FBI Terrorist List: Guilty by Association?
Writers of color share their concerns about privacy and surveillance.
"Let me put it this way," began Salim Muwakkil, the veteran Chicago writer, in a Facebook posting Wednesday. "I've known Assata Shakur from the days when she was known as Joanne Chesimard.
"What's more, while working as a journalist for the Associated Press, I covered the deadly encounter on the NJ Turnpike that resulted in her imprisonment. Thus, I have a rather specialized knowledge of her case. I consider her a victim rather than criminal and have written sympathetically about her plight.
"Assata recently was placed on the FBI's 10 most wanted terrorist list. Am I now considered a terrorist associate vulnerable to NSA targeting?" he continued, referring to the National Security Agency.
"With that security agency reportedly in possession of all my tele-communications' contacts, can they now be data mined for any 'incriminating' evidence[?] What about those hundreds of people on my contact lists? Are they similarly implicated in associating with someone who once associated with someone now deemed a terrorist? These are not just idle questions and point to the real threat of a national security state."
As more information about the extent of government surveillance surfaces, others are sharing similar concerns. Last week, the Poynter Institute published "6 ways journalists can keep their reporting materials private & off-the-record" by Beth Winegarner.
Among Winegarner's suggestions: "Get old school." "Run your own mail server." "Encrypt or go anonymous." "Don't keep anything online." "Stay off the phone." "Consult a lawyer." She referred readers to the Electronic Frontier Foundation's Surveillance Self-Defense site, created "to educate the American public about the law and technology of government surveillance in the United States, providing the information and tools necessary to evaluate the threat of surveillance and take appropriate steps to defend against it."
Meanwhile, the conversation about Edward Snowden, the former employee of government contractor Booz Allen Hamilton whose leak of NSA documents has dominated the headlines all week, turned to whether he should be considered a hero or a traitor.
In an interview with the South China Morning Post, Snowden told reporter Lana Lam: "I'm neither traitor nor hero. I'm an American."
David Simon, creator of television's "The Wire" and a former Baltimore Sun reporter, did not think Snowden disclosed much new. Simon wrote on his blog, "Having labored as a police reporter in the days before the Patriot Act, I can assure all there has always been a stage before the wiretap, a preliminary process involving the capture, retention and analysis of raw data. It has been so for decades now in this country. The only thing new here, from a legal standpoint, is the scale on which the FBI and NSA are apparently attempting to cull anti-terrorism leads from that data. But the legal and moral principles? Same old stuff. . . ."
Clarence Page, syndicated Chicago Tribune columnist, agreed. "The NSA phone sweeps are a large-scale version of police tracking the calls -- but not content -- on pay phones (remember those?) that were frequented by drug dealers. As a character on 'The Wire' used to say, 'Things change but the game stays the same.'
"Those who fear constitutional breaches should first read the Constitution. It is not biblical scripture. It is often conditional, as in the Fourth Amendment's protections against 'unreasonable searches.' The 10 Commandments, by contrast, do not permit 'reasonable adultery.' . . ."
Leonard Pitts Jr., the syndicated Miami Herald columnist, took the opposing view. "If ever tyranny overtakes this land of the sometimes free and home of the intermittently brave, it probably won't, contrary to the fever dreams of gun rights extremists, involve jack-booted government thugs rappelling down from black helicopters," he wrote. "Rather, it will involve changes to words on paper many have forgotten or never knew, changes that chip away until they strip away, precious American freedoms.
"It will involve a trade of sorts, an inducement to give up the reality of freedom for the illusion of security. Indeed, the bargain has already been struck. . . ."
Mumia Abu-Jamal, Prison Radio: Big Brother Phone Surveillance (podcast)
David Bauder, Associated Press: Media: No mistaking how NSA story reporter feels
Wayne Bennett, the Field Negro: The convenient [Constitution].
Jonathan Capehart, Washington Post: Edward Snowden isn't exactly a hero
Irin Carmon, Salon: How we broke the NSA story
Editorial, USA Today: NSA whistle-blower hero or villain? Our view
Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting: Pundits vs. Edward Snowden
Glen Ford, Black Agenda Report: Rep. Clyburn: Putting Obama First - Civil Liberties, Peace, Justice, and Reality Last
Thomas L. Friedman, New York Times: Blowing a Whistle
Amy Goodman and Nermeen Shaikh, "Democracy Now!": Is Edward Snowden a Hero? A Debate with Journalist Chris Hedges & Law Scholar Geoffrey Stone
The Grio: Little backlash against Obama from Congress, public on controversial surveillance programs
Nikolas Kozloff, Al Jazeera: Edward Snowden and Washington's revolving-door culture
Howard Kurtz, CNN: Leakers seek out advocacy journalists
Andrew Leonard, Salon: Edward Snowden: A libertarian hero
Julianne Malveaux, National Newspaper Publishers Association: Is 'Big Brother' racially biased?
Dylan Matthews, Washington Post: No, Edward Snowden probably didn't commit treason
Tony Norman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: NSA's intrusions are quite a wake-up call
Mark Trahant, Indian Country Today Media Network: Indian Country's Data Scandal: Invisibility
Erik Wemple, Washington Post: CNN coverage on ground floor of IRS scandal!
DeWayne Wickham, USA Today: U.S.-China cyber spying not a big surprise
Armstrong Williams blog: Privacy [Concerns] (via Facebook)
Magazines' "New Golden Age" Looks Like the Pale Old Age
"An upscale men's magazine decided to praise [its] favorite magazine editors' work, declaring boldly a 'New Golden Age' on its cover," Connor Simpson wrote Tuesday for the Atlantic Wire. "Except there's one small diversity problem: all the editors basking in this new golden age are white dudes. . . ."
Simpson noted that for its efforts, "Port is getting taken to task on Twitter and other realms of the Internet. 'Don't you buncha jerks dare forget about the relevance of white men at legacy brands!' said Gawker's Cord Jefferson. "The 'new golden age of publishing' only features white men, obvi," added [BuzzFeed's] Rosie Gray. 'Hey [Port magazine], you don't admire a single lady magazine editor?' wondered Spry's Katie Neal. 'If I'd known all it took to make a Golden Age was a bunch of white dudes in suits I'd've started one a long time ago,' chimed another. It was posted to the 100 Percent Men tumblr real quick. 'So, based on the makeup of Crowe's expert panel, are we meant to conclude that white men are the future of magazines?' Salon's Katie McDonough asks," Simpson continued, referring to Port magazine editor-in-chief Dan Crowe.
" 'In which case, shouldn't Port re-title its feature to something like "a new pale, male age" of magazines or something more descriptive of its content?' That doesn't seem like a half bad idea. And so on and so on the outrage train went. . . ."
Ruth Franklin blog: An open letter to a few good magazine editors; or, "I'm mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore"
Soledad O'Brien to Join "Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel"
"Soledad O'Brien has inked an overall content development deal with HBO and also will join the network's award-winning sports journalism program Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel," Marisa Guthrie reported Wednesday for the Hollywood Reporter. "The deal lets HBO have first look at scripted projects and long-form programming concepts developed by O'Brien's Starfish Media Group.
"O'Brien's first piece is about an innovative regimen at a San Diego fight club that helps veterans combat mental illness and PTSD. It will air on the June 25 edition of Real Sports.
"Real Sports" airs monthly. Guthrie added, "O'Brien left CNN earlier this year after incoming CNN Worldwide president Jeff Zucker set about revamping the network's ill-fated morning show, which O'Brien had been hosting. At CNN, she was responsible for the Black in America and Latino in America franchises. A graduate of Harvard University, she will serve as a visiting fellow for the 2013-14 school year at the university's Graduate School of Education."
Rosa Flores, Baton Rouge Anchor, Joins CNN
"CNN has named Rosa Flores as correspondent, it was announced today by Terence Burke, Vice President of Newsgathering for CNN/U.S. She will start in July and will be based in New York City," CNN said on Wednesday.
The announcement added, "In addition to her role as correspondent Flores will serve as substitute anchor.
"Throughout her career Flores covered a variety of national, state and local stories. Before joining CNN, she anchored the late afternoon newscast at WBRZ, the ABC affiliate in Baton Rouge. . . ."
CNN President Jeff Zucker was criticized by leaders of the National Association of Black Journalists and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists after his failure to include journalists of color among his first few appointments.
Alex Weprin, TVNewser: CNN Targeting Younger Viewers To Attract New Advertisers
Trahant Appointed Journalism Chair at U. of Alaska
"Journalist Mark Trahant will serve as the 20th Atwood Chair of Journalism at the University of Alaska Anchorage. The position brings nationally known journalists to teach courses and speak to students, journalists and the public in Alaska," the university announced on Tuesday.
"Trahant is the former editor of the editorial page for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, where he chaired the daily editorial board, directed a staff of writers, editors and a cartoonist. He [is] chairman and chief executive officer at the Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education and a former columnist at The Seattle Times. He has been publisher of the Moscow-Pullman Daily News in Moscow, Idaho; executive news editor of The Salt Lake Tribune; a reporter at the Arizona Republic in Phoenix; and has worked at several tribal newspapers. . . . "
TJ Holmes Breaks N-Word Pledge
The Don't Sleep host explains why he makes exceptions on occasion.
T.J. Holmes Breaks Pledge Not to Use N-Word
CNN anchor-turned-BET host T.J. Holmes said Wednesday he had broken a pledge he made in an essay for the Grio in July: to stop using the N-Word.
"As soon as I walk out of this room, I'm probably going to drop it 20 times before I get downstairs" [video] Holmes, 35, said on "The Breakfast Club" on New York's WWPR-FM, which calls itself Power 105.1. "I went through a thing about giving up the N-Word," but "I had to bring it back." Holmes agreed with one of the show's hosts, known as "Charlamagne Tha God," that "there's just certain folks you run into and there ain't no other word you can come up with . . . We all know it's a vile, it's a disgusting word and I don't think it necessarily should have a place."
He added, "We have normalized and sanitized the word in such a way. There's young white kids, they don't know anything about civil rights or struggle. All they know is they hear their favorite rapper using it all the time, so it must be all right."
In his Grio essay, Holmes had written, "Still, even if a younger generation of non-blacks doesn't fully understand the history of the n-word, everyone understands a general rule: we (blacks) can say it, and you (everybody else) can't. Beyond that, I really can't give you a good reason why I use it. I like saying it? It's the most accurate way of describing certain people? It's how I want to express my deep affection for my male friends? None of those reasons really fly.
". . . My problem has been that no one ever held me accountable for my, at times, gratuitous use of the n-word. So, while I can toil endlessly about who I do and don't mind saying the n-word, I never stopped to think that maybe there are people who don't want to hear that word from me. There are plenty of black people who don't want to hear fellow blacks use the n-word, but we give each other a pass. Stop."
