Why Is CNN's 'Face' Invariably White?
People of color are sidelined when big anchor jobs open up.
The day before Roland Martin disclosed that his contract as a CNN commentator wasn't being renewed, CNN President Jeff Zucker excitedly proclaimed his new hire Jake Tapper "the face of the new CNN."
"I can tell you from the position that I was in, the prospect of Jake Tapper being the face of the new CNN had me more excited than anything, and I can tell you after today, I know it was absolutely the right thing," Zucker said, Patrick Gavin reported Monday for Politico. "I couldn't be prouder. I couldn't hope for more than for Jake and his team to take CNN into our next place, into our next century ... This is the start of an incredible new era."
It wasn't lost on television observers such as Eric Deggans of the Tampa Bay (Fla.) Times that "the face" of not just CNN but of all the networks -- is white.
"Just as Zucker steps forward with a new vision for CNN -- which includes a new show featuring former ABC correspondent Jake Tapper and a new morning program built around former ABC anchor Chris Cuomo -- two of the channel's best known non-white on-air staffers are leaving the network," Deggans wrote Wednesday for the Poynter Institute. The other is Soledad O'Brien, whose "Starting Point" morning show is being eliminated. O'Brien is forming a production company and is to continue to supply documentaries to CNN -- and others -- on a nonexclusive basis.
"And it's not just at CNN," Deggans continued. "MSNBC has had its own set of anchor changes in recent weeks, so far centered only on white male anchors. And Fox News Channel, which hasn't substantively changed its primetime lineup in many years, features no people of color as anchors in those timeslots.
"Which raises the question: When big anchor jobs open up in cable news, why are people of color so often left on the sidelines?"
This wasn't always the case. When Bernard Shaw, an esteemed black journalist, stepped down as CNN anchor in 2000, the New York Times' Jim Rutenberg wrote that Shaw's "face is as synonymous with the cable network as that of Larry King or Christiane Amanpour."
But that was long ago. On Wednesday, Deggans added, "More than anything, the lack of diversity in some anchor shuffles may speak to a lack of development for anchors of color in general. Maintaining diversity in the face of shrinking resources and cost-cutting often requires specific effort; if people aren't being groomed for bigger jobs, they may not be ready when those prime positions open up."
The critic also wrote on the topic Tuesday for the Daily Download.
"At MSNBC, when the channel moved Ed Schultz from his 8 p.m. weekday timeslot, online speculation seemed to center on whether star contributor Ezra Klein or weekend host Chris Hayes would get the spot. Hayes got the gig, in an apparent bid to try cribbing young viewers from conservative media star Bill O'Reilly, whose top-rated show on Fox News clobbered Schultz regularly.
"But it is unfortunate to note that few critics thought about [Melissa] Harris-Perry, who has turned her self-titled weekend show into an amusing, thought-provoking program nicknamed (and hashtagged) 'nerdland.'
"Even on MSNBC, a channel which boasts of how its ratings with black viewers rose 60 percent last year, those prime time hours of 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. remain hosted by white anchors.
"And outside of MSNBC, viewers are still waiting for CNN and Fox News to move toward reflecting the diversity of the population and our government in its anchor teams.
"Prime time remains the glass ceiling for all, with no anchor of color hosting a show from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. on any of the big three cable news channels.
"And this isn't a problem reserved for cable TV news. The Hollywood Reporter and Politico reported ABC has poached ace correspondent Byron Pitts, who is African American, from CBS News for a job reporting and anchoring, which means venerated newsmagazine 60 Minutes once again has no non-white CBS correspondents contributing to the show (CNN medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta does occasionally offers pieces for the program.)
"And when concerns arose that no non-white moderators had been chosen to lead any presidential debates in 2012, there were few journalists of color with the experience and prominence to take on the job.
"Even as black people and Hispanics are increasingly turning the tide in presidential elections and political issues, the TV news industry is still woefully behind the trends. . . ."
Michael Calderone, Huffington Post: Jake Tapper: Iraq Media Failure 'Incredibly Influential' On Me
Hispanic.com: Dr. Otto Santa Ana: Coverage of Hispanics/Latinos on Network TV News Lacking
Lisa de Moraes, Washington Post: Jake Tapper's CNN show debuts to unimpressive ratings
Two Square Off on Whether It's Time to Leave News Business
An essay by a woman in her late 20s who said she quit the news business in sorrow received plenty of traction on the Internet Wednesday, but by day's end she was challenged by another blog posting from Monica Rhor, a journalist-turned-teacher who has been active in the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.
Their debate has particular resonance for journalists of color, whose loss of jobs in newspapers and online newsrooms has outstripped that of other journalists, according to surveys by the American Society of News Editors. "Following a decline of approximately 800 minority newsroom positions in both 2008 and 2009, the total loss over the last two years was 500 jobs," ASNE said last year.
The first essay, by Allyson Bird, was titled "Why I Left News." It said, "I finally came to accept that the vanity of a byline was keeping me in a job that left me physically and emotionally exhausted, yet supremely unsatisfied. . . . " Bird now writes for the fundraising arm of a public hospital.
Rhor titled her response, "Why I'll Never Leave News."
"If you're looking for money or fame or easy hours, this was never the right job for you," Rhor wrote. "The current throes of the business are not to blame for that.
"For me, newspaper journalism has always been about telling stories, about giving voice to corners of the community that have long been silenced, about crawling into the lives and shoes of other people and pulling back a curtain so our readers can get a glimpse of the world around them."
Each woman attracted her share of supporters.
Rhor announced in November that after "a very long, very rewarding career as a journalist," she was becoming a high school English teacher. Rhor left teaching for a job as an education reporter at the Houston Chronicle and returned to Atascocita High School in the Humble school district, just outside Houston.
She wrote Wednesday, "I left because I wanted to teach high school students about the business I still love. . . ."
Michael Baisden Show on "Hiatus"; He Claims Lockout
Michael Baisden, whose show claims 72 affiliates for its "hot mix of relationship talk, headline-grabbing guests and the very best Old School and current R&B," announced Wednesday that his radio show is going on "hiatus."
Shortly after the announcement, the radio host posted this note on his Facebook page: "The Michael Baisden Show Staff has been 'Locked Out' of Cumulus Studios...really Cumulus?
"In the words of Rodney King, 'Can't we all get along?' Just because we couldn't come to an agreement is no reason to deprive the listeners, our affiliates, and our advertisers of only 9 days to say goodbye and show our appreciation.
"All their action does is make me more determined than ever to come back! And next time there will be no middlemen between me, my affiliates, and my listeners. Lesson learned."
Baisden "has been hosting a radio show since 2003. He organized a rally for the Jena Six in 2007 and was also a big supporter of Pres. Barack Obama's campaign in 2008," Rodney Ho reported for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
In January, when his show was dropped by WDAS-FM in Philadelphia, Baisden had 79 affiliates. He wrote then, "While I am excited about adding Columbus, Ohio last week, and I appreciate my other 78 affiliates, there seems to be a disturbing trend in urban radio to opt to give the black community less information about what's going on in our community, even when my program is competitive, and in some cases, winning in its time slot.”
