Marshall, founder, editor and publisher of TalkingPointsMemo.com, said by email. "As it is it excludes the entire tech and publishing parts of the company. That doesn't make sense to me. . . . for us, tech and publishing, we're all together in one big news room, working together etc."

Huffington Post founder Arianna Huffington told Journal-isms last year that her sites would cooperate "now that we have the resources."

However, Rhoades Alderson, spokesman for Huffington Post, said this week, "Because ASNE came to us with a tight deadline at a time when we were still unifying two large and distinct newsrooms in the wake of our merger, we were not able to collect reliable data on time. But we look forward to reporting our data next year."

Andrew Kirk, spokesman for the Daily Beast, said, "We have not been asked to fill out any census information about our newsroom by ASNE or any other organization — whose attention was it sent for? And when?"

Jacob Weisberg, chairman and editor-in-chief of the Slate Group, said, "We decided to participate, but apparently there was a bug on their website that led us to believe we'd completed the survey when we hadn't." The surveys were filled out online this year.

"If we can get them to reopen, we will add our 2011 data. Otherwise, we'll participate next year."

Neither David Talbot, founder and CEO of Salon.com, nor his public relations team responded to an inquiry.

Of four sites that did not respond in a previous attempt but did so this time — MinnPost.com, Stateline.org, Capital Times and Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism — none reported journalists of color.

However, Oakland Local in California reported 73.3 percent; Rio Grande Guardian in McAllen, Texas, 72.7 percent; TucsonSentinel.com, 42.9 percent; Center for Investigative Reporting/California Watch, Berkeley, Calif., 42.4 percent; and Progress Illinois, 40 percent.

The Nation of Islam's Louis Farrakhan said at Friday's services, "Gil Noble's mark was his unequaled mark on history. His character prevailed (and) he never sold out." (WABC-TV video on Noble's life)

Hundreds Fill Harlem Church at Sendoff for Gil Noble

"Two events at the same time this morning: The funeral of WABC-TV veteran Gil Noble, who was a groundbreaking reporter and anchor, and the news conference of Newark Mayor Cory Booker, whose heroics last night saved his neighbors from their burning building," Bill Ritter wrote Friday on the website of the New York television station.

"At Gil's wake last night, a packed Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem heard the other groundbreaking black journalists tell stories about Gil and the times back then. The 1960s when blacks not only didn't have a seat at the table, most didn't have a seat of any kind."

A spokeswoman for Abyssinian told Journal-isms that the church, with a 1,400-person capacity, was filled. Noble died at age 80 on April 5 after suffering a stroke last year.

The New York Amsterdam News reported, "The closed casket service brought out the who's who of notable Black New Yorkers and national figures who shared memories and tributes to Noble. Among those who spoke were Louis [Farrakhan], actor Danny Glover, Susan Taylor and Mayor David Dinkins.

". . . Others that attended and spoke at the funeral were politicians including City Councilman Charles Barron, Assemblywoman Inez Barron, Congressman Charlie Rangel and State Senator Bill Perkins. Several from the academic world were also present including Adelaide Sanford, writer Amiri Baraka and Black studies professor Dr. Leonard [Jeffries]. Dr. Yosef Ben-Jochannan and Les Payne were also in the audience.

". . . A lover of jazz music, Noble's passion was showcased through tribute performances including the playing of his favorite song 'Misty.' Musicians Randy Weston, Alex Blake and Leon Dorsey performed the jazz selections."

Leonard Greene, New York Post: What Gil passed on
Alton H. Maddox Jr., Buffalo Bullet blog: In Remembrance of Gil Noble (April 5)
F. Finley McRae, theRoot.com: Saying Goodbye to Gil Noble

Student Fired Before He Started Is Getting Other Offers

Khristopher Brooks, the student whose job offer was rescinded by the News Journal in Wilmington, Del., after he used the newspaper's logo and quoted from the editor's hiring letter on his website, said the publicity has generated job offers from other organizations.

In an essay posted Thursday on Huffington Post, Brooks wrote, ". . . I pondered all this while sitting at my desk at Black Voices," where he is an intern. "I looked at the computer screen and suddenly I had a handful of emails. Job offers. All across the country, from as near as Connecticut, out to Iowa and even more pouring in today. I received an offer to write a essay for a popular online magazine and my followers on Twitter have reached out to me. Most of them are saying, 'ahh, you didn't want to be with Gannett anyway.' "

In an interview with Aaron Morrison of Loop21.com, Brooks said he had four job interviews lined up.

Morrison asked, "Bottom line is, you wouldn't necessarily go back and change how you announced your new job. Right?"

Brooks replied, "I think I would do the same. Minus the logo, minus the quote from David Ledford," editor of the News Journal, "and I probably leave the editors' names out of it. But I would still do it. I think fundamentally what I did was still right. But if I didn't use the logo or the quote, I think they probably wouldn't have had any grounds to fire me."

Whoops! Tweet Wasn't Intended to Be Public

"The Star Tribune's Tom Lee scored a mammoth scoop Tuesday with news that Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn’s resignation came amid a company investigation into alleged personal misconduct, which Lee today reported was an alleged 'inappropriate relationship with a female employee,' " David Brauer reported Thursday for MinnPost in Minneapolis.

"Wednesday night, Lee published a scoop he seems to have regretted.

"Via the social networking site Twitter, Lee sent two messages to an account belonging to Brian Dunn. I've redacted them for reasons I’ll explain in a sec:

" '@briandunn Brian, I’m a reporter for the Star Tribune. I’m writing a story that says BBY board is investigating you for XX XXXXXXX XXXXX…'

" '@briandunn BBY employee XXXX XXXX. Is this true? Contact me at Thomas.lee@startribune.com or 612-202-2307."

"Twitter allows people to send each other private, direct messages, or DMs, but Lee's were public. That put the woman's name out in the wild, where competitors and curious citizens — including the one who tipped me off — could read what the newspaper was not confident enough to print in its Thursday front-page follow-up.

"Lee's tweets were a mistake because there needs to be some standard of proof (and subsequently, judgment) before someone's name is put out in public.

"More than an hour later, the messages were deleted."

Lee, a business reporter at the Star Tribune who is also national vice president for print of the Asian American Journalists Association, has not responded to requests for comment.

Jerry Lanson, Huffington Post: Media Need to Establish Clear Ethics Codes on Using, Posting Tweets
Brendan Nyhan, Columbia Journalism Review: The Dangers of Silly Season: How bored reporters and social media can hype fake controversies and spread misinformation

Tips for Diversity at Alt Weeklies, in Business Journalism

The Diversity Committee of the Association of Alternative Newsmedia — an organization of alternative newsweeklies — has compiled a three-page list of tips on fostering diversity and inclusion within the alternative news industry.

"Diversity is important, and almost all of us can do better with it," Jimmy Boegle, Tucson Weekly editor and AAN diversity chair, said in an announcement Thursday. "And by doing better, that means tangible things: More readers, more advertisers, and more respect."

"Boegle said the document [PDF] was the idea of former Creative Loafing (Charlotte) editor Carlton Hargro, who was previously a committee member. He credits Hargro and Jackson Free Press editor Donna Ladd with doing the 'heavy lifting on the writing' and the other committee members with sharing tips and comments," the announcement said.

According to the document, "Media-diversity experts advise that media sources need diversity on three intertwined elements: (1) recruitment, hiring and retention; (2) diverse content; and (3) culture in the newsroom and other departments. You can do well at one or two of those components and still fail at diversity. It is necessary to focus on all three to succeed."

Separately, Will Sutton, Reynolds visiting professor at Grambling State University and a former president of the National Association of Black Journalists, published Tuesday "An 11-point plan for adding diversity to business journalism ranks" on the website of the Reynolds Center for Business Journalism.

"The grant that supports my visiting stint ends June 30," Sutton wrote. "When I leave, there won’t be any faculty members teaching business journalism. There’s no Bloomberg terminal. There are two classrooms with Macs and PCs, but only a few with updated software such as Adobe Flash and Final Cut Pro. There’s no Soundslides software on any of the computers. Some computers don’t have updated Word software, or no Word software at all."

Among his suggestions:

"Hire at least 10 students of color for Summer 2012 internships, requiring each to be SABEW members," referring to the Society of American Business Editors and Writers.

"Commit to a more competitive Summer 2013 internship process, requiring students of color to . . . demonstrate an interest in business journalism as a part of the application process. Include representatives from UNITY: Journalists of Color and the National Association of Black Journalists. Perhaps coordinate this effort through the Reynolds Center, SABEW and Arizona State University’s Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication because the university has a proven commitment to business journalism."

White Nationalists Still Writing for MarketWatch

"In the past week, not one but two writers, Robert Weissberg and John Derbyshire, were fired from the conservative magazine National Review for being overtly racist," Matthew Fleischer wrote Friday for FishbowlLA. " . . . The very public sackings turned into a feel good story for most of the non-racist world, and led The Atlantic to boast that 'people who make a living off being racist…are [an] endangered species.'

"But are they? [MarketWatch], owned by Dow Jones, employs not one, but two contributors to the white nationalist site VDare. And neither seems to be in danger of losing their jobs. The first is Peter Brimelow, the editor of VDare who we’ve written about on this site before.

". . . He's joined by economic consultant Edwin Rubenstein, who also moonlights as an analyst for the National Policy Institute — an organization that aspires to 'elevate the consciousness of whites, ensure our biological and cultural continuity, and protect our civil rights.' "

Sam Fulwood III, theGrio.com: John Derbyshire firing a positive sign in fight against racist rhetoric in media
Zerlina Maxwell, theGrio.com: Recent firings won't erase National Review's race problems

Race and Media Discussed, From Hip-Hop to Haiti Coverage

"A 12-year-old knocks out Alfred Liggins," the CEO of Radio One, the Rev. Al Sharpton proclaimed at a panel discussion on race and the media Friday at a National Action Network conference in Washington.

The girl had asked why Radio One stations played so much hip-hop, which she compared with drug dealing.

Liggins replied, "If we don't reflect the culture coming out of our communities, we're not doing our job as a media outlet." David Gregory, host of NBC's "Meet the Press," said he grew up listening to hip-hop in Los Angeles in the 1980s, recalling the songs "White Lines" and "Rapper's Delight," and lamented that the hip-hop music to which his 9-year-old is exposed has fewer positive messages.

At another point, Gregory said the challenge for the media is to determine which issues should and should not be about race. For example, "When does President Obama face opposition because he's black?"

Fellow NBC News correspondent Andrea Mitchell said crises in Haiti or Sudan are too often covered only when familiar white figures are visiting, and said the Trayvon Martin case demonstrated the need for diverse news meetings. "I haven't lived it," she said of the experience of racial profiling. "There aren't enough people at the news meetings who will say, 'This is important.' " She also said there was too much "on-the-one-hand-on-the-other-hand" reporting. "Let's call it as we see it," Mitchell said.

George Curry, editor of the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service, said, "There is a racial divide in this country, even where there shouldn't be," citing the response to Hurricane Katrina. "People don't stop being white just because they go into journalism."

Nia-Malika Henderson, who is covering the presidential campaign for the Washington Post, agreed with April D. Ryan of American Urban Radio Networks that black journalists are not asked enough to comment on issues in addition to race, and urged an audience member who wanted to make more of an impact on the media to make use of YouTube.

Sharpton began by asking the group to discuss "how to discuss race without being polarizing." Anna Lopez Buck, interim executive director of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, and Dana Milbank, a Washington Post columnist, were also on the panel.

C-SPAN recorded the discussion, which can be viewed online.

Short Takes

"One in five American adults does not use the internet," according to the Pew Internet Project. "Senior citizens, those who prefer to take our interviews in Spanish rather than English, adults with less than a high school education, and those living in households earning less than $30,000 per year are the least likely adults to have internet access. Among adults who do not use the internet, almost half have told us that the main reason they don't go online is because they don't think the internet is relevant to them. Most have never used the internet before, and don’t have anyone in their household who does."
"A new study shows that in an average week, 74 percent of all Internet users rely on local newspaper media – digital as well as print – as key sources of news and information, and are engaging with their local newspaper across multiple platforms," the Newspaper Association of America reported on Thursday.
"It's likely that [Trayvon] Martin's death, which resulted in the arrest and indictment Wednesday of confessed shooter George Zimmerman, would never have crowded into the national consciousness had it not been for Martin’s family, its lawyers and an enterprising PR man," Paul Farhi wrote Friday in the Washington Post. ". . . A pivotal, if little-known, figure in the Martin story’s development was Ryan Julison, an Orlando public relations executive who began working with the Martin family at the behest of its attorneys, Benjamin Crump and Natalie Jackson."
In a MediaBistro interview Friday with Janell Harris on "How to Pitch: Jet," Jet magazine's editor-in-chief, Mitzi Miller, said, "A lot of things have changed recently with Jet in terms of our tone and the type of stories that we're now covering, and I can tell when writers have truly been paying attention and when they're just like, 'Oh, I remember when my mom used to read Jet.' "
"Michelle Morgante, former assistant chief of bureau for the Associated Press in Miami, has been appointed bureau chief for Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota," the AP announced on Friday. "Morgante, 44, succeeds Randy Picht, who was named executive director of the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute at the Missouri School of Journalism, his alma mater." Morgante was assistant Florida bureau chief and Caribbean business manager but was transferred in February to AP's iCircular team, described by Mobile Marketing Watch as "a new service aimed at serving up coupons within mobile apps developed by participating newspapers around the country."
"Each ethnic and racial group in society enjoys the right to define itself in a dignified manner, taking into consideration its historical, racial and cultural legacies," Roland Roebuck, an Afro-Puerto Rican community activist in Washington and president of the D.C. Commission on Latino Community Development, wrote Friday for New America Media. "But one unfortunate exception exists in the Washington, D.C. Latino community. Spanish-language newspapers (with the exception of El Tiempo Latino) continue to refer to Latinos of African descent by the despicable term of 'Negro.' "
"In what was billed as the largest-ever collection of current and former FCC Commissioners, the National Cable & Telecommunications Association Thursday hosted a Minority Media & Telecommunications Council salute to retired Commissioner Michael Copps, who exited the FCC at the end of December," John Eggerton wrote Thursday for Broadcasting & Cable. Fourteen past and present commissioners were present, including African Americans William E. Kennard (on tape from Brussels, Belgium), Andrew C. Barrett and Mignon Clyburn, and Henry M. Rivera, who is Latino. Copps was a champion of diversity and "the public interest," speakers said, and an opponent of media consolidation.
Jacob Rascon has joined KNBC-TV in Los Angeles as the station’s first multimedia reporter, Richard Horgan reported Thursday for FishbowlLA. ". . . Rascon completed part of his university studies at Brigham Young's sister campus in Idaho, where he created the campus' first Spanish-language newscast. He was also the recipient of a National Association of Hispanic Journalists' Geraldo Rivera collegiate scholarship."
"Mark Hayes, a 10-year veteran of the early morning shift at Atlanta's WAGA-TV, has been named to join incumbent co-anchor Deborah Ferguson on Fort Worth-based NBC5's waker upper," Dallas television writer Ed Bark reported Friday on his blog. ". . . Hayes, who previously worked at WXYZ-TV in Detroit and WBAL-TV in Baltimore, said goodbye to Fox-owned WAGA on the Friday, April 6th early morning newscast."
"[A] California federal judge dismissed most of the claims brought by TV One in a lawsuit that alleged that other networks had stolen its exclusive right to broadcast the Essence Music Festival," Eriq Gardner reported April 3 for the Hollywood Reporter. "The network, partly owned by Comcast, had claimed that last June, just a week before it was set to air one of the largest cultural gatherings of African Americans in the nation, BET televised performances by Janet Jackson, Alicia Keys, Mary J. Blige and others from the previous year's festival."
Since the March 22 coup in Mali, "The nationwide chaos and ensuing grave problems — including partition of the country, human rights violations, displaced persons and violence — have not spared the media and have dealt a serious setback to press freedom," Reporters Without Borders said on Thursday.

Follow Richard Prince on Twitter

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T.J. Holmes to Host Late-Night BET Show

princeeditor — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 22:12:27 +0000

April 12, 2012

Ex-CNN draw eyes Jon Stewart, Bill Maher, Stephen Colbert (4/12/12); MSNBC seizes on news of Zimmerman arrest; student's announcement gets him fired before he starts; NPR ombudsman upbeat on network's diversity; Santorum pullout forces media to reverse course; correspondents' readiness for war zones questioned; 2nd National Review contributor ousted over racism; pope's visit to Cuba, Mexico barely registered in U.S. (4/11/12)

Ex-CNN Draw Eyes Jon Stewart, Bill Maher, Steven Colbert

Ex-CNN Draw Eyes Jon Stewart, Bill Maher, Stephen Colbert

T.J.

MSNBC Seizes on News of Zimmerman Arrest

April 11, 2012

Sharpton Appears With Martin Team, Then Interviews Them

Student's Announcement Gets Him Fired Before He Starts

NPR Ombudsman Upbeat on Network's Diversity

Santorum Pullout Forces Media to Reverse Course

Correspondents' Readiness for War Zones Questioned

2nd National Review Contributor Ousted Over Racism

Pope's Visit to Cuba, Mexico Barely Registered in U.S.

Short Takes

(Video) (Credit: MSNBC via Huffington Post)

Sharpton Appears With Martin Team, Then Interviews Them

MSNBC, the cable news network that claims the highest ratings among African Americans, accorded the announcement of George Zimmerman's arrest in the Trayvon Martin killing the greatest amount of coverage on Wednesday. That coverage included a news conference hosted by its "PoliticsNation" host, the Rev. Al Sharpton.

While Sharpton was conducting his Washington news conference with the Martin family and their lawyers, Martin Bashir hosted Sharpton's show. After the news conference, Sharpton conducted an "exclusive" interview with the family for MSNBC.

CNN carried a portion of the news conference, but Fox News Channel, which has given the Martin case less coverage than MSNBC or CNN, broadcast "Special Report With Bret Baier" with an all-white "all-star panel" that contrasted sharply with the eight African Americans filling the screen for the Sharpton news conference. A Fox News spokeswoman said Fox carried special prosecutor Angela Corey's news conference live.

The charge filed against Zimmerman was the lead story on the three evening newscasts on the broadcast networks.

Commentators praised Corey after her 6 p.m. news conference. "Corey announced a second-degree murder charge at the State Attorney's Office in Jacksonville tonight, more than six weeks after Trayvon and Zimmerman's fatal encounter," Rene Stutzman and Jeff Weiner wrote for the Orlando Sentinel. "If convicted, Zimmerman would face up to life in prison on the first-degree felony charge. He arrived at the Seminole County jail about 8:30 p.m. tonight."

It was a moment that commentators and Martin family supporters said they had waited for. When word leaked earlier Wednesday that Corey would announce a decision to prosecute, blogger Ta-Nehisi Coates of the Atlantic wrote of Zimmerman, "What I know is that I care much more about him being charged [than] I do about him being convicted. What always rankled about this case wasn't that Zimmerman might not see a jail cell (that's what judges and juries determine) but that law enforcement had done everything to foreclose that possibility. We may find that they still have. I imagine a lot was lost in bungling. But at the very least this says, 'We take the loss of life seriously.' "

Corey did not address media coverage in her remarks but she did comment on the numerous leaks. "So much information got released in this case that should not have been released," she said. ". . . There has been an overwhelming amount of publicity in this case that we hope will not prevent us from finding an impartial jury."

Sharpton's dual role as talk show host and activist has been criticized by commentators as a conflict of interest. In an interview with Reuters this week, NBC News President Steve Capus defended the arrangement.

"Reverend Sharpton is a talk show host on MSNBC," Capus said. "We believe there's a distinction between the role he plays and our front line journalists who are part of NBC's news gathering and reporting. This is a large news organization that has many people involved in any number of different aspects of coverage and commentary. That's the distinction we've made as a news organization."

Sharpton won praise Monday from an unexpected quarter. The contrarian columnist Stanley Crouch wrote in the Daily News in New York, "Sharpton has often been among those loons, accused of opportunism, selling out black journalists to get his own MSNBC show and of being a police informant. I have thrown many of my own tomatoes at him."

But Sharpton's conduct in the Martin case and commitment to nonviolence, Crouch wrote, put him in a different light. "He has become one of the public prizes in our era, so dominated by the special effects of lies spoken only for attention, money and power."

MSNBC has boasted that it is "No. 1 in cable news with African-American and Hispanic viewers," which makes its coverage of the Martin case — the Sharpton-family news conference was followed by further discussion on its talk shows — consistent with efforts to appeal to black viewers.

The Pew Research Center for the People & the Press reported Tuesday, "African Americans continue to follow news about the controversy more closely than whites. About seven-in-ten blacks (72%) say they followed Trayvon Martin developments more closely than any other story, compared with 26% of whites."

In addition, "Eight in 10 blacks say they think Martin’s killing was not justified, compared with 38 percent of whites," Krissah Thompson and Jon Cohen reported Tuesday for the Washington Post, discussing a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. "Most whites say they do not know enough about the shooting to say whether it was justified."

Moreover, according to a Newsweek poll, "blacks are twice as likely as whites (82 percent versus 38 percent) to say that race played a role in the shooting of Trayvon Martin," Andrew Romano and Allison Samuels reported Monday for the Daily Beast. "They are simply more likely than whites to still see race as a factor in how people are treated, period."

Hal Boedecker, Orlando Sentinel: George Zimmerman: Former WKMG analyst Mark O’Mara is his new lawyer
David Boroff, Daily News, New York: Fox affiliate in Florida portrays Neo-Nazis as 'civil rights group' trying to protect white citizens following Trayvon Martin shooting
Daily Beast: Walter Mosley on Trayvon Martin Case and Racial Identity
Alan Dershowitz, Daily News, New York: The damage done by George Zimmerman's lawyers
LZ Granderson, CNN.com: Violence and race: a two-way street
Derrick Z. Jackson, Boston Globe: Imprisoned by their fears
Jason Johnson, politic365.com: Eight Things White Parents Should Teach About Black People
Celeste Katz, Daily News, New York: Mayor Bloomberg: End "Stand Your Ground" Laws
Wesley Lowery and Aaron Morrison, Loop21.com: George Zimmerman's Lawyers Confirm Loop 21 Exclusive
Media Matters for America: George Zimmerman's Legal Team Cites Zimmerman's Phone Call To Sean Hannity As They Withdraw From The Case
Darryl E. Owens, Orlando Sentinel: Trayvon Martin case: Blacks still outraged by black-on-black crime
Walter Pacheco, Martin E. Comas and David Breen, Orlando Sentinel: George Zimmerman's arrest brings relief to community
Chez Pazienza blog: Gone but Not Forgotten (on NBC News editing error)
Richard Prince and Earnest Perry with Kerri Miller on "The Daily Circuit," Minnesota Public Radio: Evaluating Trayvon Martin media coverage
Elena Shore, New America Media: Zimmerman Case Ignites Dialogue on Latino Racial Identity
Mallary Jean Tenore, Poynter Institute: The 10 things to do before Zimmerman charges are announced
Paul Theroux, Daily Beast: If I Had a Son, He’d Look Like George Zimmerman
Rod Watson, Buffalo News: Craving hope despite double consciousness
DeWayne Wickham, USA Today: Black-on-black violence: Where's the outrage?
Edward Wyckoff Williams, theRoot.com: Don't White People Kill Each Other, Too?

Student's Announcement Gets Him Fired Before He Starts

"Khristopher Brooks called shortly before 6 p.m. ET to tell me that the News Journal fired him this afternoon for improper use of the newspaper's logo on his personal sites, and for using executive editor David Ledford's hiring-letter quotes in his press release, which is posted below," Jim Romenesko reported Wednesday on his media blog.

His note referencing the Wilmington, Del., newspaper topped this item:

" 'I'm a really big NBA fan,' journalist Khristopher J. Brooks tells me, 'and whenever an NBA team acquires a new player there's always a press release announcing it. I’d look at those releases and think, "The organization is really proud' of the new hire. Brooks notes that newspapers don't announce new employees unless they're stars, but 'what's keeping me from doing it?' (Nothing!)"

Brooks said, "I didn't do it to showboat. I did it to tell family, friends and ex-co-workers about the next step in my career."

Khristopher J. Brooks, Huffington Post: How to Get Fired Before Your First Day [April 12]

NPR Ombudsman Upbeat on Network's Diversity

NPR has been criticized over the years for its lack of racial diversity in programming, staffing and audience, but NPR ombudsman Edward Schumacher-Matos crunched the diversity numbers at the radio network and concluded that "racially and ethnically, NPR is not doing badly, and is getting better.

"Looking at NPR, the overwhelming majority of its radio audience is in fact white — roughly 87 percent, according to research pulled together for me by Lori Kaplan of NPR's Audience, Insight and Research Department," Schumacher-Matos wrote on Wednesday. "This is substantially higher than the 77 percent of adult Americans (18 and older) who are white. Asian-Americans make up nearly 4 percent of the audience, but roughly 3 percent of the adult population. African-Americans and Latinos, however, are under-represented among NPR's listeners. Blacks make up nearly 12 percent of the adult population but just a little more than 5 percent of NPR listeners. For Hispanics, the numbers are 14 percent versus 6 percent."

However, Schumacher-Matos wrote, "Using the total adult population is the wrong baseline. NPR appeals overwhelmingly to college-educated Americans." Under that measure, "Among all income levels, more than 11 percent of whites with a college degree listen to NPR. This compares to 9 percent of Asians with a college degree, nearly 7 percent of Hispanics and 6 percent of blacks."

As for NPR staffing, "Seven percent of U.S. college graduates are African American. Blacks make up 12 percent of the newsroom — much more than their 7 percent weight among college graduates. Hispanics, however, are slightly under-represented. They make up six percent of the Americans with college degrees but five percent of the newsroom. Asians do exactly the reverse. They are five percent of Americans with degrees and six percent of the newsroom. The Native American sample size is too small to draw many conclusions. There is one person among NPR's journalists and managers who said he or she was Native American, according to Human Resources. This is 0.2 percent of the newsroom, compared to the 0.6 percent of college graduates who are Native American."

He concluded, "The bottom line here is that in terms of the nation's largest racial and ethnic minority groups — blacks, Latinos and Asians—NPR staffing may have arrived."

Santorum Pullout Forces Media to Reverse Course

"When Tuesday broke, it looked like Rick Santorum's Easter and family campaign recess was about to end," Ken Knelly wrote for Columbia Journalism Review. "Events were scheduled. The Underdog Machine was seemingly about to rev up.

"What broke instead was news that Santorum's presidential campaign was over. The announcement would come from the same small town where another campaign ended in 1863 — Gettysburg, Pa.

"Media outlets here were quick to reverse course, with Twitter updates, email alerts, and breaking news bars posted and sent out. Some were also quick to forget the story, including many large-market television websites — stations set to lose a good chunk of the $2.9 million the Mitt Romney campaign was reportedly set to plunk down in the state."

Isaiah Carter, Open Salon: A Send-Off to God's Favorite
Michael H. Cottman, BlackAmericaWeb.com: Romney Avoids Mormonism and Race
Editorial, La Opinión, Los Angeles: A Latino VP? Marco Rubio's Limited Appeal
Ruben Navarrette Jr., Washington Post Writers Group: Rubio revisited [April 1]
Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune: Blah, blah, blah: Romney's women woes. Hint: They like guys who listen.
Leonard Pitts Jr., Miami Herald: About time a GOP politician defended Muslim faith
Eugene Robinson, Washington Post: Handicapping Romney's potential running mates
Mary Sanchez, Kansas City Star: Tool or hero — what role will Marco Rubio play?
Bob Ray Sanders, Star-Telegram, Fort Worth: Gov. Rick Perry's campaign should reimburse Texas
Laura Washington, Chicago Sun-Times: Republicans need woman in VP spot

Correspondents' Readiness for War Zones Questioned

Sebastian Junger, a war correspondent, author and lecturer, is sponsoring a three-day course in New York next week that covers basic procedures for saving someone’s life on the battlefield.

It comes after other correspondents have pleaded for increased attention by news organizations to the health of their correspondents. That includes their readiness for the assignment, as with the New York Times' Anthony Shadid, who died in February, as well as first-aid training.