BET announced last week that it is scaling back "Don't Sleep," the network's late-night, half-hour vehicle for Holmes, from half an hour Monday through Thursday to an hour once a week. Holmes said the talk show is aimed at 25-to-34 year-olds and that it would take time for viewers not used to watching BET to find it. "I didn't know where BET was on my cable lineup when they called and started talking about the show," Holmes acknowledged on "The Breakfast Club."
Rahiel Tesfamariam, Washington Post: Who's to blame for sleeping on 'Don't Sleep!'? Not the viewers. (Nov. 16)
Members to Vote on Restoring Longtime Name
The name "Unity: Journalists of Color" or a variation is likely to return as the name for the coalition of Hispanic, Asian American, Native American and lesbian and gay journalists if the Unity board adopts any of the recommendations to be circulated soon to members of those associations.
The coalition changed its name to "Unity Journalists" in April after it admitted the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, which warned that its members might boycott Unity's summer convention if the words "Journalists of Color" were not dropped from the coalition's name.
However, the name change prompted a backlash from many who said Unity was veering from its history and purpose. Among them were members of the National Association of Black Journalists, which left the coalition last year over governance and financial issues, and which Unity is trying to woo back.
"Here's the ballot being sent to eligible UNITY alliance group members starting this week," Janet Cho, a Unity board member from the Asian American Journalists Association, told Journal-isms by email on Wednesday:
"Dear UNITY alliance members:
"The UNITY Board created the UNITY Name Task Force to address our members' concerns about how our previous name, 'UNITY: Journalists of Color Inc.' was changed to 'UNITY: Journalists Inc.' without their input at our April Board meeting. The Board unanimously agreed to find a name that better reflected our expanded coalition.
"Thank you to the many members who submitted 107 ideas on UNITY's name. Based on your feedback, we are offering you three choices. Please select only the one name you think best represents the UNITY alliance:
"____A. UNITY: Journalists of Color Inc.
"____B. UNITY: Journalists of Color & Diversity Inc.
"____C. UNITY: Journalists of Color & for Diversity Inc.
"Please return your ballot before midnight EST Thursday, Dec. 13, so that the Task Force can present the results of this vote to the entire UNITY Board."
Cho added that 52 people submitted the 107 names to the UNITYname@gmail.com inbox, which Cho and Walt Swanston, the interim executive director, monitored. "Not all of them self-identified as members of a UNITY alliance group, but I can confirm that we got submissions from members of all five groups (NAJA, AAJA, NAHJ, NLGJA and NABJ).
"I asked each of the six UNITY Name Task Force members (including NABJ rep Benet Wilson) send their top three choices to Walt, and we chose the three finalists from the names in that pool.
"After the associations all vote by Dec. 13 and send their results to Walt, the Task Force will be making a recommendation to the UNITY Board (based on that membership vote) on what name to adopt. The board vote hasn't been scheduled yet, but will probably take place after that, in mid-December."
Although NABJ members will not have an official say, Wilson put together a poll on the name choices for NABJ. "Our votes will not count, but the results will be submitted for consideration," Wilson said.
Why People of Color Own So Few Broadcast Outlets
When the FCC reported last week that African Americans owned only 10 television stations in 2011, or less than 1 percent of the total, some Journal-isms readers speculated on the reason.
"Appears they simply may not consider owning TV stations to be profitable investments," wrote one. "Was it because of Affirmative Action or Diversity programs that they have 10??" asked another. "Maybe black investors have been spending their money elsewhere. Maybe TV stations in general aren't very profitable, or aren't worth the hassle," a third said.
David Honig, whose Minority Media Telecommunications Council follows minority ownership issues and brokers ownership of broadcast outlets, provided an answer on Tuesday. He addressed television and radio ownership by Asian Americans, Hispanics and Native Americans as well.
". . . The real reasons for the decline in minority ownership are well known," Honig wrote.
"Access to capital. Advertisers' 'no urban' and 'no Spanish' instructions to ad agencies not to place ads on stations targeting customers they don't want patronizing their stores.
"Employment discrimination. Sampling deficiencies in radio ratings. The recession coupled with the 20:1 racial wealth gap. The loss of the 1978 Tax Certificate Policy that quintupled minority ownership until Congress repealed it in 1995. And the FCC's failure to consider nearly four dozen proposed remedial measures."
Honig wrote, "People of color -- 36% of the population -- own just 5.1% of commercial full power TV stations and 8.0% of commercial full power radio stations. The statistics by racial group and by type of broadcast service are generally either stagnant or declining, as they have been for the past 12 years.
"On the ground, the situation is even worse than the raw numbers suggest. Most minority-owned stations are small. They typically operate on inferior frequencies or from outlying transmitter locations. Thus, minority asset value in radio and television has hovered for years around the 1% mark, even though spectrum is a public resource like the national parks."
He listed three examples:
Enabling AM broadcasters to migrate to new frequencies now used by TV channels 5 and 6; relaxing restrictions on foreign investment in domestic broadcasting to provide greater access to capital to American broadcasters, especially minorities; and allowing a broadcaster to own an additional station in a market when it brings into being an independently owned new voice through such "incubation" methods as providing financing.
Craig Aaron, Free Press: Why Is the Obama FCC Plotting a Massive Giveaway to Rupert Murdoch?
William Reed, Washington Informer: Where Did Black Radio Go?
Joseph Torres, New America Media/Free Press: FCC Abandons Diversity, Embraces Rupert Murdoch
Israeli Strikes Kill Three Journalists in Gaza
Two Israeli airstrikes killed three journalists in the Gaza Strip Tuesday. In Cairo, meanwhile, Egyptian protesters firebombed one of the offices of satellite broadcaster Al-Jazeera on Wednesday, according to news reports.
The actions took place before Wednesday's cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas, ending eight days of fighting that killed more than 140 Palestinians and five Israelis, NBC News reported.
"According to the cease-fire agreement: Israel will stop attacks on Gaza by land, sea and air and stop incursions and targeted assassinations; Palestinian factions will stop hostilities from the Gaza Strip against Israel; Israel will ease the movement of people and goods at border-crossing areas," NBC said.
The Associated Press reported that "Two of those killed were cameramen working for Al Aqsa TV, the centerpiece of a growing Hamas media empire, said station head Mohammed Thouraya. The two were driving in a car with press markings in Gaza City on Tuesday afternoon, shortly after wrapping up an assignment at the city's Shifa Hospital, Thouraya added.
"The station said the car was hit by a missile and broadcast the aftermath, with the vehicle consumed by flames. Thouraya said the bodies of the two, Mohammed al-Koumi and Hussam Salam, were badly burned.
"Later Tuesday, another Israeli missile killed an employee for Al Quds Educational Radio, a private station, said Ashraf al-Kidra, a Gaza health official. Mohammed Abu Eisha died when his car was hit in the central Gaza town of Deir el-Balah, al-Kidra said.
"Lt. Col. Avital Leibovich, an Israeli military spokeswoman, said a preliminary investigation showed all three were Hamas operatives, but would not elaborate."
International press-freedom organizations criticized Israel.
"We're alarmed by the mounting toll on journalists in Gaza," said Sherif Mansour, Middle East and North Africa program coordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists. "Israeli airstrikes continue to put journalists in harm's way. This reflects the risks journalists face while reporting on conflict, especially in such a densely populated area."
In Cairo, "The protesters hit the studio overlooking Tahrir Square with Molotov cocktails, engulfing it in flames. In a televised interview from inside the gutted office, reporter Ahmed el-Dassouki said around 300 protesters approached the building before noon, shouting obscenities," the Associated Press reported.
"He said they set the place on fire, stormed the building, and looted the studio. 'They accuse our network of being biased and not objective,' he said. Many protesters had accused the channel of supporting the country's most powerful political force, the Muslim Brotherhood. . . ."
Agence France-Presse: Egypt's Al-Jazeera office attacked
Max Fisher, Washington Post: 9 questions about Israel-Gaza you were too embarrassed to ask
Jillian Kestler-D'Amours, Inter-Press Service: Assault Provokes Support for Hamas in West Bank
Askia Muhammad, Washington Informer: Israeli Aggression in the Holy Land
Reporters Without Borders: Three journalists killed in deliberate attacks by Israeli planes
Eugene Robinson, Washington Post: In Gaza, status quo won't do
Nour Samaha, Al Jazeera: Gaza journalists defiant in face of attacks
The Telegraph, London: Chilling live tweets as windows shatter around journalists in Gaza City
Radio Host Suspended After Racist Obama Post
"Perhaps another case of a radio host not thinking before using Social Media," RadioInk reported on Wednesday. "And clearly a sign of how quickly you can get into trouble and jeopardize your job when emotions take over logic. WNWS is in Jackson, TN and host Bill Way . . . is off the air after he made a Facebook post about President Obama that a lot of people took offense to. Here's a portion of the Way FB post.
" 'A short message to Obama voters. To vote for him with a 9.2 unemployment rate, $16,000,000,000 in debt and an israeli war, a pimp walking prez married to cheetahs daughter...expect what you will most certainly get. bye bye medicare. hello homeless.. I love America except for the idiots.' Way apologized for his comments but it was too little too late. The NAACP quickly jumped in and criticized Way.
"General Manager Larry Wood told the local newspaper he learned about the comments Way made on his personal Facebook page. 'In no way do they reflect the positions or thoughts of any of us at WNWS-FM. We certainly don't condone the comments from Bill and appreciate his public apology. We're discussing his comments and apology. Considering the gravity of the situation, for now, by mutual agreement, Bill is taking a few days off.' "
In another incident, the Independent Record in Helena, Mont., reported, "Our copy desk made an error in judgment in editing the Sunday 2A Associated Press story about President Obama's trip to Asia and his place of birth. One of the copy editors inserted the term 'allegedly' born in Hawaii in the story thinking the other copy editor would catch it, he didn't. It was a poor attempt at humor and a poor decision, but was not intended to be printed in the paper. Those responsible have been disciplined."
Perry Bacon Jr., the Grio: The death of Allen West-style politics
Michael Barbaro, New York Times: After Obama, Christie Wants a G.O.P. Hug
Thomas Bishop and Andy Newbold, Media Matters for America: Following GOP Loss, Rush Limbaugh Downplays His Influence On Republican Party
Mike Cavender, Radio Television Digital News Association: Perception is Not Always Reality
Ta-Nehisi Coates blog, the Atlantic: The Limits of Political 'Reporting'
Eric Deggans blog, Tampa Bay (Fla.) Times: Will conservatives criticizing President Obama over Common tackle Marco Rubio's love of gangsta rap?
Agustin Fuentes, HuffPost LatinoVoices: Race No, Diversity Yes: A Suggestion for Obama's Second Term
Sam Fulwood III, Center for American Progress: Race and Beyond: A New Strategy for the Republican Party
Justin Hanson, WMC-TV, Memphis, Tenn.: Radio DJ off the air for posting offensive comments to FB page
Timothy Karr, Free Press: Don't Believe the Spin. Dark Money Won.