Baisden said in a farewell message, "No, it was not my intention to leave radio, I had plans for The Michael Baisden Live Tour, my 10-year anniversary party in DC in July, and I was looking forward to being on the air this summer to get justice for Trayvon Martin and his family.
"But sometimes fate, the universe, God, or however you want to label that undeniable force, has [its] own plans. Someone once told me that the greatest experiences in life are unplanned ones. I guess I'm about to test that theory. . . ."
KR, Radio Facts: Michael Baisden Locked Out of Radio Broadcast
Black C-SPAN Viewership Matches Population; Latinos Lag
Though some have surmised from its call-in shows that African Americans watch C-SPAN in disproportionate numbers, black viewership closely matches the African American percentage of the population, a new survey shows. However, Latino viewership lags behind the Hispanic proportion of the national population.
"According to the new Hart Research survey data, 11% of C-SPAN viewers identify themselves as Hispanic ... 13% as African-American ... 5% as Asian," Howard Mortman, spokesman for the public-service cable network, told Journal-isms by email. "(These numbers track closely the fuller survey of cable and satellite television households, with Hispanics and Asians equal to their numbers in the population and African Americans slightly higher than in the surveyed population but not outside the statistical margin of sampling error.)"
According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2010 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, 16.4 percent of the nation is Hispanic or Latino; 12.6 percent is black or African American, 5 percent is Asian, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, and 0.8 percent is American Indian or Alaska Native.
Overall, C-SPAN said, "Nearly a quarter (24%) of people with cable or satellite subscriptions -- an estimated 47 million adults -- report watching C-SPAN at least once a week [PDF], a four-point increase since Hart Research's last quadrennial survey of the C-SPAN audience. Hart Research lead pollster Allan Rivlin says, 'This growth in C-SPAN viewership, especially among the youngest groups, is surprising in this time of generalized media fragmentation but it is not so mysterious in that C-SPAN offers the emerging group of information free-agents access to the raw uncut coverage of their political heroes, and sometimes perhaps their villains, they can then share on blogs and social networks.' "
Obama Urged to Seek Israeli Return of Broadcast Equipment
"During his trip to the region this week, U.S. President Barack Obama should call on Israeli authorities to return the equipment of an independent broadcaster that was seized more than a year ago," the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday.
"Israeli authorities raided the Ramallah-based private broadcaster Wattan TV in February 2012 and confiscated key equipment, including transmitters, computers, files, and archives. Officials said at the time that Wattan TV was broadcasting illegally and had interfered with aircraft transmissions. Muammar Orabi, the station's general director, told CPJ that the broadcaster had a license granted by the Palestinian Authority, which could not have been issued without Israeli acquiescence.
"The station, founded in 1996, has gained credibility through its probing, independent coverage of both Palestinian and Israeli authorities. The outlet's equipment was funded in large part by U.S. agencies, including the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Middle East Partnership Initiative. . . . "
Max Blumenthal, the Nation: The Muslim Brotherhood's War on Egyptian Media
Editorial, Los Angeles Times: Low expectations for Obama's Israel visit
David A. Love, the Grio: Does Obama's name alone hurt the Middle East Peace process?
Matthew Weaver, the Guardian, Britain: Obama condemns new Israeli settlements -- live updates [March 21]
Pakistanis Arrest Militant With Ties to Daniel Pearl Killing
"Pakistani authorities arrested a militant who they say is connected with the murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in 2002," Tom Wright reported Tuesday for the Journal.
"The Pakistan Rangers, a paramilitary organization, said in a statement it arrested Qari Abdul Hayyee, alias Asad Ullah, in a covert operation just north of Karachi's international airport. Mr. Hayyee, a former leader of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, a banned sectarian group, was involved in Mr. Pearl's death, the statement said. A Pakistani security official said the arrest occurred three or four days ago.
"Investigators are unsure whether Mr. Hayyee played a direct role in Mr. Pearl's abduction and beheading, but believe he was linked to the crime as a leader of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi in Sindh province, the official said. . . ."
"Pearl's parents, Ruth and Judea Pearl, issued a statement through the Daniel Pearl Foundation," Alex Rodriguez reported Wednesday for the Los Angeles Times.
"We are gratified by this latest arrest and hope that justice will be served on all of those who were involved in this crime against humanity," they said.
Philadelphia Magazine Takes More Criticism at 2nd Forum
"For the second night in a row, the editor of Philadelphia Magazine and the author of its 'Being White in Philly' cover story willingly endured a barrage of criticism and some harsh accusations about the controversial piece," Robert Moran reported Wednesday for the Philadelphia Inquirer.
"Round Two delivered more punishment for editor Tom McGrath and writer Robert Huber as they faced the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists at a meeting Tuesday at the offices of The Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News.
"A vice president of the association accused both men of being racists. They were subjected to mockery from some of the questioners and threatened with a boycott of the magazine's advertisers.
"As they did Monday at the National Constitution Center, McGrath and Huber responded politely to questions and criticisms. Their answers often did not satisfy the audience. . . ."
Being Vibe's Editor: Schmoozing, Fixing, Bartering
"If you think print pubs have had it bad, just look at the R.I.P. list in the music category: Blender (March 2009), Giant (November 2009), Spin (December 2012)," Andrea Williams wrote Wednesday for MediaBistro. "But, thankfully for urban music and entertainment fans, one iconic brand was able to rise from the ashes.
"Within months after folding in 2009, Vibe -- founded by producer, composer and all-around musical genius Quincy Jones -- was re-launched by new owners looking to infuse it with fresh content for the digital age and new editorial blood, namely EIC Jermaine Hall."
Williams asked Hall, "What advice can you give to other editors who are looking to position themselves to become an editor-in-chief during their careers?"
Hall replied, "I think it's just about, whatever position you're at, excelling at that and mastering that position. And then, once you have that down, I think it's just really starting to expand. A lot of things that come with being editor-in-chief aren't necessarily drilled down into the day-to-day tasks. It's a lot of schmoozing; it's a lot of fixing relationships; it's a lot of bartering; it's a lot of people skills, I would say. It's really going out there to be the ambassador of the brand on all levels. And that doesn't necessarily come from being the strongest writer, it just really comes from people skills and the contacts and the relationships there that you've been able to build over your career. So, I think it's knowing that it's more than just writing and more than just editing at this level."
Another challenge, Hall said, is gaining access to celebrities in an era of social media. Williams asked, "What is one of the most challenging aspects of working with musicians who are often notoriously fickle and temperamental?"
"I would say access," the editor replied. "Because of social media and because these artists now have their own voice, it's like 'I'm an artist and I want to get a message out. I don't need to wait for a magazine to interview me, I don't need to wait to go on radio, I don't need to wait to go on a television program -- I can just say it right now. I can say it on my Twitter account; if there's a picture that I want to put out there, I'll go to Instagram and do it right away.' So, I'd say one of the challenges that we face is getting the amount of time that we need to really craft a good story or put together a fantastic package. . . ."