Junger and others say they have witnessed needless deaths of other journalists. In Junger's case, it was Tim Hetherington, hit by shrapnel in the groin in Libya. "Tim is not the first friend I have lost in combat, but his death was certainly the most devastating. It has prompted me to start a medical training program for freelancer journalists so that the next tragedy can be averted," Junger wrote on his website.

At the American Society of News Editors convention in Washington last week, New York Times correspondent C.J. Chivers added at a panel, "You'd be astonished at the number of people who don't have any training. They need to be able to stop the bleeding, treat for shock and do basic triage." He recalled a friend dying with journalists at his side "providing comfort but not first aid."

Shadid's cousin Ed Shadid raised a broader issue at memorial services in March.

Shadid died after an asthma attack in Syria, not long after he had been reporting in Libya, where he and three other New York Times journalists were captured and released. "I just feel that competition played a role in his demise," Shadid said at a March 15 memorial service at the Washington Post, where his brother worked before moving to the Times.

"I can't imagine there isn't some degree of PTSD," post-traumatic stress disorder, Ed Shadid said. He urged that news organizations try to learn from the experience "and figure out how we can protect journalists and what we might do differently. I wish that the adults in the room made these journalists get physical exams and figure out if they are fit to take on" these assignments. . . I wish that addressing PTSD was mandatory, like it is in the military."

Ed Shadid made similar comments at a March 3 memorial service in Oklahoma City, Katie Fretland reported then for the Associated Press.

"Susan Chira, an assistant managing editor at the Times, said Saturday the safety of journalists has long been a focus of the newspaper, especially in the past decade," Fretland wrote.

" 'Everyone at The New York Times is thinking about anything we can do to help our journalists do their work safely,' Chira said. 'There is always more to be done.'

"David Hoffman, Shadid's former editor at The Washington Post, said he tells reporters their first responsibility is to themselves and to be available for tomorrow's story. The newspaper where Shadid won a Pulitzer Prize in 2004 and 2010 has devoted attention and resources to helping journalists deal with post-traumatic stress syndrome in the past 10 years, he said.

" 'We've already invested a lot of time and attention to reporters' safety,' Hoffman said. 'This requires us to double and triple our efforts.' "

Mallary Jean Tenore, Poynter Institute: How journalists train to stay safe while covering hostile environments

2nd National Review Contributor Ousted Over Racism

"For the second time this week, the National Review has severed its ties with a contributor because of racism," Dylan Byers reported Wednesday for Politico.

"Over the weekend, it was John Derbyshire. Today, it's University of Illinois professor emeritus Robert Weissberg.

" 'Unbeknowst to us, occasional Phi Beta Cons contributor Robert Weissberg (whose book was published a few years ago by Transaction) participated in an American Renaissance conference where he delivered a noxious talk about the future of white nationalism,' editor Rich Lowry wrote in a post on the National Review's website. "He will no longer be posting here. Thanks to those who brought it to our attention."

"Weissberg spoke at the conference about 'viable alternatives' to white nationalism, including the creation of 'Whitopias,' according to the American Renaissance website."

Pope's Visit to Cuba, Mexico Barely Registered in U.S.

". . . Each time my family of expatriates from the United States turned on the local Mexican news, we saw heavy coverage of each move the Pope made in Guanajuato, Guanajuato or Leon, Guanajuato, in Central Mexico," Dr. Jacqueline Zaleski Mackenzie wrote from Mexico last week for LatinaLista. "We saw the weeks of preparation beforehand. Many people left for other locations, because of the estimates of 3 million expected visitors into our narrow colonial town. The excitement was evident all over Central Mexico and all over the local television channels, but little from the USA.

"On Sunday, March 25th there were about 700,000 people gathered in Leon to hear the Pope give his blessing to them all during mass. Viewing the enormous crowd was breathtaking and so was the snub on USA television."

As the trip began, Univision announced that it "will offer Hispanic America the most comprehensive coverage of Pope Benedict XVI's visit to Mexico and Cuba, featuring in-depth reports and updates across all its programs."

But the weekly News Interest Index survey of the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, conducted March 29-April 1 among 1,000 adults, found "The pope's travels were the top story for 1% of the public, and 5% followed his visits to Mexico and Cuba very closely. Just 1% of the newshole was devoted to this story."

Myriam Marquez, Miami Herald: Church’s good works, Cuban cardinal’s bad calls (March 24)
Albor Ruiz, Daily News, New York: Pope will find a Cuba transformed (March 25)

Short Takes

The editorial cartoon above, by Marty Two Bulls of the Indian Country Today Media Network, won a Sigma Delta Chi Award from the Society of Professional Journalists in the editorial cartooning category (newspaper circulation 1-100,000, regional magazine, non-daily publication or online independent). Other winners included Robert Zavala of the Victoria (Texas) Advocate; Sanjay Bhatt of the Seattle Times; Ray Chavez of the Bay Area News Group; Ryan Vasquez of Alabama Public Radio; Michelle Quesada and Tyler Southard, WGXA-TV, Macon, Ga.; Dr. Sanjay Gupta of CNN; and David L. Paredes of KPHO-TV in Phoenix. In addition, Laura Sullivan and Amy Walters of NPR won investigative reporting honors for "Native Foster Care: Lost Children, Shattered Families." List of winners.
Brian Farnham resigned after four years as editor-in-chief of Patch, the hyperlocal websites owned by AOL. ". . . I'm heading off to explore some other startup opportunities. But not before I take a good, long nap," he wrote.
" 'View' co-host Whoopi Goldberg and CNN anchor Don Lemon argued for journalists to say the full n-word on air while reporting stories," HuffPost BlackVoices reported Tuesday. ". . . Lemon said, 'I hate saying "the n-word." I think it takes the value out of what that word really means. Especially when we're reporting it. And I don't care what color the reporter is. I think someone should say, that person called someone 'nigger,' instead of saying 'the n-word,' because I think it sanitizes it."
Roy Hobbs, a weekend television anchor in Birmingham, Ala., when he was busted on drug charges in April 2010, wrote about his recovery from addiction for the Radio-Television Digital News Association. He said he hoped ". . . that as a result of my sharing, people in recovery, especially those in NEWS, will be seen differently, no longer defined as difficult people or addicts but instead as people who have taken responsibility for their past and their disease and who only desire to play a healthy, active, contributing role in society."
Allissa Richardson, an assistant professor of communication studies and coordinator of the journalism program at Morgan State University, was named Journalism Educator of the Year by the National Association of Black Journalists, NABJ announced on Wednesday. ". . . Most recently, the Knight Foundation's Institute for Interactive Journalism awarded her a $25,000 grant to create a cutting-edge mobile journalism (MOJO) lab at the university," NABJ said.
ABC correspondent Pierre Thomas, Journalist of the Year for the National Association of Black Journalists, said having compassion and empathy for the people he covers is important to him, Chelsea Boone wrote Tuesday for American Journalism Review. "Having a reputation of being aggressive but fair, and a person who has integrity, is what I want to be known as."
"ESPN announces Wednesday that Monday Night Football will bring back something it didn't bother with last year: Sideline reporting," Michael Hiestand wrote Tuesday for USA Today. "Lisa Salters, an ESPN/ABC sideline reporter on NBA who also worked college football, now adds MNF."
Enrique Acevedo has joined Univision and will co-anchor the national late evening news program "Noticiero Univision Edición Nocturna" alongside Ilia Calderón starting April 23, Univision announced on Wednesday ".. . . Acevedo has reported on key news stories all over the world, including the earthquake and Tsunami in Japan, the AIDS epidemic in Africa, the humanitarian crisis in Haiti and the drug wars in Mexico. He joins Univision from NBC-Telemundo, where he served as special correspondent and anchor."
Matt Lauer, discussing his professional partnership with Ann Curry on NBC's "Today" show, told the Hollywood Reporter that the relationship "is still a transition. I think the chemistry is good. People have to get used to the fact that it's not what it was eight months ago [or] eight years ago. Every team is different. And people need to give us a chance to be different."
"Shutting down the Village Voice's adult classifieds site could force some current users into poverty or onto the street, says a former sex worker who previously advertised online," Melissa Petro wrote Tuesday for the Daily Beast. She quoted "Maria, a 48-year-old hairdresser and artist who supplements her income selling sexual services to clients that she meets online," about backpage.com.
"In an effort to continue the national conversation sparked with its 'Education Nation' initiative, NBC News is continuing 'Education Nation On-The-Road' for the spring of 2012," NBC has announced. "Making its first stop in Denver beginning April 12th, the NBC News team will spend a week in the city, partnering with its affiliate station, 9NEWS, and its sister networks, MSNBC and Telemundo affiliate KDEN, to create a public dialogue around education issues faced by the region." Participants include NBC correspondents Rehema Ellis and Andrea Mitchell.
"Youkyung Lee, a reporter who has covered technology, business and politics in South Korea and for overseas publications, has been named technology writer in Seoul for The Associated Press," TalkingBizNews reported. "Stephen Wright, the AP’s Asia business editor, made the announcement Wednesday."
"Uganda's State Minister for Regional Cooperation, Asuman Kiyingi, has lashed out at the international media and humanitarian organisations that misreported facts about the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi," Gashegu Muramira reported for New Times in Rwanda. " . . . 'I wish to state that the Genocide plan was known especially to those whose troops were deployed in Rwanda for the futile peacekeeping mission,' the Minister stressed. He added, 'It was known by the international media, the humanitarian NGOs, but for some time, they continued to describe the Genocide as a civil war between polarised ethnic groups.' "
"Nieman Reports is compiling a list of important mistakes in journalism history — a timeline of instances where the press got the story wrong; how the error occurred and what the impact may have been," according to the Nieman Watchdog website. "Can you help? Journalism is said to be the first rough draft of history, and rough it sometimes is. A Union victory at Bull Run, the end of World War I being four days early, and Dewey defeating Truman are some famous examples of media getting the story wrong. Do you remember others?"

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MSNBC Seizes on News of Zimmerman Arrest

Roberto Delgado — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 02:40:04 +0000

April 11, 2012

Sharpton appears with Martin team, then interviews them; student's announcement gets him fired before he starts; NPR ombudsman upbeat on network's diversity; Santorum pullout forces media to reverse course; correspondents' readiness for war zones questioned; 2nd National Review contributor ousted over racism; pope's visit to Cuba, Mexico barely registered in U.S. (4/11/12)

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Sharpton Appears With Martin Team, Then Interviews Them

Student's Announcement Gets Him Fired Before He Starts

His note referencing the Wilmington, Del., newspaper topped this item:

Brooks said, "I didn't do it to showboat. I did it to tell family, friends and ex-co-workers about the next step in my career."

NPR Ombudsman Upbeat on Network's Diversity

He concluded, "The bottom line here is that in terms of the nation's largest racial and ethnic minority groups — blacks, Latinos and Asians—NPR staffing may have arrived."

Santorum Pullout Forces Media to Reverse Course

"What broke instead was news that Santorum's presidential campaign was over. The announcement would come from the same small town where another campaign ended in 1863 — Gettysburg, Pa.

Isaiah Carter, Open Salon: A Send-Off to God's Favorite
Michael H. Cottman, BlackAmericaWeb.com: Romney Avoids Mormonism and Race
Editorial, La Opinión, Los Angeles: A Latino VP? Marco Rubio's Limited Appeal
Ruben Navarrette Jr., Washington Post Writers Group: Rubio revisited [April 1]
Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune: Blah, blah, blah: Romney's women woes. Hint: They like guys who listen.
Leonard Pitts Jr., Miami Herald: About time a GOP politician defended Muslim faith
Eugene Robinson, Washington Post: Handicapping Romney's potential running mates
Mary Sanchez, Kansas City Star: Tool or hero — what role will Marco Rubio play?
Bob Ray Sanders, Star-Telegram, Fort Worth: Gov. Rick Perry's campaign should reimburse Texas
Laura Washington, Chicago Sun-Times: Republicans need woman in VP spot

Correspondents' Readiness for War Zones Questioned

Sebastian Junger, a war correspondent, author and lecturer, is sponsoring a three-day course in New York next week that covers basic procedures for saving someone’s life on the battlefield.

Shadid's cousin Ed Shadid raised a broader issue at memorial services in March.

Ed Shadid made similar comments at a March 3 memorial service in Oklahoma City, Katie Fretland reported then for the Associated Press.

"Susan Chira, an assistant managing editor at the Times, said Saturday the safety of journalists has long been a focus of the newspaper, especially in the past decade," Fretland wrote.

" 'Everyone at The New York Times is thinking about anything we can do to help our journalists do their work safely,' Chira said. 'There is always more to be done.'

" 'We've already invested a lot of time and attention to reporters' safety,' Hoffman said. 'This requires us to double and triple our efforts.' "

2nd National Review Contributor Ousted Over Racism

"For the second time this week, the National Review has severed its ties with a contributor because of racism," Dylan Byers reported Wednesday for Politico.

"Over the weekend, it was John Derbyshire. Today, it's University of Illinois professor emeritus Robert Weissberg.

"Weissberg spoke at the conference about 'viable alternatives' to white nationalism, including the creation of 'Whitopias,' according to the American Renaissance website."

Pope's Visit to Cuba, Mexico Barely Registered in U.S.

Myriam Marquez, Miami Herald: Church’s good works, Cuban cardinal’s bad calls (March 24)
Albor Ruiz, Daily News, New York: Pope will find a Cuba transformed (March 25)

Short Takes

The editorial cartoon above, by Marty Two Bulls of the Indian Country Today Media Network, won a Sigma Delta Chi Award from the Society of Professional Journalists in the editorial cartooning category (newspaper circulation 1-100,000, regional magazine, non-daily publication or online independent). Other winners included Robert Zavala of the Victoria (Texas) Advocate; Sanjay Bhatt of the Seattle Times; Ray Chavez of the Bay Area News Group; Ryan Vasquez of Alabama Public Radio; Michelle Quesada and Tyler Southard, WGXA-TV, Macon, Ga.; Dr. Sanjay Gupta of CNN; and David L. Paredes of KPHO-TV in Phoenix. In addition, Laura Sullivan and Amy Walters of NPR won investigative reporting honors for "Native Foster Care: Lost Children, Shattered Families." List of winners.
Brian Farnham resigned after four years as editor-in-chief of Patch, the hyperlocal websites owned by AOL. ". . . I'm heading off to explore some other startup opportunities. But not before I take a good, long nap," he wrote.
" 'View' co-host Whoopi Goldberg and CNN anchor Don Lemon argued for journalists to say the full n-word on air while reporting stories," HuffPost BlackVoices reported Tuesday. ". . . Lemon said, 'I hate saying "the n-word." I think it takes the value out of what that word really means. Especially when we're reporting it. And I don't care what color the reporter is. I think someone should say, that person called someone 'nigger,' instead of saying 'the n-word,' because I think it sanitizes it."
Roy Hobbs, a weekend television anchor in Birmingham, Ala., when he was busted on drug charges in April 2010, wrote about his recovery from addiction for the Radio-Television Digital News Association. He said he hoped ". . . that as a result of my sharing, people in recovery, especially those in NEWS, will be seen differently, no longer defined as difficult people or addicts but instead as people who have taken responsibility for their past and their disease and who only desire to play a healthy, active, contributing role in society."
Allissa Richardson, an assistant professor of communication studies and coordinator of the journalism program at Morgan State University, was named Journalism Educator of the Year by the National Association of Black Journalists, NABJ announced on Wednesday. ". . . Most recently, the Knight Foundation's Institute for Interactive Journalism awarded her a $25,000 grant to create a cutting-edge mobile journalism (MOJO) lab at the university," NABJ said.
ABC correspondent Pierre Thomas, Journalist of the Year for the National Association of Black Journalists, said having compassion and empathy for the people he covers is important to him, Chelsea Boone wrote Tuesday for American Journalism Review. "Having a reputation of being aggressive but fair, and a person who has integrity, is what I want to be known as."
"ESPN announces Wednesday that Monday Night Football will bring back something it didn't bother with last year: Sideline reporting," Michael Hiestand wrote Tuesday for USA Today. "Lisa Salters, an ESPN/ABC sideline reporter on NBA who also worked college football, now adds MNF."
Enrique Acevedo has joined Univision and will co-anchor the national late evening news program "Noticiero Univision Edición Nocturna" alongside Ilia Calderón starting April 23, Univision announced on Wednesday ".. . . Acevedo has reported on key news stories all over the world, including the earthquake and Tsunami in Japan, the AIDS epidemic in Africa, the humanitarian crisis in Haiti and the drug wars in Mexico. He joins Univision from NBC-Telemundo, where he served as special correspondent and anchor."
Matt Lauer, discussing his professional partnership with Ann Curry on NBC's "Today" show, told the Hollywood Reporter that the relationship "is still a transition. I think the chemistry is good. People have to get used to the fact that it's not what it was eight months ago [or] eight years ago. Every team is different. And people need to give us a chance to be different."
"Shutting down the Village Voice's adult classifieds site could force some current users into poverty or onto the street, says a former sex worker who previously advertised online," Melissa Petro wrote Tuesday for the Daily Beast. She quoted "Maria, a 48-year-old hairdresser and artist who supplements her income selling sexual services to clients that she meets online," about backpage.com.
"In an effort to continue the national conversation sparked with its 'Education Nation' initiative, NBC News is continuing 'Education Nation On-The-Road' for the spring of 2012," NBC has announced. "Making its first stop in Denver beginning April 12th, the NBC News team will spend a week in the city, partnering with its affiliate station, 9NEWS, and its sister networks, MSNBC and Telemundo affiliate KDEN, to create a public dialogue around education issues faced by the region." Participants include NBC correspondents Rehema Ellis and Andrea Mitchell.
"Youkyung Lee, a reporter who has covered technology, business and politics in South Korea and for overseas publications, has been named technology writer in Seoul for The Associated Press," TalkingBizNews reported. "Stephen Wright, the AP’s Asia business editor, made the announcement Wednesday."
"Uganda's State Minister for Regional Cooperation, Asuman Kiyingi, has lashed out at the international media and humanitarian organisations that misreported facts about the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi," Gashegu Muramira reported for New Times in Rwanda. " . . . 'I wish to state that the Genocide plan was known especially to those whose troops were deployed in Rwanda for the futile peacekeeping mission,' the Minister stressed. He added, 'It was known by the international media, the humanitarian NGOs, but for some time, they continued to describe the Genocide as a civil war between polarised ethnic groups.' "
"Nieman Reports is compiling a list of important mistakes in journalism history — a timeline of instances where the press got the story wrong; how the error occurred and what the impact may have been," according to the Nieman Watchdog website. "Can you help? Journalism is said to be the first rough draft of history, and rough it sometimes is. A Union victory at Bull Run, the end of World War I being four days early, and Dewey defeating Truman are some famous examples of media getting the story wrong. Do you remember others?"

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Media Cautious on Tulsa Killings

Roberto Delgado — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 02:40:51 +0000

April 9, 2012

Reluctance to label shootings racially motivated; story confirms fears of welfare-reform opponents; newspaper movie resonates after Trayvon, Tulsa tragedies; Trayvon story No. 1 on Twitter; No. 3 on blogs; reporter on Trayvon: It "very well could have been me"; National Review fires columnist over warnings to whites; AP, Google, ONA name $20,000 scholarship winners; AEJMC honors Annenberg School, NABJ one of its students (4/9/12)

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Reluctance to Label Shootings Racially Motivated

Story Confirms Fears of Welfare-Reform Opponents

Newspaper Movie Resonates After Trayvon, Tulsa Tragedies

Trayvon Story No. 1 on Twitter, No.

Story Confirms Fears of Welfare-Reform Opponents

"Perhaps no law in the past generation has drawn more praise than the drive to 'end welfare as we know it,' which joined the late-'90s economic boom to send caseloads plunging, employment rates rising and officials of both parties hailing the virtues of tough love," Jason DeParle wrote from Phoenix Sunday in the lead story of the New York Times' print edition.

"But the distress of the last four years has added a cautionary postscript: much as overlooked critics of the restrictions once warned, a program that built its reputation when times were good offered little help when jobs disappeared. Despite the worst economy in decades, the cash welfare rolls have barely budged.

"Faced with flat federal financing and rising need, Arizona is one of 16 states that have cut their welfare caseloads further since the start of the recession — in its case, by half. Even as it turned away the needy, Arizona spent most of its federal welfare dollars on other programs, using permissive rules to plug state budget gaps.

"The poor people who were dropped from cash assistance here, mostly single mothers, talk with surprising openness about the desperate, and sometimes illegal, ways they make ends meet. They have sold food stamps, sold blood, skipped meals, shoplifted, doubled up with friends, scavenged trash bins for bottles and cans and returned to relationships with violent partners — all with children in tow."

DeParle's story would seem to vindicate pundits who warned that the Clinton-era welfare reforms would hurt poor people.

NewsBusters, a conservative media watch group affiliated with L. Brent Bozell III's Media Research Center, says one of those pundits was DeParle.

"In 1996 DeParle predicted poor mothers would 'turn to prostitution or the drug trade. Or cling to abusive boyfriends. Or have more abortions. Or abandon their children. Or camp out on the streets and beg.' None of which came to pass, until now (or so his new anecdotes suggest)."

Corey Robin blog: Ending Dependency As We Know It: How Bill Clinton Decreased Freedom
Claudio Sanchez, "All Things Considered," NPR: Now On The Menu For Hungry Kids: Supper At School

Newspaper Movie Resonates After Trayvon, Tulsa Tragedies

A film about newspaper journalists and the killing of a black teenage boy is having its "premiere tour" of the Midwest, South and East punctuated by the Florida killing of Trayvon Martin, a black teenage boy, and the shooting-spree deaths in Tulsa, Okla., of three African Americans, allegedly by white suspects.

The movie, "Deadline," was "inspired" by the real-life killing of Wallace Youmans, 18, in 1970 in the small town of Fairfax, S.C. "No charges were filed, and the case seemed headed for obscurity until 1972" [warning: clicking the link might spoil the movie]; when a white man confessed, yet "state officials unaccountably still failed to take action."Mark Ethridge III, working then at the Charlotte (N.C.) Observer, reported the story, then turned it into "Grievances," a novel. Etheridge and Curt Hahn, a prep-school classmate turned filmmaker, adapted the novel into "Deadline." The location of the killing was changed to Alabama and the newspaper's home to Nashville, Tenn., Hahn's home base.

The time became the present.

Speaking of events in the film, Hahn said, "I didn't want this to be thought of as something that no longer exists." He was speaking at a Washington screening Sunday that benefited the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. "I didn't want people to say, 'Oh, that was back then.' "

In the movie, the journalists solve the crime, working on the story against the wishes of the publisher, who believes readers in Nashville's circulation area would not be interested.

"I hope what happens is that people understand why newspapers and journalists are important," said Ethridge, a third-generation journalist. David Dwyer, who played the obstructionist publisher, said he had worked with several news directors and drew from his experiences with them.

At test screenings, viewers said the film reminded them of "Mississippi Burning," "Ghosts of Mississippi," "A Time to Kill," "The Help," and foremost, "To Kill a Mockingbird."

The filmmakers' marketing strategy calls for news organizations to sponsor a screening in each location, to benefit local charities. In what Etheridge called the film's only negatie review, Steve Persall of the Tampa Bay (Fla.) Times said his paper declined to sponsor a recent Tampa event. However, Shawn McIntosh, public editor of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, wrote that she "so enjoyed" the event in Atlanta, sponsored by her paper and benefiting a student journalism program.

Even with the local sponsorship, however, the Washington booking is for one week only in suburban Oxon Hill, Md., a fate that has been replicated in other metro areas. Theaters are taking a wait-and-see attitude, Hahn said.

The tour began Feb. 15 in Nashville and concludes April 20 in Knoxville, Tenn. On Tuesday, it heads for Philadelphia and Ashland, Ky., followed by Oklahoma City; New York; Boston; Providence, R.I.; Hartford, Conn.; Norfolk, Va.; Richmond, Va.; and Greensboro, N.C. The film officially opens this weekend.

Kirk Baird, Toledo Blade: 'Deadline' premieres in Toledo, a week ahead of national release (March 22)
Jobspage.com: Newspapers in the movies (2009)
Adam Parker, Post and Courier, Charleston, S.C.: New film based on Allendale killing (March 11)
Jill Vejnoska, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Film works 'to make a case for journalism'

Trayvon Story No. 1 on Twitter, No. 3 on Blogs

"The often explosive issue of race became a common thread in social media last week as two very different kinds of stories generated passionate conversations," the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism reported.

"For the second straight week, the February 26 shooting death of African American teenager Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman was a widely discussed topic. From March 26-30, it was the No. 1 topic on Twitter and No. 3 on blogs, according to the New Media Index from the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism. In addition, a video connected to the case was the most-viewed news clip on YouTube last week.

"On Twitter last week, the largest storylines in the discussion were outrage that no arrest has been made in the case and sympathy for Martin and his family."

Meanwhile, NBC News President Steve Capus told Chris Francescani of Reuters that "several people" were disciplined over NBC's decision to air an edited call from Zimmerman to police in the moments before he shot Martin.

"The edit in question, which aired on the network's flagship 'Today' morning show last week, made it appear that Zimmerman told police that Martin was black without being prompted, when, in fact, the full tape reveals that the neighborhood watch captain only did so when responding to a question posed by a dispatcher," the story said.

"Capus confirmed a previous Reuters report that an internal network investigation had determined that a producer made the editing error, and that the network's editorial controls — including senior broadcast producer oversight, script editors and often legal and standards department reviews of sensitive material to be broadcast — simply missed the selective editing of the phone call.

"Two sources at the network told Reuters the Miami-based producer of the segment had been fired on Thursday."

In Florida, the special prosecutor assigned to the shooting investigation now says she will not take the case before a grand jury Tuesday, as had been scheduled, Jeff Weiner and Walter Pacheco reported for the Orlando Sentinel.

"Angela Corey, special prosecutor in the case and state attorney for Duval, Clay and Nassau counties, said Monday that her investigation will continue, but the grand jury will not hear the case."

On the comics pages, "Candorville" creator Darrin Bell concluded a week-long series in which his character Lemont "meets" Martin.

"What struck Darrin Bell first, powerfully and personally, were Trayvon’s eyes ," Michael Cavna wrote for the Washington Post's Comic Riffs column.

"In them he saw something intangible, the 'Candorville' creator tells Comic Riffs, 'that suggested to me that he was essentially a good kid, and that one day he’d grow into a good man.'

"Bell acknowledges that this perhaps was pure projection, but 'isn’t that what we’re supposed to do with kids?' says the L.A.-based cartoonist. 'We’re supposed to find something good in them — even if we have to create it and project it on them — and nurture that. The most tragic part of all this, I thought, was that nobody would ever be able to do that for him; and he would never become the person he could have become.' "

Reporter on Trayvon: It "Very Well Could Have Been Me"

"Trymaine Lee is a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer many people might not have heard of until recently. He’s one of three journalists — all black men — credited with pushing the story of the controversial shooting death of Trayvon Martin into the mainstream, Tracie Powell wrote Monday for the Poynter Institute.

". . . Like Lee, the other two writers credited for bringing the story into the national spotlight are also African American and male: Charles M. Blow of The New York Times and Ta-Nehisi Coates of The Atlantic. Of the three, Lee is the only news reporter, Blow and Coates are columnists.

"Lee's first story about Martin was published March 8, more than a full week after the shooting. [Pieces in the less-visible Clutch magazine and Black Youth Project ran the same day but gained less attention.]

" 'As a young black man this story can't help but settle in a certain place inside of you,' Lee said. 'Here was a 17-year-old kid who, at the least, was stereotyped or racially profiled from the beginning. I think we've all, regardless as to your experience as a young black man in America, have experienced, thought about or seen coverage of this kind of thing happening. This very well could have been me. This could have been my brother. This could have been any of us.

" 'I think sometimes it takes people to care about an issue, a subject, a source in order to bring it to light. As journalists, that's our task. To bring issues and stories to light and to spread it to the masses, spread it to readers,' Lee added. 'I don't know what would have happened if I didn't hear about this story, if Charles Blow or Ta-Nehisi Coates had not heard about this story. But I can't help but believe that our being black men played some role in our motivation to get out there.' "

Lee was hired by the Huffington Post in March 2011 after leaving the New York Times that January.