Zerlina Maxwell, the Grio: How long will the right's recent love affair with minorities last?
Patrice Peck, the Grio: Biracial versus black: Thought leaders weigh in on the meaning of President Obama's biracial heritage
Leslie Pitterson, Ebony: Susan Rice: Sonia Sotomayor 2.0?
Michael E. Ross blog: Black turnout: How'd the GOP get it so wrong?
Tracie Simer, Jackson (Tenn.) Sun: NAACP objects to Bill Way's comments
Alex Weprin, TVNewser: Greta: Administration Still 'Trying To Punish' Fox News
Armstrong Williams blog, the Hill: Strength in unity
NPR's Norris on Leave for Her "Race Card Project"
In October 2011, Michele Norris, a co-host of NPR's "All Things Considered," told colleagues she had to leave the show until the presidential election was over.
"I need to share some news and I wanted to make sure my NPR family heard this first," she wrote. "Last week, I told news management that my husband, Broderick Johnson, has just accepted a senior advisor position with the Obama Campaign. After careful consideration, we decided that Broderick's new role could make it difficult for me to continue hosting ATC. Given the nature of Broderick's position with the campaign and the impact that it will most certainly have on our family life, I will temporarily step away from my hosting duties until after the 2012 elections."
But Norris later decided to go on book leave and work on her passion.
"My sabbatical was crafted to extend through the end of January — after the inauguration," Norris told Journal-isms by email on Wednesday. "I have been working on The Race Card Project during this time off the air. Hope you've had a chance to check it out: www.theracecardproject.com. What started out as a small experiment has turned into an incredible archive of people's attitudes and experiences with race and identity. There are now more than 12,000 archived submissions from every state and several entries from far flung ports including South Korea, Abu Dhabi, Dublin, Brisbane, Cairo, Brussels, Bangalore and Finland.
"It captures the conversation you know is out there but rarely hear expressed out loud — and most often with the author signing their name. And now that I have been cycling back and interviewing those who have submitted 6 word essays, I have found that those six words are often just the beginning of an incredible story."
Wanda Lloyd Stepping Down as Editor in Montgomery
"Wanda Lloyd, executive editor at the Montgomery Advertiser since 2004, is retiring as the newspaper's executive editor early next year," the Alabama newspaper reported on Tuesday. "She has been an editor with Gannett, the Advertiser's parent company, since 1986 -- except for a 3 1/2-year break when she was the founding executive director of a journalism education program at Vanderbilt University just prior to moving to Montgomery."
". . . Lloyd has led the transition from a primarily print-centric newsroom to a 21st Century newsroom that embraces the technological changes prevalent across today’s media industry."
". . . Lloyd's leadership in journalism includes serving on the boards of directors of the Alabama Press Association and the Alabama Associated Press Media Editors. She also serves on the journalism advisory boards at Auburn University, Alabama State University and Savannah State University, and she has served on similar advisory boards at Virginia Commonwealth and North Carolina A&T universities. She served for six years as a board member of the American Society of News Editors."
Lloyd told Journal-isms by telephone that she wanted to "figure out what my passions are." She said she had identified them as working with young journalists and diversity issues. Lloyd said that the news industry had veered away from diversity as a priority and she wanted to help it find its way back.
She said she planned to stay in Montgomery but can move if necessary, preferably elsewhere in the Southeast.
"Showbiz Journalism Even More Shallow Than I Thought"
Since resigning as a New York Times film critic in 2004, Elvis Mitchell has continued to host "The Treatment," a popular weekly syndicated public radio show from KCRW-FM, an NPR affiliate in Santa Monica, Calif.
In an interview with Richard Horgan of FishbowlLA, Mitchell indicated his newspaper days are behind him — the workload of a film critic for a daily has become "shattering," he said. Mitchell also bemoaned the failure of show-business writers to pick up on the comments on race made by actor Joaquin Phoenix in an interview with Mitchell.
"It kind of makes me think that as a kind of superficial forum and endeavor, showbiz journalism is even more shallow than I thought it would be," Mitchell said.
Horgan asked, "Would you ever consider, if the opportunity arose, returning to the ranks of a daily newspaper film critic?"
Mitchell laughed and replied, "The workload for a film critic today is just so Herculean.
"They're writing reviews, they're blogging and they're doing extra things for the Web. And, with movies that are based on books, you want to at least give the book a thumb-through and prepare. Add in film festivals and I'm not sure how people in the profession can keep up with it today. It's just shattering now, the workload."
Horgan also asked, "Your October Interview magazine conversation with Joaquin Phoenix got a large amount of media pick-up thanks to his comments that film awards season is 'total bullsh*t and the worst-tasting carrot.' What was your take and experience of the feedback you got after this interview?"
Mitchell replied, "I was astonished that this got so much reaction. There is a pretty lengthy part of the conversation that is about race, which I thought was as worthy if not more so as to what he was saying about awards season. That he walked away from a movie because he wasn't happy with the way it was being handled, and he thought there was this inertia that plays on this really antiquated attitude towards people of color in the movies.
"And, so far as I can see, almost nobody picked that up. I thought that would have been the thing that had people really jumping. It kind of makes me think that as a kind of superficial forum and endeavor, showbiz journalism is even more shallow than I thought it would be."
Thanksgiving Brings Out the Joy and Pain
"I told a college schoolmate last week that I'd just opened a book and found a scrap piece of paper with her email address scrawled on it," Jarvis DeBerry wrote Wednesday for NOLA.com and the Times-Picayune in New Orleans.
"The other side was printed with an address in Little Rock, which let me know that she'd given me her contact information at the wedding of another college friend who got married in that city more than a decade ago.
"She said 'wow' at the thought that I would have something so insignificant from so long ago. I, on the other hand, was thinking 'wow' at the thought that I have anything from so long ago.
"The overwhelming majority of my book collection was destroyed. When I made it into my house a month after Katrina the sodden heap of books on the floor was as depressing a sight as any. But this book -- a Polish reporter's travel writings during four decades covering Africa -- had survived."
Thanksgiving brings an annual challenge for newspaper columnists to say something fresh. The headline on a remembrance by Bob Ray Sanders of the Star-Telegram in Fort Worth, Texas, might provide a theme for many of them: "Thanksgiving Day brings joy and pain."
Annette John-Hall, Philadelphia Inquirer: Giving thanks for Faith Chapel
Leonard Pitts Jr., Miami Herald: After profound grief, a nation's profound gratitude for Thanksgiving
Barry Saunders, News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C.: Maybe we should try a little turkey tenderness
Wendi C. Thomas, Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tenn.: Homebound senior citizens need our help for the holidays
Clinton Yates, Washington Post: Thanksgiving 2012: Celebrating our city, Thursday afternoon football...and the right to protest it all
". . . information distributed through social media or other services like cloud-based computing is much more readily accessible to law enforcement officials than information kept in a newsroom or a personal computer," the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press editorialized. "And authorities have not been shy about making demands for it. Think of the implications for how you maintain information about sources and research for stories."
Dame Babou, whose "Africa Time" radio show is broadcast on both WPAT 930-AM in the New York area and on Sud FM in Senegal, was the subject of a profile Wednesday by Seth Maxon in Columbia Journalism Review. ". . . Nearly 20 years on, Babou employs four correspondents in Senegal, two in New York, and individual correspondents in France, Benin, Ivory Coast, and Mauritania," Maxon wrote.
"This is the time of year when many advertising agencies offer help to the homeless through efforts like creating pro bono campaigns and matching donations that employees make to charities. For an agency in Nashville, helping the homeless has been a year-round mission," Stuart Elliott wrote Monday in the New York Times. "The agency is the Buntin Group, which works with a nonprofit organization in Nashville, The Contributor Inc., that has published a so-called street newspaper named The Contributor since November 2007."
"Much like her former 106 & Park co-host Terrence J (now co-hosting E! News), Rocsi Diaz has managed to fall up career-wise after leaving BET," Marcus Vanderberg reported Monday for FishbowlLA. "Diaz will make her Entertainment Tonight debut on Monday night, co-hosting alongside Nancy O’Dell."
Lynn Walsh, investigative producer at WPTV in West Palm Beach, Fla., offered "6 Things to Do When They Just Won't Call You Back" in an essay Wednesday for the Radio Television Digital News Association. They are: "Speak directly to the person involved," "use social media," "show up in person," "use public records laws," "tell the public" and "confront them."
In Chicago, Lester and Stefan Holt will make their first appearance as a father-son anchor team on Friday in a special post-Thanksgiving newscast, WMAQ-TV reported. Stefan Holt, 25, joined WMAQ as a morning show anchor in 2011. Lester Holt began hosting NBC's "Weekend Today" show in 2003. He also anchors the "Weekend Nightly News" for NBC and leads the news magazine program "Dateline."
In Indianapolis, "Veteran WRTV-TV Channel 6 media personality Stacia Matthews said she is leaving the Indianapolis station after a 23-year run," the Indianapolis Business Journal reported on Monday. "Matthews said in an e-mail that her last day at WRTV will be Nov. 30. She said she'll start Dec. 3 as a public relations manager for the Indiana Spine Group."
The Associated Press Media Editors reported Friday it had selected "Traditions," the Arizona Republic's multimedia project on the state's large number of American Indians, as the winner of its "Great Idea of the Quarter." It also chose the Detroit Free Press' "Project Prom" and The Oklahoman's "What's It Like" as winners of the "Innovation of the Quarter."
Native American writer Tim Giago wrote Monday that "this year will mark my 34th year of writing a weekly column . . . . To bring about change simply through the written word has proven to me that the pen is mightier than the sword," Giago wrote, saying, "this should be the real test of any writer."
"For about two years now, Mount Pleasant (Mich.) Morning Sun readers with delivery complaints have been sent to a call center in the Dominican Republic — and often not getting satisfactory results," media blogger Jim Romenesko wrote Tuesday. Editor Rick Mills "credits Journal Register CEO John Paton for trying the outsourcing, seeing that it didn't work, and then going back to the old way."
"Last November, CNN's Soledad O'Brien explored Silicon Valley through the eyes of eight African-American entrepreneurs," Janel Martinez wrote last week for Black Enterprise. "All participants of the inaugural NewMe Accelerator class, the Black in America: The New Promised Land – Silicon Valley cast invited viewers into their journey as startup founders competing in an industry comprised of less than 1% of entrepreneurs that look like them. BlackEnterprise.com caught up with the tech innovators to see what they've been up to one year later." Anthony Frasier of Newark, N.J., "continues to power his award-winning gaming site TheKoalition.com and co-founded another startup called The Phat Startup, which merges hip hop and entrepreneurship."