The first-ever National Summit on Plagiarism and Fabrication is planned for April 5 in St. Louis, the Radio Television Digital News Association reported Wednesday. The summit is to be part of the American Copy Editors Society national conference. Journalism organizations "will gather to recount recent incidents and address the problems affecting traditional and new media," RTDNA said.
"When Roger Ailes saw his words in print, the stark accusation that President Obama is lazy, he was momentarily taken aback," Howard Kurtz wrote in the Daily Beast. The Fox News chairman and CEO made disparaging comments about Obama and Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. "Anybody who knows me knows that half the time I'm saying things with a somewhat humorous overtone,' Ailes says," Kurtz continued. "So is he backing away from the incendiary comments? Not a chance. 'Are every one of those statements true? Yes,' Ailes says. 'Should I have said them? Well, that's a debate.' . . . "
"Pierre Thomas, ABC News Senior Justice Correspondent, has been elected as secretary-treasurer of the Executive Committee of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press," the committee reported Tuesday. "Thomas succeeds Saundra Torry, editorial writer at USA Today, who became vice chairman upon the resignation of Jim Rubin, who recently retired from journalism. . . ."
In Detroit, "WJBK-TV (Channel 2) reporter Charlie LeDuff told police that he and his brother feared for their lives during a brawl at Corktown's St. Patrick's Parade earlier this month, according to a police report," Gina Damron reported Wednesday for the Detroit Free Press. "LeDuff filed the report a few days after the March 10 parade, where a security guard accused the reporter of biting him during a fight. The 46-year-old reporter told police that he was 'choked and nearly blacked out' after being thrown out of a private party at the parade and denied the allegations against him 'as reported in the media,' according to the police report, which he filed March 14. . . ."
"In an effort to continue the national conversation about how to help prepare America's students for success, NBC News is bringing 'Education Nation On-The-Road' to Detroit beginning March 22," the network announced Tuesday. "The NBC News team will spend a week in the city, partnering with its affiliate station, WDIV, to ignite a public dialogue about new efforts in the region and across the state to improve student outcomes. . . ." NBC added, "The Summit will be hosted by NBC News Special Correspondent Chelsea Clinton, NBC News Chief Education Correspondent Rehema Ellis and WDIV Anchors Devin Scillian and Rhonda Walker."
As of Monday, the South Asian Journalists Association had collected $9,630 in its SAJA Broadcast Challenge, according to its website. Current and former broadcast journalists were to match all donations made, up to a total of $10,000. The original end date of Feb. 1 was extended until March 15.
Malian newspaper editor Boukary Daou, who was arrested two weeks ago after publishing a letter criticizing the salary of Capt. Amadou Haya Sanogo, leader of the coup in Mali, has been charged with "inciting disobedience" and "publishing falsehoods," according to Reporters Without Borders, the Associated Press reported Monday. Daou, editor-in-chief of the Republican newspaper, was charged Monday and imprisoned, AP said.
In Honduras, "Reporters Without Borders is very worried about Julio Ernesto Alvarado, the producer of the current affairs programmes 'Medianoche' on Tegucigalpa-based Radio Globo and 'Mi Nación' on its sister TV station, Globo TV, because of a recent increase in the threats and acts of intimidations against him that began a year ago," the press-freedom group said. "Alvarado, 60, who is vice-president of the Organization of Ibero-American Journalists, told the Honduran Committee for the Families of Disappeared Detainees (COFADEH) on 5 March that he has suspended 'Medianoche' as a result of the threats. . . ."
"Bloomberg Media Group, a division [of] Bloomberg L.P., and El Financiero, the media branch of Grupo Lauman, announced Wednesday a long-term agreement to launch a new multi-platform Spanish-language business news service," Chris Roush reported Wednesday for Talking Biz News. "The companies will create a high-definition television channel that combines Bloomberg's global business and financial insight with locally-produced content. The service will be offered in Mexico and Central America. The companies also plan to offer content online, on mobile sites and in print with a co-branded section in El Financiero newspaper. . . . "
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Journal-isms is published on the site of the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education (mije.org). Reprinted on The Root by permission.
Roland Martin Out at CNN
The pundit says that the cable news channel's president, Jeff Zucker, "wants his own peeps."
Roland Martin told his Twitter followers Tuesday that his last day as a CNN commentator will be April 6, ending speculation about his fate under new CNN President Jeff Zucker.
"Roland I am really missing not hearing your view point on @CNN," a Twitter follower wrote. Martin replied, "Sorry. Can't book myself. My last day at @cnn is April 6."
Responding to a tweeter's question about why he is leaving the network, Martin explained that the "new boss wants his own peeps," referring to Zucker and the recent wave of changes at the network.
Martin sent this message to Journal-isms:
"My agents notified me that they had been informed that at the conclusion of the two month extension granted in February, my last day at CNN would be April 6.
"I have thoroughly enjoyed my little over six years there. There are many folks I will miss dearly, especially wonderful colleagues like Josanne Lopez, Soledad O'Brien, Ali Velshi, and so many bookers and producers.
"But I also miss the folks I tried to speak for and represent the most when I was on the air: the men and the women who worked on the crew; the security guards; and even the janitorial workers. Those were the people I most spoke for; those were the people who would cheer me on as I walked down the streets, in the grocery store; and at airports.
"I have had the likes of Harry Belafonte, Sidney Poitier, Spike Lee, Halle Berry, and others in sports and entertainment thank me for being an unwavering and unapologetic voice of truth, and unwilling to back down when someone needed to stand up.
"Before I signed with CNN, I sat in the lobby of 1 Time Warner Center and said, 'God, if it's your will to be here, then so be it.' I said the same these last two months.
"I've worked hard to ensure that my voice wasn't heard in one place. I will continue with my show on TV One, a network I was with before CNN; will continue my daily segment on the Tom Joyner Morning Show; and will continue my nationally syndicated column.
"In my final days at CNN when I'm on the air, I will to do as the Tuskegee Airmen did, fight to the last hour, last minute, last second, for what is right. And I will do that as long as there is breath in my body."
CNN has increasingly turned to Van Jones, former Obama administration "green czar," as its African American male commentator during special events.
LISTEN: Roland Martin Talks With Eric Deggans About The State Of The Media; African American News Consumption (audio)
"Difficult Year at Best" for African-American Media
"The story about how African American-oriented news media coped last year was a difficult one at best," Emily Guskin, Amy Mitchell and Mark Jurkowitz reported in a section of "The State of American Media."
They said in "African American: A Year of Turmoil and Opportunity":
"In the newspaper sector, many historic African American publications both lost circulation and struggled to find advertising revenue. The Chicago Defender, for example, declined in circulation and laid off two editors because of reduced advertising.
"On television, a platform African Americans turn to for news at even greater rates than Americans over all, news continues to fight for a place in African American programming.