"I guess, simply put, we parted ways after the Times opted not to promote me from intermediate reporter status," Lee told Journal-isms then.

Deborah Acosta, Miami Herald: What Trayvon Martin’s tweets say about him
Chris Ariens, TVNewser: No Consensus From CNN on Whether George Zimmerman Used a Racial Slur
Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, Huffington Post: A Conversation With Trayvon Martin's Mother
Gary Buiso, New York Post: 'Witness' supports self-defense story
Farai Chideya, theRoot.com: A 'Hu-Manifesto' for a Post-Trayvon World
Karen DeWitt, Baltimore Post-Examiner: Trayvon Martin's case brings back past
Mansfield Frazier, the Daily Beast: After Trayvon, Conservatives Discover Black-On-Black Violence
Brad Knickerbocker, Christian Science Monitor: Race in America: Trayvon Martin, Tulsa killings raise contentious questions
Greg Marx, Columbia Journalism Review: A Belated Hat-Tip to the Herald's Trayvon Tick-Tock
Bill Maxwell, Tampa Bay (Fla.) Times: Race is so familiar, we ignore its harm
Glenn Minnis, blackamericaweb.com: 44 Days and Counting
Tara Pringle Jefferson, Loop21.com: I'm Losing Hope on Justice for Trayvon
Lee Sustar, Socialist Worker: The many other Trayvons
Krissah Thompson and Michael A. Fletcher, Washington Post: Martin killing resonates in Conn. town still trying to heal racial fissures

AP, Google, ONA Name $20,000 Scholarship Winners

"The Associated Press and Google today announced the first recipients of a new national scholarship program targeted at college students whose innovative projects exemplify the new journalist in the digital media age," the groups announced on Friday.

"The Online News Association, the world’s largest membership organization of digital journalists, administers the program.

"The AP-Google Journalism and Technology Scholarship provides $20,000 scholarships for the 2012-13 academic year to six promising undergraduate or graduate students pursuing or planning to pursue degrees at the intersection of journalism, computer science and new media. A key goal is to promote geographic, gender and ethnic diversity, with an emphasis on rural and urban areas."

Among the six are Reginald James, 30, an undergraduate at the University of California, Berkeley, studying political science and African American studies, and Katie Zhu, 20, an undergraduate at Northwestern University studying computer science and journalism.

National Review Fires Columnist Over Warnings to Whites

"The conservative magazine National Review has fired John Derbyshire , a prominent columnist who provoked outrage Friday with a column published in the webzine Taki's Magazine, which warned white people to avoid 'large concentrations of blacks,' among other nuggets of racially tinged advice," Benjamin Hart and Jack Mirkinson wrote for the Huffington Post.

"Derbyshire has a history of controversy when it comes to race — he even proclaimed himself a racist, though a 'tolerant' one, in a 2003 interview — but he had managed to avoid any real firestorms. His latest piece, though, proved to be a step too far. Written in response to articles about the 'talk' black parents were having with their children about the dangers of racism in the wake of the Trayvon Martin shooting, Derbyshire wrote about some of the offensive advice he had allegedly given his own children."

John Derbyshire, Taki's Magazine: The Talk: Nonblack Version

AEJMC Honors Annenberg School, NABJ One of Its Students

Eric Burse, a student at the University of Southern California's (USC) Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism, is the National Association of Black Journalists' 2012 Student Journalist of the Year, NABJ announced on Monday.

"Burse is studying broadcast and digital journalism and political science. He decided to attend the USC in 2009 because he knew in Los Angeles he could receive a well-rounded education in one of the most global markets in the world."

In addition, the Annenberg school announced, "The School of Journalism’s commitment to diversity — in hiring, enrolling, programming and community outreach — has been honored with the national Equity & Diversity Award" from the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.

" 'It is powerful indeed to be recognized for something so important to us at Annenberg and so essential to our craft and to our nation," Geneva Overholser, director of the school, said in a news release.

". . . Of the School's 41 fulltime faculty, 32 percent are now members of underrepresented groups or women. Meanwhile, last fall's incoming class of graduate students was the most diverse ever. And graduate curriculum revisions this year infused classwork more than ever before with assignments that focus on diversity and celebrate difference. . . . In addition, the Annenberg Diversity Initiative, 'Celebrating Difference,' produced several recommendations designed to educate students in how to cover race and class, understand the nuance and data of such stories and avoid stereotypes in coverage."

Short Takes

A wake for Gil Noble, legendary host of "Like It Is" on WABC-TV in New York, is to be held from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday in Harlem's Abyssinian Baptist Church, where funeral services are to begin on Friday at 10 a.m. Noble died on April 5 at age 80, having suffered a stroke last year. David A. Wilson, founder of theGrio.com and a former intern at WABC, wrote Friday that there would be no Grio without Noble's inspiration. "Before my internship with Gil I had aspired to be a journalist, but he motivated me to be a black journalist. He taught me that pursuit of stories related to our struggles and triumphs were no less virtuous or important." Alfred Edmond of Black Enterprise magazine also delivered a tribute.
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, asked Thursday at the University of Kentucky whether he read the New York Times every day, replied, "Oh, God, no!," Jennifer Hewlett reported for the Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader.
Writing Sunday for Fox News Latino, Alexis Garcia called the term "white Hispanic" repetitive. "Forget that it's redundant. Forget that it doesn't make sense. Forget that it violates the New York Times own style guide. It just sounds good," she wrote. The U.S. Census, however, says, "People who identify their origin as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race." Gabriel Escobar might have been on to something when he wrote last month in the Dallas Morning News, "if you're a black Hispanic, you may as well be invisible. Were it not for Major League Baseball, with its huge share of black Latin players, how many people would know that black Hispanics even existed?" Garcia is a political producer and correspondent for PJTV.com.
"The guarantee of landline telephone service at almost any address, a legal right many Americans may not even know they have, is quietly being legislated away in our U.S. state capitals," David Cay Johnston wrote March 28 for Reuters. "AT&T and Verizon, the dominant telephone companies, want to end their 99-year-old universal service obligation known as 'provider of last resort.' They say universal landline service is a costly and unfair anachronism that is no longer justified because of a competitive market for voice services." [Video]
Syndicated columnist Ruben Navarrette Jr., writing about the declining number of journalists of color in newsrooms, recalled his own layoff in 2010. "Nearly two years later, I've never been busier, happier or more productive," he wrote. "Time that I used to spend on meetings and office politics I now dedicate to more writing. I've learned to be more creative and entrepreneurial in shaping and marketing my brand, and I'm doing more work on radio and television. I haven't reinvented myself, but I have redefined my opportunities. Along the way, I've learned the great truth that anyone who is laid off — whether it's in journalism, or any other field — should find comforting: Just because one employer doesn't want you does not mean another isn't ready to snap you up."
Jim Asendio, who resigned in February as news director of the District of Columbia NPR affiliate WAMU-FM over an ethics issue, was asked by Scott Leadingham of the Quill ". . . The vast majority [of] the public radio audience is white, even in a majority-minority city like Washington, D.C. How, if at all, did you try to change that – to reach a broader, more diverse audience?" Asendio replied, "I had a two-pronged approach: To diversify the newsroom and then also by expanding what we covered. It’s always been my approach that whether public or commercial, the audience wants good news. It’s always been thought that public radio does long-form, audio rich pieces and commercial does breaking news. Well, commercial should do long-form, and public radio should do breaking news, traffic and weather."
"Betty Nguyen who’s been with CBS News for the last two years, is leaving the network," Chris Ariens reported Friday for TVNewser." 'Preparing to anchor my last show on CBS News,' Nguyen [tweeted] this morning, just before anchoring the early morning 'CBS Morning News.' "
"Norihiko Shirouzu, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal in Beijing, is leaving the paper," TalkingBizNews reported on Friday. "In an e-mail to colleagues, Shirouzu writes, 'Today is my last day at the WSJ. It’s been a great, 18-year ride, and I’ve got quite a few folks to thanks for: the people who took a big chance and hired me and helped guide me along the way as I moved from Tokyo to Detroit to Beijing. . . .' "
" 'El Salvador is committed to guaranteeing the safety of El Faro and its staff so they can continue their investigative work,' David Rivas, spokesman for President Mauricio Funes Cartagena, told CPJ in a recent phone conversation," Carlos Lauría reported Friday for the Committee to Protect Journalists. "The government's pledge came after groundbreaking reporting by the digital newspaper about secret negotiations in which local gangs, known as Maras, said they would limit murders in exchange for official concessions, like having imprisoned gang members transferred to lower-security prisons."

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Mike Wallace Even Made Black History

princeeditor — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 17:18:50 +0000

April 8, 2012

"Pit bull" brought Malcolm X to national attention (4/8/12); What's driving the outrage over Trayvon? "seasoned" producer fired after NBC's misleading clip; editor leaves Tennessee paper, citing increasing demands; AME in Jackson, Miss., takes Gannett buyout offer; Canada traces diversity problem to lack of role models; Essence wins "best of Web" award for website redesign; story prompts Liberian pledge to end genital mutilation; exiled Cuban journalist commits suicide in Spain; where were the business journalists of color? (4/6/12)

Mike Wallace.jpg

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What's Driving the Outrage Over Trayvon?

April 6, 2012

Critiques of Media Coverage Move to Quantity, Content

"Seasoned" Producer Fired After NBC's Misleading Clip

Editor Leaves Tenn. Paper, Citing Increasing Demands

AME in Jackson, Miss., Takes Gannett Buyout Offer

Canada Traces Diversity Problem to Lack of Role Models

Essence Wins "Best of Web" Award for Website Redesign

Story Prompts Liberian Pledge to End Genital Mutilation

Exiled Cuban Journalist Commits Suicide in Spain

Where Were the Business Journalists of Color?

Short Takes

Critiques of Media Coverage Move to Quantity, Content

"In the wake of the media blackout imposed last week by Angela Corey, the newly appointed special prosecutor investigating February's fatal shooting of black Florida teen Trayvon Martin, the media [have] had no choice but to cover the story surrounding the story," Meghan Daum wrote Thursday in the Los Angeles Times. "This would include the widespread public demonstrations, the evolution of the 'hoodie' as a symbolic rallying point, and the emergence of protest T-shirts adorned with phrases like 'I Am Trayvon' and 'Justice for Trayvon,' both of which Martin's mother is trying to have trademarked."

The debate over media coverage of the Martin killing was first over how long it took the story to gain national attention. Now it's about the quantity and content of that coverage. Earlier, the question was, "Where's the outrage?" Now, it's, "What's driving the outrage?"

The Pew Research Center for the People & the Press reported on Tuesday, "The Trayvon Martin shooting is the public's top story for the second consecutive week. But interest in the teenager's death is deeply divided along partisan, as well as racial, lines. These differences also are apparent in reactions to news coverage of the incident: Far more Republicans (56%) than Democrats (25%) say there has been too much coverage of Martin’s death."

On Tuesday, Columbia Journalism Review spotlighted West Orlando News Online in Orange County, Fla., one of the rare hyperlocal news sites founded by an African American.

For founder Keith Longmore, "the mainstream media’s coverage of the Martin case has verged on irresponsible," Alysia Santo wrote for CJR. "Longmore specifically objects to the insinuation that Martin instigated the shooting." Referring to the shooter, neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman, the story continued, " '[Media coverage has] all been about this poor Zimmerman, being beaten by a 17 year old kid,' says Longmore. From the media's focus on the marijuana found on Martin and his subsequent suspension from school, to the reports that Martin hit Zimmerman first, Longmore feels the coverage skirts the reality of this situation."

In the New York Times on Monday, media writer David Carr criticized " . . . the same reflexive vigilantism that some are attributing to George Zimmerman, the man who shot Trayvon. All over the Internet and on cable TV, posses are forming, positions are hardening and misinformation is flourishing. Instead of debating how we as a culture are going to proceed, an increasingly partisan system of news and social media has factionalized and curdled."

Responding in the Atlantic under the headline, "In Defense of the Media's Coverage of Trayvon Martin," Elspeth Reeve wrote, ". . . Carr is right about the ugly reactions sparked by the Martin case — the Daily Caller seems to be implying that some slangy tweets mean the kid deserved to die, for instance — but look away from the Twitter console and get out of the back alleys of the Internet, and the country does not seem so divided by the case. A CNN poll found 73 percent of Americans want to see Zimmerman arrested last week. Rich Lowry, editor of the conservative National Review, published a story titled, 'Al Sharpton Is Right' on March 23.

"The Internet may make it easier to find the opinions of jerks — people tweeting slurs against Martin, or threats of violence against Zimmerman — but that doesn't mean there are more jerks because of the Web."

Kevin Benz, chairman of the Radio Television Digital News Association, spoke to the issue of craft. "We journalists have not done a good job covering this heated, sensitive set of events," he wrote on the RTDNA site. "We have rushed to paint the story as too simply explained by racism, we have rushed to judgment on whether an arrest should be made, we have given enormous time to the loudest voices and spent precious little time digging for new perspectives or analyzing the laws and community standards in question."

Benz offered some constructive suggestions — six, in fact. Then he added, "Truthful, fair analysis is needed now more than ever. It is time to talk to your newsroom about our journalistic values and principles. It is time to be transparent with our audience, it is time to educate and calm our communities."

Columbia Journalism Review seemed to offer the sober analysis Benz sought. On Monday, CJR put forth a guide "to some of the better reports we've found," adding that ". . . Of all the attempts at gathering information about the killing in one place, Mother Jones has done it particularly well, with an epically long, oft-updated explainer page." CJR also singled out reporting by Frances Robles of the Miami Herald and suggested:

"The time is ripe for a reporter to deliver a current, comprehensive account of the investigation that knits these strands together; makes clear what's known, what's alleged, and what's disputed about [investigators'] actions; spells out what an ideal investigation would have looked like, and even advances the ball by answering some outstanding questions. For example: are there any police photos of Zimmerman that might show his injuries — or lack of injuries — more clearly than the grainy surveillance video we've all been staring at?"

Media Matters for America, responding to a Wall Street Journal piece by black conservative Shelby Steele, identified an additional issue. Have the media explained what exactly people are upset about?

Steele's piece was headlined, "The Exploitation of Trayvon Martin: The absurdity of Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton is that they want to make a movement out of an anomaly. Black teenagers today are afraid of other black teenagers, not whites."

Steele, a senior fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution who famously authored "A Bound Man: Why We Are Excited About Obama and Why He Can’t Win" during the 2008 campaign, wrote, "The civil rights community and the liberal media live by the poetic truth that America is still a reflexively racist society, and that this remains the great barrier to black equality. But this 'truth' has a lot of lie in it."

Is that the "truth" the media have reported? Eric Boehlert responded for Media Matters, "It's telling what Steele did not consider to be a tragedy in the Martin case — the fact that the man who admitted shooting the unarmed teen, George Zimmerman, hasn't been arrested or charged with a crime. Indeed, the lack of an arrest is the central reason why the Martin story erupted into national headlines in recent weeks. And yet Steele, busy bashing Martin's advocates as well as the press, raced right past that salient fact.

"Steele is not alone. Within the conservative media, it's now become commonplace to pontificate about the Martin story (while often condemning civil rights activists as 'race hustlers') without ever mentioning why the story became such a blockbuster; without ever mentioning that the man who shot Martin has not been charged."

"Seasoned" Producer Fired After NBC's Misleading Clip

"An internal NBC News probe has determined a 'seasoned' producer was to blame for a misleading clip of a 911 call that the network broadcast during its coverage of the Trayvon Martin shooting, according to two sources at the network," Christopher Francescani and Peter Lauria reported Thursday for Reuters.

The producer was fired Thursday, Brian Stelter reported Friday for the New York Times. Stelter said his information came from "two people with direct knowledge of the disciplinary action who declined to be identified discussing internal company matters. They also declined to name the fired producer.

". . . The people with direct knowledge of the firing characterized the misleading edit as a mistake, not a purposeful act."

The Reuters story said, "NBC News brass interviewed more than half a dozen staffers during its investigation of the misleadingly edited 911 call placed by George Zimmerman just before he shot the unarmed Florida teenager, said the sources, one of whom is an executive at the network.

"The clip aired on the network's flagship 'Today' morning show last week.

"The edit made it appear that Zimmerman immediately told police that Martin was black, when, in fact, the full tape reveals that the neighborhood watch captain only did so when responding to a question posed by a dispatcher.

". . . Television news veterans in New York said they were baffled over how the error came to be broadcast given the intense vetting such a sensitive story would normally get at a major network such as NBC."

Darrin Bell, "Candorville" comic strip: Trayvon Martin’s Last Walk, part 6
James H. Burnett III, theGrio.com: Trayvon Martin case: Will it deepen the black vs. brown divide?
Claudio E. Cabrera, Loop21.com: NY Times Columnist Charles Blow Releases Racist Voicemail
Eric Deggans blog, Tampa Bay (Fla.) Times: Trayvon Martin update: NBC apologizes while CNN viewers confuse my focus on facts for support of Zimmerman
David Edwards, rawstory.com: Dick Morris: Obama rekindling 'the sense of black victimization'
John W. Fountain, Chicago Sun-Times: Black-on-black victims could fill our stadiums
Annette John-Hall, Philadelphia Inquirer: Case sheds light on mistreatment of black males — still
David Leonard, ebony.com: DEAR WHITE FOLKS: You Don't Know How Easy You Have It
David A. Love, theGrio.com: Whites are mostly missing at Trayvon Martin rallies
Dr. Julianne Malveaux, National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service: We Are All Trayvon Martin
Roland S. Martin, Creators Syndicate: Protests Are Driving the Pursuit of Justice for Trayvon Martin
Mary Mitchell, Chicago Sun-Times: 'Tangled' playwright calls out President Barack Obama
Askia Muhammad, Washington Informer: Hoodies, Hijab and Hatred
David Person, USA Today: Martin case exposes lack of basic respect
Touré, Time: Why I Speak Out About Trayvon Martin

Editor Leaves Tennessee Paper, Citing Increasing Demands

Jimmy Hart, executive editor of the Daily News Journal and DNJ.com in Murfreesboro, Tenn., is becoming director of news and media relations for Middle Tennessee State University, saying he is leaving the newspaper because of the increasing demands of the editor's job.

His departure leaves three fewer African American editors of daily newspapers than when the National Association of Black Journalists released its last census in August.

Hart, 40, replaces Tom Tozer, who retired from the university in January after almost two decades there, the Cannon Courier in Woodbury, Tenn., reported.

"I've been with Gannett 17 years, here for six," Hart told Journal-isms by telephone. "The industry has obviously changed. . . . It's just a different job than when I started. Less staff. It's more time consuming." One advantage of the media relations job is that it will allow him to stay connected to journalism, he said.

The Murfreesboro paper has a circulation of 12,000 daily and 15,500 on Sunday, Hart said. It is within the circulation area of Gannett's Tennessean in Nashville, and supplies content for that publication.

According to Don Hudson, executive editor of the Decatur (Ala.) Daily, who conducts the NABJ census, 16 African Americans were top editors in August. Two have since taken corporate positions.

Martin G. Reynolds, formerly editor of the Oakland Tribune, was named one of three regional engagement editors for the Bay Area News Group.

Mizell Stewart III, editor of the E.W. Scripps Co.’s Evansville (Ind.) Courier & Press, is now vice president of content for the Scripps newspaper group.

AME in Jackson, Miss., Takes Gannett Buyout Offer

Earnest Hart, assistant managing editor/digital at the Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, Miss., is one of eight Jackson employees taking advantage of a Gannett Co. Inc.-wide buyout, the Clarion-Ledger reported this week.

His departure leaves two black journalists in management at the paper. Grace Simmons Fisher is metro editor. The other, Hart said, is Monica Keener, the online editor.

"Jackson used to be one of the most diverse newsrooms in the country," Don Hudson, formerly the Clarion-Ledger's managing editor, now executive editor in Decatur, Ala., told Journal-isms. "Within the past 1½ years, the paper has lost its top editor, managing editor, business editor, and AME/digital, all African American. The business editor, Kevin Richardson, transferred to a sister Gannett Co. paper in Wilmington, Del."

Hart told Journal-isms by email, "I plan to get away from the daily grind for a few weeks to get some much-needed rest and try to revive a few hobbies, such as golf. I'll also probably start a gadgets blog and look into syndicating my weekly technology column. Then I'll start to explore whatever opportunities are in the job market, with emphasis on technology or website management. Or I might try something unique and totally opposite of journalism for an entirely different experience. I'll keep an open mind."

Andrew Beaujon, Poynter Institute: Gannett offers 594 buyouts, begins accepting offers this week

Canada Traces Diversity Problem to Lack of Role Models

The United States is not the only country acknowledging a diversity problem in its news media.

"Lack of diversity in journalism is as common today as when Kim Brunhuber was in diapers. Brunhuber has come a long way since then, but Canadian media is still overwhelmingly white," Iris Estrada wrote for the King's Journalism Review at the University of King's College in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

"Anchor for CBC News Now and host of The National, Kim Brunhuber is a Canadian journalist who belongs to a visible minority. [According to his bio, Brunhuber's writing appeared in a recent anthology of the best black Canadian writing.] 'Journalism is about the truth, and you can't get to the truth without truly reflecting the people you are talking about,' he says.

". . . Is it simply discrimination? Unlikely.

"A 2000 study by Laval University showed that the vast majority of journalists across all media were white — 97 per cent, to be exact. In 2004, the Canadian Task Force for Cultural Diversity on Television discovered that visible minorities add up to 12.3 per cent of anchors and 8.7 per cent of reporters and interviewers in English-language news. That same year, John Miller — former director of newspaper journalism at Ryerson University — found that non-white newspaper reporters made up a mere 3.4 per cent. In 2010, CBC/Radio-Canada reported that minority groups — including Aboriginal people — made up 8 per cent of their reporting staff.

". . . Canada’s Employment Equity Act defines visible minorities as people 'who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour.' Such people make up more than 16 per cent of the Canadian population, and that fraction continues to grow.

". . . The Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission amended the Canadian Broadcasting Act in 1991, committing to reflect the country's racial and cultural diversity through the industry’s employment practices.

". . . The Canadian Race Relations Foundation says the deficiency is due in large part to the lack of training for minorities.

" 'We are constantly striving to have more diversity but our classrooms in Radio and Television Arts are still very white,' says CBC’s Yvonne Colbert, former professor at the Nova Scotia Community College and president of the Broadcast Educators Association of Canada. 'Part of the reason why we don't have people from diverse backgrounds applying to the program is because they don't see themselves on radio and television, and if you don't see yourself there then you're going to think "that's not for me." '

". . . For minority journalists, fighting off allegations of conflict of interest is routine. Brunhuber recalls pitching a protest story that his employers assigned, just not to him. The director thought it was a conflict of interest because the story involved the Black Students Association at Dalhousie University. But Brunhuber wasn’t about to give up his story without a fight.

" 'I guess I'm going to be pretty busy then because I’ll be doing the rest of the stories about white people,' Brunhuber told his superior at the time. 'Obviously it'll be a conflict of interest for white (reporters) to do any story involving white people.' "

Meanwhile, in England, the National Union of Journalists has scheduled its annual NUJ Black members conference for April 14 in London. Among the topics: ". . . in this new, new world — is journalism still predominantly white, male and middle class? And what has changed — are some things still the same as they ever were?"

Melissa Low, Scoop.co.nz, New Zealand: A Long Way To Go For NZ Newsroom Diversity

Essence Wins "Best of Web" Award for Website Redesign

Essence magazine won a "Best of the Web Award" Tuesday from minonline, "the industry's trusted source on the consumer and b2b [business to business] magazine business," for its website redesign.

Essence.com, feeling pressure from other websites targeting black women, unveiled "a bold new design" in June.

"During ESSENCE.com's relaunch process in June 2011, the team reimagined the site as a beauty shop, where African-American women could gather to set their own agendas on the topics of romance, fashion and celebrity," Essence said this week in a news release. "The resulting new design highlights key ESSENCE franchises within a layout that makes each easy to identify at a glance, going from a blogroll format to a sculpted site that offers the user multiple entry points. In addition, the relaunch gave the new site a full-on celebrity treatment — with online appearances from guest editors Kelly Rowland and Iman as well as its first-ever live stream of its red carpet from ESSENCE Magazine's star-studded Black Women in Hollywood event held annually during Oscar week."

In September, Essence announced that Emil Wilbekin, managing editor of essence.com for two years, would transition "to a new, expanded role at the company — working with ESSENCE magazine, as well as Essence’s signature live events such as the Essence Music Festival and Essence Black Women in Music."

Dawnie Walton, managing editor of Life.com, became managing editor of essence.com in December.

Stefanie Botelho, Folio: Best Practices in Web Redesigns (including ebony.com)
List of winners

Story Prompts Liberian Pledge to End Genital Mutilation

"Liberian journalist Mae Azango's courageous reporting on female genital mutilation, which made her the target of threats and ignited international controversy, has forced her government to finally take a public position on the dangerous ritual," Peter Nkanga reported Thursday for the Committee to Protect Journalists.

"For the first time, Liberian officials have declared they want to stop female genital mutilation, a traditional practice passed down for generations. Involving the total or partial removal of the clitoris, the ritual is practiced by the Sande secret women's society. As many as two out of every three Liberian girls in ten out of Liberia's 16 tribes are subjected to the practice, according to news accounts.

" 'Government is saying this needs to stop,' Gender and Development Minister Julia Duncan Cassell announced in an interview last week with Public Radio International's 'The World.' The minister was responding to a controversy sparked by Azango's March 8 article, which was published by the leading independent daily FrontPage Africa. The story, headlined 'Growing Pains: Sande Tradition of Genital Cutting Threatens Liberian Women's Health,' explored the practices of the Sande secret society."

". . . Azango welcomed the government's public statement — with a dose of skepticism. 'Implementation is a problem. It's still going on as I speak to you,' Azango told CPJ today. She said the government has yet to prove that the announcement is no more than a public relations exercise. 'They just did that to respond to pressure; the controversy was too much. They were under pressure to say something,' she added."

New Narratives project, Liberia: NN’s Breakthrough Reporting Prompts Liberian Leaders to Announce an End To Female Circumcision (March 30)
Danielle Shapiro, Daily Beast: Liberian Writer Mae Azango Forced Into Hiding for Story on Female Genital Cutting (March 23)

Exiled Cuban Journalist Commits Suicide in Spain

"On Wednesday morning, exiled Cuban journalist Albert Santiago Du Bouchet Hernández took his own life, according to reports in the Cuban exiled media," María Salazar-Ferro wrote Friday for the Committee to Protect Journalists.

"He was the last of more than 20 Cuban journalists to be released from prison and sent to Spain following July 2010 talks between the government of Cuban President Raúl Castro and the Catholic Church. Du Bouchet Hernández, who reported opposition political news, endured inhumanity at home and, ultimately, suffered hardship in exile.

"Du Bouchet Hernández was the director of the Havana-based independent news agency Havana Press," wrote Salazar-Ferro, coordinator of CPJ's Impunity Campaign and Journalist Assistance Program. "He was jailed twice, in 2005 and 2009, on 'disrespect' charges. According to CPJ research, he drew the ire of Cuban authorities after reporting on an unprecedented gathering of hundreds of Cuban opposition activists in 2005. Like most political prisoners, Du Bouchet Hernández was jailed in inhumane conditions that included rotting food and overflowing wastewater."

Committee to Protect Journalists: Ending dark era, Cuba frees last jailed journalist (April 8, 2011)

Where Were the Business Journalists of Color?

"I recently had the privilege of attending the Society of American Business Editors and Writers conference in Indianapolis, Indiana as a Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism fellow," Christopher Nelson, freelance journalist and graduate student at Georgetown University Law Center, wrote Monday for the National Association of Black Journalists. "It was an enriching experience, a welcome opportunity to have an up close and personal introduction to the world of business and economics reporting.

"Still, one thing struck me while there: the lack of people of color at the conference. Given the importance of reporting on the economy, including jobs numbers, the growth or lack thereof of national and international companies, consumer spending, tax policy, trade policy, and myriad other issues, it was quite startling. So I decided to explore the topic of diversity in business reporting.