Jim Guest, president of Consumers International, joined the group's council members and Africa consumer groups to officially open CI's permanent new home on the African continent, the group said on Wednesday. Onica Makwakwa, who left the executive director's job at Unity: Journalists of Color to become CI head of Africa, said, "This is a big step for consumer groups in Africa. It's an opportunity to unite the consumer rights movement and use our collective voice to bring real positive change. CI will be here to support and grow the movement." Consumers International is based in Pretoria, South Africa.
Happy Thanksgiving!
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Journal-isms is published on the site of the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education (www.mije.org). Reprinted on The Root by permission.
Fox, CNN Get Health Care Ruling Wrong
Journal-isms: The news networks initially reported that the individual mandate was struck down.
Initial Reports Say Individual Mandate Struck Down
"The U.S. Supreme Court upheld a key provision of the health care law championed by President Barack Obama, the so-called individual mandate that requires people to have health insurance," CNN reported on Thursday, correcting its initial report that the individual mandate had been struck down.
" . . . The importance of the decision cannot be overstated: It will have an immediate and long-term impact on all Americans, both in how they get medicine and health care, and also in vast, yet-unknown areas of 'commerce.' "
The initial failure of some networks to get it right, as seen in this screen grab of the CNN report captured by Daily Kos, led to this comment from Newsday writer Lane Filler: "Finally, with today's Supreme Court decision, a decades-long battle is over: 'Dewey Beats Truman,' is no longer the biggest major screw-up in American media history."
Even President Obama, who was watching the cable reports, thought at first that the individual mandate was struck down, according to Jake Tapper of ABC News. "Senior administration officials say the president was calm," Tapper wrote.
The mistake was due to the complexity of the ruling. Unlike many institutions, the Supreme Court does not issue embargoed copies of its pronouncements so that reporters can digest them before going public. A similar situation occurred in the Bush v. Gore ruling in 2000, declaring Texas Gov. George W. Bush, the Republican, winner of the disputed election over Vice President Al Gore, the Democrat.
As David G. Savage reported for the Los Angeles Times, "The decision came on a 5-4 vote, with the court's four liberal justices joining with the chief justice.
"On one hand, [Chief Justice John G.] Roberts [Jr.] agreed with the law's conservative critics who said Congress does not have the power to mandate the purchase of a private product such as health insurance.
"But the Affordable Care Act does not impose a true legal mandate on Americans, he said. It simply requires those who do not have health insurance by 2014 to pay a tax penalty.
"And that is constitutional, Roberts said. 'The federal government does not have the power to order people to buy health insurance,' he wrote in the majority opinion. 'The federal government does have the power to impose a tax on those without health insurance,' he added."
CNN issued this statement after its initial report: "Correction: The Supreme Court backs all parts of President Obama's signature health care law, including the individual mandate that requires all to have health insurance." It followed with a more complete statement that said, " . . . CNN regrets that it didn't wait to report out the full and complete opinion regarding the mandate. We made a correction within a few minutes and apologize for the error."
Dylan Byers reported for Politico:
" . . . On television, on its website, and in breaking news alerts, CNN announced that the individual mandate had been struck down. CNN political reporter John King described it as "a dramatic blow to the policy and to the President, politically." Fox News, too, announced that the Court had found the individual mandate 'unconstitutional.' "
"Moments later, SCOTUSblog, the wires, and other television networks were reporting just the opposite.
" 'The mandate is constitutional. Chief Justice Roberts joins the left of the Court,' SCOTUSblog announced even as CNN and Fox were still announcing defeat for President Obama's signature bill. Since realizing its mistake, CNN and Fox have issued corrections across their formats. On television, anchors on both networks cited the confusion of the ruling as they changed their reports."
The initial reports were repeated by other broadcasters who depended on the networks. In Washington, Diane Rehm, host of a talk show that originates at the NPR affiliate, WAMU-FM, apologized to listeners for the misinformation and read this message from one: "I was in tears when I read that the law was overturned. Then I was in tears when I heard you say otherwise."
It was a busy morning for Jesse J. Holland of the Associated Press, the only black journalist regularly assigned to the high court.
"Let's see:" Holland said by email. "Today I handled the opinions that were not health care (the stolen valor case), I was the liaison between the two of us here at the court and the main bureau where the story was filed (I was the one on the phone who told them which news alert to file in conjunction with the person who wrote the main story, Mark Sherman,) I wrote the tweets on our official AP_Courtside twitter site (which I always do), I read the dissent and pulled the relevant quotes for the story, and I'm writing the scene story from the notes from the reporters inside the courtroom and outside the building. (And I'm doing the Google hangout session at 4 p.m. to take questions from the public."
And all of this on my birthday!
NAACP Chairman Roslyn M. Brock issued this statement on the health care decision:
"The Supreme Court made a crucial decision today to uphold the core provisions of the Affordable Care Act. The NAACP has long supported the full and complete implementation of this law. Access to quality, affordable health care is a civil and human right that should not be reserved for the wealthy or the few. The 32 million American men, women and children covered under this law can now breathe easier.
"Many serious health issues are preventable. But far too often, patients who lack health insurance -- especially patients of color -- enter medical facilities late in the progression of their diagnosis. This sad reality is costing lives and costing American taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars in unnecessary health care bills. States can now move forward in implementing health care reform with the knowledge that the Affordable Care Act is not going anywhere anytime soon."
Impact of Court's Ruling on Immigrant Women Overlooked
"Underreported in the Supreme Court's recent ruling on Arizona's immigration law SB 1070 and a pending decision on President Obama's health care reform due Thursday is the impact these decisions will have on the lives of immigrant women," Jessica González-Rojas and Miriam Yeung wrote Wednesday for New America Media.
" . . . this week brings with it a measured victory, as anti-immigrant extremism in the states seems to have finally 'jumped the shark.' In a 5-3 decision, the Supreme Court rejected the overreach of Arizona's anti-immigrant law, affirming such legislation violates our Constitution, as well as our national values and national interests. The court joins millions of Americans in rejecting these divisive and unworkable policies.
"That's the good news.
"The bad news is that the most dangerous provision of SB 1070 remains intact -- at least for now. The 'Papers, Please' provision requires police to ask proof of legal status for anyone they believe to be in the country illegally.
"This policy will undoubtedly contribute to racial profiling and harassment in Arizona, leave immigrant women more vulnerable to crimes like intimate partner violence and less likely to seek needed services like prenatal care, and contribute to an overall environment of stigma and bias against immigrant woman and all women of color living in Arizona.
"The impact on Native American communities is particularly disturbing: people who have lived in Arizona for thousands of years are now having their legal presence questioned because of this ill-conceived policy."
Melissa Bynes Brooks, politic365.com: What Happens to the Poor If SCOTUS Repeals 'Obamacare?'
Jonah Most and Hannah Palmer, New America Media: Arizona Ruling Will Be Felt Nationwide
Ruben Navarrette Jr., Washington Post Writers Group: Last word yet to be heard
Eugene Robinson, Washington Post: A big win for the Obama administration
Mark Trahant blog: Supreme Court's affirmation of 'ObamaCare' means a fundamentally different debate; Indian Health Care Improvement Act is permanent
Mark Trahant, indianz.com: Day before tomorrow -- thoughts on Supreme Court
Alex Weprin, TVNewser: Jorge Ramos Appears on 'ABC World News'
Ann Curry Delivers Teary Goodbye
"Sorry I Couldn't Carry the Ball Over the Finish Line"
Ann Curry bid a teary farewell to her "Today" co-hosting job Thursday morning, saying, "For all of you who saw me as a groundbreaker, I'm sorry I couldn't carry the ball over the finish line, but man, I did try."
Last week, Tom Huang described Curry as "biracial (Japanese-American)" in an essay for the Poynter Institute headlined, "How race factors into the conversation about Ann Curry's possible ouster from 'Today' Show."
" . . . as the son of Asian immigrants, I've felt an instinctive pride as I've watched Curry's slow and steady climb up to one of network news' most high-profile jobs," wrote Huang, an editor at the Dallas Morning News.
Doris Truong, national president of the Asian American Journalists Association, said in statement, " . . . We hope that NBC News keeps diversity at top of mind as it makes on-air assignments for 'Today,' especially considering that Asian Americans are the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population."
In a story breaking the news that Thursday would bring Curry's farewell, Susan Page wrote in USA Today, "Curry's new multiyear contract with NBC has her leading a seven-person unit with a ticket to cover the world's biggest stories, from the civil uprising in Syria to the plight of the poor in America. She'll produce network specials and pieces for NBC Nightly News, Dateline, Rock Center -- and Today -- and she'll occasionally fill in as anchor on Nightly News and elsewhere."
On the air, Curry said, "They're giving me some fancy new title . . . We're going to go all over the world and all over this country. We're being given a chance to do all of the stories all of us got into journalism to do."
As Curry fought back tears, her "Today" colleagues Matt Lauer, Al Roker and Natalie Morales recalled some of Curry's stories. But Lauer noted that Curry would be at the Summer Olympics and praised her as having "the biggest heart in the business."
NBC News president Steve Capus told Page, "We had a many-year run in first place in total viewers, and it got snapped, but since then, every week in the past month we've started a new streak. This isn't about streaks; it's about consistent performance, and we want to continue to build the Today Show."
Page, who interviewed Curry on Wednesday, added, "Still, there's no question a decline over the past year in ratings for Today -- a huge profit center for the network -- put in motion the changes that Curry is set to announce on the air this morning.
" 'There's nobody complacent around here,' Capus says. 'We're aggressive and we're going to continue to evolve the broadcast, and this is one of the moves, but it's not the only move in response to all of that.' He declined to describe what other changes are ahead, including who will take Curry's place and when."
Brian Stelter reported Tuesday in the New York Times, "NBC News officials are in negotiations to have Savannah Guthrie, a relatively new face at the 'Today' show, replace Ann Curry as the show's co-host."
Merrill Knox, TVSpy: NBC's Natalie Morales Handles 'Today' Affiliate Teases
Michael Malone, Broadcasting & Cable: Many NBC Affiliates Would Prefer Curry in New Role
Regina R. Robertson, Essence: Hey, 'Today' Show: I Vote for Tamron Hall
"Today" Show: Ann Curry announces new role at NBC News
Suspended Reporter Sees Right-Wing Smear Campaign
"The reporter suspended from Politico for comments about Mitt Romney said on Wednesday that he had been the target of a deliberate right-wing smear campaign," Jack Mirkinson reported for the Huffington Post.
"Speaking to radio and Current TV host Bill Press, Joe Williams, who was punished for saying on MSNBC that Mitt Romney is more comfortable around 'white folks,' said that there had been a 'selective prosecution' against him by conservative websites like The Daily Caller and the late Andrew Breitbart's Big Media.
"Williams told Press that he is still 'in limbo' with Politico, and is in negotiations about his future there.