"While several new channels geared toward African Americans emerged in 2012, only one of them planned any news content. Still, BET, the most popular channel geared toward a black audience, gave a news talk show yet another try and TV One, another channel aimed at African Americans, partnered with NBC in coverage of the 2012 presidential election.
"In radio, African American voices became even scarcer in 2012. Black-owned radio stations continued to wither in number and several programs hosted by major African American personalities went off the air. The year also witnessed the consolidation of two of the largest black radio networks," referring to Radio One, Inc.'s consolidation of its Syndication One Urban programming line-up with Reach Media, Inc.
"As traditional media become more difficult to maintain, the digital world offered some hope. African American-oriented websites continue to develop, and survey data suggest, moreover, that African Americans are more likely than web users over all to access social media tools such as Twitter and Facebook.
"The handful of African American magazines that carry at least some news had different stories to tell in 2012. One of the most popular, Ebony, enjoyed a solid rebound after years of decreasing circulation, but other magazines did not fare nearly as well. . . ."
David Bauder, Associated Press: Pew State Of The Media Study: Journalism Cutbacks Are Driving Consumers Away
Andrew Beaujon, Poynter Institute: Nearly one-third of U.S. adults have abandoned a news outlet due to dissatisfaction
Eric Deggans, Tampa Bay (Fla.) Times: State of the News Media study reveals less reporting power, less content and more disappointed consumers
John Eggerton, Broadcasting & Cable: Pew Study: News Consumers Turned Off By Coverage Cutbacks
Matthew Schwartz, PR News: What shrinking newsrooms means for media relations
Derek Thompson, the Atlantic: This Is the Scariest Statistic About the Newspaper Business Today
Meenal Vamburkar, Mediaite: MSNBC Coverage Almost Entirely Opinionated, While Fox News Includes More Factual Reporting, Study Says
Early One-Third in Survey Report Deserting News Outlet
The Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism Monday documented "a news industry that is more undermanned and unprepared to uncover stories, dig deep into emerging ones or to question information put into its hands.
"And findings from our new public opinion survey released in this report reveal that the public is taking notice. Nearly one-third of the respondents (31%) have deserted a news outlet because it no longer provides the news and information they had grown accustomed to."
"The State of the News Media 2013 -- An Annual Report on American Journalism" continued, "At the same time, newsmakers and others with information they want to put into the public arena have become more adept at using digital technology and social media to do so on their own, without any filter by the traditional media. They are also seeing more success in getting their message into the traditional media narrative.
"So far, this trend has emerged most clearly in the political sphere, particularly with the biggest story of 2012 -- the presidential election.
"A Pew Research Center analysis revealed that campaign reporters were acting primarily as megaphones, rather than as investigators, of the assertions put forward by the candidates and other political partisans. That meant more direct relaying of assertions made by the campaigns and less reporting by journalists to interpret and contextualize them. . . ."
The report identified six major trends:
"The effects of a decade of newsroom cutbacks are real – and the public is taking notice.
"The news industry continues to lose out on the bulk of new digital advertising.
"The long-dormant sponsorship ad category is seeing sharp growth.
"The growth of paid digital content experiments may have a significant impact on both news revenue and content.
"While the first and hardest-hit industry, newspapers, remains in the spotlight, local TV finds itself newly vulnerable.
"Hearing about things in the news from friends and family, whether via social media or actual word of mouth, leads to deeper news consumption."
Film on Latino Immigration Seeking National TV Audience
The makers of "Harvest of Empire: The Untold Story of Latinos in America," a documentary about the reasons behind Latino immigration to the U.S. mainland, are seeking a television network outlet even as the film wends its way around the country in movie theaters, one of the principals told Journal-isms on Monday.
"We decided to do the theatrical release first to generate buzz," Wendy Thompson-Marquez, a co-producer of the film, said. "We are currently reaching out to several networks in hopes to get some carriage."
"Harvest of Empire," based on a 1999 book by Juan Gonzalez, columnist for the Daily News in New York, co-host of Pacifica Radio's "Democracy Now!" and founder and past president of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, tells the story of migration to the mainland United States from Mexico, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Cuba, Guatemala, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.
Gonzalez serves as the film's narrator. The documentary makes liberal use of news footage from the past few decades in making the case that U.S. intervention in each jurisdiction created the conditions that caused residents to emigrate.
It is a useful primer, especially for journalists, and such reporters as Maria Hinojosa, Gonzalez and Geraldo Rivera are among the participants.
The movie's current tour, which began March 1 in Phoenix, opens in San Diego on March 22; in Denver April 6; Chicago, April 19; Houston, May 3; and Philadelphia on a date to date to be determined. It began a run in Washington on Friday, through March 28, and has played in New York; Santa Fe, N.M.; San Francisco; and Berkeley, Calif.
" 'Harvest of Empire' has a journalistic pedigree and a punch that comes from political advocacy," Rachel Saltz wrote last September in the New York Times.
Associated Press: Many Latinos Do Not Identify With Current Census' Race Categories
José de la Isla, Hispanic Link News Service: Harvest of Empire's Healing Power [PDF] (August 2012) (Page 2, El Reportero)
Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle: 'Harvest of Empire' review: On immigration
Stephanie Merry, Washington Post: Connecting dots on immigration
Ruben Navarrette Jr., Washington Post Writers Group: For Latinos, a left-behind feeling
Eddie Pasa, Reel Film News: Movie Review: Harvest of Empire
Marisa Treviño, Latina Lista: Documentary explores the volatile history of Latino migration to the United States (Sept. 7, 2012)
CNN Criticized for Steubenville Rape Coverage
"CNN's coverage of the verdict in the Steubenville rape case appeared to be curiously weighted on Sunday, focusing on the effect the guilty verdict would have on the lives of the now-convicted rapists and their families, rather than that of the victim and her family," Kia Makarechi reported for the Huffington Post.
"Steubenville High School football players Trent Mays, 17, and Ma'lik Richmond, 16, were accused of raping a severely intoxicated 16-year-old West Virginia girl who also attends the Ohio school. Thousands of text messages introduced in the case presented a picture of teens swapping graphic stories about the assault.
"In a Sunday afternoon segment, anchor Fredricka Whitfield followed the straight news of the guilty verdict (which she described as rape occurring 'after a night of heavy partying') by showing the rapists' parents' weeping in court. Footage of Richmond, his mother and father offering emotional appeals to the victim's family dominated the segment.
"Whitfield threw the story to reporter Poppy Harlow, but not before reiterating that Mays and Richmond's 'family members tried their hardest to plead for some forgiveness from the victim's family, as well as from the judge. . . .' "
Huffington Post: CNN, Fox News, MSNBC Air Name Of Steubenville Rape Victim
Zerlina Maxwell, the Grio: Steubenville case: Why acquaintance rape is not a myth
Jack Mirkinson, Huffington Post: CNN's Steubenville Rape Coverage Draws Petition Demanding Apology
Andy Moore, brobible.com: The Onion Scarily Predicted CNN's Coverage of the Steubenville Rapists
Michael Smith and Jemele Hill, ESPN Radio: His & Hers: Michael Smith and Jemele Hill have a candid conversation about the Steubenville rape verdict with LZ Granderson and Katie Hnida. (audio)
Philadelphia Magazine Editor Faces Critics at Forum
"Philadelphia Magazine editor Tom McGrath and Robert Huber, author of the controversial 'Being White in Philly' cover story, faced their critics at a forum Monday night at the National Constitution Center," Robert Moran reported for the Philadelphia Inquirer.