". . . Back in late 2008 media columnist Richard Prince used his column to explore whether the state of the economy would make business reporting more attractive for journalists of color.

" . . . who will ensure that communities of color aren't overlooked, that business stories appeal to a wider cross-section of Americans? Will more journalists of color look to business and economics as a specialty?"

Short Takes

"Although blacks in America are less likely than whites to be able to afford laptops and personal computers, those that have them use them, with blacks blogging up to twice as much as whites and Hispanics," Steven E.F. Brown wrote Wednesday for San Francisco Business Times. He cited a study by Jen Schradie, a Ph.D. student in sociology at the University of California, Berkeley.
"JC Hayward has been on the air in Washington, DC for forty years and is now a beloved fixture in local news. Today, the WUSA-TV, Channel 9 newswoman announced on the air that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer and is planning to share her story with viewers," WUSA announced on Friday. Hayward was inducted last year into the National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame.
Al Jazeera is "restructuring" its Washington bureau, cutting technical employees and an undisclosed number of journalists. "We are currently in the process of expanding our Al Jazeera Media Network bureaus across the United States," spokesman Noman Tahir told Journal-isms on Friday. "As a result, we have had to restructure the DC office — which was our largest — in order to improve our US coverage to the world while reallocating our resources. These changes will allow us to accelerate and increase our local coverage from the Los Angeles, Chicago, and Miami markets in addition to our hubs in DC and New York. Around two dozen people in our D.C. bureau will be impacted, largely technical staff. Please note, at the same time, in the last year we've opened bureaus in LA, Chicago and Miami, and are looking to add additional staff to NYC and LA."
In Atlanta, "Mark Hayes, a fixture on Fox 5’s 'Good Day Atlanta' since 2002, is voluntarily leaving the show, according to a Fox 5 spokeswoman. Friday is his final day," Rodney Ho reported Thursday for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
"Josie Tiscareño, who has been with Ahora Utah since its launch four years ago is moving on, Veronica Villafañe reported Thursday for her Media Moves site. "She has been hired as an Editor-at-Large at La Opinión. She starts the new job on April 11. Josie has been the editor of Ahora Utah since 2009."
"Robert Johnson, who made his fortune as founder of Black Entertainment Television, is back in the media business, this time with a focus on developing and distributing content 'to all media platforms, including broadcast and cable, DVD and Blu-Ray, digital downloads, and digital streaming,' as he puts it," Gary Arlen wrote Wednesday for Multichannel News. ". . . The newly created RLJ Entertainment, which intends to go public later this year, on Monday revealed that it has acquired Image Entertainment, a southern California movie and TV distributor, and Acorn Media Group, a suburban Washington, DC, distributor known for its library of British TV programming. The new public company will be based in Los Angeles."
Desiree Rogers, CEO of Johnson Publishing Co., made Folio: magazine's list of "C-level visionaries" on its annual "FOLIO: 40" list of "the magazine industry's most innovative and distinguished professionals."
Thomas Peele, author of "Killing The Messenger: A Story of Radical Faith, Racism's Backlash, and the Assassination of a Journalist," a new book about the Chauncey Bailey Project's investigation into the 2007 killing of journalist Bailey, appeared with Martin Reynolds of the Bay Area News Group in February at Diesel, a bookstore in Oakland, Calif. C-SPAN2 is airing the discussion Saturday at 11 p.m. ET. It is scheduled to air again Sunday at 2 p.m. and April 16 at 5 a.m. The show also can be viewed via www.c-spanvideo.org and www.booktv.org. The discussion includes a brief history of racism in Detroit and Oakland that helped shape the group responsible for the killing.
"This week, the Tucson Citizen, Arizona's leading site for bloggers and citizen journalists, has pulled the plug on one of their most popular and controversial columnists," HuffPost LatinoVoices reported Friday. "David Morales' blog, the Three Sonorans saw over 1.6 million visitors to the site . . . but despite his readership, the threat of a lawsuit by Arizona State Rep. Daniel Patterson became the proverbial last straw for Tucson Citizen editor Mark Evans."
"This week, TIME Magazine published [its] list of nominees for 'The 2012 TIME 100 Poll' of most influential people around the world," HuffPost's LatinoVoices noted Tuesday. "The list includes a diverse number of leaders, artists, innovators and icons. Readers can vote for or against anyone in the list. From 195 people, 100 will be declared as the most influential people in the world. Out of the 195 nominees, seven are Hispanic and two are Brazilian."
"Central Africa’s Democratic Republic of Congo is about the last place one would expect to find a symphony orchestra," according to a news release from CBS News. "Its civil war has raged for generations and monthly incomes there wouldn't be enough buy a cheap used violin. But when a laid-off local pilot's dream of playing classical music met up with a people's desire to transcend their bleak existence, the seed of a musical miracle took root in the capital city of Kinshasa 20 years ago. The result is the Kimbanguist Symphony Orchestra and a 60 MINUTES story with elements of perseverance, music and joy perfectly suited for an Easter Sunday broadcast. Bob Simon reports 'Joy in the Congo' on 60 MINUTES, Sunday, April 8 (7:00-8:00 PM, ET/PT). Watch an excerpt."
Follow Richard Prince on Twitter

Facebook users: "Like" "Richard Prince's Journal-isms" on Facebook.

What's Driving the Outrage Over Trayvon?

joaquin — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 03:53:42 +0000

April 6, 2012

Critiques of media coverage move to quantity, content; "seasoned" producer fired after NBC's misleading clip; editor leaves Tennessee paper, citing increasing demands; AME in Jackson, Miss., takes Gannett buyout offer; Canada traces diversity problem to lack of role models; Essence wins "best of Web" award for website redesign; story prompts Liberian pledge to end genital mutilation; exiled Cuban journalist commits suicide in Spain; where were the business journalists of color? (4/6/12)

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longmore_benz_steele.jpg

Critiques of Media Coverage Move to Quantity, Content

"Seasoned" Producer Fired After NBC's Misleading Clip

Editor Leaves Tenn.

"Seasoned" Producer Fired After NBC's Misleading Clip

". . . The people with direct knowledge of the firing characterized the misleading edit as a mistake, not a purposeful act."

"The clip aired on the network's flagship 'Today' morning show last week.

Darrin Bell, "Candorville" comic strip: Trayvon Martin’s Last Walk, part 6
James H. Burnett III, theGrio.com: Trayvon Martin case: Will it deepen the black vs. brown divide?
Claudio E. Cabrera, Loop21.com: NY Times Columnist Charles Blow Releases Racist Voicemail
Eric Deggans blog, Tampa Bay (Fla.) Times: Trayvon Martin update: NBC apologizes while CNN viewers confuse my focus on facts for support of Zimmerman
David Edwards, rawstory.com: Dick Morris: Obama rekindling 'the sense of black victimization'
John W. Fountain, Chicago Sun-Times: Black-on-black victims could fill our stadiums
Annette John-Hall, Philadelphia Inquirer: Case sheds light on mistreatment of black males — still
David Leonard, ebony.com: DEAR WHITE FOLKS: You Don't Know How Easy You Have It
David A. Love, theGrio.com: Whites are mostly missing at Trayvon Martin rallies
Dr. Julianne Malveaux, National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service: We Are All Trayvon Martin
Roland S. Martin, Creators Syndicate: Protests Are Driving the Pursuit of Justice for Trayvon Martin
Mary Mitchell, Chicago Sun-Times: 'Tangled' playwright calls out President Barack Obama
Askia Muhammad, Washington Informer: Hoodies, Hijab and Hatred
David Person, USA Today: Martin case exposes lack of basic respect
Touré, Time: Why I Speak Out About Trayvon Martin

Editor Leaves Tennessee Paper, Citing Increasing Demands

His departure leaves three fewer African American editors of daily newspapers than when the National Association of Black Journalists released its last census in August.

Hart, 40, replaces Tom Tozer, who retired from the university in January after almost two decades there, the Cannon Courier in Woodbury, Tenn., reported.

According to Don Hudson, executive editor of the Decatur (Ala.) Daily, who conducts the NABJ census, 16 African Americans were top editors in August. Two have since taken corporate positions.

Martin G. Reynolds, formerly editor of the Oakland Tribune, was named one of three regional engagement editors for the Bay Area News Group.

Mizell Stewart III, editor of the E.W. Scripps Co.’s Evansville (Ind.) Courier & Press, is now vice president of content for the Scripps newspaper group.

AME in Jackson, Miss., Takes Gannett Buyout Offer

His departure leaves two black journalists in management at the paper. Grace Simmons Fisher is metro editor. The other, Hart said, is Monica Keener, the online editor.

Andrew Beaujon, Poynter Institute: Gannett offers 594 buyouts, begins accepting offers this week

Canada Traces Diversity Problem to Lack of Role Models

The United States is not the only country acknowledging a diversity problem in its news media.

". . . Is it simply discrimination? Unlikely.

". . . The Canadian Race Relations Foundation says the deficiency is due in large part to the lack of training for minorities.

Melissa Low, Scoop.co.nz, New Zealand: A Long Way To Go For NZ Newsroom Diversity

Essence Wins "Best of Web" Award for Website Redesign

Essence magazine won a "Best of the Web Award" Tuesday from minonline, "the industry's trusted source on the consumer and b2b [business to business] magazine business," for its website redesign.

Essence.com, feeling pressure from other websites targeting black women, unveiled "a bold new design" in June.

Dawnie Walton, managing editor of Life.com, became managing editor of essence.com in December.

Stefanie Botelho, Folio: : Best Practices in Web Redesigns (including ebony.com)
List of winners

Story Prompts Liberian Pledge to End Genital Mutilation

New Narratives project, Liberia: NN’s Breakthrough Reporting Prompts Liberian Leaders to Announce an End To Female Circumcision (March 30)
Danielle Shapiro, Daily Beast: Liberian Writer Mae Azango Forced Into Hiding for Story on Female Genital Cutting (March 23)

Exiled Cuban Journalist Commits Suicide in Spain

Committee to Protect Journalists: Ending dark era, Cuba frees last jailed journalist (April 8, 2011)

Where Were the Business Journalists of Color?

". . . Back in late 2008 media columnist Richard Prince used his column to explore whether the state of the economy would make business reporting more attractive for journalists of color.

Short Takes

"Although blacks in America are less likely than whites to be able to afford laptops and personal computers, those that have them use them, with blacks blogging up to twice as much as whites and Hispanics," Steven E.F. Brown wrote Wednesday for San Francisco Business Times. He cited a study by Jen Schradie, a Ph.D. student in sociology at the University of California, Berkeley.
"JC Hayward has been on the air in Washington, DC for forty years and is now a beloved fixture in local news. Today, the WUSA-TV, Channel 9 newswoman announced on the air that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer and is planning to share her story with viewers," WUSA announced on Friday. Hayward was inducted last year into the National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame.
Al Jazeera is "restructuring" its Washington bureau, cutting technical employees and an undisclosed number of journalists. "We are currently in the process of expanding our Al Jazeera Media Network bureaus across the United States," spokesman Noman Tahir told Journal-isms on Friday. "As a result, we have had to restructure the DC office — which was our largest — in order to improve our US coverage to the world while reallocating our resources. These changes will allow us to accelerate and increase our local coverage from the Los Angeles, Chicago, and Miami markets in addition to our hubs in DC and New York. Around two dozen people in our D.C. bureau will be impacted, largely technical staff. Please note, at the same time, in the last year we've opened bureaus in LA, Chicago and Miami, and are looking to add additional staff to NYC and LA."
In Atlanta, "Mark Hayes, a fixture on Fox 5’s 'Good Day Atlanta' since 2002, is voluntarily leaving the show, according to a Fox 5 spokeswoman. Friday is his final day," Rodney Ho reported Thursday for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
"Josie Tiscareño, who has been with Ahora Utah since its launch four years ago is moving on, Veronica Villafañe reported Thursday for her Media Moves site. "She has been hired as an Editor-at-Large at La Opinión. She starts the new job on April 11. Josie has been the editor of Ahora Utah since 2009."
"Robert Johnson, who made his fortune as founder of Black Entertainment Television, is back in the media business, this time with a focus on developing and distributing content 'to all media platforms, including broadcast and cable, DVD and Blu-Ray, digital downloads, and digital streaming,' as he puts it," Gary Arlen wrote Wednesday for Multichannel News. ". . . The newly created RLJ Entertainment, which intends to go public later this year, on Monday revealed that it has acquired Image Entertainment, a southern California movie and TV distributor, and Acorn Media Group, a suburban Washington, DC, distributor known for its library of British TV programming. The new public company will be based in Los Angeles."
Desiree Rogers, CEO of Johnson Publishing Co., made Folio: magazine's list of "C-level visionaries" on its annual "FOLIO: 40" list of "the magazine industry's most innovative and distinguished professionals."
Thomas Peele, author of "Killing The Messenger: A Story of Radical Faith, Racism's Backlash, and the Assassination of a Journalist," a new book about the Chauncey Bailey Project's investigation into the 2007 killing of journalist Bailey, appeared with Martin Reynolds of the Bay Area News Group in February at the Diesel, a bookstore in Oakland, Calif. C-SPAN2 is airing the discussion Saturday at 11 p.m. ET. It is scheduled to air again Sunday at 2 p.m. and April 16 at 5 a.m. The show also can be viewed via www.c-spanvideo.org and www.booktv.org. The discussion includes a brief history of racism in Detroit and Oakland that helped shape the group responsible for the killing.
"This week, the Tucson Citizen, Arizona's leading site for bloggers and citizen journalists, has pulled the plug on one of their most popular and controversial columnists," HuffPost LatinoVoices reported Friday. "David Morales' blog, the Three Sonorans saw over 1.6 million visitors to the site . . . but despite his readership, the threat of a lawsuit by Arizona State Rep. Daniel Patterson became the proverbial last straw for Tucson Citizen editor Mark Evans."
"This week, TIME Magazine published [its] list of nominees for 'The 2012 TIME 100 Poll' of most influential people around the world," HuffPost's LatinoVoices noted Tuesday. "The list includes a diverse number of leaders, artists, innovators and icons. Readers can vote for or against anyone in the list. From 195 people, 100 will be declared as the most influential people in the world. Out of the 195 nominees, seven are Hispanic and two are Brazilian."
"Central Africa’s Democratic Republic of Congo is about the last place one would expect to find a symphony orchestra," according to a news release from CBS News. "Its civil war has raged for generations and monthly incomes there wouldn't be enough buy a cheap used violin. But when a laid-off local pilot's dream of playing classical music met up with a people's desire to transcend their bleak existence, the seed of a musical miracle took root in the capital city of Kinshasa 20 years ago. The result is the Kimbanguist Symphony Orchestra and a 60 MINUTES story with elements of perseverance, music and joy perfectly suited for an Easter Sunday broadcast. Bob Simon reports 'Joy in the Congo' on 60 MINUTES, Sunday, April 8 (7:00-8:00 PM, ET/PT). Watch an excerpt."
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New York's Legendary Gil Noble Dies at 80

princeeditor — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 19:43:08 +0000

April 5, 2012

Long-running "Like It Is" chronicled black experience (4/5/12); ASNE: "Loss in minority newsroom positions was 5.7%; Obama, Romney favor campaign themes over media issues; NYU prof welcomes Unity's picks for top journalists; media taking on police-like role in Trayvon case; NBC apologizes for edit of Zimmerman's 911 call; 51% of Latinos most often identify themselves by country; magazine editors chief calls gender bias complaints "silly"; NPR series on Native care among Peabody winners; health care arguments hurt image of court, law (4/4/12)

Long-Running "Like It Is" Chronicled Black Experience

Disproportionate Loss of Journalists of Color

April 4, 2012

ASNE: "Loss in Minority Newsroom Positions Was 5.7%"

Obama, Romney Favor Campaign Themes Over Media Issues

NYU Prof Welcomes Unity's Picks for Top Journalists

Media Taking on Police-Like Role in Trayvon Case

NBC Apologizes for Edit of Zimmerman's 911 Call

51% of Latinos Most Often Identify Themselves by Country

Magazine Editors Chief Calls Gender Bias Complaints "Silly"

NPR Series on Native Care Among Peabody Winners

Health Care Arguments Hurt Image of Court, Law

Short Takes

ASNE: "Loss in Minority Newsroom Positions Was 5.7%"

The loss of journalists of color in newspaper and online newsrooms outstripped the decline of journalists overall in 2011, according to the annual diversity census of the American Society of News Editors, released on Wednesday.

"The total newsroom employment at daily newspapers declined by 2.4 percent in 2011, while the loss in minority newsroom positions was 5.7 percent," ASNE said. Ronnie Agnew, who co-chairs ASNE's Diversity Committee, said in announcing the results, "It's not just the numbers that are going down, there's a nuance that's going to be missed . . . with the shortage of people" lost to "this wonderful, wonderful profession."

Agnew pointed to the killing of Trayvon Martin, the unarmed Florida teenager, as an example.

"African American people are having to go to alternative media sources to get the news coverage they are looking for. It's a content issue," said Agnew, executive director of Mississippi Public Broadcasting and former executive editor of the Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, Miss.

Dori J. Maynard, president of the Maynard Institute, who attended the briefing, added the case of Jeremy Lin, the Asian American phenom for the NBA's New York Knicks. The Asian American Journalists Association published guidelines on how to report on Lin after a spate of incidents involving racially charged language at such outlets as ESPN and Fox.

"Clearly, we have work to do," Agnew said at the annual ASNE convention in Washington. "We have to reenergize the CEOs of the various journalism organizations to let them know this is a business imperative."

Although the report showed the decline in the number of journalists at newspapers has stabilized, the proportion of journalists of color has declined as their percentage of the general population has increased.

The 2012 survey counted 40,600 journalists in the newspaper and online workforces, and 5,000 journalists of color, representing 12.3 percent.

In the 2011 survey, there were 41,600 total journalists and 5,300 journalists of color, 12.7 percent.

Among Asian Americans, the count showed 1,166, a decline of 117 over 10 years.

Among black journalists, 1,886, down 993 over 10 years.

Among Hispanics, the count showed 1,650 journalists at dailies, a decline of 443 over 10 years.

Among American Indians, the figure was 132, down 175 over 10 years.

A total of 150 people checked the new "multiracial" category.

"Despite this year's loss in newsroom positions, the decline in jobs that began in 2006-07 appears to be stabilizing," ASNE said in a news release. "The loss this year is not as drastic as the losses between 2007 and 2010.

"The decline in minority newsroom employment also appears to be stabilizing. Following a decline of approximately 800 minority newsroom positions in both 2008 and 2009, the total loss over the last two years was 500 jobs. There were slight decreases in the percentage of employees in each minority category in 2011, although the census was revised this year to add a category of 'multi-racial.' "

This year, the Center for Advanced Social Research (CASR) at the Missouri School of Journalism, a unit of the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute at Missouri, collected and analyzed the data along with ASNE. This is also the first year the census was conducted online, producing a response rate of 71.7 percent. The previous record was 65 percent under the postcard-and-phone call method, according to Richard Karpel, ASNE's executive director.

Since 1978, ASNE has had a goal of matching the percentage of journalists of color in newsrooms to the percentage of people of color in the population. "According to the U.S. Census, the percentage of minorities in the total U.S. population is nearing 50 percent," ASNE noted.

Agnew maintained that journalists and journalism students have a reason for optimism despite the gloomy numbers. "There will be a business model" that works, he said. "I tell the students, 'You won't have the same career that I have.' " It will be different, but "they're going to be fine."

Debra Adams Simmons, editor of the Plain Dealer in Cleveland, who also attended the briefing, said, "I see a lot of optimism and commitment in my newsroom. We have to continue to develop the young journalists of color."

Asian American Journalists Association: Diversity Is Key to Newsrooms’ Economic Survival
National Association of Black Journalists: Black journalists' ranks cut by nearly 1,000 in past decade
National Association of Hispanic Journalists: Decrease of Latino Journalists Continues at U.S. Dailies
Newspaper Association of America: Latest from the NAA blogs (See "ASNE Convention")

President Obama tells journalists that sometimes giving "equivalence" to opposing sides "reinforces I think people's cynicism about Washington generally." (White House video).

Obama, Romney Favor Campaign Themes Over Media Issues

President Obama urged journalists Tuesday to resist the impulse to "suggest that if the two parties are disagreeing, then they're equally at fault and the truth lies somewhere in the middle."

On Wednesday, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, the Republican front runner, told the same audience of editors and publishers, "Frankly, in some of the new media, I find myself missing the presence of editors to exercise quality control. I miss the days of two or more sources for a story — when at least one source was actually named."

Despite those media references, each came before members of the American Society of News Editors, the Associated Press and the Newspaper Association of America, convening in Washington, primarily to lay out philosophical differences with the other party.

Molly Ball, writing Wednesday for the Atlantic, observed, "Neither man made more than glib and passing reference to his audience — executives from an industry both crucial to democracy and mired in a long-running business crisis.

". . . when it came to the changes roiling media, Romney conspicuously punted: 'How your industry will change, I cannot predict,' he said. 'But I do know this: You will continue to find ways to provide the American people with reliable information that is vital to our lives and to our nation. And I am confident that the press will remain free.'

"This sort of fatuous, feel-good optimism will be cold comfort to the thousands of reporters who have been laid off in recent years, or the bosses who have had to make the cuts — presiding over drastic downsizings and in some cases seeing news organizations disappear entirely. But at least Romney bothered to mention the state of the industry. Obama didn't even do that."

In laying out his differences with Republicans over the budget, Obama said, "I guess another way of thinking about this is — and this bears on your reporting. I think that there is oftentimes the impulse to suggest that if the two parties are disagreeing, then they're equally at fault and the truth lies somewhere in the middle, and an equivalence is presented — which reinforces I think people's cynicism about Washington generally.

"This is not one of those situations where there's an equivalence. I've got some of the most liberal Democrats in Congress who were prepared to make significant changes to entitlements that go against their political interests, and who said they were willing to do it.

After Obama's speech Tuesday, at a discussion comparing the reporting that led to the Watergate disclosures of 40 years ago with the reporting climate today, Carl Bernstein challenged audience members to answer "the real question of whether what he said is the truth."

In the Washington Post, the paper where Bernstein broke the Watergate stories with fellow reporter Bob Woodward, Glenn Kessler devoted his "The Fact Checker" column to Obama's speech. On Wednesday, Calvin Woodward of the Associated Press dissected both candidates' remarks.

Wayne Bennett, Field Negro blog: Mitt's church and their potential race problem.
Dana Milbank, Washington Post: Mitt Romney, talking to the press, keeps the press at a distance
Tony Norman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Santorum's tactics seem like big pile of ...
Dan Pfeiffer, White House blog: Three Charts Illustrating Two Different Visions for Our Nation
Eugene Robinson, Washington Post: Mitt Romney can’t shake away impressions he’s made
Walter Shapiro, Columbia Journalism Review: Who Got The Fox News Vote?

NYU Prof Welcomes Unity's Picks for Top Journalists

Disappointed with New York University's list of "The 100 Outstanding Journalists in the U.S. in the Last 100 Years," released Monday, Unity: Journalists of Color, Inc., on Tuesday produced its own seed list of those "whose inclusion in NYU’s list would have better represented the full diversity of our country, our industry and the past century."

Mitchell Stephens, the NYU professor who coordinated the project, told Journal-isms he welcomed Unity's contribution.

"Our list, as I said at our 100th anniversary party last night, was intended to begin rather than end a conversation," Stephens said by email. "Unity's more diverse 'seed list' of impressive journalists is an interesting and important contribution to that conversation. I plan to link to it on our website, and I would hope we can find occasions — perhaps here at NYU — to discuss further with them the issues raised by their list and our list and their reaction to it."

The NYU journalism program celebrated its 100th anniversary on Tuesday.

The NYU list contained some names better known for their literary work, and included no Latinos, Asian Americans or Native Americans. Robert C. Maynard, namesake of the Maynard Institute, did not make NYU's list but was part of Unity's.

Joanna Hernandez, president of Unity, said in a news release, "We do not believe the number of top journalists can be limited to 100, so we have created a seed list. This list is by no means comprehensive, but we hope it will inspire our current and next generation of journalists.

"Here is UNITY’s seed list, from Leroy Aarons to Helen Zia."

Aarons, who died in 2004, was an executive editor of the Oakland Tribune, co-founder of the Maynard Institute and founder of the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association.

Zia is an author, a former executive editor of Ms. magazine and a feminist. The Asian American Journalists Association honored her in 2001 for the impact of her 2001 book, "Asian American Dreams: The Emergence of an American People," which documents Asian American struggles from the 17th century to the 20th century.

Media Taking on Police-Like Role in Trayvon Case

"The news media are taking on an increasingly police-like role in the Trayvon Martin slaying by using modern forensic techniques to analyze evidence, an approach some legal experts say can lead to a distorted view of the case because a lot of the key evidence is still under wraps," Curt Anderson wrote Tuesday for the Associated Press.

"The public has been whipsawed back and forth as new revelations emerge, appearing to support one version or the other.

". . . Legal and forensic experts cautioned that none of the media-led investigations, which are done in many high-profile cases, has been conclusive."

NBC Apologizes for Edit of Zimmerman's 911 Call

"NBC News has apologized for editing the 911 call that Trayvon Martin shooter George Zimmerman made to police on the night of Martin's death, saying it deeply regrets airing the altered version of the tape," Tim Kenneally reported Tuesday for theWrap.com.

"NBC News said that it realized that it was in error following its investigation of the broadcast.

" 'During our investigation it became evident that there was an error made in the production process that we deeply regret,' the network said in a statement provided to TheWrap. 'We will be taking the necessary steps to prevent this from happening in the future and apologize to our viewers.' "

The statement did not say where in the production process the error occurred.

" 'Today' aired the tape on March 27, altering it in such a way that could suggest Zimmerman — a neighborhood watch member in his Florida neighborhood — was racially motivated in the shooting."

Conservative groups, such as Media Research Center, led by Brent Bozell, cited the episode as an example of liberal media bias.

Wayne Bennett, Field Negro blog: Before there was Trayvon.
Kevin Benz, Radio Television Digital News Association: 'Journalists, It's Time to Clean Up the Trayvon Martin Coverage'
David Carr and Ta-Nehisi Coates with Neal Conan on "Talk of the Nation," NPR: The Trayvon Martin Story And The Media
Ta-Nehisi Coates blog, the Atlantic: Altering the Zimmerman Tape
HuffPost BlackVoices: CNN's Don Lemon: Don't Call Me 'Racist' For Covering Trayvon Martin (VIDEO)
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press: Wide Racial, Partisan Gaps in Reactions to Trayvon Martin Coverage Most Republicans See 'Too Much' Coverage
Leonard Pitts Jr., Miami Herald: Don’t rush to judgment in Trayvon case? That’s moral cowardice
Rene Stutzman, Orlando Sentinel: Trayvon Martin facts vs. rumors
Daniel Trotta, HuffPost BlackVoices: Trayvon Martin: Before The World Heard The Cries
Frances Kai-Hwa Wang, chicagoistheworld.org: Lessons I do not want to teach my children – about Dharun Ravi, Trayvon Martin, Shaima Alawadi

51% of Latinos Most Often Identify Themselves by Country

"Nearly four decades after the United States government mandated the use of the terms 'Hispanic' or 'Latino' to categorize Americans who trace their roots to Spanish-speaking countries, a new nationwide survey of Hispanic adults finds that these terms still haven't been fully embraced by Hispanics themselves," Paul Taylor, Mark Hugo Lopez, Jessica Hamar Martínez and Gabriel Velasco reported Wednesday for the Pew Hispanic Center.

"A majority (51%) say they most often identify themselves by their family's country of origin; just 24% say they prefer a pan-ethnic label.

"Moreover, by a ratio of more than two-to-one (69% versus 29%), survey respondents say that the more than 50 million Latinos in the U.S. have many different cultures rather than a common culture. Respondents do, however, express a strong, shared connection to the Spanish language. More than eight-in-ten (82%) Latino adults say they speak Spanish, and nearly all (95%) say it is important for future generations to continue to do so."