"Speaking about the comments that got him suspended, Williams said that he 'probably should have selected my words more carefully.' But he defended the broader point he had been making, and said that he thought people had understood what he meant. Asked by Press if he should apologize to Mitt Romney for saying he felt more at home with white people, Williams said, 'If I apologize for that there are going to be many other people who will have to as well.'
" . . . Press also asked Williams, who is African American, about a comment he made on Twitter saying that racism is 'the secret sauce in the Politico s--tburger.' Williams said that the tweet, which he made weeks before his Romney comments, had been mistakenly posted to his public feed, rather than in a direct message.
" 'Twitter is a medium that rewards ... lack of thought,' he said. 'I was in a very irritated place. I vented in a public place and that was a huge mistake.' He later said, though, that Politico has 'a lot of questions' to deal with in terms of its staff diversity."
Betsy Rothstein of FishbowlDC reported that Tucker Carlson, editor-in-chief of the Daily Caller, called Williams a nut.
Writing Wednesday about responses to Williams' remarks from editors at Breitbart.com and the Daily Caller, Rothstein said that Carlson, "who has sparred with reporters at Politico for years and repeatedly tied Politico to MSNBC to brand the publication as left wing, remarked, 'Supposedly objective White House correspondent accuses GOP candidate of racism on the basic of no evidence? Seemed like a pretty obvious story to us,' he wrote by email. 'By the way, Williams made those comments in public, on Twitter, so I'd hate to think it took our piece to get his bosses to notice he's a nut, though that's what he claims.' "
NBC Stations' Rules: Don't Post What You Wouldn't Air
"While people typically delineate their personal and professional digital lives, there is little distinction between the two -- at least as far as social media is concerned -- for the news staffs at the 10 NBC-owned stations," Diana Marszalek reported Tuesday for mediaite.com.
"For the last year or so, the NBC Owned Television Stations have required individuals who work in their newsrooms -- from interns and production assistants to reporters and anchors -- to follow the company rules governing social media use, regardless of whether they are using the platform to promote news or their personal lives.
"That means news staff is prohibited from tweeting, posting or distributing via other social networking means 'anything that compromises the integrity and objectivity of you or NBCUniversal,' even using a personal account, says Kevin Keeshan, ombudsman for the station group.
" 'We ask them to think and use common sense,' he says. 'Don't post anything we're not prepared to broadcast.' "
Tommy Christopher, mediaite.com: Joe Williams' 1st Interview Since Politico Suspension: 'I Gave (Breitbart.com) The Rope, They Did The Hanging'
Betsy Rothstein, FishbowlDC: Did Politico's Joe Williams Just Bury Himself?
Another Female Journalist Attacked in Tahrir Square
"The story sounds hideously like another -- one of a chaotic, predatory attack on a woman journalist in Cairo's Tahrir Square," Lauren Wolfe wrote Tuesday for the Committee to Protect Journalists.
"Clothes torn from her body, hundreds of men surging to grab her breasts and claw at her. A woman wondering, 'Maybe this is how I go, how I die.' It has been almost a year and a half since CBS correspondent and CPJ board member Lara Logan endured an attack like this. Now, an independent journalist and student named Natasha Smith reports that it has happened to her.
"Smith reported the attack on her blog today, describing how a horde of men descended on her Sunday night, pulling her limbs and throwing her around as she tried to protect her camera. She said she soon lost her camera, her backpack, and began to pray: 'make it stop.'
" 'They were scratching and clenching my breasts and forcing their fingers inside me in every possible way,' Smith wrote. 'So many men. All I could see was leering faces, more and more faces sneering and jeering as I was tossed around like fresh meat among starving lions.'
"In Cairo to film an independent documentary on women's rights and abuses against women in Egypt since the revolution, according to her website, Smith shared an account of her attack that is eerily parallel to Logan's. . . "
Another Female Journalist Attacked in Tahrir Square
"The story sounds hideously like another -- one of a chaotic, predatory attack on a woman journalist in Cairo's Tahrir Square," Lauren Wolfe wrote Tuesday for the Committee to Protect Journalists.
"Clothes torn from her body, hundreds of men surging to grab her breasts and claw at her. A woman wondering, 'Maybe this is how I go, how I die.' It has been almost a year and a half since CBS correspondent and CPJ board member Lara Logan endured an attack like this. Now, an independent journalist and student named Natasha Smith reports that it has happened to her.
"Smith reported the attack on her blog today, describing how a horde of men descended on her Sunday night, pulling her limbs and throwing her around as she tried to protect her camera. She said she soon lost her camera, her backpack, and began to pray: 'make it stop.'
" 'They were scratching and clenching my breasts and forcing their fingers inside me in every possible way,' Smith wrote. 'So many men. All I could see was leering faces, more and more faces sneering and jeering as I was tossed around like fresh meat among starving lions.'
"In Cairo to film an independent documentary on women's rights and abuses against women in Egypt since the revolution, according to her website, Smith shared an account of her attack that is eerily parallel to Logan's. . . "
"Like a Reunion of People Who Love Bill (Raspberry)"
Retired Washington Post columnist William Raspberry received tributes from more than 200 journalists and other community people Tuesday at a roast and benefit for his BabySteps foundation, which nurtures parents and preschoolers in Raspberry's hometown of Okolona, Miss.
The gathering, which took place at the Washington Post, raised more than $35,000, according to Walt Swanston, veteran journalist, diversity consultant and one of the organizers. Attendees paid $100 if they were members of a journalism organization, $250 if not. Many who could not attend contributed nonetheless.
Raspberry, 76, a 1994 Pulitzer Prize winner, is suffering from a recurring prostate cancer, his wife, Sondra Raspberry, said. Juan Williams, Fox News commentator and master of ceremonies for the event, said of the occasion, "It's like a reunion of people who love Bill and love the Washington Post." Local columnist Courtland Milloy Jr. filed a column from Okolona about the Baby Steps program that appeared in Wednesday's print edition. Donald Graham, Washington Post Co. CEO, was honorary co-chair of the event.
K.C. Star Looks for Six Traits to Describe Suspects
The Kansas City Star's stylebook says to be "especially cautious about identifying criminal suspects by race or ethnicity when the overall description of the person is vague," public editor Derek Donovan wrote on Sunday.
"It clarifies that skin color should be included when the description also includes height, weight, hair color, approximate age and one other distinguishing element such as a noticeable physical attribute (but not eye color -- a strange rule, in my opinion), clothing or a vehicle.
"It allows for two exceptions:
"When the person has one particularly distinctive physical characteristic, fewer details are acceptable, but race should be included: 'an Asian man about 5 feet 8 inches tall with a wooden left leg.'
"Stories about serial or most-wanted criminals may give much less detail because 'a reader will want even superficial information to help him or her decide how to respond to potential threats.'
"Vague descriptions such as 'a black man in his mid-20s' describe thousands of people in the Kansas City area. I hope that people who don't belong to a minority will appreciate that pointing out unhelpful aspects of one's appearance are as offensive as noting the person's religion, political views or alma mater.
"I understand the reasoning behind The Star's guidelines," Donovan wrote, pointing out that the Star doesn't always follow its guidelines, "but I also think readers who find them too restrictive have a point as well. Some descriptions can still be useful with fewer than six attributes."
"The Africa Channel recently announced that it would enter a stock car in NASCAR's 2013 racing series, and Randy Fenley, a partner in the endeavor, said the announcement signals that the cable television channel is launching a driver-and racing crew-development training program for African Americans to enter the popular sport," Frederick H. Lowe reported Wednesday for NorthStar News & Analysis. Lowe received the Ray Taliaferro NABJ Spirit Award for entrepreneurship last week during the National Association of Black Journalists convention in New Orleans.
"Bill Dedman of MSNBC.com writes that Bloomberg Television has pulled an advertisement for anchor Betty Liu because it says she was a nominated for a Pulitzer when the Pulitzer committee does not list her as a nominee for any year," Talking Biz News reported Tuesday. "It turns out that Liu is another example of a Pulitzer entrant -- not a finalist or nominee -- who routinely lists the word 'Pulitzer' in her bio anyway."
"ESPN THE MAGAZINE'S The Body Issue, its fourth annual celebration of the athletic form, will feature 27 world-class athletes, including New England Patriots' tight end Rob Gronkowski, Toronto Blue Jays' slugger Jose Bautista, U.S. Women's National Soccer Team forward Abby Wambach and New York Knicks' center Tyson Chandler," ESPN reported on Wednesday, listing the 27. " . . . All 27 athletes posed nude for the issue's signature Bodies We Want photo portfolio."
If the Unity Journalists coalition truly wants the National Association of Black Journalists "to be part of the alliance, it will have to be much more proactive moving forward," Mallary Jean Tenore wrote Wednesday for the Poynter Institute after examining the estrangement between the two groups. "NABJ has made its decision, it's now up to Unity to respond."
JCamp, the six-day, multicultural high-school journalism training camp sponsored by the Asian American Journalists Association, has compiled its participants' work online. The students spent June 19-24 based at Loyola University in New Orleans, joining the National Association of Black Journalists convention, which was meeting in New Orleans. Adele Taylor covered an NABJ panel on the Trayvon Martin case.
"Any freelancer worth his or her salt will tell you that earning an editor's trust is half the battle," Donya Blaze wrote last week for FishbowlLA in mediabistro's series on how to pitch stories. "So, the best way to get your hands on a meaty feature could be to start off small with an FOB piece here, or in the case of Ebony.com, a sticky, tweetable Web story there. 'We want everything,' said editorial director Keirna Mayo. 'We want great ideas. We want people to be thinking about black lifestyle in a very nuanced way. We're looking for the unique take, the unique angle, and the strong writer.' "
Zachary Rinkins and the African-American Public Radio Consortium are producing "It's Pay Day," 90-second modules from experts about managing money. The series launches June 29 with a new segment weekly. Contributors include Julianne Malveaux [audio], Mellody Hobson [audio] and television judge Lynn Toler [audio].
On June 27, Earvin "Magic" Johnson's Aspire cable channel "will begin airing in markets served by cable giant Comcast, which gave spectrum to four minority-owned channels to win federal approval of its 2011 acquisition of NBC Universal," Ronald Grover reported Tuesday for Reuters. "He says he's chasing the successful career of Robert Johnson, the legendary founder of Black Entertainment Television and one-time owner of the National Basketball Association's Charlotte Bobcats."
"CNN's Tokyo-based correspondent Kyung Lah is moving to CNN's Los Angeles bureau to join correspondents Miguel Marquez, Thelma Guiterrez and Casey Wian," Chris Ariens reported Tuesday for TVNewser.
Marcus Mabry, editor at large at the International Herald Tribune, the global edition of the New York Times, discussed his essay "The Gift of Being Gay and a Dad" June 17 in the Times, and again Tuesday on NPR's "Tell Me More."