"McGrath opened by saying he was sorry to anybody who was hurt by the article because that was not his intent, but he did not regret publishing the story.
"Huber told the packed auditorium of about 200 that the purpose of the article was to explore 'how white people relate to black people in the inner city, or don't relate to them.'
"In his piece, Huber wrote: 'We need to bridge the conversational divide so that there are no longer two private dialogues in Philadelphia -- white people talking to other whites, and black people to blacks -- but a city in which it is okay to speak openly about race."
"The cover story, however, was criticized for dwelling on negative experiences that whites had with blacks that often fit into racial stereotypes.
"In a scathing letter, Mayor [Michael] Nutter last week requested that the Philadelphia Human Relations Commission consider whether the magazine and Huber deserve to be rebuked for the article.
"Nutter said Huber ignored positive anecdotes 'to feed his own misguided perception' that African Americans are 'lazy, shiftless, irresponsible, and largely criminal.'
"McGrath served as a moderator for a panel that included Huber, journalists Solomon Jones and Christopher Norris, People's Emergency Center president Farah Jimenez, and University of Pennsylvania lecturer Walter Palmer, who teaches about racism and social change."
The story added, "When Editor Tom McGrath was questioned about his staff's lack of diversity, he replied: 'I'm committed to having a more diverse staff' and 'I am committed to do something.' "
Jenice Armstrong, Philadelphia Daily News: Human Relations Commission disappointed with "Being White in Philly" article
Wayne Bennett, the Field Negro: Being happy at Philly Mag, and searching for a time machine for CPAC.
Editorial, Philadelphia Tribune: Race-baiting at Philly Magazine
Robert Moran, Philadelphia Inquirer: Nutter goes after Philadelphia Magazine over race article
Adrienne Simpson, Philadelphia Inquirer: The only black person in the room
Linda S. Wallace, Tri-State Defender, Memphis, Tenn.: 'Being White in Philly'
Some Blacks Make Self-Defense Case for Guns
"While African-Americans on either side of the debate agree gun violence is a scourge in the inner-city, they disagree on another vital fact: whether gun control hurts more than it helps," Claire Gordon wrote Monday for HuffPost BlackVoices.
Gordon quoted Yale University sociology professor Elijah Anderson, "These black people living in these hyper-ghettos feel like they're on their own." Anderson is author of the classic "Code of the Street: Decency, Violence, and the Moral Life of the Inner City" and has spent most of his adult life studying these communities.
" 'To protect yourself from criminals, to protect your daughter, to protect your son, you have to show this person in no uncertain terms that if the police don't deal with you, I'll deal with you. I'll kick your ass,' he told The Huffington Post. 'This is a decent person who goes to church. An old lady who's 65 years old, who has a gun.'
"For many black gun rights activists, policies that disarm minorities eerily echo old racist claims that blacks were unfit for citizenship. Throughout the country's history, it's been harder for minorities to get their hands on firearms. . . ."
Melissa Block, NPR: Among Thousands Of Gun Deaths, Only One Charles Foster Jr.
Tammerlin Drummond, Oakland Tribune: A community under siege by crime
Chip Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle: Oakland gang raids may be 1st of many
Chip Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle: Oakland's crime plan off to good start (March 7)
Tom Joyner, Black America Web: Follow The Money, It’s in the NRA's Pockets
Mary Mitchell, Chicago Sun-Times: People should get angry over gangs killing innocent people
Rochelle Riley, Detroit Free Press: Chicago's violent streets offer lessons for Detroit
Columnist Says Fix Is In: Affirmative Action for Whites
"Waiting for the Supreme Court ruling in Fisher? Forget it. The fix is in," Emil Guillermo wrote Monday on his blog for the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund. "Affirmative Action for Whites is coming as more colleges use class to trump race in college admissions.
"Didn't you read the front page of the New York Times on Sunday?
"The right column front is always where editors place 'the big story,' and there on the right column was the story on the new report that is likely to redefine affirmative action as it's practiced now -- regardless of what the Supreme Court does on the Fisher case.
"The headline, 'Better Colleges Failing to Lure Poorer Strivers,' (that's the slightly different headline in my national edition), and its subhead, 'Qualified but Unaware; Study Says Most Don't Apply Despite Skills, Hurting Diversity,' isn't exactly as earth shattering as, say, 'Budget issues solved; GOP comes to its senses; World Peace next."
"But you'd understand it to be front page news, if they just gave the news to us straight: 'Influential report to become new justification for affirmative action -- for white people.'
"That's a big deal.
"The comprehensive national study by two longtime Harvard and Stanford researchers analyzed everyone who took the SAT recently.
"What they found was that only 34 percent of low-income students (defined as students from families with incomes under $41,472) attended the country's 238 most selective colleges.
"Meanwhile, 78 percent of students from families earning more than $120,776, attended the best schools. . . . "
Esther J. Cepeda, Washington Post Writers Group: Chasing diversity in education (Feb. 28)
Nikole Hannah-Jones, ProPublica: A Colorblind Constitution: What Abigail Fisher’s Affirmative Action Case Is Really About
David Leonhardt, New York Times: The Liberals Against Affirmative Action (March 9)
Julianne Malveaux, syndicated: Black Unemployment has Not Improved
Ari Melber, the Grio: What the New York Times gets wrong about affirmative action
Dan Slater, New York Times: Does Affirmative Action Do What It Should?
Pundits Differ Over Crackdown on Sugary Soft Drinks
"As obesity and diabetes batter African-American and Latino communities, advocacy groups should be a fortress against the efforts by soda companies to defeat legislation to tax or place limits on their products," Derrick Z. Jackson wrote Saturday for the Boston Globe. "Instead, too many of them are allies of the soda industry.
"The most recent example was this week, when a New York state judge struck down the 16-ounce limit on sugary drinks about to go into effect in New York City. Joining the beverage industry in opposing the law was the New York state chapter of the NAACP and the Hispanic Federation, a Northeast coalition of community service agencies.
"The organizations said the law discriminated against small-business owners of color. They did have a small point because regulatory limits exempted supermarkets and convenience stores. But if civil rights groups were truly concerned about obesity, they would have appealed to convenience stores to voluntarily join the ban. . . ."
Other columnists of color disagreed. Leonard Pitts Jr. wrote in the Miami Herald that New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's ban was "the very definition of liberalism run amok, a good idea (people should limit their intake of sugary soft drinks) driven headlong into the weeds of overkill, over regulation and basic preposterousness. The resemblance to conservative extremism and its resort to unwieldy laws to govern behaviors it disapproves (did someone say transvaginal ultrasound?), is doubtless unintended, but no less real even so. . . ."