Magazine Editors Chief Calls Gender Bias Complaints "Silly"

"Sid Holt, the chief executive of the American Society of Magazine Editors, says criticisms about how few women were named as finalists for this year’s National Magazine Awards are 'kind of silly,' " Andrew Beaujon wrote Thursday for the Poynter Institute.

". . . Lots of magazines and writers didn’t become finalists, Holt says. 'It's not because that work doesn’t deserve recognition, and it's not because there's a secret cabal making the decisions. It's because magazine journalists and journalism educators from around the country, organized into 20 different committees composed of 11 to 15 judges, decided that these five stories were the best stories submitted in, say, Personal Service or Reporting. ASME respects those decisions.' " |

Ann Friedman blog: National Magazine Award Nominees: A Byline Gender Count (With Links!)
Alexander Nazaryan, Daily News, New York: Women can't write, says ASME: No female nominees in major categories of National Magazine Awards

NPR Series on Native Care Among Peabody Winners

"NPR is being honored by the 71st Annual George Foster Peabody Awards for an investigation into inequalities in the South Dakota foster care system for Native Americans, powerful coverage of the Arab Spring, and remembrances of 9/11 collected by StoryCorps and broadcast on Morning Edition, it was announced today," NPR said Wednesday in a news release.

"Receiving Peabody Awards are the NPR News Investigation 'Native Foster Care: Lost Children, Shattered Families,' reported by correspondent Laura Sullivan and producer Amy Walters; and NPR’s foreign desk, namely Jerusalem Correspondent Lourdes Garcia-Navarro, for extraordinary coverage of the Arab Spring in 2011."

". . . The unflinching series 'Native Foster Care,' which aired in three parts on All Things Considered in October 2011, examined how lack of knowledge about Native culture and traditions and federal financial funding all influence the decision to remove so many Native-American children from homes in South Dakota."

TVNewser noted, "Al Jazeera English won a Peabody for its coverage of the Arab Spring uprisings, and the BBC won two awards, one for a documentary examining Somalia and a second for BBC.com."

Other winners included the HBO series "Treme" and the PBS "American Experience" series, which included "Freedom Riders," a documentary based on what the Tampa Bay (Fla.) Times' Eric Deggans described as a landmark book by Ray Arsenault, a University of South Florida St. Petersburg professor.

Health Care Arguments Hurt Image of Court, Law

"While most Americans say last week's Supreme Court hearings on the 2010 health care law did not change their views of the law or of the Court, they did more harm than good to the image of both," the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press reported on Monday.

"In the latest national survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press and The Washington Post, conducted March 29-April 1, 2012 among 1,000 adults, nearly two-thirds (63%) say what they saw and heard about the hearings did not change their opinion of the health care law, while 23% say they now have a less favorable opinion and just 7% a more favorable opinion of it. Similarly, 65% say their view of the Supreme Court remains unchanged after the hearings, but the number who say their view of the Court has grown more negative is three times the number who say it has grown more positive (21% vs. 7%).

"These more critical reactions have a decidedly partisan cast."

Editorial, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: What's in a name? Call it Obamacare and care not what they think
Emil Guillermo blog: Saving Justice Kennedy's blind man and the Affordable Care Act
Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune: Justice Kennedy's Obamacare swing vote
Eugene Robinson, Washington Post: A stronger prescription for what ails health care
Judith Stein, Nieman Watchdog: What’s lost if the Supreme Court kills the health care reform act?

Short Takes

"The anticipated wave of layoffs at Yahoo has arrived, and it's as big as promised," Jeff Bercovici wrote Wednesday for Forbes.com. "The Sunnyvale, Calif.-based internet giant announced plans to eliminate 2,000 jobs, or about 14% of its workforce of 14,000. . . . Kara Swisher has reported that the brunt of the cuts will fall on Yahoo's products division, a unit that includes its media operations."
"A federal judge today sentenced five former New Orleans police officers for their roles in the Danziger Bridge shootings, which occurred during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, killing two civilians and leaving four wounded," A.C. Thompson reported Wednesday for ProPublica. "U.S. District Judge Kurt Engelhardt imposed sentences ranging from six to 65 years in prison on the former cops. . . . ProPublica, with PBS 'Frontline' and the New Orleans Times-Picayune, has been covering alleged police misconduct in New Orleans since 2008, raising questions about the department's use of force in nearly a dozen incidents that transpired in the aftermath of the hurricane."
"NBC News president Steve Capus participated yesterday in the opening ceremony of a new facility for the Bedford Stuyvesant Family Health Center in Brooklyn, NY," Merrill Knox reported Tuesday for TVNewser. "NBC and General Electric contributed more than $500,000 to the new facility. In addition, the news division provided IT support and volunteers to help with the move over the weekend."
"Award-winning broadcast journalist Michelle Valles has been hired by NBC4 as a weekend anchor and general assignment reporter, the station announced Wednesday," Marcus Vanderberg reported for FishbowlLA. "Valles spent 10 years as an evening and morning news anchor and reporter at NBC affiliates in Austin and El Paso."
"Secrets hears that Fox News Channel has hired Jesse Jackson's eldest daughter, Chicago radio host Santita Jackson, as an on-air contributor. The coup is just the latest move by Fox to staff up talkers from the left and build its rep as the nation's 'fair and balanced' cable network," Paul Bedard reported Wednesday for the Washington Examiner. "She will debut Friday at 7:15 a.m. on a Fox & Friends political panel."
Ta-Nehisi Coates, blogger for the Atlantic, won the 2012 Hillman Prize for Opinion and Analysis Journalism, the Hillman Foundation announced on Wednesday.
". . . Two pending cases against police departments for civil rights violations have been settled in favor of the photographers. What's not clear is what impact the settlements will have on the continuing problem of professional photojournalists being arrested for doing their jobs," Deborah Potter reported Monday for NewsLab. The cases are in Las Vegas and Boston.
"Mumia Abu-Jamal, whose conviction in the slaying of a Philadelphia police officer became a major battleground of the 20th century's racial divide, has lost his latest appeal to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court," Michael Muskal reported Tuesday for the Los Angeles Times. "In an order dated March 26, the state high court announced that it was affirming a lower court order in the case; the lower court had rejected Abu-Jamal’s complaint that some aspects, including forensic evidence, were unfairly handled."
"April Rabkin of Fast Company magazine has won the Osborn Elliott Prize for Excellence in Journalism on Asia from the Asia Society for a three-part series of stories illuminating how Chinese society is changing," TalkingBizNews reported Tuesday. "The stories are: 'Follow the Billionaire,' in which she profiles recycling tycoon Chen Guangbiao and his efforts to transform Chinese philanthropy, 'The Social(ist) Networks,' examining the unique role of social networking in China, and 'The People’s Education Army,' about a group of elite Beijing high school students."
"Bloomberg TV will devote two hours to Magic Johnson Thursday night after his bidding group purchased the Los Angeles Dodgers from Frank McCourt last month," Marcus Vanderberg reported Wednesday for FishbowlLA.
"Longtime White House reporter Helen Thomas received a prize in journalism from a representative of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas," the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported on Tuesday. "Thomas, 91, who was forced into retirement two years ago after making controversial remarks about Jews and Israel, was recognized for her journalism career and commitment to the Palestinian cause."
In Los Angeles, "After much uproar by the Black Media Alliance for the lack of minority hosts on KFI AM 640, the talk radio station announced two new weekend programs featuring two minority hosts from sister Clear Channel station KTLK," Marcus Vanderberg reported Tuesday for FishbowlLA. "Producer and radio host Morris O'Kelly will host a new show on Saturdays from 6-8:00 p.m. while David Cruz will be on the airwaves Sunday from 6-8:00 p.m. Both shows will begin this weekend."
"WFAA8 veteran Gloria Campos, who joined the Dallas-based station in 1984 and became its first Hispanic anchor, has agreed to a new contract that will make her a part-timer and include a significant salary cut," Dallas media writer Ed Bark reported Monday on his "Uncle Barky's Bytes" blog.
"It's been redone nearly 400 times over the last 17 years, but one thing has stayed the same about ESPN's 'This is SportsCenter' advertisement: It’s always been in English," Amy Chozick reported Monday for the New York Times. "That will change on Wednesday when ESPN introduces the first Spanish television ad for the network’s signature news program."

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Disproportionate Loss of Journalists of Color

princeeditor — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 12:35:41 +0000

April 4, 2012

ASNE: "Loss in minority newsroom positions was 5.7%; Obama, Romney favor campaign themes over media issues; NYU prof welcomes Unity's picks for top journalists; media taking on police-like role in Trayvon case; NBC apologizes for edit of Zimmerman's 911 call; 51% of Latinos most often identify themselves by country; magazine editors chief calls gender bias complaints "silly"; NPR series on Native care among Peabody winners; health care arguments hurt image of court, law (4/4/12)

ASNE: "Loss in Minority Newsroom Positions Was 5.7%"

Obama, Romney Favor Campaign Themes Over Media Issues

NYU Prof Welcomes Unity's Picks for Top Journalists

Media Taking on Police-Like Role in Trayvon Case

NBC Apologizes for Edit of Zimmerman's 911 Call

51% of Latinos Most Often Identify Themselves by Country

Magazine Editors Chief Calls Gender Bias Complaints "Silly"

President Obama tells journalists that sometimes giving "equivalence" to opposing sides "reinforces I think people's cynicism about Washington generally." (White House video).

Obama, Romney Favor Campaign Themes Over Media Issues

President Obama urged journalists Tuesday to resist the impulse to "suggest that if the two parties are disagreeing, then they're equally at fault and the truth lies somewhere in the middle."

Wayne Bennett, Field Negro blog: Mitt's church and their potential race problem.
Dana Milbank, Washington Post: Mitt Romney, talking to the press, keeps the press at a distance
Tony Norman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Santorum's tactics seem like big pile of ...
Dan Pfeiffer, White House blog: Three Charts Illustrating Two Different Visions for Our Nation
Eugene Robinson, Washington Post: Mitt Romney can’t shake away impressions he’s made
Walter Shapiro, Columbia Journalism Review: Who Got The Fox News Vote?

NYU Prof Welcomes Unity's Picks for Top Journalists

Mitchell Stephens, the NYU professor who coordinated the project, told Journal-isms he welcomed Unity's contribution.

The NYU journalism program celebrated its 100th anniversary on Tuesday.

"Here is UNITY’s seed list, from Leroy Aarons to Helen Zia."

Aarons, who died in 2004, was an executive editor of the Oakland Tribune, co-founder of the Maynard Institute and founder of the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association.

Media Taking on Police-Like Role in Trayvon Case

"The public has been whipsawed back and forth as new revelations emerge, appearing to support one version or the other.

". . . Legal and forensic experts cautioned that none of the media-led investigations, which are done in many high-profile cases, has been conclusive."

NBC Apologizes for Edit of Zimmerman's 911 Call

"NBC News said that it realized that it was in error following its investigation of the broadcast.

The statement did not say where in the production process the error occurred.

" 'Today' aired the tape on March 27, altering it in such a way that could suggest Zimmerman — a neighborhood watch member in his Florida neighborhood — was racially motivated in the shooting."

Conservative groups, such as Media Research Center, led by Brent Bozell, cited the episode as an example of liberal media bias.

Wayne Bennett, Field Negro blog: Before there was Trayvon.
Kevin Benz, Radio Television Digital News Association: 'Journalists, It's Time to Clean Up the Trayvon Martin Coverage'
David Carr and Ta-Nehisi Coates with Neal Conan on "Talk of the Nation," NPR: The Trayvon Martin Story And The Media
Ta-Nehisi Coates blog, the Atlantic: Altering the Zimmerman Tape
HuffPost BlackVoices: CNN's Don Lemon: Don't Call Me 'Racist' For Covering Trayvon Martin (VIDEO)
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press: Wide Racial, Partisan Gaps in Reactions to Trayvon Martin Coverage Most Republicans See 'Too Much' Coverage
Leonard Pitts Jr., Miami Herald: Don’t rush to judgment in Trayvon case? That’s moral cowardice
Rene Stutzman, Orlando Sentinel: Trayvon Martin facts vs. rumors
Daniel Trotta, HuffPost BlackVoices: Trayvon Martin: Before The World Heard The Cries
Frances Kai-Hwa Wang, chicagoistheworld.org: Lessons I do not want to teach my children – about Dharun Ravi, Trayvon Martin, Shaima Alawadi

51% of Latinos Most Often Identify Themselves by Country

"A majority (51%) say they most often identify themselves by their family's country of origin; just 24% say they prefer a pan-ethnic label.

Magazine Editors Chief Calls Gender Bias Complaints "Silly"

Ann Friedman blog: National Magazine Award Nominees: A Byline Gender Count (With Links!)
Alexander Nazaryan, Daily News, New York: Women can't write, says ASME: No female nominees in major categories of National Magazine Awards

NPR Series on Native Care Among Peabody Winners

TVNewser noted, "Al Jazeera English won a Peabody for its coverage of the Arab Spring uprisings, and the BBC won two awards, one for a documentary examining Somalia and a second for BBC.com."

Health Care Arguments Hurt Image of Court, Law

"These more critical reactions have a decidedly partisan cast."

Editorial, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: What's in a name? Call it Obamacare and care not what they think
Emil Guillermo blog: Saving Justice Kennedy's blind man and the Affordable Care Act
Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune: Justice Kennedy's Obamacare swing vote
Eugene Robinson, Washington Post: A stronger prescription for what ails health care
Judith Stein, Nieman Watchdog: What’s lost if the Supreme Court kills the health care reform act?

Short Takes

"The anticipated wave of layoffs at Yahoo has arrived, and it's as big as promised," Jeff Bercovici wrote Wednesday for Forbes.com. "The Sunnyvale, Calif.-based internet giant announced plans to eliminate 2,000 jobs, or about 14% of its workforce of 14,000. . . . Kara Swisher has reported that the brunt of the cuts will fall on Yahoo's products division, a unit that includes its media operations."
"A federal judge today sentenced five former New Orleans police officers for their roles in the Danziger Bridge shootings, which occurred during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, killing two civilians and leaving four wounded," A.C. Thompson reported Wednesday for ProPublica. "U.S. District Judge Kurt Engelhardt imposed sentences ranging from six to 65 years in prison on the former cops. . . . ProPublica, with PBS 'Frontline' and the New Orleans Times-Picayune, has been covering alleged police misconduct in New Orleans since 2008, raising questions about the department's use of force in nearly a dozen incidents that transpired in the aftermath of the hurricane."
"NBC News president Steve Capus participated yesterday in the opening ceremony of a new facility for the Bedford Stuyvesant Family Health Center in Brooklyn, NY," Merrill Knox reported Tuesday for TVNewser. "NBC and General Electric contributed more than $500,000 to the new facility. In addition, the news division provided IT support and volunteers to help with the move over the weekend."
"Award-winning broadcast journalist Michelle Valles has been hired by NBC4 as a weekend anchor and general assignment reporter, the station announced Wednesday," Marcus Vanderberg reported for FishbowlLA. "Valles spent 10 years as an evening and morning news anchor and reporter at NBC affiliates in Austin and El Paso."
"Secrets hears that Fox News Channel has hired Jesse Jackson's eldest daughter, Chicago radio host Santita Jackson, as an on-air contributor. The coup is just the latest move by Fox to staff up talkers from the left and build its rep as the nation's 'fair and balanced' cable network," Paul Bedard reported Wednesday for the Washington Examiner. "She will debut Friday at 7:15 a.m. on a Fox & Friends political panel."
Ta-Nehisi Coates, blogger for the Atlantic, won the 2012 Hillman Prize for Opinion and Analysis Journalism, the Hillman Foundation announced on Wednesday.
". . . Two pending cases against police departments for civil rights violations have been settled in favor of the photographers. What's not clear is what impact the settlements will have on the continuing problem of professional photojournalists being arrested for doing their jobs," Deborah Potter reported Monday for NewsLab. The cases are in Las Vegas and Boston.
"Mumia Abu-Jamal, whose conviction in the slaying of a Philadelphia police officer became a major battleground of the 20th century's racial divide, has lost his latest appeal to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court," Michael Muskal reported Tuesday for the Los Angeles Times. "In an order dated March 26, the state high court announced that it was affirming a lower court order in the case; the lower court had rejected Abu-Jamal’s complaint that some aspects, including forensic evidence, were unfairly handled."
"April Rabkin of Fast Company magazine has won the Osborn Elliott Prize for Excellence in Journalism on Asia from the Asia Society for a three-part series of stories illuminating how Chinese society is changing," TalkingBizNews reported Tuesday. "The stories are: 'Follow the Billionaire,' in which she profiles recycling tycoon Chen Guangbiao and his efforts to transform Chinese philanthropy, 'The Social(ist) Networks,' examining the unique role of social networking in China, and 'The People’s Education Army,' about a group of elite Beijing high school students."
"Bloomberg TV will devote two hours to Magic Johnson Thursday night after his bidding group purchased the Los Angeles Dodgers from Frank McCourt last month," Marcus Vanderberg reported Wednesday for FishbowlLA.
"Longtime White House reporter Helen Thomas received a prize in journalism from a representative of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas," the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported on Tuesday. "Thomas, 91, who was forced into retirement two years ago after making controversial remarks about Jews and Israel, was recognized for her journalism career and commitment to the Palestinian cause."
In Los Angeles, "After much uproar by the Black Media Alliance for the lack of minority hosts on KFI AM 640, the talk radio station announced two new weekend programs featuring two minority hosts from sister Clear Channel station KTLK," Marcus Vanderberg reported Tuesday for FishbowlLA. "Producer and radio host Morris O'Kelly will host a new show on Saturdays from 6-8:00 p.m. while David Cruz will be on the airwaves Sunday from 6-8:00 p.m. Both shows will begin this weekend."
"WFAA8 veteran Gloria Campos, who joined the Dallas-based station in 1984 and became its first Hispanic anchor, has agreed to a new contract that will make her a part-timer and include a significant salary cut," Dallas media writer Ed Bark reported Monday on his "Uncle Barky's Bytes" blog.
"It's been redone nearly 400 times over the last 17 years, but one thing has stayed the same about ESPN's 'This is SportsCenter' advertisement: It’s always been in English," Amy Chozick reported Monday for the New York Times. "That will change on Wednesday when ESPN introduces the first Spanish television ad for the network’s signature news program."

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Tablet Computers Called Newspapers' Future

Roberto Delgado — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 01:13:26 +0000

April 2, 2012

Will devices attract blacks, Hispanics as smartphones do?; few of color make careers as war correspondents; story about transgender teen leads to diversity award; Geraldo, Touré apologize over Trayvon Martin remarks; George Curry returns to head black press news service; Moore, Long Weaver, Wickham to donate their papers; Ernie Reese, beloved Atlanta sportswriter, dies at 70; 8 blacks on NYU list of "100 Outstanding Journalists" (4/2/12)

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Will Devices Attract Blacks, Hispanics as Smartphones Do?

Few of Color Make Careers as War Correspondents

Story About Transgender Teen Leads to Diversity Award

Geraldo, Touré Apologize Over Trayvon Martin Remarks

George Curry Returns to Head Black Press News Service

Moore, Long Weaver, Wickham to Donate Their Papers

Ernie Reese, Beloved Atlanta Sportswriter, Dies at 70

Few of Color Make Careers as War Correspondents

Stanley Greene is an African American war photographer who in the 1990s covered the war between Russia and the breakaway republic of Chechnya. His work was considered "tremendous" by New York Times war correspondent C.J. Chivers. But Greene was not there.

Neither was Gustavo Chacra, New York-based foreign correspondent for Estado de São Paulo, one of Brazil's major newspapers. He's likely the reporter whom Rodrigo Abd of the Associated Press recalled meeting in Afghanistan and Iraq.

They were the only journalists of color who came to mind when Journal-isms asked three war correspondents at the American Society of News Editors convention Monday if any were among their ranks.

"So many of the people have stopped sending" correspondents, said Tyler Hicks, a New York Times photographer. "It's a small group now." Hicks was with Anthony Shadid, the Pulitzer-winning reporter who specialized in the Middle East, when he died in Syria in February. Hicks carried his friend's body across the border to Turkey.

"Probably I am one of the few journalists of color," said the Argentine-born Abd. Sending a correspondent to a war zone is expensive, "and the media rely on the wires," he said. His photo at the funeral of a grief-stricken Syrian boy crouched on the ground with his knees near his chest, tears flowing down his cheeks, struck such a chord that it appeared March 9 on the front pages of the New York Times, the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal.

Abd thought some more. Occasionally, he said, he would see a reporter from Mexico but no one of color from the United States.

Perhaps that might be expected in this era of cutbacks. Moreover, being a war correspondent can be dangerous work for those of any color. It's work for which not all reporters are adequately prepared, even by their news organizations, Chivers said.

For example, "first aid training is essential," he told the group. "You'd be astonished at the number of people who don't have any training. They need to be able to stop the bleeding, treat for shock and do basic triage." He recalled a friend dying with journalists at his side, "providing comfort but not first aid."

It takes a psychological toll, Hicks added. "It's been the worst year of my life," he recalled. He, Shadid and others were captured last year in Libya. This year, his friend died. Hicks' account of Shadid's last day ran on the Times' front page.

If there was one point the journalists wanted to make to the group of editors, it was to think about families of the correspondents. "What my wife goes through and my kids go through when I'm away. . . . it's just like what the soldiers go through," Chivers said.

Hicks said, "Let the photographers and reporters know not to put on the pressure that you've got to have that photo or that story, because the stakes are too high." Correspondents who work in teams, as Chivers had with Hicks, are always calculating risk. "If something happens to you, what do I tell your mom, what do I tell Bill?" Chivers said, referring to former Times Executive Editor Bill Keller. "You can't file if you're dead."

Hicks put the lie to the image of the hard-drinking foreign correspondent. "You have to be healthy," he said. "I'm 42." The troops he travels with are between 18 and 25. Adding to the age difference, "it can be a really difficult experience with all the weight you're carrying. We run, we go to the gym," he said. Added Chivers, "The first patrol I lag on, that will be the day I stop. You have to have the life habits so that you can see this through."

Chivers, who is white, pondered race from another angle. At Columbia Graduate School of Journalism, he wrote a thesis on race and the upper echelons of the Marine Corps. In the Marines, he recalled, "three of my commanders were black," he said, and Chivers wanted to explore how often that occurred. Not very, it turned out.

One shouldn't be surprised that there aren't very many of color among the war correspondents, he said.

"Just like there's generally not [very many] in the newsroom."

C.J. Chivers, Rodrigo Abd, Tyler Hicks with Susan Bennett: War and Conflict Reporting (C-SPAN video)

Story About Transgender Teen Leads to Diversity Award

A story about a 16-year-old who felt she was a girl trapped in a boy's body won Cary Aspinwall of the Tulsa (Okla.) World the Freedom Forum/ASNE Award for Distinguished Writing on Diversity Monday at the American Society of News Editors convention in Washington.

Aspinwall's portrait of Katie Hill "showed what it was like to live as a transgender teen in a small Oklahoma town," ASNE said.

"It cost us some subscribers," Aspinwall said in accepting the award. But others said, "I never really understood that, but now I kind of get it," or "thanks for letting me know I'm not alone," Aspinwall told the group.

Among the other awards, Danny Hakim of the New York Times won after "his investigation into the more than 2,000 state-run homes" for the developmentally disabled "in New York revealed widespread problems, including 13,000 allegations of abuse in a single year, with fewer than five percent being referred to law enforcement."

"The best editors to me are the ones that let ideas come from the bottom up," Hakim told the audience.

The staff of the Joplin (Mo.) Globe won the distinguished writing award for deadline news reporting for its coverage of the deadliest U.S. tornado in more than 60 years. "Despite the situation — nine of the newsroom’s 30 employees lost their homes in the tornado; one staffer was killed — this staff quickly turned to social media to get the word out to victims, their families and the nation," ASNE said.

Editor Carol Stark told Journal-isms her newsroom includes one journalist of color, Dave Woods, a Native American who participated in the coverage.

Howard Troxler of the Tampa Bay (Fla.) Times won in the commentary or column-writing category. In accepting on Troxler's behalf, Managing Editor Mike Wilson said Troxler, at 59, had "quit the business and retreated to North Carolina." The award, Wilson said, was a reaffirmation that "not just anybody with a blog or a tablet can call themselves a columnist."

Separately, Investigative Reporters and Editors announced Monday that "On Shaky Ground," a project of California Watch and KQED San Francisco. was one of two winners of its highest honor, the IRE medal.

As reported in this space last month in an item on Corey G. Johnson, California Watch also won Scripps Howard's Roy W. Howard Award for Public Service for the 19-month series detailing a breakdown in the way the state protects children and teachers from the threat of a major earthquake.

List of ASNE winners

(Video)

Geraldo, Touré Apologize Over Trayvon Martin Remarks

"Last week Geraldo Rivera issued an apology for claiming 'the hoodie is as much responsible for Trayvon Martin's death as George Zimmerman is,' " Merrill Knox reported Monday for TVNewser. "In an interview last night with Martin’s parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, the Fox News anchor personally apologized to the pair.

" 'I never intended to hurt anyone's feelings, and certainly, Sybrina and Tracy, I never intended to hurt your feelings,' Rivera said. 'I want to personally convey my deepest apologies to both of you. I am sorry if anything I said, Tracy, added to your misery.' "

Trayvon's father, Tracy Martin, accepted the apology and added that it was raining the night his son was killed. The "hoodie" was protecting him from the rain, he said.

Meanwhile, "MSNBC contributor and author Touré apologized late Saturday for losing sight of the big picture in a fiery interview with CNN's Piers Morgan about the country's inflamed racial tensions in the wake of the Trayvon Martin shooting," Dylan Stableford reported Sunday for Yahoo News.

" 'I should not have gotten caught up in "winning" the debate with Piers,' Touré wrote on Twitter. 'I got caught up with "winning" on some masculine bravado bs when my whole point has always been justice for this boy. I lost sight of that.' "

His apology should not be conflated with Rivera's, Touré told Journal-isms. "He said something racist that he's disavowing. I'm repudiating ego."

Jenice Armstrong, Philadelphia Daily News: Trayvon was no angel, but does that merit a death sentence?
Charles M. Blow, New York Times: A Mother’s Grace and Grieving
Audra D.S. Burch, Miami Herald: Trayvon case has become pop culture phenomenon
David Carr, New York Times: A Shooting, and Instant Polarization
Ta-Nehisi Coates blog, the Atlantic: On the Age and Innocence of Trayvon Martin
Corey Dade, NPR: Will A Movement Emerge From Florida Teen's Death?
Eric Deggans blog, Tampa Bay (Fla.) Times: Trayvon Martin case highlights need to talk about race issues before someone gets killed
John W. Fountain, Chicago Sun-Times: I am angry, at so many, over Trayvon’s death
Denis Hamill, Daily News, New York: Trayvon Martin lifts the veil on hoods
Allen Johnson, News & Record, Greensboro, N.C.: Let's chill for a day or two on Trayvon, please
Allen Johnson, News & Record, Greensboro, N.C.: Journalistic lapses in Trayvon case
Chip Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle: Oakland has more than its share of Trayvon Martins
Eugene Kane, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Senseless violence hurts no matter who is the victim
Erin Aubry Kaplan, Los Angeles Times: Race: It's gotten personal for Obama
Trymaine Lee with Brooke Gladstone on "On the Media," NPR: Trayvon Martin, Week Two (audio)
Douglas C. Lyons, South Florida SunSentinel: Shooting sheds light on Stand Your Ground controversy
Roland S. Martin, Creators Syndicate: Protests Are Driving the Pursuit of Justice for Trayvon Martin
Lenny McAllister, Politic365.com: Could You Really Be #Trayvon?
Mary Mitchell, Chicago Sun-Times: What if Trayvon’s killer doesn’t face any charges?
Mary Mitchell, Chicago Sun-Times: What Trayvon was wearing is overshadowing the real issue
Tony Norman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Trayvon's death claims legitimate attention
Darryl E. Owens, Orlando Sentinel: 'Ragtime' performance at UCF offers a glimpse into Trayvon Martin case
Darryl E. Owens, Orlando Sentinel: Trayvon Martin: Revisiting 'The Talk' that black parents give to keep their children safe
Pew Research Center: Blacks’ View of Law Enforcement, Racial Progress and News Coverage of Race
Leonard Pitts Jr., Miami Herald: In Trayvon Martin case, it’s not about the hoodie
Rochelle Riley, Detroit Free Press: America needs answers in killings of Trayvon Martin and Shaima Alawadi
Mary Sanchez, Kansas City Star: On race, we pick our own truths
Bob Ray Sanders, Fort Worth Star-Telegram: Wheels of justice moving in Trayvon Martin's case
Barry Saunders, News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C.: Race is the real issue in Trayvon Martin case
Soni Sangha, Fox News Latino: Trayvon Martin: Latino Silence over Zimmerman Draws Fire
Alysia Santo, Columbia Journalism Review: The Trayvon Martin Case: How Has the Sentinel Handled It?
David Squires, Daily Press, Newport News, Va.: Trayvon can spark talk, action
Wendi C. Thomas, Commercial Appeal, Memphis: For black boys, the lesson is hard one
Wendi C. Thomas, Commercial Appeal, Memphis: Pray for justice
Touré, Time: Why Obama Will Never Call Out Racism
Adrian Walker, Boston Globe: Stopped for being black
Dr. Boyce Watkins, syndicated: How to Not Make Your Son Another George Zimmerman
Rod Watson, Buffalo News: Post-racial America still about 'they'
Erik Wemple, Washington Post: NBC to do ‘internal investigation’ on Zimmerman segment
DeWayne Wickham, USA Today: Watchman, police need to answer for their actions

George Curry Returns to Head Black Press News Service

George E. Curry, editor-in-chief of the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service from 2001 to 2007, returned to the job on Monday, Curry told Journal-isms.