"The New York Times is introducing a Chinese-language Web site, part of a continuing effort to expand its reach to international readers," Christine Haughney reported Wednesday for the Times. "The site, which is called cn.nytimes.com and will go live Thursday morning, is intended to draw readers from the country's growing middle class, what The Times in its news release called 'educated, affluent, global citizens.' "
"Sudan security forces have arrested scores of protesters, opposition members, and journalists, beat people in detention, and used rubber bullets and even live ammunition to break up protests that began on June 16," Human Rights Watch said on Tuesday. " . . . On June 19, plain-clothes security agents arrested the Agence France-Press correspondent, Simon Martelli, and detained him for 14 hours in an office in northern Khartoum. Security officials arrested Salma al-Wardany, an Egyptian journalist for Bloomberg, and a Sudanese colleague on June 21, releasing them after five hours. On June 26, authorities ordered al-Wardany deported, alleging that she had links to activists."
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Should OWN Target Black Viewers?
Journal-isms: With the success of Welcome to Sweetie Pie's, Oprah's network weighs targeting its black audience.
"Sweetie Pie's" Reality Show Is Network's Most Highly Rated
"Executives at OWN think they may have found a way to salvage Oprah Winfrey's struggling network: by catering more to an African-American audience. That may help ratings, but it would mean a dramatic shift, and one that could put the channel at odds with Winfrey's own brand," D.M. Levine wrote Thursday for Adweek.
"According to OWN president Erik Logan and Discovery Communications CEO David Zaslav, the silver lining in an otherwise bleak performance record for the network since its launch last January is that it's performing particularly well among its African-American audience members — especially with a reality show called 'Welcome to Sweetie Pies' that premiered in October.
" 'Anytime you have a program that pops like 'Sweetie Pies' did, you start looking at what drove it,' Logan told Adweek. 'And we saw that the African-American audience really had a connection with that show. . . . We're going to look at ways to nurture and grow that.'
"Since 'Welcome to Sweetie Pies' premiered, OWN has enjoyed an average prime-time viewership of around 216,000 people. 'Sweetie Pies' has seen an average audience of around 418,000, making it the highest rated show on the network by far in that period."
The show's website offers this introduction: "When Robbie Montgomery, a 1960's backup singer and former 'Ikette' of the Ike and Tina Turner Revue, suffered a collapsed lung and had to stop singing, she decided to pour her talents into another creative venture — a soul food restaurant called Sweetie Pie's. At her family-oriented eatery, which she runs with her son, Tim, both hilarity and drama are offered in equal measure."
Katherine Fung, Huffington Post: Oprah To Dr. Oz: 'Running A Network Is Challenging'
T.J. Holmes Foresees "Huge Role" in News Coverage at BET
In an interview with Akoto Ofori-Atta of theRoot.com, CNN weekend anchor T.J. Holmes said Thursday that BET "brought me on because of my news background and for my news chops" and that he hopes to play "a huge role" in presenting "news coverage about things that matter" to the black community.
BET announced on Wednesday that it has hired Holmes and was developing projects for him. The announcement did not come from BET's news division, and Holmes' role was still being decided, the network said. Stephen G. Hill, president of music programming and specials at BET Networks, said in the release, "It's now upon us to develop vehicles that capture his intelligence, curiosity about the world, warmth, humor and compassion. It's a challenge that we are happy to have."
Ofori-Atta asked Holmes, "What would you say to people who are wondering why you're leaving an established news channel for BET, which is not known most for its news programming?"
Holmes replied, "I would say wait until 2012. You have to start somewhere. BET certainly has a foundation in news programming and information programming. I think [beefing up its news programming] was a big part of BET wanting me to come on board, and a big part of me wanting to come on board. BET is saying, 'Here is what we're trying to do, and we're taking it so seriously that we went to go get this guy with this [news] background.'
"I could have stayed at CNN. I had the opportunity to do so. This wasn't about me looking for a job. I chose BET for a reason, for the opportunity that I did not have at CNN just because [they have] a different type of audience. I don't know when this opportunity would come along again, so I couldn't pass it up."
Kunbi Tinuoye, theGrio.com: Can TJ Holmes beef up BET's news coverage?
Cosmo Aims "Cosmopolitan Latina" at Bilingual Women
"With the Census Bureau counting nearly 25 million Latin women in the United States, marketers and media companies have started getting excited about the potential to reach them," Tanzina Vega reported Thursday for the New York Times.
"Among the most recent initiatives is a new publication, Cosmopolitan Latina, that will start publishing in May and will be aimed at American-born Latin women who are bicultural and bilingual.
". . . Hearst, which owns Cosmopolitan, plans to start with one issue in the spring and one in the fall, and at first, it will publish 545,000 copies that will be made available in states like Texas, California, Florida and New York, which have large Latino populations.
"Latin women represent a 'core Cosmo brand,' accounting for one in every four subscribers," said Donna Kalajian Lagani, senior vice president, publishing director and chief revenue officer at Cosmopolitan. "The core subscriber base for the print edition of Cosmopolitan is 1.45 million in the United States."
News release: Cosmopolitan Magazine Announces Strategy to Reach Hispanic Market
Number of Imprisoned Journalists Highest Since Mid-1990s
"The number of journalists imprisoned worldwide shot up more than 20 percent to its highest level since the mid-1990s, an increase driven largely by widespread jailings across the Middle East and North Africa, the Committee to Protect Journalists has found," the committee said Thursday. "In its annual census of imprisoned journalists, CPJ identified 179 writers, editors, and photojournalists behind bars on December 1, an increase of 34 over its 2010 tally.
"Iran was the world's worst jailer, with 42 journalists behind bars, as authorities kept up a campaign of anti-press intimidation that began after the country's disputed presidential election more than two years ago. Eritrea, China, Burma, Vietnam, Syria, and Turkey also ranked among the world's worst."
Steve Kroft Interviews Obama Again for "60 Minutes"
President Obama believes the U.S. unemployment rate could drop to 8 percent before the 2012 elections next fall, he told Steve Kroft in an interview conducted Friday at the White House, CBS said.
Obama will appear on "60 Minutes" in an interview with Kroft to be broadcast Sunday from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific time, CBS said.
Kroft interviewed the president Tuesday in Kansas after he delivered an economic speech in the small town of Osawatomie, and again Friday the White House.
Kroft asked the president, "Did you overpromise? Did you underestimate how difficult this was going to be?"
Obama replied, "I didn't overpromise. And I didn't — underestimate how tough this was going to be. I always believed that this was a long-term project…And —you know, for individual Americans, who are struggling right now, they have every reason to be impatient. Reversing structural problems in our economy that have been building up for two decades, that was going to take time. It was going to take more than a year. It was going to take more than two years. It was going to take more than one term. Probably takes more than one president."
According to Peter Ogburn of FishbowlDC, "This is Obama's 12th interview with Kroft, including the times he sat down with him as candidate Obama. We confirmed with Mark Knoller via twitter that this was Obama's sixth interview with Kroft since being elected President."
Knoller, a CBS News radio reporter who covers the White House, maintains a database of statistics about the president's daily life.
Cain Says "Doors Are Open" to Radio and TV
"With the news that former GOP Presidential candidate Herman Cain is no longer in the race, the door is open for the next logical step in the political machine: TV news analyst," Alex Weprin reported Friday for TVNewser. "Cain appeared on Sean Hannity's Fox News program last night, and acknowledged that a TV or radio gig could very well be in his future:
" 'I have no doubt that there is a TV, radio future if you wanted one,' Hannity told Cain.
" 'Well obviously the doors to radio or TV, those doors are open,' Cain replied. 'What I am doing over the next several days is considering all of these options.' ”
Geraldo Rivera, Fox News Latino: Newt Gingrich on Poverty — Bold but Dopey
Eugene Robinson, Washington Post: Republicans' reality TV politics
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press: For Gingrich, Age May Just Be a Number
Barry Sussman, Nieman Watchdog: Why not make a Fox question standard in all news polls?
Jack White, theRoot.com: Why Newt Gingrich Is Beyond Satire
Gary Younge, the Nation: What's Race Got to Do With Herman Cain?
Reporter Grills Team CEO Using Fake Transcript
In Orlando, "When WFTV general assignment reporter Daralene Jones arrived at a news conference held by the Orlando Magic on Wednesday, she presumably thought she was armed with some damaging information: a transcript of a late night phone conversation between the team's CEO, who had been drinking at the time, and star player Dwight Howard," Andrew Gauthier wrote Thursday for TVSpy.
"The only problem was that the transcript was actually a complete fabrication, concocted by a writer at Deadspin.
"When it came time for reporters to ask questions at the news conference, which was called to announce the resignation of the team's CEO Bob Vander Weide, Jones pressed him on allegations that he had recently drunk dialed Howard."
Blacks More Sympathetic Than Whites on Immigration
"Nearly half of the public (48%) thinks an illegal immigrant who went to high school in their state and is accepted to a public college should be eligible for the in-state tuition rate, while 46% disagree," according to a report [PDF] released Tuesday by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press.
"About three-quarters of Hispanics (77%) say illegal immigrants should be eligible for in-state tuition, compared with 66% of non-Hispanic blacks and just 40% of non-Hispanic whites.
". . . Among Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, fully 82% of Hispanics think an illegal immigrant should be eligible for in-state tuition. Smaller majorities of non-Hispanic blacks (65%) and whites (51%) agree."
Overall, "The public continues to support tough measures to crack down on illegal immigration, but also a path to citizenship for those in the country illegally. A plurality (43%) says the priority should be better border security and enforcement, as well as creating a way for illegal immigrants to become citizens if they meet certain requirements.
"Fewer say the priority should only be better security and stronger enforcement of immigration laws (29%), or only creating a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants in the U.S. (24%). These opinions have not changed substantially over the past year."
**"In a major shift in digital strategy, CEO Gracia Martore told Wall Street stock analysts today that Gannett plans to extend a paywall across more newspapers early next year, giving readers only limited free access to content," Jim Hopkins wrote Wednesday on his independent Gannett Blog. "She didn't provide key details, such as pricing or revenue projections, and didn't directly say whether the plan would be companywide."
**In California, "Journalist Mona Shadia, who was born in Egypt, has been assigned to write a weekly column about living as a Muslim-American in Orange County for the three Times Community News papers: the Daily and Coastline Pilots and the Huntington Beach Independent," Kevin Roderick reported for LAObserved.
**"The Student Press Law Center and the leading media-law firm Holland & Knight LLP are offering student journalists free legal assistance around-the-clock if they are jailed while covering 'Occupy' demonstrations," the center announced on Thursday.