Hillary Crosley, the Root: Keep the Big-Soda Ban and Live Longer
Merlene Davis, Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader: We need to curb our cravings for 'death food'
Emil Guillermo blog, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund: New York's Soda Ban: When good ideas become bad laws
Derrick Z. Jackson, Boston Globe: FDA must act on sugar, salt
Barry Saunders, News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C.: For Duke professor, New York's big soda ban didn't go far enough
Pamela Brown, left, George Howell and Alina Machado have joined CNN as correspondents, the network announced Monday. "Brown will report primarily for CNN's new morning program and will be based in New York. Howell will report for the network and will be based out of Chicago. Machado will report for CNN, CNN en Español and CNN Latino, and will be based in Atlanta." (Credit: CNN)
Steve Coll, a former managing editor at the Washington Post, was named Monday as dean of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Among the people of color on the search committee were A'Lelia Bundles, a vice chairman of the board of trustees; faculty members Howard French, Duy Linh Tu, Mirta Ojito and Sree Sreenivasan, who is also Columbia's chief digital officer; graduate student KC Ifeanyi; and Tim Wu, faculty member at Columbia Law School. Coll succeeds Nicholas Lemann on July 1.
"Since President Obama came to the White House in 2009, federal regulatory and science agencies have taken measurable steps -- on paper, at least -- toward improving their relationships with the press, according to an analysis by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS)," Curtis Brainard reported Friday for Columbia Journalism Review. He added, "Even so, not everybody made the honor roll, and the report stressed that practice doesn't always live up to policy in some offices. . ."
"MundoFox has decided to expand its national news coverage starting today," Veronica Villafañe reported Monday for her Media Moves site. "A new nightly weekday edition of Noticias MundoFox premieres tonight at 10:30 pm ET/PT. Rolando Nichols will also anchor the evening newscast. . . . "
Rihanna and Jennifer Lopez figured in a report by Erik Maza in Women's Wear Daily last week on best and worst sellers at the newsstand. The November issue of Vogue with Rihanna on the cover was Vogue's second worst seller of the time period, 32 percent below the six-month average that ended in December. At In Style, Lopez was hot: She took the number-two ranking for her September cover. Meanwhile, some are using first lady Michelle Obama's second Vogue cover appearance, for the April 2013 issue, as an occasion to attack her for a range of reasons, Alexis Garrett Stodghill reported Thursday for the Grio.
"NBC Sports Radio announced today that weekend talker Newy Scruggs will expand his duties with a new show premiering April 1st," RadioInk reported Monday. "Voices of the Game with Newy Scruggs will air during the 12noon-3p ET Monday-Friday slot. Scruggs is the Sports Director and weeknight sports anchor at KXAS-TV (NBC 5) in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas. NBC Sports Radio will launch its full 24/7 talk programming on April 1. . . ."
Kelly Virella, who founded a New York-based digital magazine, Dominion of New York, is starting the Urban Thinker, a "monthly thought magazine featuring America's best black writers and their friends. We explore current affairs and personal narratives through well-crafted, in-depth writing and showpiece photography and we host salons and other social events for our readers. We are set to launch in May 2013 and will be available on tablets, smartphones and desktops. . . ."
The two-part "180 Days: A Year Inside an American High School," tells the story of Washington Metropolitan High School (DC Met) and its first graduating class, and premieres on PBS March 25 and 26 . Check local listings. Jacquie Jones, executive director of the National Black Programming Consortium, told Journal-isms by email, "whether or not you should watch really depends on how interested you are in the top-down, privately-funded school reform 'movement' currently shaping our national education policy and the impact it's having on black and brown children. . . . 180 Days was imagined as a kind of counterpoint to films -- such as Waiting for 'Superman' or The Lottery -- highlighting instead the voices and experiences of the kids, teachers, principals and parents who are actually on the front lines of all of this." Jones wrote a piece for Tuesday's Huffington Post.
Jeff Ballou, Al Jazeera producer, is shown next to Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus in photos accompanying reports of Priebus' National Press Club appearance Monday. Ballou organized the event as part of the speakers committee and a member of the club's board of governors. " Priebus said Republican policies were sound, but he portrayed a conservative party that had been outmaneuvered strategically and that had sometimes appeared intolerant of women, minorities and others in a heated campaign season," Susan Heavey reported for Reuters.
"Seven former members of the former secret service in Colombia, the Administrative Department for Security (DAS), face charges of 'psychological torture and intimidation' inflicted on prominent journalist Claudia Julieta Duque, the office of the national human rights prosecutor announced on 10 March," the International Federation of Journalists reported Friday, welcoming the charges.
"A Somali judge on Sunday freed a journalist who was jailed last month for interviewing an alleged gang-rape victim in a case that sparked international condemnation over how Somali authorities treat victims of sexual violence and press freedom," Feisal Omar reported Sunday for Reuters.
"Hugo Chavez may be dead, but the offensive he led against democratic institutions in Venezuela and across Latin America has not slackened. In fact, it may be accelerating, especially with regard to independent media," the Washington Post editorialized on Saturday. The Post called for resistance to efforts by Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa, "who aspires to replace Mr. Chavez at the head of the region's anti-democratic left," to defund "the most valuable institution of the Organization of American States . . . its independent Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and its rapporteur on press freedom."
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Journal-isms is published on the site of the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education (mije.org). Reprinted on The Root by permission.
Where Was Solidarity With Black Freelancers?
Ta-Nehisi Coates writes in the Atlantic that there was never a golden age of freelancing for blacks.
Freelance journalist Nate Thayer prompted a debate last week when he publicly declined an opportunity to write for the Atlantic magazine for free. But in the arguments over the benefits of getting paid only with exposure, Ta-Nehisi Coates wrote on Wednesday, one element has been missing: race.
"Two things helped me break through," Coates wrote on his Atlantic blog. "The first, being vouched for by someone in a position of power who had a relationship with someone else in a position of power. I met that person when costs of investment were low: I worked for David Carr [at the Washington City Paper] at a rate of $100 dollars a week and ten cents a word for anything I published. The first summer I worked for him, I made $1,700. I did not consider myself underpaid. This was 1996. The New Republic had just told the world that black people had evolved to be stupid, and it seemed like every week they were saying something just as racist. I was at Howard University, surrounded by a community of brilliant black people, cut off from the Ivies. None of them had the contacts or the resources to reply. They just had to take it. I can't tell you how much that angered me. I was made in that moment. And when I got my first break in writing, I didn't think about being ripped off. I thought about whipping ass. I haven't changed.
"The second thing was the destruction of the monopoly on publication by gate-keepers. When [Slate's Matthew] Yglesias wrote me, I didn't care a whit about payment. I cared about a world wherein writers wrote stories like this, and no black people were around to answer.