The service distributes articles to black community newspapers and posts them on its website, but some stories on BlackPressUSA.com had remained there for more than a year.

Curry is also part of a group that in January purchased Heart & Soul, a health-and-wellness magazine that has broadened its focus from African Americans to include other people of color.

In that venture, "I will continue serving as editorial director," Curry said in an email. "I will be able to serve in both capacities because we have hired Sandra Guzman as editor-in-chief of Heart & Soul and she will serve as the face and voice of the magazine. When we brought Sandra aboard I told her although she will be reporting to me, she will have full authority to execute her vision. I will continue to exchange ideas with Sandra, be a sounding board for her and recommend writers for certain stories but, in the end, Sandra is editor of Heart & Soul and will have all the powers normally enjoyed by an editor-in-chief."

Curry said he had voluntarily resigned in 2007 when the NNPA Foundation was experiencing financial problems.

"Karl Rodney, chairman of the NNPA Foundation (which operates the news service) asked if I would be willing to take over the news service again," Curry said. "I submitted a proposal to the Foundation and it was accepted. Association President Cloves Campbell also asked if I would be willing to return to NNPA and I said yes.

"Why did I agree? The news service has been dormant for nearly two years and this is a critical period for the Black Press. Black newspapers can't operate effectively without an active and thriving Washington presence. I fell in love with the Black Press as a teenager in Tuscaloosa, Ala. when my stepfather subscribed to the Pittsburgh Courier. I felt an obligation to return to NNPA because I know the history, I know the papers and, more importantly, I know how to quickly revive the news service. I was awarded the NABJ Journalist of the Year in 2003 for my work overhauling the news service.

"I will hire two reporters, probably within the next week. In addition, Kyle Yeldell will remain on board on focus on making technical improvements to BlackPressUSA.com, NNPA’s public Web site." Reporter candidates may contact Curry at george (at) georgecurry.com

Moore, Long Weaver, Wickham to Donate Their Papers

Three veteran black journalists — Acel Moore, Sandra Long Weaver and DeWayne Wickham — are donating their personal papers to local institutions in the cities where they worked for much of their careers.

Moore, a retired associate editor and editorial columnist at the Philadelphia Inquirer, and Long Weaver, who was laid off in June after working at the Inquirer since 1984, are donating their papers to the Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection at Temple University. Long was vice president for editorial product development for Philadelphia Media Network, owner of the Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News.

Wickham, a columnist for USA Today and interim chair of the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication at North Carolina A&T State University, is donating his material to the Enoch Pratt Free Library in his Baltimore hometown.

"We're just delighted. I can't wait until it arrives," Diane D. Turner, curator of the Blockson collection, told Journal-isms, speaking of the Moore and Long Weaver donations. The Blockson collection highlights the contributions of African Americans in Philadelphia.

Moore, 71, was the first black reporter at the Inquirer. He said his collection includes a copy of the Declaration of Independence as pulished in the Inquirer in 1926 on the document's 150th anniversary. It also includes his old Rolodex, 20 years of yearly calendars and art work from a reporting trip to South Africa

Long Weaver said the idea for her donation came last year when she spotted a box in the corner of her garage that turned out to include files and papers from her five years at the old Philadelphia Bulletin. "I knew I didn't want to move it to Tennessee," where she was moving with her new husband, she said. Long Weaver had a 37-year career in the Philadelphia area, including her first newspaper job at the News Journal in Wilmington, Del.

Included in her material are programs from conventions of the National Association of Black Journalists, of which she and Moore are founders; her college transcript; her high school newspaper and material from Project BAIT, a Philadelphia black journalists group whose acronym stood for Black Awareness in Television and Radio.

"As African Americans, if there's somebody who has a collection of something that relates to Philadelphia, let's boost that collection," she said.

Wickham told Journal-isms in an email, "the Enoch Pratt Free Library is going to create a collection of my work that will be housed in its African American Collection. The official announcement will be made in the fall. It will include my personal papers, the columns I've written over the past 27 years, videos, records, hundreds of hour of audio tape of interviews, many with historic subjects like George Wallace, Chris Hani, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, etc."

Mike Armstrong, Philadelphia Inquirer: Local investors buy Inquirer, Daily News, website [April 3]

Ernie Reese, Beloved Atlanta Sportswriter, Dies at 70

Thirty-eight years ago, Ernie Reese became one of the first African-Americans to cover sports for a major Southern newspaper," J.E. Geshwiler wrote Saturday for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

"Guy Curtright, a retired Atlanta Constitution sports reporter and editor, remembers vividly that night in 1974 when Mr. Reese made his initial appearance at the office.

" 'Ernie got off the elevator and approached the sports desk,' Mr. Curtright said. 'He was a total stranger. The senior editors had given us no inkling of his coming to work for us.'

"It was a highly awkward moment for Mr. Reese, Mr. Curtright said.

" 'Just the same, Ernie made the best of it, and within a few weeks, he was a beloved member of our department. Trained as an athlete and coach, he transformed himself into a memorable sports journalist,' Mr. Curtright said.

". . . Earnest L. Reese Jr., 70, died Thursday at his McDonough home of complications from prostate cancer. His funeral will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Shiloh Baptist Church, McDonough. W.D. Lemon & Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements."

8 Blacks on NYU List of "100 Outstanding Journalists"

Eight black people — but apparently no Latinos, Asian Americans or Native Americans — made New York University's list of "the 100 Outstanding Journalists in the United States in the Last 100 Years," released on Monday. The list includes several better known for their literary efforts than their journalism, and omits others, such as Robert C. Maynard, the first African American publisher of a mainstream newspaper and namesake of the institute that publishes this column.

The African Americans chosen are James Baldwin, Ed Bradley, W.E.B. DuBois, Bob Herbert, Langston Hughes, Gordon Parks, Carl Rowan and Ida B. Wells.

A blurb at the top of the list explains, "In March 2012 the faculty at the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute at New York University, together with an Honorary Committee of alumni, selected 'the 100 Outstanding Journalists in the United States in the Last 100 Years.' The list was selected from more than 300 nominees plus write-ins and was announced at a reception in honor of the 100th anniversary of journalism education at NYU on April 3, 2012."

Andrew Beaujon wrote Monday for the Poynter Institute, "One thing the list's authors better prepare for is a barrage of questions about why so much of its real estate belongs to white men. I counted 21 women and 8 African-Americans on the list (I counted three times, but let me know if I muffed that)." He quoted NYU journalism professor Mitchell Stephens.

"Considering how long blacks were discriminated against, says Stephens, 'I don’t think we did that terrible a job on that.' Women had to scale high cliffs to get into newsrooms over the last 100 years too, he says. And if the paucity of either 'inspires a discussion,' he says, so much the better."

While journalists of color were discriminated against in the mainstream media, many did appear in the black, Hispanic, Asian American or Native American media, as Du Bois, Hughes and Wells illustrate.

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Trayvon, Shooter Photos in P.R. Battle

Roberto Delgado — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 03:13:22 +0000

March 30, 2012

Images most commonly used aren't the most recent; focus of Trayvon story changed with the platform; AP decides not to mention Zimmerman's skin color; NBC's black journalists offer personal testimony; no correction for statement that Trayvon dialed 911; sportswriter's layoff reversed at Philadelphia Inquirer; ex-editor says HuffPost's Black Voices aren't always; News Corp. planning to compete With ESPN; local TV stations scaling back sports coverage; health care law means insurance for 7 million blacks (3/30/12)

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Images Most Commonly Used Aren't the Most Recent

Focus of Trayvon Story Changed With the Platform

AP Decides Not to Mention Zimmerman's Skin Color

NBC's Black Journalists Offer Personal Testimony

No Correction for Statement That Trayvon Dialed 911

Sportswriter's Layoff Reversed at Philadelphia Inquirer

Ex-Editor Says HuffPost's Black Voices Aren't Always

Focus of Trayvon Story Changed With the Platform

"Almost immediately after the February 26 shooting of Trayvon Martin, the conversation about the case began simmering on Twitter," the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism reported on Friday. "But it was nearly three weeks later, on March 17 — after the release of 911 tapes — before the story exploded on Twitter, on blogs and in the mainstream media to become the first story of the year to get more coverage than the race for the president.

"As attention to the story surged, the focus within these three parts of our media culture varied greatly, according to a special report by the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism.

"On Twitter, the conversation has focused on sympathy for the slain teenager and expressions of outrage at the killing. On blogs, the emphasis has been on the role of race in the highly charged case. In the mainstream media, the Trayvon Martin controversy was heavily a cable news and talk radio story. And there, the primary discussion has focused on two politically oriented issues — gun control laws and the Florida Stand Your Ground statute, which gives citizens the right to use deadly force when they believe they are being threatened.

"Moreover, the Martin story has been a much bigger story on MSNBC, whose talk show hosts are liberal, and a much smaller story on Fox, whose prime time lineup leans conservative. The focus of the discussion differs as well. Conservative talkers paid the most attention to questions about who Martin is and to the defense of the man who pulled the trigger, George Zimmerman. Liberal hosts focused primarily on gun control and the Florida law."

Six-minute video shows shooter George Zimmerman in the Sanford, Fla., police station after killing Travon Martin. (Video)

AP Decides Not to Mention Zimmerman's Skin Color

The Associated Press has decided not to mention the skin color of Trayvon Martin's killer, George Zimmerman, noting that Zimmerman's race and ethnicity — his father is white and his mother Hispanic — are "complicated." Zimmerman has been identified as white, as Hispanic and as a "white Hispanic."

According to AP spokesman Paul Colford, Tom Kent, deputy managing editor for standards and production, told AP staffers on Wednesday:

"Since Martin was black and many are casting the story in racial terms, Zimmerman’s race and ethnicity are relevant. And they’re complicated: Zimmerman’s father is white, his mother Hispanic. Zimmerman himself appears white to many and the police say he’s white; his family says he identifies as Hispanic (and therefore, they say, he can't be a racist). It would not be a contradiction to call him 'a white Hispanic,' since white is a race and Hispanic is not, but some readers might see 'white Hispanic' as confusing. At one point in the story, we called him 'a light-skinned Hispanic.'

"After discussion, our decision was to avoid any AP characterization of his skin color (re 'light-skinned Hispanic,' for example, how light is light-skinned?). We decided to stick to repeating the facts: white father, Hispanic mother. Those who think Zimmerman’s precise skin color is important can draw their own conclusions from his parentage or look at the photos. We’re applying the approach that precision is better than characterization."

Journal-isms posed the question to Colford after Linda Williams, senior editor/nights at the News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C., asked in an email, "Why has the Associated Press stopped identifying George Zimmerman by his race? The stories now say that he has a 'white father and a Hispanic mother.' Leaving aside the dubious implication that his having some 'Hispanic' heritage has anything to do with how he reacted on that tragic night, what exactly does that mean. Hispanic is not a race.

"So that leaves me with the question as to what exactly is the AP's agenda here? It doesn't seem to have any journalistic justification. Is the AP trying to lend support to the dubious idea that some Hispanic heritage shields him from any questions about whether he had any racial motivation?"

Williams was not satisfied with AP's response. "This answer does not address the disparate treatment of the race and ethnicity of the two people," she wrote in an email. "It also does not address the race of Zimmerman's Hispanic mother. Trayvon Martin, like the majority of people designated as African Americans, also has a 'complicated' racial and ethnic identity. He is most likely mixed race, yet, according to this explanation, the label 'black' is all you need to know. Interesting that AP is willing to easily characterize Martin's race, but not Zimmerman's.

"Whether Zimmerman is a racist is not really the important question. The relevant question is whether police and prosecutors looked at the two people involved and gave one a white racial privilege. That is did they easily accept Zimmerman's version of events without a proper investigation because he was a white man who claimed he was menaced by a black person.

"By erasing Zimmerman's race, the question becomes whether AP has, whether inadvertently or not, taken sides with the people who would like to have the question of a possible racial privilege in taken off the table."

Trey Buchet, El Now, Pocho Ñews Service: National organization revokes Zimmerman’s Latino credentials (satire)
Cristina Costantini, HuffPost LatinoVoices: 'White Hispanic' In Crosshairs As Conservative Commentators Challenge Media's Description Of George Zimmerman
Suzanne Gamboa, Associated Press: Florida shooter's race a complicated matter

(Video)

NBC's Black Journalists Offer Personal Testimony

"The shooting of unarmed teen Trayvon Martin by volunteer neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman has ignited a national conversation about prejudice, justice and the treatment of young African-American men," according to an NBC News description of a segment on Wednesday's "Rock Center" program. "NBC News anchors, correspondents and contributors discuss the feelings that Martin's death sparked and relate their experiences covering the story."

Some of the remarks:

David Wilson, executive editor, theGrio.com:

"If I go to a convenience store, I find myself not having my hands in my pockets. Or if I go into a drug store and I leave the store— without buying anything, I feel anxious. — so I— I have to buy something because I don't want anybody to believe that I actually stole something."

Tamron Hall, anchor, MSNBC:

"I am followed in department stores. I have walked in — dressed professionally or dressed in jeans and I have walked into stores and instantly security is on my back."

Touré, contributor, MSNBC:

"I see moments when people are clearly clutching, cringing, 'I'm near a black person who I don't know,' even if I'm in a suit. You know, this sort of automatic clutch of the purse or what have you or, you know, just a little cringe. . . . But we know that just wearing a suit does not change anything. You know, they're not really looking at the suit. They're not really looking at the hoodie. They're looking at the skin."

Ron Allen, correspondent, NBC News:

"You know I think I'm very fortunate that I don't have to think about race and racism every day of my life. But I — but it's there in the back of my mind— on a lot of occasions. At work, in the course of my work. 'Is this happening to me because I'm black?' But I sometimes find it a burden. I sometimes find it tiring to have to deal with — these issues. You know, I— I sometimes wonder, 'What would it be like if I didn't have to worry about (LAUGH) racism and — and — and race? And you could just live your life as — as a normal person?' "

Lester Holt, anchor, NBC News:

"I used to work in Southern California. And there were certain perceptions that were formed about police and how they perceive African Americans. I never had a problem. But why was it when I'd be driving late at night through a posh neighborhood and I'd see police behind me, my palms would get sweaty, I'd get that feeling in the pit of my stomach, because I formed a perception. I formed a perception that they were a threat because I was an African American."

Hall:

"I remember my father, who was a master sergeant, telling my brother when he first started to drive, 'If you're pulled over, don't take your hands off that steering wheel. You look forward until they tell you what to do. You answer, "Yes, sir,' 'No, sir." Don't make any sudden movement, because we don't want the police officer, who may be a good guy, we don't know. But we don't want that officer to believe there's a black man in that car who's making a sudden move and I've gotta take action.' "

Tony Dungy, pro football analyst:

"When I was coaching, I used to have a list of things — that I talked to my players about and said, 'If you do this, you're gonna avoid 99 percent of the trouble. Don't be out after 1 in the morning, OK. Don't be around guns. Don't be around drugs and alcohol. Don't drive your car 25 miles over the speed limit. If you do those things, you're going to avoid 90 percent of the problems.' And that's — that's common sense. And that's the tough thing about Trayvon's case. None of that was involved, you know. And trouble still found him. And that -- that's the disappointing thing."

Wilson:

"You know we — we have this rap of being brutes — and — and thugs and all these negative things. But I challenge anyone who has that impression of a — a black man or young black men to go to some of the toughest neighborhoods in America, find a black kid standing on the corner, a black teen standing on the corner. Have a real conversation with him and you'll see that he's just a kid hiding his insecurities. He thinks the world is after him. And the world has given him a good excuse for that."

No Correction for Statement That Trayvon Dialed 911

Chicago's ABC-owned WLS-TV has taken down a video of one of its reporters declaring that Trayvon Martin had dialed 911 — a statement that found its way around social media — but will not issue a correction, Janet Hundley, assistant news director, told Journal-isms on Friday.

"The reporter misspoke," Hundley said of Paul Meincke's March 26 report. It was George Zimmerman, the shooter, who dialed 911.

Pamela D. Reed, an associate professor at Virginia State University, was among those who saw the report on the Internet. "According to this ABC 7 Chicago report, TRAYVON MARTIN DIALED 911 'BEFORE HIS DEATH,' " she wrote in a Facebook posting. "This story ran on Friday evening. Amazingly, it is buried at the 2:40 mark of this segment," she said, posting the video. "I'm wondering why this is not 'Breaking News.'"

"This is the relevant part of the report by ABC 7's Paul Meincke:

" 'Trayvon Martin made a 911 call shortly before his death and the FBI is attempting to determine if that recording, which captured Zimmerman's voice in the background, can be audio-enhanced to more clearly hear what was said, and that may very well be the key to what happens next.' "

Hundley said by telephone, "We took the action that we thought necessary to correct it, which was to remove it from our website and to report correctly on the next newscast on the air the correct information."

Meincke's report is still circulating in cyberspace, however, with no correction attached. It now exists as an audio report.

". . . once the report was issued by ABC 7, the story took on a life all its own. Which is why, I explained, a correction might be in order," Reed messaged Journal-isms.

Michael Arceneaux, theGrio.com: Trayvon Martin case: Has the hoodie thing gone too far?
Wayne Bennett, the Field Negro: Now it's "The Butler", and musings from the house on Trayvon Martin.
Audra D.S. Burch, Miami Herald: Trayvon case has become pop culture phenomenon
Jack A. Chambless, Orlando Sentinel: Trayvon Martin aftermath: Blacks should look deeper at perceived white contempt
D.L. Chandler, NewsOne.com: What The Trayvon Martin Sanford Rally Meant For Me
Adrian Chen, Gawker: White Supremacist Hacks Trayvon Martin's Email Account, Leaks Messages Online
Kelvin Cowans, Tri-State Defender, Memphis, Tenn.: Trayvon Martin & '‘The third shot heard around the world’'
Mary C. Curtis, Women's Media Center: Trayvon Martin Case: Do We Communicate More, Listen Less?
Andrew Gauthier, TVSpy: Following Complaints from Local Stations, City of Sanford Rescinds Controversial Media Warning
Leonard Greene, New York Post: Trayvon Martin tragedy brings focus to 'the talk' for black parents
Averi Harper, theGrio.com: Trayvon Martin cartoon causes uproar on UNC-Chapel Hill campus
Jeremy Holden, Media Matters for America: Rush Limbaugh, Festering Stereotypes, And The Rising Cost Of Hate Speech
Njai Joszor, Examiner: Piers Morgan, Toure exchange insults over CNN's Zimmerman interview
Miranda Leitsinger, msnbc.com: How one man helped spark online protest in Trayvon Martin case
David A. Love, theGrio.com: Why Trayvon Martin doesn't need to be squeaky clean
Dori J. Maynard, Maynard Institute: Trayvon Martin and the Media Depiction of African American Males
Zerlina Maxwell, theGrio.com: The thug-ification of Trayvon Martin: Smear campaign distracts from the case
Aaron Morrison, Loop21.com: What If Krop High Had Not Suspended Trayvon Martin?
Kevin Powell, the Guardian, Britain: Trayvon Martin and the fatal history of American racism
Richard Prince with Cash Michaels on "Make It Happen," WAUG, Raleigh, N.C.: Media coverage of Trayvon Martin case (Segment 2)
Jim Romenesko blog: Ex-Daily Texan cartoonist responds to her dismissal in an email
Akiba Solomon, ebony.com: An Open Letter to Joe Oliver
Solange Uwimana, Media Matters for America: How The Right Deals With A Problem Like Trayvon Martin
Touré with Piers Morgan on "Piers Morgan Tonight," CNN: Piers Morgan Defends Zimmerman Interview (video)
Meenal Vamburkar, mediaite: New Trayvon Martin Witness Speaks To Anderson Cooper About Night Of Shooting
Mark Whitaker, CNN: In Depth: CNN peels back the layers of the Trayvon Martin story
Juan Williams, Wall Street Journal: The Trayvon Martin Tragedies

Sportswriter's Layoff Reversed at Philadelphia Inquirer

John Mitchell, a sportswriter for the Philadelphia Inquirer targeted two weeks ago as one of 40 journalists laid off or taking a buyout, will not be laid off after all, Bill Ross, executive director of the Newspaper Guild/CWA of Greater Philadelphia Local 38010, told Journal-isms on Friday.

"A newsroom employee volunteered to leave and he was recalled from potential layoff," Ross said. "I'm very happy for John."

Mitchell was hired in November to cover the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers. Gregory H. Lee Jr., president of the National Association of Black Journalists, said in a March 15 statement that Mitchell's departure would leave the Inquirer's sports department with one full-time black reporter.

In another development, Kia Gregory, a general assignment reporter at the Inquirer, said she was leaving to join the Metro staff of the New York Times, covering Harlem. Gregory joined the Inquirer nearly four years ago.

Mike Armstrong reported for the Inquirer Friday, "The sale of The Inquirer, Philadelphia Daily News and Philly.com will likely be announced Monday, according to several sources.

". . . The buyers of Philadelphia Media Network Inc. are a group of local investors, led by George E. Norcross III, executive chairman of Conner Strong & Buckelew, a South Jersey insurance brokerage, and Lewis Katz, former chairman of Interstate Outdoor Advertising."

Ex-Editor Says HuffPost's Black Voices Aren't Always

"I’m a former managing editor at The AOL Huffington Post Media Group," Rebecca Carroll wrote Friday in the Daily Beast as part of an essay on the plight of black women in the corporate world.

"Last year, I was tasked with relaunching an all-black news and opinion section for the site. I had been running GlobalBlack, the joint venture launched by Arianna Huffington and former BET cofounder Sheila Johnson; after The Huffington Post merged with AOL, the decision was made to replace GlobalBlack with a relaunch of a similar AOL web page, called Black Voices.

"The goal was to assemble a team of black writers and editors who would write, research, and edit stories about things that interested them as individuals. I was excited about the mission. Others weren’t. Shortly after I’d been hired, I asked a white supervisor how to respond to reader inquiries about GlobalBlack. She said: 'Ignore them! No one cares!'

"It came to sum up my experience to a large extent. Although we did assemble a great team of black writers and editors, the more I tried to guide the mission forward — proposing thought-provoking stories and headlines that countered stereotypes and truly represented black voices — the more clear it became that this was bad for business. An in-depth multimedia profile of Anita Hill to mark the 20th anniversary of the landmark case was deemed not buzzy enough. A provocative black media figure I suggested as a regular contributor was dismissed as 'gross.' My idea of ignoring Black History Month, which many black Americans feel has become nothing more than a diluted and packaged ritual, was deemed unacceptable, given the advertising dollars it generates.

"I’m not saying this is racist — a business needs to stay in business. As Erica Kennedy points out, 'A corporation exists to make money, not to salve societal ills.' But still.

"In the days leading up to the relaunch of Black Voices, an executive decision was made to have white journalists at The Huffington Post write most of the stories featured on the first day. The voices were white. Mine is not."

News Corp. Planning to Compete With ESPN

"Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. . . . is taking steps to start a national U.S. sports network on cable television aimed at challenging Walt Disney Co.’s . . . ESPN, according to people with knowledge of the situation," Andy Fixmer and Alex Sherman reported Wednesday for Bloomberg News.

"News Corp. is assembling the required rights from pay-TV carriers and sports organizations, said the people, who requested anonymity because talks are private. While a final decision to move forward hasn’t been made, the company is considering converting its Fuel action-sports network to the new channel, two of the people said.

"With a national network, Fox would join Comcast Corp's. . . . NBC Sports Network and CBS Corp.’s . . . CBS Sports Network in taking on the dominant ESPN. News Corp. last year secured rights to the Pac-12 Conference and [Big 12] Conference games and owns 20 regional sports networks. The company in October won TV rights to soccer’s World Cup in 2018 and 2022."

Jeff Bercovici, forbes.com: How Rupert Murdoch And Roger Ailes Could Beat ESPN At Its Own Game

Local TV Stations Scaling Back Sports Coverage

"A two-man sports department at WIVBTV may be temporary, depending on how long it takes Channel 4 management to find a replacement for departing sports reporter Paul Peck, Jane Kwiatkowski wrote Thursday for the Buffalo News.

". . . The big picture may include less sports coverage, a decadelong trend throughout the country. Television news directors at many stations have scaled back sports coverage — even sports departments — particularly in the 10 and 11 p.m. slots.

". . . The trend reflects the ease with which sports fans now find scores and more elsewhere. They are watching games on their phones and online, and don’t have to wait until 11 p.m. for results, according to a communications instructor at Buffalo State College."

Health Care Law Means Insurance for 7 Million Blacks

"A Supreme Court decision striking down President Obama's entire health care law would keep seven million African-Americans from getting insurance," Perry Bacon Jr. wrote Wednesday for theGrio.com.

"In hearings on Wednesday, the courts' conservatives seemed poised to issue a ruling in June that would invalidate the entire law. And that would have a major impact on African-Americans. An estimated seven million of the 30 million who would eventually get health insurance under the law are black.

"While much attention has been focused on the law's requirement that people purchase insurance, its expansions of Medicaid (the insurance program for low-income Americans), is perhaps just as important. Under the law, because of expansions of federal funding for Medicaid, an estimated 16 million low-income Americans, many of them black, would get coverage. (Under the new law, Medicaid would cover most families whose income is below $29,000 per year.)"

Meanwhile, about 100 attendees at the National Association of Black Journalists' annual Media Institute on Health: Health Policy and Health Inequities heard Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius at the White House on Friday.

Sebelius was part of a briefing on health. Additional panelists included Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin; Nadine Garcia, HHS deputy assistant secretary for minority health; Jocelyn Frye, deputy assistant to the president for domestic policy and director of policy and special projects for first lady Michelle Obama; Dr. Cara James, director of the Office of Minority Health, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services; and Dr. Grant Colfax, director of the office of National AIDS Policy.