**Services for Ofield Dukes, the veteran public relations counselor who died Wednesday, will be held in Detroit and in Washington, the Steering Committee for the Funeral and Memorial Service for Ofield Dukes announced on Friday. The funeral service is scheduled Wednesday at 11 a.m. at Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church, 2080 W. Grand Blvd., Detroit 48208, with viewing Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Northwest Chapel of James H. Cole Funeral Home, 16100 Schaefer Highway, Detroit 48235. A memorial service is planned for 2 p.m. Jan. 11 at Shiloh Baptist Church, 1500 Ninth St. NW. in Washington.
**Adrian Florido, neighborhood reporter for the Voice of San Diego website and a Mexican-American, was one of three journalists laid off at the site, Florido, 25, told Journal-isms on Friday. Florido arrived at the news outlet 2½ years ago after attending the University of Chicago. He said he had planned to visit Mexico, but now is "looking forward to spending more time" there. "CEO Scott Lewis and Editor Andrew Donohue write in a blog post that they lowered their budget from $1.2 million this year to $1 million next year, which forced them to lay off four people," Steve Myers wrote for the Poynter Institute.
**"I recently added D.C.'s two FM hip-hop radio stations — WPGC and WKYS — to the list of items banned in my house. I've long been tired of having to explain the latest raunchy R&B and hip-hop lyrics to my kids, and when I heard the radio ad for The Stadium (yeah, that strip club) for the umpteenth time, I realized that black radio is beyond redemption," Natalie Hopkinson wrote Thursday for the Washington Post's theRootDC.
**"Nely Galan's résumé is certainly impressive," HuffPost LatinoVoices wrote. "The former president of the Telemundo network, the second largest Hispanic TV network in the U.S., has had a distinguished career in television media, in Spanish and English, in the U.S. and Latin America. In this excerpt from a recent episode of LaFusion, the Latina super producer and media mogul talks about her work, family, and how being fired by Donald Trump on the hit show 'Celebrity Apprentice' catapulted her career to the next level. She says she has both, 'The Donald' and Gene Simmons, to thank."
**"Rolling Stone magazine made its South African debut with hard-living jazz legend Hugh Masekela on the cover," Bambina Wise Olivares wrote Tuesday for the Women's Wear Daily site. "Weighing in at just over a pound, the magazine hit the newsstands a day after a controversial secrecy act was passed by Parliament. According to the magazine's letter from the editor, its intention is 'to engage local audiences with stories that resonate in their own experiences and lives.' "
**CNN's Cari Hernandez becomes executive producer of special projects and investigations at WFOR-TV in Miami, Liz Roldan, WFOR news director, announced to the staff on Thursday. "Cari will be heading home to Miami & back to CBS4 where she worked as a producer from 1999-2003," Roldan wrote. "Cari comes to us from CNN where she has been an Executive Producer since 2008. While at CNN she produced two half-hour specials, and most recently helped launch AM Wake-Up Call."
**"Krishna Bharat, a Distinguished Research Scientist at Google and founder of Google News, has joined the board of the John S. Knight Journalism Fellowships at Stanford University," the fellowship program announced.
**A day after Philadelphia prosecutors announced Mumia Abu-Jamal would no longer be held on death row, writer dream hampton reported on observations by Abu-Jamal that arrived from him a week before the announcement. "I'm frankly quite impressed with Occupy Wall Street, for it did in three months more than the movement of the '60s did in seven years," Abu-Jamal said. "The growth and sheer span of their work can only be termed impressive. Over 100 cities? Damn. I think it's too white, and too college-centric, but at least they're doing something. For that, if nothing else, they are to be lauded. As for Afros and Latinos and Afro Latinos, I think it's our job to enter those movements, and give '‘em input., issues and support."
**In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the group Journaliste En Danger reported Thursday, "Radio Lisanga Télévision (RLTV), the Kinshasa-based main opposition television station, which has been the subject of numerous attacks by authorities during the recent electoral campaign, has once again been silenced by authorities. . . . According to JED sources, RLTV's station in Mbuji-Mayi was besieged by a heavily-armed police unit on 5 December and remained occupied as of 8 December. Everyone in the building at the time was evacuated while police forces assumed control of the premises, barring entry to all journalists."
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Journal-isms is published on the site of the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education (www.mije.org). Reprinted on The Root by permission.
Article Compounds Family's 9/11 Tragedy
Journal-isms: The Wall Street Journal refuses to change a story describing American Airlines flight attendant Betty Ong as hysterical.
Attendant on Doomed Flight Falsely Labeled "Hysterical"
The world learned that the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, had begun when flight attendant Betty Ong, flying on the hijacked plane that left from Boston, picked up the in-flight phone and punched the buttons for the American Airlines reservations desk.
" 'The cockpit is not answering the phone and there's somebody stabbed in business class,' Ong calmly told the male clerk who answered," the San Francisco Chronicle reported. "We can't breathe in business class. Somebody's got Mace or something. ... We can't get into the cockpit. The door won't open."
At 8:46 a.m. and 40 seconds, the Chronicle recalled on Sunday, Ong's American Airlines Flight 11 disappeared into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in Manhattan.
Ong is being called a hero by all who hear the tape of her conversation with the ground crew. But the Wall Street Journal, in a lengthy piece reconstructing the events of that terrible day a month later, described Ong as "hysterical with fear," and "shrieking and gasping for air."
". . . at 7:27 a.m. CDT, Craig Marquis got an emergency phone call [PDF]. Mr. Marquis, manager-on-duty at American's sprawling System Operations Control center in Fort Worth, Texas, heard a reservations supervisor explain that an airborne flight attendant, hysterical with fear, was on the phone and needed to talk to the operations center. In the background, Mr. Marquis could hear the flight attendant shrieking and gasping for air," according to the story by Scott McCartney and Susan Carey.
" 'She said two flight attendants had been stabbed, one was on oxygen. A passenger had his throat slashed and looked dead, and they had gotten into the cockpit,' Mr. Marquis recalls."
It's a description that the Wall Street Journal has refused to correct, even though the tape, released later, portrays Ong acting in a calm, professional matter. Family members say the Journal's posture compounds their tragedy. The Journal account has made its way into at least one book.
A Journal spokeswoman, Ashley Huston, told Journal-isms by email Wednesday, "Our article of Oct. 15, 2001, told the recollections of senior executives and front-line managers at American Airlines and United Airlines and their personal experiences on Sept. 11. No corrections have been made to the article."
Asked why not, Huston said, "We'll refer back to our original response and decline further comment."
A weekend remembrance on NPR's "Weekend Edition Sunday" began with excerpts of Ong's conversation:
AUDIE CORNISH, host: "Newly released recordings give us a better sense of what was happening on that flight at about this time 10 years ago. American flight 11 had turned off its transponder, making it more difficult to track, and the pilots would not respond to the airline's crew. Then a flight attendant picked up a phone built into the seat of the plane and made a call.
BETTY ONG: "Number three in the back. The cockpit's not answering. Somebody's stabbed in business class and I think there's Mace, that we can't breathe. I don't know. I think we're getting hijacked."
AIRLINE CREW MEMBER: "Which flight are you?"
CORNISH: "That is the voice of Betty Ong. She called American Airlines officials to alert them to what was happening."
ONG: "I think the guys are up there. They might've got, jammed their way up there or something. Nobody can call the cockpit. We can't even get inside."
CORNISH: "Betty Ong was the first to raise the alarm that day, the first warning of what was to come. The second warning came from the cockpit."
UNIDENTIFIED HIJACKER: "We have some planes. Just stay quiet and you'll be okay. We are returning to the airport. . . . "
Last Thursday, Lisa Tobin and Michael May of Boston's WBUR told Ong's story through her brother, Harry Ong Jr., and sister, Cathie Ong Herrera, both based on the West Coast.
Herrera said, "I later on spent a lot of time back east attending meetings and during one particular trip I was in the Admiral's Club at the JFK Airport in New York and I happened to pick up the Wall Street Journal and they just happened to have an article about Betty. And this one particular person had described Betty on the phone as being hysterical and gasping and shrieking for air, which just totally destroyed the comfort that we knew in hearing from Nydia about how she was describing Betty's demeanor.
HARRY: "I actually called the Wall Street Journal writers and I said, you know, we had spoken with the person who spoke with Betty, her name being Nydia Gonzalez, and that it just contradicted everything that they had written, you know, it's just not true.
"And they said, well, until you can maybe somehow get something different, this is all we have to go on and this is our report."
On Sunday, Kevin Fagan wrote about the family in the San Francisco Chronicle.
"There's only one thing sure to ignite anger in Ong, an impeccably dressed pharmacy manager known for his mild manner, friends say: mention of misconceptions of his sister's legacy," Fagan wrote.
"Initial news reports in New York and a book about 9/11 portrayed Betty Ong as panicking and screaming during her phone call, but her friends and family refused to believe it. They got their confirmation in 2004 when the federal 9/11 Commission played recordings of her call and took testimony from those who handled it."
Despite the Journal story, the Chronicle story said that Ong is being hailed elsewhere.
"After 9/11, then-San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown designated a day in Ong's honor, and the Chinese Development Community Center named a room after her. But her family and friends would like to see a school, a street or a building dedicated in her honor. After all, she is a national example of courage, they say.
"The Ongs may finally be about to get their wish.
"Mayor Ed Lee this month announced that he wants Betty's name to go on a new recreation center in Chinatown, where she grew up, when it opens next spring. The city's Recreation and Park Commission is expected to approve the designation.
"Cathie Ong created a foundation in her sister's name to encourage healthy eating habits and exercise for children in Bakersfield, where she lives.
"This summer she was close to having a school in that city's historic Chinatown named after Betty. But in July, the school board turned the plan down. It offered instead to name the campus library after her. The family is mulling the option.
"Betty Ong may have died a hero, but her relatives and friends will always think of her foremost as an effervescent, kindly soul."
NABJ, Unity to Form Task Forces on Reunification
Talks about a possible reunification of the National Association of Black Journalists with Unity: Journalists of Color Inc., began with a conference call Wednesday, but the prospect of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association joining the Unity coalition is not part of the discussion, Unity President Joanna Hernandez said.
"The status with NLGJA is still being discussed by the board. We hope to have some kind of resolution soon," Hernandez told Journal-isms.
After the conference call, Hernandez and NABJ President Gregory Lee issued this statement:
"The presidents of the National Association of Black Journalists, the Asian American Journalists Association, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, the Native American Journalists Association and UNITY: Journalists of Color met this morning to begin sorting out the details on how to proceed with reunification talks.
"After a positive and constructive meeting, it was apparent that everyone takes these talks seriously and has agreed to approach this with much care and due diligence. We understand that the entire process will not be completed overnight, however, we anticipate a methodical approach that can help us reach our ultimate goal.
"The first step is that NABJ President Gregory Lee and UNITY President Joanna Hernandez are in the process of forming task forces that will conduct the talks and advise the presidents. We plan to have a timeline for the length of these talks within the next couple of weeks."