". . . What I am asking you to do is to avoid an appeal to a more noble past. I lived there. It wasn't noble. It was fucked up. Like right now is fucked up. When you ask me to show solidarity with writers who aren't being paid, you should also ask yourself what solidarity white magazine writers have shown over the years with struggling black writers who could not break in. You are appalled that Nate Thayer was once offered $125,000 to write for The Atlantic, and was then offered nothing. Fair enough. Are you equally appalled that there were virtually no black writers who could have gotten the same deal?
"Over the past few days, I have been told that I am the 'exception,' that I 'won the lottery.' No one thinks that Thayer won the lottery when he was offered his contract. No one sees the compromised ground underneath. I am sorry this new world is not fair. I am all for doing something to make it more fair. But while we are doing so, remember something: The old world was never fair. It was war. I am, indeed, an exception to the rule. But not the rule you think."
Unable to Define "Journalist," Police May End Credentialing
"San Diego police may follow other agencies by ending media credentials as the spread of bloggers and online publications make it more difficult to define who is a journalist," Elliot Spagat reported Sunday for the Associated Press. "The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security stopped issuing credentials last month and the Orange County Sheriff's Department in Southern California did so in December.
" 'With the advancements in digital media and the proliferation of bloggers, podcasters and freelancers, it has become challenging to determine who should receive a press pass,' the Sheriff's Department said.
"At stake for journalists is whether they can cover certain stories. At stake for the general public is who delivers their news. . . . "
Gunshot Fired Into Newsroom of Black Va. Newspaper
A gunshot damaged a window on the second floor of the offices of the Richmond, Va., Free Press, [PDF] ripping window blinds and scattering debris in the Free Press newsroom, the African American weekly reported in its March 14-16 edition.
"Thankfully none of our staffers were on duty when our window was bullet-holed and desks were dotted with glass," the newspaper reported, adding that the March 3 vandalism was reported to the FBI as well as local police.
"Detective [Dale] Shamburg suggested the shot came from a shotgun blast fired from a nearby parking lot across from the Richmond Times-Dispatch and the blast may have come from partygoers.
"We do not know the source of this criminal behavior, but we do know that it is an uncivilized act that fits in the same category as past and ongoing schemes to shut down the Free Press.
"The newsroom blast is the latest in destruction to Free Press property since the newspaper opened in Downtown 21 years ago.
"Examples of the previous vandalism: Distribution boxes flattened by big-tire vehicles; Free Press editions burned in distribution boxes; racist messages scrawled on the front of the distribution boxes; boxes stolen and papers thrown into trash containers; and the fencing of our boxes to block reader access to copies of the Free Press.
The story concluded, "The Free Press will not be intimidated. Neither will we bow to political and economic schemes viciously intended to control the Free Press."
The gunshot was mentioned Friday during a luncheon panel in Washington at the annual Black Press Week of the National Newspaper Publishers Association, a trade group of the publishers of black weekly newspapers.
Harvard Law professor Charles J. Ogletree told the group that "when something happens to one editor, it happens to all of us. We march for everything else, why can't we march for the black press?"
In other discussion on the panel, Jineea Butler, founder of the Social Services of Hip Hop and the Hip Hop Union, told the publishers, "I represent entrepreneurs in hip hop. We don't know that you exist. The black press should be teaching us, should be engaging us. I need to know what happened before us. The people that came before us don't think that we want the information. Lead us! Tell us!"
Civil rights and social activist Benjamin Chavis, a co-founder with hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons of the nonprofit Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, said one problem is that hip-hop is visual. "We have more to write about, but we're writing less," he said, suggesting that NNPA ought to have its own publishing house.
At an awards dinner Thursday night, Susan L. Taylor, former longtime editor-in-chief of Essence magazine, also raised the literacy issue. Now leading the National Cares Mentoring Movement, active in 60 cities, Taylor told the group that 58 percent of black fourth-graders are functionally illiterate. She urged the publishers to "bring more young people into your companies" and to hire more copy editors so that black newspapers are "pristine." Taylor received an award for "community empowerment."
U.S. Business Journalists Miss Third World Story, Dean Says
Business journalists in the United States tend to focus on personalities rather than changes in the economic balance of power that are giving Third World countries more importance, Peter Blair Henry, dean of the Leonard N. Stern School of Business at New York University, told Journal-isms on Friday. "Foreign journalists have more of the big picture."
In Washington on a book tour, the Jamaican-born economist told a breakfast meeting of NYU alumni of a "trust deficit" between the Third World and the developed nations that he argued is more important than the fiscal deficit in the United States.
It's more significant "because the trust deficit is undermining the willingness and ability of emerging nations to generate the growth to help lead us out of our economic problems," an argument he makes in "Turnaround: Third World Lessons for First World Growth."
Henry, one of the few African Americans to lead a mainstream U.S. business school, said he was teaching his students to think globally.
Henry writes in the book, ". . . the growth rate of developing countries surged after 1995, and their output now accounts for almost 50 percent of global economic activity. In spite of this fact, the developing world receives short shrift in the realm of international economic relations. The voice and representation of developing countries as multilateral institutions pale in comparison to their contributions to the world economy.
"The WTO [World Trade Organization] has failed to secure a global trade deal that provides equal access to global markets for emerging countries, and no citizen of the developing world has ever been chosen to lead the IMF [International Monetary Fund] or the World Bank. To make matters worse, the challenging economic outlook tempts governments of advanced countries to look inward, to adopt various forms of protectionism, and to pursue growth strategies eerily reminiscent of those they urged developing countries to abandon in the recent past. . . ."
George E. Curry, National Newspaper Publishers Association: China Prepares to Become the World's Largest Economy
Peter Blair Henry with Kojo Nnamdi, "the Kojo Nnamdi Show," WAMU-FM, Washington: "Turnaround: Third World Lessons For First World Growth" (audio)
Time Promotes Ghosh to Editor of International Edition
"Bobby Ghosh has been named the editor of Time International, Time Inc. Editor-in-Chief Martha Nelson and Time Managing Editor Rick Stengel told staffers in an announcement Friday morning," Andrew Beaujon reported for the Poynter Institute. " '[T]his appointment has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that he saved me from getting tear-gassed in Tahrir Square last year,' the memo reads.
"Jim Frederick is vacating the position 'to move on to other challenges,' the memo says. He will become a contributing editor."
Ghosh has been with Time since 1997. "Bobby, quite simply, is a magnificent journalist who has done the highest level of work that one can aspire to in our profession," Nelson and Stengel wrote. "During his five years as our Baghdad bureau chief throughout the worst of the Iraq war, Bobby wrote two of our most unforgettable cover stories: Life in Hell, and Sunnis vs. Shi’ites. He was not only fearless in his work in Iraq but he was the guardian of all who worked for us in Baghdad. . . ."
Ghosh is Indian American, but the publication has no full-time black correspondents.
Meanwhile, Jeff Bewkes, CEO of the parent Time Warner Inc., announced creation of the company's first Multicultural Innovation Council, "a company-wide group of senior executives that will focus on one of our greatest collective growth opportunities."