J. Lester Feder, Politico: Individual mandate will not affect most Americans
Yanick Rice Lamb, BlackAmericaWeb.com: Health Reform: What’s at Stake for African-Americans
Trudy Lieberman, Columbia Journalism Review: Health Reform and the Supreme Court: Day Three
Ari Shapiro, NPR: 'Obamacare' Sounds Different When Supporters Say It [March 31]
Marisa Treviño, Latina Lista blog: If Supreme Court strikes down Affordable Care Act, it could pose more problems for GOP among Latino and disenfranchised voters

Short Takes

Jeanne Fox-Alston, vice president of the Newspaper Association of America Foundation, is leaving on April 6, she told colleagues on Friday. Fox-Alston manages the foundation's diversity and Young Reader programs. The reason? "The American Press Institute of Reston will cease independent operations after 66 years and combine with a unit of the newspaper industry’s main trade group, the Arlington-based Newspaper Association of America, under a merger approved by the two organizations’ boards in January," Paul Farhi reported last week for the Washington Post. Caroline Little, NAA president and CEO, said in a statement, ". . . The new foundation will operate differently going forward in order to maximize resources to the greatest advantage. There is no intention to abandon all the efforts of the past, but there is a need to function in a manner that is more relevant in today's times."
"AOL Inc on Friday won the dismissal of a lawsuit by unpaid bloggers who complained they were deprived of their fair share of the roughly $315 million that the company paid last March to buy The Huffington Post website," Reuters reported Friday.
"The U.S. Senate on Thursday approved the appointment of Maurice Jones, publisher of The Virginian-Pilot, to be deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development," Bill Bartel reported Friday for the Norfolk newspaper. The Senate approval came six months after President Obama nominated Jones for the post.
"A California judge has rejected CNN's attempt to dismiss a lawsuit brought by The Greater Los Angeles Agency on Deafness (GLAD) over the news organization's refusal to caption videos uploaded to its website," Eriq Gardner reported Wednesday for the Hollywood Reporter.
"The past month has been filled with more bad news for the Oprah Winfrey Network, which has struggled since its launch to build an audience. A fifth of its staff was laid off and Rosie O'Donnell's high-profile talk show canceled," Toni Fitzgerald reported Thursday for medialifemagazine.com. "But now come signs that the troubled network may finally be catching hold. During the first quarter of the year, ratings saw significant growth. OWN's primetime average rose 16 percent among adults 18-49 during first quarter, according to Nielsen, to 140,000, two-thirds of them women."
"Knicks star Jeremy Lin had lunch with the former ESPN employee who was fired last month for writing a headline about Lin that included a racially insensitive word," Anthony Rieber wrote Wednesday for Newsday. "Lin met with Anthony Federico, 28, of Connecticut, during a Knicks off-day on Tuesday. According to Federico, the two discussed their shared Christian faith and Lin's knee injury."
"Former weekend anchor and network correspondent Martín Berlanga is no longer with Univision. His departure has been confirmed, Veronica Villafañe reported Thursday for Media Moves. "An insider tells me he cleared out his desk yesterday morning. Moments earlier, he had sent out a tweet promoting his latest story for the network."
"John Buffalo Mailer, son of legendary author, journalist and Village Voice co-founder Norman Mailer, had just stepped forward to read a statement written by a woman he identified as Alissa," Joe Pompeo reported Thursday for capitalnewyork.com. "The statement described how as a minor she was abused by men who forced her into prostitution and marketed her through the adult services section of the website Backpage.com, which is owned by Village Voice parent company Village Voice Media."
"The would-be developer of the site of the historic Atlanta Daily World building on Auburn Avenue will not appeal a decision to prevent demolition of the structure," Shelia M. Poole reported Thursday for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
"The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns attacks and threats against several journalists covering the aftermath of the March 22 military coup in Mali that ousted President Amadou Toumani Touré," the Committee said on Friday. ". . . Soldiers loyal to junta leader Captain Amadou Haye Sanogo detained and handcuffed French journalist Omar Ouahmane, a reporter with France's state-owned radio broadcaster Radio France, on Wednesday night, according to a CPJ interview with the journalist and an Associated Press report."
"A median of nearly two-thirds of adults (65%) across 133 countries and areas Gallup surveyed in 2011 say the media in their countries have a lot of freedom, essentially unchanged from the median of 67% found in 2010," Cynthia English and Lee Becker reported Thursday for the Gallup Organization. "These views still vary worldwide, ranging from a low of 23% in Belarus to a high of 97% in Finland."

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Racial Gap in Attention to Trayvon Story

Roberto Delgado — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 02:22:59 +0000

March 28, 2012

"For African Americans, no other story comes close"; "close friend" Joe Oliver leaves questioners doubtful; Geraldo "apologizes" for blaming hoodies in killing; Poynter ombudsman frowns on ESPN's OK to hoodies; Sharpton's dual role would have been unthinkable; snarky remarks from the Fishbowl said to go too far; on stage at D.C.'s Gridiron, Page provided the color. (3/28/12)

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"For African Americans, No Other Story Comes Close"

"Close Friend" Joe Oliver Leaves Questioners Doubtful

Geraldo "Apologizes" for Blaming Hoodies in Killing

Poynter Ombudsman Frowns on ESPN's OK to Hoodies

Sharpton's Dual Role Would Have Been Unthinkable

Snarky Remarks From the Fishbowl Said to Go Too Far

On Stage at D.C.'s Gridiron, Page Provided the Color

Charles M. Blow of the New York Times, left, and former TV anchor Joe Oliver on MSNBC. (Video)

"Close Friend" Joe Oliver Leaves Questioners Doubtful

"Watch the MSNBC segments below in their full glory," Erik Wemple wrote Wednesday for the Washington Post. "Host Lawrence O’Donnell, Charles Blow of the New York Times and Jonathan Capehart of The Washington Post cross-examine Joe Oliver, the ex-reporter/anchor who has spoken repeatedly on behalf of George Zimmerman in media appearances on the Trayvon Martin case. Multiple takeaways:

"1) A rotating panel of experts taking swings at an emerging public figure — in this case, Oliver — makes for gripping television.

"2) An argument about the precise degree of friendship/acquaintanceship that Oliver developed with George Zimmerman can gobble up 25 minutes of air time. Is Oliver an avuncular figure for Zimmerman? An acquaintance? A friend?

"3) Blow has an edgy streak and really, really doesn’t appreciate Oliver’s contributions to the Trayvon Martin discussion.

". . . 6) This is not just another pointless cable-TV shout-fest. Oliver has placed himself in the news stream to vouch for Zimmerman. Though it's still less than clear why he has done so, there’s a public imperative to know how deeply grounded is his familiarity with Zimmerman. As the interrogators in these segments have shown, the answer to that question is: not very."

On his own blog, Capehart wrote, "After an intense grilling for about 30 minutes, Oliver revealed himself to be nothing more than an acquaintance and raised questions about why he inserted himself into this national maelstrom to begin with."

Geraldo "Apologizes" for Blaming Hoodies in Killing

"Fox News Channel commentator Geraldo Rivera said Tuesday that he's sorry for suggesting that a hoodie worn by unarmed Florida teenager Trayvon Martin was as much responsible for his death as the neighborhood watch captain who shot him," David Bauder reported Tuesday for the Associated Press.

"Rivera said a conversation with his oldest son on Monday convinced him he was wrong. Rivera said it was the first time 32-year-old Gabriel Rivera had said he was ashamed of something his dad had said — and it caused the dad a sleepless night.

". . . Rivera said he was apologizing 'for offending anyone.'

" 'I apologize for the language,' he said. 'I don't apologize at all for the substance of my advice. I was trying to save lives.'

"Rivera said his oldest son was witness to tension between his father and brother, 24-year-old Cruz Rivera, over the young man's clothing. Rivera said he wanted urban parents to realize that clothing their children wear — such as hooded T-shirts or low-slung pants — could appear menacing to people who don't know them and could put them unnecessarily in danger.

On globalgrind.com, hip-hop entrepreneur Russell Simmons wrote, "Geraldo, your apology is bullshit!"

"Your apology is nothing but a defense of a racist, backward thing you already said. And I am a yogi, and I generally don't speak like this, but I have to say it like it is. It is a non-apology apology that continues to blame the victim for their appearance."

Poynter Ombudsman Frowns on ESPN's OK to Hoodies

"Rob King, senior vice president of editorial for ESPN digital and print media, was involved in the decision over the weekend to allow an exception to the company’s social media policy and allow employees to post the hoodie image on social networks," Kelly McBride wrote Tuesday for the Poynter Review Project Blog at ESPN.com. "There was a robust conversation about the topic among ESPN executives before a decision was made, King told us.

On Friday, spokesman Josh Krulewitz cited the network's social media policies in explaining why ESPN warned staffers who tweet not to post photos of themselves wearing hoodies in solidarity with Trayvon Martin, the 17-year-old youth killed by a neighborhood watch volunteer.

But on Sunday, ESPN reversed itself. "It's a tragic situation that has led to much thoughtful discussion throughout the company," Krulewitz said then. "As a result, in this circumstance, we have decided to allow this particular expression of human sympathy."

McBride quoted King: "We asked, 'What are they expressing?' Visually, they are expressing their notions of tolerance around the case. We feel this is a unique expression."

ESPN and the Poynter Institute announced on March 22, 2011, that they would partner for 18 months in the Poynter Review Project, offering independent examination and analysis of ESPN's media outlets.

McBride cited a column by ESPN.com's Jemele Hill and contended that "As a journalism organization, ESPN should do more work like Hill's and less like the self-expression of several others — including ESPN anchors Trey Wingo and Mike Hill, NFL reporter Michael Smith and Grantland writer Jonathan Abrams — who donned hoodies in their Twitter avatars."

Of King's explanation, McBride wrote, "In the abstract, that is certainly true. But in the specific instance of this case, the hoodie is a visual expression of support for the parents of Trayvon and their petition for law enforcement to bring charges against the man who killed their son. King said he believes that most of the ESPN folks using the hoodie image were expressing broader support for the value of tolerance.

"Even if that's the case, there's no way for the audience to know which sentiment was being expressed by the hoodie, or the intent behind it. And we don't know how the facts in this specific story will continue to change."

Sharpton's Dual Role Would Have Been Unthinkable

"Al Sharpton's activism on the Trayvon Martin case has given him a unique role — some would say unique conflict — on MSNBC. The news network host is in the middle of a story he's been featuring every evening on the air," David Bauder reported for the Associated Press.

"Half of Sharpton's 'PoliticsNation' program on MSNBC Monday was about the Feb. 26 shooting of Martin, an unarmed black teenager in Sanford, Fla., leading with an interview with Martin's parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin. Sharpton's only reference to his own involvement in the case was a remark that 'we did the press conference' earlier in the day.

"The veteran civil rights activist has spoken at rallies in support of Martin. Monday before the Sanford city commission, Sharpton testified that Martin's parents had endured 'insults and lies' over reports that their son attacked George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch captain who shot him.

"Sharpton's dual role would have been unthinkable on television 20 years ago and still wouldn't be allowed at many news organizations. While opinionated cable news hosts have become commonplace over the past decade, Sharpton goes beyond talking."

Abena Agyeman-Fisher, NewsOne: Zimmerman’s "Black Friend" Exposed As Fraud
Chris Ariens, TVNewser: Trayvon Martin 'Sideshow' Comes to Cable News
Chris Ariens, TVNewser: Broadcasters Plan Trayvon Martin Specials
Bruce Reyes Chow, Hyphen Magazine: Is There Privilege in Being Asian American?
Corey Dade, NPR: Father Of Trayvon Martin: 'I Won't Rest' Until Son's Killer Is Prosecuted
Eric Deggans blog, Tampa Bay (Fla.) Times: In absence of facts, Trayvon Martin case becomes a war of images and reputations online
Jenée Desmond-Harris, theRoot.com: Beyond Trayvon: Black and Unarmed: These 17 sad stories prove that it's nothing new for a black man without a weapon to be killed.
Darius Dixon, Politico: Obama aide hits back on Trayvon Martin
Jake LaMere, Indian Country Today: A Response to Gyasi Ross’s Column on Trayvon Martin
MJ Lee, Politico: Geraldo Rivera apologizes for 'hoodie' comment
Mike Males, Politico: The violent black youth myth
Patrick B. Pexton, Washington Post: Post Roast: Ethnic identity and Trayvon Martin’s shooter
Leonard Pitts Jr., Miami Herald: In Trayvon Martin case, it’s not about the hoodie
Frances Robles, Miami Herald: Sanford cops wanted to charge Zimmerman in Trayvon Martin case
Jim Romenesko blog: City of Sanford to media: Don’t bother our employees when they’re off work
Gyasi Ross, race-talk.org: THIS IS SOME BULL$#!+: Yes, The Murder of Trayvon Martin is About You
Clay Routledge, Psychology Today: A Question of Bias?: Most of us pretend not to notice race.
Alex Seitz-Wald, thinkprogress.org: The Man Defending Zimmerman: Who Is Joe Oliver?
Louisa Ada Seltzer, medialifemagazine.com: A broader take on Trayvon Martin: NBC's 'Rock Center' revisits the death of the Florida teen
Andrew J. Skerritt, Florida Voices: What Does a Black Father Say?
Terrell Jermaine Starr, NewsOne: There Are Trayvon Martins All Over The World
Rene Stutzman, Orlando Sentinel: Trayvon rumors abound, but here are facts
Marisa Treviño, Latina Lista: Trayvon Martin’s death underscores how race is used for both reason and reaction
Jackie Vega, KXAN-TV, Austin, Texas: Artist apologizes for Trayvon cartoon
Washington Post: Trayvon Martin's parents talk with The Post (Video)

Snarky Remarks From the Fishbowl Said to Go Too Far

Betsy Rothstein, editor of Mediabistro's FishbowlDC media blog, is known for snark and attitude.

On Tuesday, the column posted a photo of Rep. Corrine Brown and asked, "Rep. Corrine Brown (D-Fla.) has been in the news more than usual as of late discussing the death of Trayvon Martin. As a result, readers have been wondering about that head of hair — for one thing, is it real, and if not what is it?

"So we’re asking you to take our poll."

A reader wrote to Journal-isms, ". . . Did you see the 'poll' in today's column, asking if Rep. Corinne Brown is wearing a wig and offering a series of rude, disrespectful choices if you choose to vote? And did you see a few days ago when she made fun of Rep. Frederica Wilson, whose trademark is that she wears hats? The congresswoman had on a cowboy-girl hat, one of many she owns in that shape. Rothstein took it as another opportunity to ridicule a black woman lawmaker.

"For someone who doesn't seem to see black folks except when there is some negative attached (see Roland Martin's tweets; she wrote about him as if he's a cute little pet), she is mighty bold."

In the FishbowlDC comments section, a person who signed as "kathapollitt," the name of a writer for The Nation magazine (Nation spokesman Gennady Kolker did not respond to a request to verify) wrote, "Why are you making fun of this woman's appearance when she is saying something important about an issue that matters? And a rape joke? What's the matter with you?"

"Jamilah" wrote: "Amazing. Where is Betsy asking this of the white people? Also, what business of it is yours?!"

Journal-isms asked Rothstein to respond.

"FishbowlDC is an equal opportunity mocker. We poke fun at Washington newsmakers of all races, genders, ages and political persuasions," she wrote. "To insinuate that this is racism not only insults the intelligence of your readers but is not based in any fact, thought or reason.

"The cowboy hat post just happened to be about a black person. If Jill Biden went on TV with a hat that silly and an ugly octopus adornment on her blazer there is no doubt we'd write about her, too. On the Roland Martin comments, I'm offended. We take our Roland relationship very seriously. Besides, we're doing it for Dana Perino now. A well-known white lady.

"The only thing you can accurately say is FishbowlDC writes about black people sometimes because they, too, are journalists and members of Congress. If that is the kind of journalism you want to run with, go for it Richard."

On Stage at D.C.'s Gridiron, Page Provided the Color

Chicago Tribune columnist Clarence Page says a newcomer to Washington's annual Gridiron Club dinner might be forgiven for assuming that only one journalist of color attended what the Washington Post called "the most insidery of media-insider dinners" Saturday night.

The invitation-only, off-the-record event, sometimes attended by politicians, features journalists performing current-events song parodies.

Asked whether the newcomer's perception was true, Page told Journal-isms by email, "Not quite, although my larger-than-life onstage antics may have left that impression.

"I presume you're talking about people on stage, since the audience featured such luminaries-of-color as Gwen Ifill, Frank Whitaker and Valerie Jarrett, to name a few.

"But, with Bill Raspberry," the retired Washington Post columnist, "on sick leave and NPR's Vickie Walton James also sitting it out this year, I was almost the only member of color left onstage.

"BTW, this is not an issue we take lightly. As a member of the membership committee, I have helped our organization (founded in 1885) to cast a wide net for ethnic, racial and gender diversity — after way too many decades as a classic white-male institution.

"Unfortunately, like our industry, we recently have had more success with gender diversity than racial diversity. One problem: With our membership limited to 50 active members at a time, turnover is slow, even in our industry's recent turbulence."

Amy Argetsinger and Roxanne Roberts, "The Reliable Source," Washington Post: At elite Gridiron Club dinner, the joke’s on Mitt Romney
Betsy Rothstein, FishbowlDC: C-SPAN Goes After Gridiron’s No-Camera Rule Again
Lynn Sweet, Chicago Sun-Times: The scoop from Washington Gridiron Club Dinner: Zingers from Leon Panetta, Rick Perry, Wasserman Schultz

Short Takes

"A group of local investors reportedly has offered to pay $60 million to acquire the parent company of The Inquirer, the Philadelphia Daily News, and Philly.com," Mike Armstrong reported Wednesday for the Philadelphia Inquirer. "Those investors, led by businessman Lewis Katz and insurance executive and New Jersey Democratic leader George E. Norcross III, are seeking to buy Philadelphia Media Network Inc. from a collection of hedge funds and financial investors that has owned the media company since October 2010."

Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney has accepted an invitation to speak at the American Society of News Editors/Newspaper Association of America lunch on Wednesday, April 4, during the ASNE convention in Washington, ASNE announced on Wednesday. Romney is to speak from the same stage that President Obama will use to address ASNE and NAA attendees 24 hours earlier, at the Associated Press Annual Luncheon.
The Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) has chosen New York as the site for the 1,400-member organization's 2013 national convention, AAJA announced on Tuesday. Convention co-chairs are Brooke Camp, senior recruiter for CNN and truTV, and Michelle Yu, an anchor for SNY (SportsNet New York). AAJA-New York was responsible for a national convention in New York's Times Square in 2000.
Chicago "Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Monday he doesn’t 'believe in handcuffing reporters' and won’t let it happen to any of the 2,500-strong media contingent expected to descend on Chicago for the May 21-21 NATO summit," Fran Spielman reported for the Chicago Sun-Times. On March 17, ". . . WGN-TV Channel 9 reporter Dan Ponce and Donte Williams, a cameraman from WMAQ-TV Channel 5, were handcuffed while attempting to report on the murder of Aliyah Shell. She’s the six-year-old girl who was gunned down in broad daylight in front of her parents as she played on the front porch of the family’s home in Little Village."
Executive Producer Stephanie Jackson and two other news managers ended their employment with KARK-TV in Little Rock, Ark., on March 2, Arkansas Business reported on March 26.
"Today, I (Charlotte-based writer/editor Carlton Hargro) launched a Kickstarter campaign in an effort to raise funds to publish a comic book titled 'The African American Superhero Anthology," Hargro wrote to friends on Wednesday. Hargro spent four years as editor of the Charlotte, N.C., edition of the alternative newspaper Creative Loafing. "As the title suggests, this comic is designed to inject a number of new African American characters into the world of comics — which as we know, isn’t exactly great at presenting characters of color. Ultimately, we hope to follow in the footsteps of creators like Orrin Cromwell Evans ('[All-Negro] Comics'); Jackie Ormes ('Torchy'); Stan Lee and Jack Kirby; Tom Floyd ('Blackman'); Dawud Anyabwile and Guy A. Sims ('Brotherman'); the legendary Dwayne McDuffie; and many more. . . . For all the details about me or the project, visit: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1482060906/super-black-the-african-a... "
"Photojournalist Rodney Ferguson was 50-years-old and had worked at WJBK Channel 2 since 1989. He died suddenly from complications of sickle cell anemia on Sunday morning," Amy Lange wrote Monday for WJBK-TV in Detroit. Ryan Ermanni of WJBK wrote in an appreciation, "Hot Rod was one of the guys we worked with the most in the sports department. He loved shooting sports and we loved getting him assigned to us. You knew if you were working with Rodney on a particular day, it was gonna be a good one."
"Advertisers and some radio stations may have abandoned Rush Limbaugh for calling a Georgetown law student a 'slut.' But the CEO of the radio company that distributes Limbaugh’s show, Clear Channel, says he’s sticking with the conservative talk show host, calling him the 'king' of radio," Politico reported. "Bob Pittman told The Associated Press in an interview Tuesday that the outrage over Limbaugh’s comments last month was 'part of the normal day-to-day of talk radio.' He also noted that Limbaugh apologized for the first time in 30 years."
"Nestled in the inspirational scenery of the Bellagio Conference Center on Lake Como in Italy, more than 30 journalists from six continents crafted and launched last week the world’s first global association of journalists who cover religion and spirituality," Patrick Butler reported Monday for the International Center for Journalists. "The journalists collaborated to write a mission statement for the International Association of Religion Journalists, outline bylaws and membership requirements, strategize on educational programs and a fundraising strategy, plan web resources and online partnerships, and elect leaders."
"A federal bankruptcy judge has approved the sale of Asian-language independent KSCI Los Angeles to NRJ TV, the station announced late yesterday," TVNewsCheck reported on Tuesday. "Judge Mary F. Walrath of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware approved the deal on March 23, but it is still subject to FCC approval."
"Peter Thorne was a ten-year veteran of WPIX/Channel 11 before leaving in December," Jerry Barmash reported Tuesday for FishbowlNY. "John Liu is the embattled New York City Comptroller who’s been locked in a fundraising scandal. The two minds are now uniting, as Liu, the hopeful mayoral candidate in 2013, has hired Thorne as his new communications director."
"The opening scenes of the Season 5 premiere of 'Mad Men,' set in 1966, depicted a sort of knucklehead-racism at work, when young men from the advertising agency Young & Rubicam dropped bags filled with water on protesters picketing on the Madison Avenue sidewalk below," Michael Wilson reported Wednesday for the New York Times. "Wet and angry, several protesters came upstairs to demand to know who at the firm had dropped the water bombs. . . . Some critics found the scene, broadcast on Sunday, a bit too on-the-nose . . . Everything in the scene really happened, written almost verbatim from an article on Page 1 of The Times on May 28, 1966."
"David Maus is one of Central Florida’s most familiar figures for his many car commercials with the catchphrase 'whatever it takes,' Hal Boedeker reported Saturday for the Orlando Sentinel. "Maus has decided to do whatever it takes to help Mark McEwen, the former WKMG-Channel 6 anchor who suffered a massive stroke in 2005. Maus is sharing his life story through a McEwen interview in a proposed series called 'McEwen’s Mark.' "
"Two Brazilian journalists working near the Paraguayan border were killed over the weekend, less than a week after the International Press Institute (IPI) released a special report warning of increased violence against the media in Brazil’s frontier regions," Scott Griffen and Mariela Hoyer Guerrero wrote Tuesday for the institute. "The deaths of newspaper owner Onei de Moura and radio reporter Divino Aparecido Carvalho, both in Paraná state, add to an already grim picture of journalist safety in Brazil, which, according to IPI’s Death Watch, now trails only conflict-riven Syria in terms of journalist killings in 2012."
"There are strong grounds for suspecting that the privately-owned Grenada Advocate weekly’s dismissal of reporter Rawle Titus on 23 March was the result of direct political pressure by Prime Minister Tillman Thomas . . . and his press secretary. Reporters Without Borders calls on the government to provide a frank explanation of a matter liable to endanger media independence," the press freedom organization said on Tuesday.

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Ex-Anchor Defends Gunman in Trayvon Case

Roberto Delgado — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 02:40:15 +0000

March 26, 2012

Joe Oliver, family friend, says Zimmerman is no racist; writers analyze spread of story in social, mainstream media; Obama aide says GOP will rue "Obamacare" term; "Root 100" list surprises with education Level, skin tone; diversity in ad business: resignation tinged with sadness; judge dismisses King estate suit against Miss. anchor; Unity: Journalists of Color unveils new logo; Debra Adams Simmons wins McGruder Award for diversity; why aren't j-students of color learning technology? (3/26/12)

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Joe Oliver, Family Friend, Says Zimmerman Is No Racist

Writers Analyze Spread of Story in Social, Mainstream Media

Obama Aide Says GOP Will Rue "Obamacare" Term

"Root 100" List Surprises With Education Level, Skin Tone

Diversity in Ad Business: Resignation Tinged With Sadness

Judge Dismisses King Estate Suit Against Miss.

Writers Analyze Spread of Story in Social, Mainstream Media

"How does a story about teenager’s illogical killing go from barely registering a mention in local newspapers to a national conversation?" Kelly McBride asked Friday for the Poynter Institute. "It’s carried by people who care — by family, by bloggers who fear for their own children and by communities with tools that connect them to each other for fortification, while they wait for someone to listen.

"Ten years ago Trayvon Martin's family would have had a hard time getting the national media's attention. But with the help of a few bloggers, Change.org, and social media, they managed to put increasing pressure on the Sanford, Fla., Police Department to charge their son’s killer and release the 911 recordings. When they prevailed on that second goal a week ago, they got the break they needed.

"Look at the path they traveled and you can see the way media power has changed.

". . . This is how stories are told now," McBride continued, tracing the story's trajectory. "They are told by people who care passionately, until we all care."

This columnist was quoted on the limits of social media by Aaron Morrison on Loop21.com:

"Social media were out front on the story — but social media can only report what has been published elsewhere. While Change.org let some know about its petition, the reports quoted in the social media were by and large from the mainstream news media."

Brian Stelter added Monday in the New York Times, "Notably, many of the national media figures who initially devoted time to the shooting are black, which some journalists and advocacy groups say attests to the need for diversity in newsrooms. The racial and ethnic makeup of newsrooms, where minorities tend to be underrepresented relative to the general population, has long been a source of tension for the news industry."

Some of the coverage drew criticism.

On CNN's "Reliable Sources," host Howard Kurtz questioned how the Rev. Al Sharpton could lead a rally in Sanford, Fla., and also host his MSNBC talk show.

"MSNBC, for its part, would seem to have planned for this kind of role for Sharpton from the start of his career there," the Huffington Post noted.

" 'We are breaking the mold,' president Phil Griffin told the New York Times in September. 'Anything he does on the streets, he can talk about on air — we won’t hide anything.' "

Media Matters for America zeroed in on Fox News Channel.

". . . of all the issues surrounding the coverage of the killing, Fox News' media criticism show, Fox News Watch, chose to focus on this question today: 'Was this a story for the national media?' " Solange Uwimana wrote Saturday.