NABJ voted in April to leave Unity, citing dissatisfaction with the way Unity was governed and how its finances were divided among the associations.
NABJ members voted in August to "seek reunification with Unity: Journalists of Color as soon as is feasible," but "based on conditions involving the financial and governance structure of Unity that do not conflict with the best interests of NABJ."
Karin Phillips, Philadelphia Community Reporter, Dies at 53
"Beloved KYW Newsradio community affairs reporter Karin Phillips passed away suddenly on Tuesday after a brief illness," Philadelphia's KYW-TV reported on Tuesday. "She was 53.
"Karin's news beat kept the Philadelphia region aware of all the unique organizations, programs, and events that make a difference in our community."
Cari Feiler Bender, who handles public relations for nonprofits, said Phillips had "a passion for Philadelphia like few others. She wanted to tell those untold stories of community groups, nonprofits, neighborhood leaders, and unsung heroes to the entire region," Robert Moran reported for the Philadelphia Inquirer.
"E. Steven Collins, a talk-show host on WRNB-FM (100.3), said that Ms. Phillips 'presented and represented African American people in the tristate area and journalism all over the country in an unmatched way,.' " Moran wrote.
"She joined the all-news staff in 1979 as a production assistant, and through the years wore many hats at the station -- including reporter, writer, and daytime editor.
The KYW story said, "Before becoming a part of the KYW Newsradio team, Karin worked as a reporter for the Burlington County Times. She was also an anchor and producer for Express Traffic Services.
". . . In 2009, Karin received the Human Rights Award for Arts and Culture from the Philadelphia Commission on Human Rights. In 2004, she received the Outstanding Community Service award from the Philadelphia Council of Clergy, the largest multicultural religious clergy organization in Philadelphia."
East Africa Also Hungers for U.S. Coverage
"What a difference a generation makes," James Fahn wrote Tuesday for the Columbia Journalism Review. "Back in 1984-85, groundbreaking media coverage of the terrible drought and famine that affected around eight million people in Ethiopia spurred an outpouring of Western relief efforts. A harrowing report by BBC broadcaster Michael Buerk is often cited as the spark that led to Band Aid, a supergroup of British and Irish musicians who recorded a pop album for charity, and eventually Live Aid, a group of American pop stars who performed likewise.
"Contrast that to the media and cultural response to the current famine in Somalia and surrounding countries, which has affected around ten million people, caused the deaths of at least 29,000 children and placed half a million more at risk, led to a refugee crisis in East Africa, and which was set off by the region's worst drought in sixty years.
" 'In July and August the food crisis has accounted for just 0.7 percent of the newshole,' notes a report from the Pew Research Center released this month. 'Year-to-date the crisis registers at just 0.2 percent.' This time, instead of pop singers crooning about Africa, we have Lady Gaga parading around in a meat dress.
"Relief organizations are blaming the lack of media coverage for what they consider to be a paltry response -- at least within the US."
* Septembre Anderson, Huffington Post: Yasmin Warsame and The African Future
Conservative Media Said to Downplay Effects of Poverty
"Conservative media are using the announcement that poverty increased to return to their allegation that the poor in America don't have it so bad because they own appliances," Media Matters for America said Wednesday. "In fact, poverty affects Americans in profound ways, such as their health, education, and housing."
The Census Bureau's report, "Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States," said Tuesday, "The nation's official poverty rate in 2010 was 15.1 percent, up from 14.3 percent in 2009 -- the third consecutive annual increase in the poverty rate. There were 46.2 million people in poverty in 2010, up from 43.6 million in 2009 -- the fourth consecutive annual increase and the largest number in the 52 years for which poverty estimates have been published.
". . . Among race groups, real median income declined for white and black households between 2009 and 2010, while changes for Asian and Hispanic-origin households were not statistically different. Real median income for each race and Hispanic-origin group has not yet recovered to the pre-2001 recession all-time highs."
* Children's Defense Fund: American Dream Vanishing for 16.4 Million Children
* Steven Gray, Time: Census Data Show Poverty's Creep, Lasting Effects of Recession
* Steven Gray with Michael Eric Dyson, "The Michael Eric Dyson Show," public radio: Poverty Rate
* C. Nicole Mason, HuffPost BlackVoices: As Poverty Rate Rises and Unemployment Persists, Americans Need a New "New Deal"
* Courtland Milloy, Washington Post: Study dismisses poverty, but try telling that to the poor
* Sen. Bernie Sanders, Huffington Post: Is Poverty a Death Sentence?
NBC Names Community Affairs V.P. for L.A. Station
KNBC, the NBC television station in Los Angeles, has named Terri Hernandez Rosales as vice president of community affairs and communications, the station announced on Tuesday.
"In her new role, Hernandez Rosales will manage the long-term strategy of the station's community investment and charitable efforts and oversee strategic communications for the station, handling local media relations and other external affairs," it said.
Hernandez Rosales was vice president of communication for Los Angeles Universal Preschool.
"Terri brings a unique blend of public relations and philanthropic experience to NBC4," said Craig Robinson, president and general manager, recently named executive vice president and chief diversity officer of NBCUniversal.
Last month, CCNMA: Latino Journalists of California and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists each protested what they called a demotion of five Latino anchors in the past year at KNBC.
Julio Moran, executive director of CCNA, told Journal-isms, "When I spoke to Craig he mentioned that this hire was in the works, so I'm not sure that it is in direct response to my letter.
"But, regardless, it is a good move because KNBC has been without a community affairs person since Paula Madison as GM got rid of the position, and instead used a producer to act in that role to produce community related stories to air on the news shows.
"It is important to have Latinos behind cameras, especially in the newsroom, but it is more important to have them in key anchor positions in front of the camera because that is what the community sees, and they want to see people who look like them."
Readers Subsidize Project on Black Ex-Cons Seeking Work
Cleveland freelance writer Afi Scruggs has raised $1,000 from readers to produce a multimedia package on the employment problems of African American ex-offenders. She used Spot.us, which describes itself as "an open source project to pioneer 'community powered reporting.' ”
" 'Hard Time on the Unemployment Line' is a multimedia package that explores the problems African American male ex-offenders have when they look for work," Scruggs wrote to colleagues Wednesday. "I wrote two stories, produced a six-minute audio piece, and took the photographs included in the package. I raised $1,000 for this effort through an innovative site entitled spot.us. This was a first for me, but I hope it won't be the last.
"I'm sharing because I believe crowd-funded journalism is a means to report and distribute untold stories.
"Now, for the best news. Because the package has already been paid for, all the content is free. Yep. Free. Gratis. If you use any part of it, please attribute and share the link. I'd like to see where this lands."
* "CNN's Suzanne Malveaux has been on the ground in Afghanistan for nearly a week on a military embed," Alex Alvarez reported Tuesday for Mediaite. "Since her arrival in Kabul on September 8th, she has conducted a series of interviews with those most intimately involved in attempting to prepare Afghanistan for both its short- and long-term future, both reporting from the region on the tenth anniversary of 9/11 and on the Base attack from the region that had occurred the day before."
* ABC's Robin Roberts, discussing her battle with breast cancer with the Ladies Home Journal, was asked, "Do you take work more in stride now, for example, if you don't get the big interview or assignment?" Roberts replied: "If I don't get the interview I accept it. I don't read into things anymore or look for hidden reasons. I've learned to let things go. I wanted to go to Japan after the earthquake but my doctors said no, due to radiation. I think there is a fine line between being passionate and still being competitive as a journalist and I think I've found it. There is always another 'get.' "
* "CNN's partnership with the Tea Party Express bringing a GOP debate to Tampa Monday won its timeslot in cable news, drawing 3.6-million viewers, according to ratings figures from the newschannel," Eric Deggans wrote on his St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times blog.
* "CNN reaches the most viewers in well-to-do households, while the highest household incomes on cable belong to Bloomberg TV," according to the 35th annual Ipsos Mendelsohn Affluent Survey, Jon Lafayette wrote Wednesday for Broadcasting & Cable. ". . . Spanish-language broadcast networks reach fewer viewers in affluent households, but the households they do reach have high median incomes: $144,300 for Telemundo and $142,700 for Univision."
* "Inez Russell Gomez became editorial page editor at The Santa Fe New Mexican on Monday, publisher Robin Martin announced," the paper reported Tuesday. "Gomez replaces William Waters, who retired last week after more than 20 years in the position. . . . Gomez has edited the paper's specialty magazines -- including Bienvenidos and Indian Market magazines---- since 2005. Previously, she worked as editor of The Taos News, city editor at The New Mexican and an editor in Albuquerque, Texas and Florida."
* Armando Salguero, the Miami Herald's Dolphins beat reporter, triggered a newsroom exchange over the Herald's reporting of a National Enquirer story about Sarah Palin having an affair with former Miami Heat basketball player Glenn Rice, Glenn Garvin reported Wednesday for his Random Pixels blog. Salguero questioned using the material.
* Paula Madison, the former NBCUniversal executive who is a partner in Williams Group Holdings LLC, and CEO, Madison Media Management LLC, is the only journalist to make Essence magazine's "2011 Power List," its annual list of top-ranking African-American women. Madison is also a board member of the Maynard Institute. The list is part of the October issue.
* "Inner City Media Corporation announced earlier today that it has reached an agreement in principle with its senior lenders, pursuant to which the Company will implement a consensual pre-negotiated financial restructuring that will result in a restructured balance sheet," the company said Tuesday. Creditors of Inner City Media Corp., the holding company for the owner of New York City's WLIB and WBLS radio stations, filed an involuntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition last month.
* "The Sowetan newspaper's publishing of prominent pictures of two officers having sex while on duty was not in the public interest, the Press Ombudsman ruled on Monday," the South African Press Association reported. ". . . The Sowetan was directed to print on its second page that six readers had complained to the Press Ombudsman, details of the story and the gist of the complaints. After the article was published, the woman officer was dismissed, while the man was suspended and faces disciplinary proceedings."
* "The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by the new measures taken by Egypt's ruling military council," the committee said on Tuesday. "In recent days, the military announced that it would actively enforce the Hosni Mubarak-era Emergency Law, which allows civilians, including journalists, to be tried in state security courts. Other recent anti-press measures include an Al-Jazeera bureau being raided and shut down, the military announcing a 'temporary freeze' on issuing licenses to satellite television stations, and a foreign blogger being denied entry into the country."
* "A score of Reporters Without Borders activists demonstrated outside the Hotel Ritz in Paris at 8 a.m. today in protest against Rwandan President Paul Kagame's visit to France," the press freedom group reported Tuesday. ". . . Wearing red gags to symbolize violations of freedom of expression in Rwanda, the demonstrators brandished umbrellas with the words 'Kagame predator' and placards saying '“Kagame predator in Paris!' and 'France - Rwanda, no freedom, no contract.' ”
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