Rebecca Aguilar blog: Oh Geraldo! The Hoodie Made Him Do It?
Curt Anderson and Mike Schneider, Associated Press: New claims cast Trayvon Martin as the aggressor
Chris Ariens, TVNewser: Trayvon Martin and the Coverage of the Coverage
Jenice Armstrong, Philadelphia Daily News: Where's the outrage over senseless killings taking place here in Philly?
Wayne Bennett, Field Negro: More on you know who.
Charles M. Blow, New York Times: A Mother’s Grace and Grieving
Donna Britt, Anthony Cook, Isabel Wilkerson and David Ovalle with Diane Rehm, "The Diane Rehm Show," WAMU-FM, Washington, and NPR: Trayvon Martin and Race Relations in America
Ta-Nehisi Coates blog, the Atlantic: Did George Zimmerman Use A Racial Slur?
Michael H. Cottman, blackamericaweb.com: Race Matters in Trayvon Martin Case
Merlene Davis, Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader: Neighborhood vigilantes are a new worry for parents
Jarvis DeBerry, Times-Picayune, New Orleans: Does 'standing your ground' in Louisiana mean you can shoot a fleeing suspect?:
Eric Deggans blog, Tampa Bay (Fla.) Times: MSNBC responds to questions about Sharpton's role in Trayvon Martin case as witnesses surface
Melanie Eversley, USA Today: Trayvon case shows more blacks tapping power of social media
Stephen Henderson, Detroit Free Press: Why isn't there more outrage when innocent kids die in Detroit?
Joyce Clark Hicks, ebony.com: Dear White Folks: Black People are Sensitive to Race. So?
Huffington Post: Melissa Harris-Perry Mocks Geraldo Rivera For Trayvon Martin Hoodie Comments (VIDEO)
Eugene Kane, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Hoodie shouldn't define Trayvon Martin, or anyone
Jeff Kunerth and Bianca Prieto, Orlando Sentinel: Outrage unites people of all colors, but divide still exists
Jerry Large, Seattle Times: Fatal shooting of teen may expose our 'foul mess'
Wil LaVeist, Urban Faith: Unlearning Racism
Dan Le Batard, Miami Herald: Reaction to Trayvon Martin killing shows growth of Miami Heat’s LeBron James
Don Lemon, CNN: No Talking Points: Politicizing Trayvon Martin's Killing
Deborah Mathis, blackamericaweb.com: The Race Factor in the Trayvon Martin Case
Courtland Milloy, Washington Post: Apologies to black fathers
Jack Mirkinson, Huffington Post: Geraldo Rivera Doubles Down On Trayvon Martin Hoodie Comments: 'Half Of It Is The Way The Young Men Look' (VIDEO)
Darryl E. Owens, Orlando Sentinel: Trayvon Martin: Revisiting 'The Talk' that black parents give to keep their children safe
Leonard Pitts Jr., Miami Herald: In Trayvon Martin’s death, consider race and privilege
Radio Ink: Radio Stations Rallying For Trayvon
Rochelle Riley, Detroit Free Press: Trayvon Martin's killing should move us to stop violence
Frances Robles, Miami Herald: Multiple suspensions paint complicated portrait of Trayvon Martin
Mary Sanchez, Kansas City Star: 'Stand your ground' laws deserve careful assessment

Ana Veciana Suarez, Miami Herald: The Sanford shooting of Trayvon Martin proves the stupidity of Florida law
Andre Tartar, New York magazine: Tragic Beating Death of Shaima Alawadi Feeds Into Trayvon Martin Race Debate
Marcus Vanderberg, FishbowlLA: Funny or Die Mocks Geraldo Rivera’s Hoodie Remarks
Jesse Washington, Associated Press: Trayvon Martin, my son, and the Black Male Code

Obama Aide Says GOP Will Rue "Obamacare" Term

"Senior White House adviser David Plouffe said Sunday that the White House is 'confident' its health care overhaul will be upheld as constitutional by the Supreme Court — and that, ultimately, Republicans are going to regret having branded it 'Obamacare,' " Lucy Madison reported Sunday for CBS News.

"The Supreme Court will hear arguments this week over the Obama administration's landmark Affordable Care Act, which celebrated its two-year anniversary last week."

Plouffe made his comments on "Fox News Sunday," whose host, Chris Wallace, was one of two Sunday talk-show hosts to use the "Obamacare" term to describe the health-care reform plan. The other was George Stephanopoulos of ABC's "This Week." Hosts on NBC, CBS, C-SPAN and CNN left that characterization to their Republican guests. Stephanopoulos did not respond to a request for comment.

As reported last week, major print-news organizations regard "Obamacare" as pejorative. Mara Liasson reported last week on NPR, "In polls that ask voters about 'health care reform,' the public looks equally divided. "Polls that refer specifically to the Obama health care law show more negative results."

In Columbia Journalism Review on Thursday, Trudy Lieberman noted that the health reform law would celebrate its two-year anniversary the next day.

"There are myriad ways to report on the Affordable Care Act and its sure-to-be-tumultuous future," she wrote. "Two stories showed up this week that illustrate two sides of health reform. The AP, which reaches zillions of ordinary people, reported — not surprisingly — on how the law has helped ordinary people. Politico, which reaches the Beltway types, described 'four hard truths of health care reform' in a piece meant to interest political types. Neither story would win five stars, but they are good starting points for more questions and dot connection."

Perry Bacon Jr., theGrio.com: Supreme Court health care hearings are critical for both Obama, millions of African-Americans
Yanick Rice Lamb, Afro-American newspapers: Supreme Court Health Reform Arguments — Day 1
Yanick Rice Lamb, Afro-American newspapers: Day 2 -— Supreme Court Mixed on Minimum Coverage Mandate [March 27]
Marisa Treviño, Latina Lista blog: Approval for current course of healthcare reform drawn along racial lines

"Root 100" List Surprises With Education Level, Skin Tone

The Root 100, theRoot.com's annual list of "the most influential African Americans between the ages of 25 and 45," has impressed an academic with the number of recipients who hold at least a bachelor's degree, and "amazed" him with the number of female recipients who were light-skinned.

Amadu Jacky Kaba, a native of Liberia who teaches sociology at Seton Hall University, wrote about the 2011 list in "Talented Tenth: An Analysis of the 2011 Root Magazine’s 100 Most Influential Young Black Americans," written for the International Journal of Humanities and Social Science.

"Among the variables examined in this study are: place of birth, average age, gender/sex, skin tone, institutions where college or university degrees were earned, states and countries where those colleges or universities are located, and professions/job types," he wrote.

Asked what impressed him most, Kaba told Journal-isms by email, "Coming from a part of the world (West Africa) where parents and relatives pay a lot of attention to educational attainment, including cooking meals for teachers and taking it to their homes, I would consider the finding that at least 7 out of every 10 of them (70% out of 100, but over 18% of Blacks aged 25 and over in 2010) already have least a bachelor’s degree very important or significant.

"What makes this even more interesting is that this finding goes across professions or job types — Musicians/Artists, Journalists, Politicians, Religious figures, Entrepreneurs, etc. I believe that this will inspire young people who look up to them to work hard, stay out of trouble and do well in school."

He said of his findings on skin tone, "There is a very large academic literature on skin tone. I used this variable to explain to young people in West Africa or Africa, because they may consider someone like Cory Booker," the mayor of Newark, N.J., "as a White man. So this is to teach young people in Africa who might not know. When I started doing the research, I immediately saw that there were a lot more light skin awardees than their brown skin and dark skin counterparts, and I knew that it was because a good number of them are either mixed race or have relatives who are White. So I decided to use skin tone as one of my variables.

"For the three categories, if someone looks like Cory Booker, Melissa Harris-Perry, and Soledad O'Brien, then I categorize them under light skin. If someone with skin tone like Will.i.am or Kanye West, then I categorize them as dark skin. Finally, someone with skin tone like Tyler Perry and Marc Lamont Hill, I categorize them as brown skin. I knew from past research as I cited in the skin tone section of the paper that there appears to be more light skin Black females than Black males, but I was still amazed that within their gender, their proportion was 53 percent."

Sheryl Huggins Salomon, managing editor of theRoot.com, told Journal-isms by email, "We weren't aware of this study before today, but find its results to be fascinating. To identify and rank those on the 2011 list of The Root 100, we developed a formula that defines influence as the marriage of reach and substance (more info is here). Dr. Kaba's study sheds additional light on the complex forces shaping African American leadership across fields, and we applaud that effort."

Diversity in Ad Business: Resignation Tinged With Sadness

"The average ad-industry employee likely agrees the diversity issue is a very unfortunate situation," Ken Wheaton wrote Monday for Advertising Age. "One that should be remedied. By someone. But on a daily basis, he's likely to carry on, figuring for the most part the industry will evolve and that his nonwhite coworkers are content with the state of adland.

"The reality, according to a new study, is that a whopping 74% of minority employees in the industry agree that "My experience as an employee from a multicultural background is different from my colleagues'."

"The Impact Study, conducted by cross-cultural talent consultancy Tangerine-Watson, surveyed a total of 831 ad-industry professionals of various races and across general-market and ethnic shops between September and December of 2011.

"The study's numbers likely won't shock anyone who's paying attention to the issue. As 4A's CEO Nancy Hill said, 'It is very disenchanting, but not surprising at the same time.' Carol Watson, founder and CEO of Tangerine-Watson, called the results 'sad and concerning.'

"But one thing this survey provides is actual voices from those responding. What comes through is mostly a sense of resignation tinged with sadness."

Eight years ago, with the endorsement of chief executive officers from six of the industry's worldwide communications firms, the American Association of Advertising Agencies, known as 4A's, launched 'Operation Success,' a program to increase ethnic diversity and inclusiveness in key operational areas of the advertising business, according to news release at the time.

Judge Dismisses King Estate Suit Against Miss. Anchor

"A federal judge on Friday dismissed a lawsuit filed by the estate of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. seeking documents and other material connected to the civil rights leader from a Mississippi TV anchor," the Associated Press reported Friday from Jackson, Miss.

"The lawsuit was filed in September in U.S. District Court in Jackson against Howard Ballou, an anchor for Jackson-based WLBT-TV. The suit said Ballou's mother worked for King as a secretary from 1955 to 1960 and kept documents during the time King led the Montgomery Improvement Association and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference."

Unity: Journalists of Color Unveils New Logo

"UNITY: Journalists of Color today unveiled its new logo, an emblem symbolic of the organization's decision to expand and further diversify its alliance," the coalition announced on Monday.

"The logo represents the organization's brand and the unity of its alliance associations together committed to advancing diversity in news media. Current members of the alliance [include] the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA), the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ), the Native American Journalists Association (NAJA), and UNITY's newest alliance partner, the National Lesbian [&] Gay Journalists Association (NLJGA).

"The logo features a yellow and gray design with a prominent 'U' for Unity and 'J' for journalism. The four featherlike stripes reflect the four founding members of UNITY: Journalists of Color — AAJA, NAHJ, NAJA and the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) — and invoke the Phoenix, the mythical bird that rose renewed from its own ashes. The Phoenix is also the name of the first Native American newspaper, the Cherokee Phoenix, a weekly that first published in 1828 in New Echota, Ga."

The previous logo had symbols for AAJA, NAJA, NAHJ and NABJ, but NABJ pulled out last year and NLJGA subsequently joined.

Onica N. Makwakwa, executive director, told Journal-isms that a design team at Hargrove, Inc., donated its services pro bono.

Debra Adams Simmons Wins McGruder Award for Diversity

Debra Adams Simmons, editor of the Plain Dealer in Cleveland, was honored Monday as the 2012 winner of the Robert G. McGruder Award for Diversity from the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Kent State University. The award recognizes media professionals who encourage diversity in the field of journalism.

Lydia Esparra, an Emmy-winning anchor with WOIO-TV in Cleveland, was recognized at the annual McGruder luncheon as the 2012 Diversity in Media Distinguished Leadership Award winner.

Adams Simmons became editor of the Plain Dealer in 2010, promoted from managing editor. A graduate of the Maynard Institute's Management Training Program, she joined the Plain Dealer in September 2007. She was ousted the previous November as vice president and editor of the Akron (Ohio) Beacon Journal in a cost-cutting move by the new owners of the former Knight Ridder paper.

Adams Simmons had worked as deputy managing editor and metro editor at the Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, Va., before her time at the Beacon Journal. She has also worked at the Detroit Free Press, the Hartford (Conn.) Courant and the Syracuse (N.Y.) Herald-Journal.

Why Aren't J-Students of Color Learning Technology?

"I’m part of a relatively small community of African Americans who teach multimedia/online journalism at colleges and universities across the country," Michelle Johnson, associate professor of the practice, multimedia journalism at Boston University, wrote Monday for Amy Alexander's Community Forum. "When we talk (and we do talk, in various online forums and when we meet up at conferences), some of us express disappointment that some students of color avoid the kinds of courses we teach when they’re not required, and sometimes perform poorly in them.

". . . I’m seeing that many of the students of color lack experience with the tools and technologies that will be fundamental to journalism innovation going forward. And this comes at a time when funding for training programs for students of color has shrunk, along with the bottom lines of the news industry and professional associations.

"I'm not clear if the students themselves realize the stiff competition they're facing. Here's an example of what I’m seeing when I’m weeding through 100-plus applications to fill 20 or fewer spots for a program or scholarship: Applicant One not only launched an online publication, but did the coding to build it, launched it with funds that they won through pitching at an entrepreneurial journalism contest, and they've included a detailed analysis of what they'd do with the training/funds if they're selected. Applicant Two offers up a short, unfocused paragraph with few details or accomplishments listed.

"Faced with that scenario, I’ve had to reject Applicant Two more than once. Sometimes if they show a spark of promise, but haven't had the exposure or opportunities afforded to other applicants, they'll make the cut, with the understanding that they'll receive some additional mentoring. Applicant Two isn't always a student of color, but painfully, many times they are."

Short Takes

". . . Of all of the part-time jobs that I have held outside of my chosen profession, the one that has caused people to most question my rationality and mental state, has been my work as a substitute teacher," Dallas journalist Linda Jones wrote Sunday for opensalon.com. ". . . What many of them fail to realize is that I am a former news reporter. What substitute teachers go through is really not that much different from what I did for decades. . . . So here is my a list of 10 survival tips created specifically for former news writers who are considering subbing when reporting wasn’t enough."
Alicia Quarles, global entertainment and lifestyles editor for the Associated Press, joins E! News, "the global leader for celebrity and entertainment news," on April 3 as the New York-based television Correspondent, the media outlet announced on Monday. Quarles will "solidify E!’s presence in New York while also obtaining and reporting on all aspects of entertainment news."
A Black Enterprise magazine article, "Black & Gay in Corporate America" by Carolyn M. Brown, tied for "outstanding magazine article" at the 23rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards staged Friday by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. GLAAD also awarded several honors in the Spanish-language category. [TalkingBizNews added Tuesday, "In accepting the GLAAD award, Brown thanked cover subject Sabin D. Blake, a dealer organizational manager for General Motors Corp., who came forward after keeping his sexual orientation hidden for years while navigating the professional obstacles of being African American and gay."]
"ABC News has hired Alex Perez as a Chicago-based correspondent, ABC News president Ben Sherwood announced today," Merrill Knox reported Monday for TVNewser. "Perez joins ABC News from WMAQ, the NBC-owned local station in Chicago, where he has been a reporter and anchor for six years. . . . Perez is the third recent ABC News hire from NBC Chicago."
"When Ebony Marshman heard about the death of foreign correspondent Anthony Shadid in February through Twitter, she was surprised how moved she was at the news," according to Western Kentucky University. "Marshman, a senior visual arts student at WKU and Central Hardin High School graduate, decided to paint a watercolor portrait of Shadid. . . . When she completed her portrait, Marshman posted a copy on Twitter, which she uses for news and networking. Through a series of retweets, the image found its way to Nada Bakri, Shadid’s widow. Bakri then tweeted Marshman and asked for a hard copy of the portrait."
Christopher John Farley, a senior editor at the Wall Street Journal who produces its Speakeasy section, was among the guests at Aretha Franklin's 70th birthday party Saturday in New York. "We were pleasantly surprised to find that the gathering was an intimate affair — maybe 80 people or so? — and just about the only person that really didn’t seem to belong there was us," Farley wrote. "We love to attend parties that we wouldn’t have invited ourselves to. The other guests included activist Al Sharpton, music executive Clive Davis and academic Michael Eric Dyson."
"With two of them governors, four billionaires and over a score sitting in high places in government, Indian Americans not only keep making news but have also emerged as major players in American media, the Times of India reported on March 18. It named prominent Indian-Americans in broadcast and print and concluded, "Hundreds of lesser known Indian Americans are among the producers, reporters, copy editors and production assistants, bringing Americans their daily news — showing how far [Indian Americans] have come in the media world where only a few of them commanded bylines in the 1990s."
Some 175 people, including Ramsey Clark, former U.S. attorney general, turned out in Washington Friday for a three-hour tribute to Askia Muhammad, news director of Pacifica’s WPFW-FM, columnist for the Washington Informer, host of a WPFW jazz show and former editor of Muhammad Speaks newspaper. The event honored Muhammad's four decades as an independent journalist. "It was grand," Muhammad told Journal-isms.
Diana Munatones, said to have been at one time the highest-ranking Latina in television broadcast management, died March 18 in Arcadia, Calif. She was 66, according to the EGP Newspapers. "In a statement announcing Munatones' passing, family and friends recalled that Diana started out as a television production assistant, and worked her way up through the various ranks of television to become a producer, host, writer and director of many cable, local and network television programs in English and Spanish. . . . By 1977, as Director of Community Broadcast Relations at KNXT and Director of Special Projects for CBS Inc, Munatones was the highest-ranking Latina in television broadcast management." She later was director of communications for the Los Angeles Unified School District.
The National Association of Caribbean-American Journalists is planning its third bi-annual meeting at the New York Times headquarters in New York on May 31 and June 1. The theme is "Styling Black Identities: Reclaiming the Past, Building the Future." For more information on the group, visit http://www.nacaj.org/.
"Last week’s sentencing of a Bolivian news magazine editor convicted of slandering a government lawyer to two-and-a-half years in prison underscores the urgency with which Bolivia must revisit its criminal-defamation laws," the International Press Institute said on Friday. "The editor, Rogelio Peláez of Larga Vista, had been the defendant in a suit brought by Walter Molina, whom Peláez had accused of collective excessive attorney fees while representing the government in a case involving the country’s social-security program. A La Paz judge found Peláez guilty of defamation and slander as well as a third offense, the distribution of slanderous material, news reports said."

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ESPN Ends Ban on Staffers Shown in Hoodies

princeeditor — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 22:30:46 +0000

March 25, 2012

"We have decided to allow this particular expression of human sympathy"; NABJ board hears strategy from Martin family lawyer; CNN cuts back staff for "In America" documentaries; Bloomberg TV lays off up to 30 in shift to digital advice for the laid-off from one who's been there; eight-city radio ad campaign targets Rush Limbaugh; N.Y. Daily News creates web section for South Asians; Spanish-language Siempre Mujer to hold music festival; Roll Call has become diverse — or maybe not; black Protestants more likely to see religion-friendly media; during coup in Mali, media become a primary target (3/23/12 - 3/25/12)

"We Have Decided to Allow This Particular Expression of Human Sympathy"

NABJ Board Hears Strategy From Martin Family Lawyer

CNN Cuts Back Staff for "In America" Documentaries

Bloomberg TV Lays Off Up to 30 in Shift to Digital

Advice for the Laid-Off From One Who's Been There

Eight-City Radio Ad Campaign Targets Rush Limbaugh

N.Y.

CNN Cuts Back Staff for "In America" Documentaries

CNN is severely cutting back the staff that puts together the "In America" documentaries that began with "Black in America" and "Latino in America," and those who remain must reapply for their jobs, sources at the network told Journal-isms on Friday.

A CNN spokeswoman would not respond to a question about the number of cuts, saying only in an email, "The In America series, including Black In America and Latino in America, will continue. In addition, we are expanding the In America section on CNN.com, to ensure even more multicultural coverage within CNN.com reporting."

Alex Weprin reported Thursday for TVNewser that CNN laid off "dozens of employees" in its two documentary units.

"In a statement, the channel says that while it will continue to produce in-house docs – such as the 'In America' series – much of its long-form journalism will now come from outside production companies.

"The reorganized unit will have one documentary team focused on producing and acquiring docs, and a second team dedicated to investigative reporting on weekdays."

The inaugural "Black in America" series, shown in July 2008, drew 13 million viewers. In 2010, its host, Soledad O'Brien, was named Journalist of the Year by the National Association of Black Journalists. "Latino in America" aired in 2009 and "Gay in America" in 2010. The series continued with other "Black in America" topics.

Mark Nelson, vice president and senior executive producer for CNN Productions, said the project was born of the channel's diversity initiative, Felicia R. Lee reported in 2008 for the New York Times.

"The channel's executives concluded that too many reports in the news media about black lives were told in mostly negative snippets and deserved a bigger platform. 'What's a more complex story in America than race?' Mr. Nelson asked."

Bloomberg TV Lays Off Up to 30 in Shift to Digital

"TVNewser has learned Bloomberg TV has laid off up to 30 reporters, producers, associate producers, editors and other staffers this morning as the company shifts to a digital-centric newsroom," Chris Ariens wrote Thursday for TVNewser.

"As TV employees are cut, Bloomberg plans to add 13 new positions and create a Digital Video Desk focused on moving video productions to web platforms, including tablets, smartphones and desktops. Among those let go[:] Cris Valerio, a San Francisco-based technology reporter and host of the weekly show 'Venture,' which was canceled last year."

Advice for the Laid-Off From One Who's Been There

The number of African American male journalists who have been fired, laid off or made to resign recently — Sunni Khalid of public radio station WYPR in Baltimore is the latest example — prompted an inquiry to Wil LaVeist, a Hampton, Va., journalist whose 2006 firing from Johnson Publishing Co. led to his self-published 2008 paperback, "Fired Up: How to Win When You Lose Your Job."

He replied:

"My advice to all journalists, but specifically black men who have been fired, is to lock in on 'Me Inc.' Don't spend too much time focusing on whether you've been treated unfairly, unless of course you have a legal case. That's wasted energy.

"For black men, there's no time to pout about 'the burden of being a black man in America.' Besides, blacks and other people of color who have influence in newsrooms are often involved in firing or not standing up for fellow minorities on the chopping block, so pouting is a waste of your energy.

"If you have a young family like I did in 2006 when I got fired (a wife and two of my three children still in high school), plus a mortgage to pay and lights to keep on in your house, you know that failure is not an option. All eyes are on you.

"Take inventory of all of your assets, including your transferable communication skills and put them to work for YOU immediately. Be open to new opportunities. You'll be pleasantly amazed by the truth of the biblical principle 'a man's gifts will make a way for him.'

"Also, do not neglect your health; if you don't take care of your body you won't be able to enjoy the fruits of your labor (or worse, you won't be around), so what's the point?

"Lastly, realize that going forward, you must have multiple revenue streams. Even if you get another job, make sure that you have a legit business on the side — a family business, perhaps. When one stream dries up, you'll still have another to drink from."

Eight-City Radio Ad Campaign Targets Rush Limbaugh

"Rush Limbaugh's opponents are starting a radio campaign against him Thursday, seizing upon the radio star's attack of a Georgetown law student as a 'slut' to make a long-term effort aimed at weakening his business," David Bauder reported for the Associated Press.

"The liberal Media Matters for America is using a past campaign against Glenn Beck as a template. In Limbaugh, however, they're going after bigger game. He's already fighting back and the group's stance has provoked concerns that an effort to silence someone for objectionable talk is in itself objectionable.

". . . Ad time was purchased in Boston; Chicago; Detroit; Seattle; Milwaukee; St. Louis; Macon, Ga.; and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The cities were selected to support active local campaigns against Limbaugh or because of perceptions Limbaugh may be vulnerable in that market, said Angelo Carusone of Media Matters."

Bob Ray Sanders, Fort Worth Star-Telegram: Talk radio a little more civil after Limbaugh controversy

N.Y. Daily News Creates Web Section for South Asians

"NYDailyNews.com, the fifth largest newspaper website in the United States, and NewsCred, a platform that connects brands and publishers with the world's best journalism, today revealed an online editorial section designed to serve the South Asian community in the Tri-state area and across the country," News Cred and the Daily News announced on Wednesday.

"The 'Desi News' section, accessible on NYDailyNews.com, will utilize NewsCred's SmartPress technology to deliver customized content on Indian politics, entertainment, cricket, and US-Indian relations from leading international publishers.

" 'The New York metropolitan area has seen a growing interest in news — from an American perspective — about India, Bangladesh and the surrounding Pan-Asian areas as that community thrives throughout New York and New Jersey, as well as across the country,' said Steve Lynas, Senior Vice President of Daily News Digital.

". . . With a range of respected and proven journalism sources, NewsCred will provide Daily News editors with access to fully licensed articles and images from over 750 publications of interest to this growing community. The 'Desi News' section will be refreshed daily with relevant content custom-tailored and curated by NewsCred's SmartPress technology."

Spanish-Language Siempre Mujer to Hold Music Festival

"Spanish-language title Siempre Mujer is aiming to expand its brand presence with the first Siempre Mujer Music Festival," Stefanie Botelho wrote Wednesday for Folio:.

"The June 16th event will begin with a free family-friendly daytime program of editorially inspired seminars and activities, with a ticketed nighttime concert closing the festival. Ford is signed on as the Charleston, South Carolina event’s presenting sponsor.

"Enedina Vega-Amaez, vice president/publisher with Meredith’s Hispanic Ventures and Siempre Mujer, talks about the goal of the launch[:] 'It’s about getting our name out to the marketplace. We’re still a young magazine [Siempre Mujer debuted in September 2005], and this is a great opportunity to interface with the marketplace.' "

Siempre Mujer, published six times a year by Meredith Corp., which also produces such magazines as Ladies Home Journal, recorded a circulation of 510,765 for 2011, up 9.7 percent over 2010.

The annual Essence Music Festival, held last year over the Fourth of July weekend in New Orleans, drew more than 422,000 people, in the process publicizing Essence Communications products, including Essence magazine.

Roll Call Has Become Diverse — Or Maybe Not

A war of words between CQ Roll Call, a Capitol Hill newspaper, and its former internship coordinator might give the impression that the publication has compiled a stellar diversity record.

Debra Bruno wrote Wednesday for the Christian Science Monitor, ". . . I was told that out of three interns hired each semester at Roll Call, one of them had to be from a racial minority: African-American, Hispanic, Asian, South Asian, Native American. . . . It was part of an overall push to improve diversity at the newspaper, which is owned by The Economist Group."

Mike Mills, the paper's editorial director, protested, "Ms. Bruno is wrong. Our policy is to strive to bring in as many candidates from diverse backgrounds as possible, not to tip the scale in anyone's favor. Her allegation does a disservice to the many employees who were hired during her tenure."

That aside, how successful was Roll Call's diversity effort? "We don't discuss personnel matters at CQ Roll Call," spokeswoman Rebecca Gale told Journal-isms on Friday. She repeated Mills' statement about Bruno.

Since 1978, hundreds of news organizations have participated annually in the American Society of News Editors' annual diversity census. ASNE decided then, "There should be at least an annual accounting by ASNE of minority employment, including not just total jobs but types of positions held."

Results from the latest survey, listed by publication, are to be announced on April 3.

Apparently, Roll Call's "personnel matters" won't be among them.

Black Protestants More Likely to See Religion-Friendly Media

Black Protestants and those who are unaffiliated are most likely to view news reporters and the news media as friendly toward religion. White evangelicals are least likely, according to a survey from the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.

". . . A majority of Republicans (56%) see the media as unfriendly to religion, while most Democrats and independents say reporters are neutral or friendly to religion," the center reported on Wednesday. "About half of white evangelicals in the survey (53%) say reporters and the news media are unfriendly toward religion. Among other religious groups, half or more rate the news media as neutral or friendly to religion."

Among black Protestants, 27 percent said news reporters and the media are friendly toward religion; 37 percent said they were neutral, and 30 percent said unfriendly.

Overall, "slightly more than half of the public (54%) says that churches should keep out of politics, compared with 40% who say religious institutions should express their views on social and political matters. This is the third consecutive poll conducted over the past four years in which more people have said churches and other houses of worship should keep out of politics than said they should express their views on social and political topics. By contrast, between 1996 and 2006 the balance of opinion on this question consistently tilted in the opposite direction."

Nadra Kareem Nittle, Maynard Institute for Journalism Education: Media Coverage of Evangelical Christians Ignores Blacks and Latinos

During Coup in Mali, Media Become a Primary Target

In the West African nation of Mali, "Reporters Without Borders condemns the occupation of the headquarters of the state radio and TV broadcaster ORTM by renegade soldiers since yesterday and the interruption of broadcasting by many other radio and TV stations as a result of an apparent military coup against President Amadou Toumani Touré," the press freedom group said on Thursday.

" 'Whether this is a real coup or just a mutiny, we are appalled that soldiers have occupied the state broadcaster and taken control of its broadcasts,' Reporters Without Borders said. 'As it is often the case in such circumstances, control of news and information is primordial and the media are among the mutineers’ first targets.

" 'The state media are now broadcasting the same message over and over, while the privately-owned broadcast media were suspended to prevent independent coverage of what is going on. All the journalists who cannot go to work have our support, and our thoughts go out to the people of Mali, who have been deprived of so many sources of information.'

"Soldiers overran ORTM at around 4 p.m. yesterday, firing into the air inside the complex and forcing all the personnel to leave. At around 4 a.m. today, they broadcast a communiqué announcing a curfew and the dissolution of state institutions. This communiqué has been broadcast repeatedly on state radio and TV ever since."

Elizabeth Dickinson, World Affairs: Mali's Colonel Coup Syndrome
Corey Flintoff, NPR: Mali’s Coup: Echoes From a Turbulent Past
Mohamed Keita, Committee to Protect Journalists: With coup, quiet #Mali generates noise on Twitter

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