Bewkes wrote, "We have made terrific progress in reaching diverse audiences on a global scale. A study presented at our November 2012 Multicultural Business Summit showed that across all forms of media, Time Warner reaches about 95% of multicultural adults in the U.S. However, engaging younger, increasingly diverse audiences and expanding our global reach remains an imperative for all our businesses."
John Martin, Time Warner chief financial officer, is to lead the Council along with Lisa Garcia Quiroz, chief diversity officer and senior vice president, corporate responsibility.
Christine Haughney, New York Times: Spinoff of Time Inc. Rattles Employees
Whites Twice as Likely to Own Guns as Blacks, Latinos
"Roughly three-in-ten (31%) whites own a gun, which is much greater than the rates of gun ownership among blacks (15%) and Hispanics (11%)," the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press reported Tuesday.
"The general profile of gun owners in America differs substantially from the general public. Roughly three-quarters (74%) of gun owners are men, and 82% are white. Taken together, 61% of adults who own guns are white men. Nationwide, white men make up only 32% of the U.S. adult population.
"Gun owners and those who do not own guns differ politically. While 37% of all adults identify with or lean toward the Republican Party, that proportion jumps to 51% among gun owners. Among those in households without guns, just 27% identify with the Republican Party or lean Republican, while a majority (61%) are Democrats or lean Democratic."
Phillip Morris, Plain Dealer, Cleveland: New gun revenue will be no different than cigarette revenue once the states begin collecting
E.R. Shipp, Baltimore Sun: After the violence, silence: Anti-snitching culture still pervasive as city struggles through recent rise in homicides
Rod Watson, Buffalo News: Albany's take on violence is inconsistent
Vatican Rejects New Pope's Tie With Dirty War
"Reacting with unusual swiftness, the Vatican on Friday rejected any suggestion that Pope Francis of Argentina was implicated in his country's so-called Dirty War during the 1970s, tackling the issue just two days after the pontiff’s election," Daniel J. Wakin reported Friday for the New York Times.
"On a day when Francis delivered a warm address to his cardinals and continued to project humility, the Vatican seemed intent on quickly putting to rest questions about the pope's past, dismissing them as opportunistic defamations from anticlerical leftists. The swift response contrasted with past public relations challenges during the papacy of Pope Benedict XVI, when the Vatican often allowed criticisms to linger without rebuttal. . . ."
Stephen Rex Brown, Daily News, New York: Native Americans to new Pope: Recant the 'Discovery Doctrine,' which gave Catholics dominion over New World
Nsenga Burton, the Root: Is Pope Bergoglio Really the 1st Latino Pope?
Mary C. Curtis, Washington Post: Authentically black and Catholic — with something to say about Pope Francis
Juan Gonzalez, Daily News, New York: Pope Francis' disputed role in Argentina's Dirty War raises questions
Bryan Llenas, Fox News Latino: Latino Romans, Immigrants Have New Hope in Pope
Eugene Robinson, Washington Post: Questions from a 'Dirty War'
Steve Russell, Indian Country Today Media Network: Habemus Papam: Why We Should Care About the Selection of the New Pope
Mary Sanchez, Kansas City Star: A Pope for the poor
Lack of Diversity at Inquirer Means "Unbalanced Coverage"
"(City Paper’s full-time editorial staff, like Philadelphia magazine's, is 100 percent white.) Just short of a thousand black reporters nationwide lost or left their jobs between 2002 and 2012, bringing their newsroom representation to just 4.65 percent, according to the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ). Management tends to blame union seniority rules, while unions tend to fault management for failing to make diversity a priority. The proliferation of unpaid internships as de facto entry-level jobs puts poor people of any race at further disadvantage.
"The Inquirer, with a newsroom of about 250 compared to just 90 at the Daily News, is the city's largest news-gathering operation — and also a profoundly white one. Last fall, the Temple University journalism department briefly stopped recommending interns to the paper to protest the lack of diversity.
"Annette John-Hall was the Inquirer's only African-American metro columnist until she took a buyout last month, leaving Karen Heller (who is white) as the paper's only metro columnist in a city where black people are a plurality. 'What you get is unbalanced coverage,' says [John-Hall], describing a paper that has shifted away from community-level beats and too often reduces neighborhoods to crime stories. The Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists (PABJ) asked Inquirer editor Bill Marimow that the next metro columnist be black. According to PABJ president and Philadelphia Tribune news editor Johann Calhoun, Marimow, who did not respond to a request for comment, said he would try. . . ."
Wayne Bennett, the Field Negro: Being clueless in Philly.
Short Takes
"It doesn’t get much cooler than having Prince compose the theme song for your show," Scott Stump reported Thursday for NBC's "Today" show. "MSNBC's 'NewsNation with Tamron Hall’ has a new song created just for the show from the Purple One, who happens to be a big fan of Hall’s work on television when he's not cooking up new guitar licks. . . ." [Video]
Robert Chrisman, a founding editor of the Black Scholar, a quarterly journal "launched in 1969 with the premise that black authors, scholars, artists and activists could participate in dialogue within its pages, 'uniting the academy and the street.' Died March 10 at his home in San Francisco of complications from congestive heart failure. He was 75." His daughter, Laura Chrisman, told Journal-isms the journal now had a circulation of 700. Obituary at the end of this posting.
Patrice Gaines, a former Washington Post reporter whose "Laughing in the Dark: From colored girl to woman of color, a journey from prison to power" was published in 1995, said Friday on NPR's "Tell Me More," "two years ago I was dismissed from a job with the Census Bureau because of my criminal record. My criminal record was when I was 21 years old." She added, "I was eventually called back, but at that time the harm had been done. . . . "
"Three months into its experiment as an all-digital publication, Newsweek Global is losing its editor, Tunku Varadarajan, Adweek reported on Friday. "Varadarajan had been the editor of Newsweek International, a post he inherited from Fareed Zakaria, who left after The Washington Post Co. sold the magazine to stereo magnate Sidney Harman." In 2010, the Daily Beast ran a list by Varadarajan of "The Left's Top 25 Journalists" and a similar one for the right. There were no black journalists among them, and Pulitzer Prize-winning African American commentators expressed their views about that in this space.
Phillip Martin of Boston public radio station WGBH, "in collaboration with the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ), the Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism at Brandeis University, and the Ford Foundation, traveled in the U.S. and across Asia to explore the modern slave trade of human trafficking," the station said. Martin's travels for the eight-part radio series took him to Wellesley, Mass.; New York; Thailand; Cambodia and Vietnam.
NPR chose a bar at the South by Southwest Interactive conference in Austin, Texas, to kick off Generation Listen, a campaign to make public radio cool in the minds and ears of young people, Brian Stelter reported Tuesday for the New York Times. "The party was, like every party here, packed. But the goal was to convince 20-something listeners that NPR is something that they can belong to — and may be even worth their donations." When NPR CEO Gary E. Knell was named in 2011, he told Journal-isms he wanted to make NPR more attractive to audiences of color as well as look at age diversity.
The Native American Journalists Association denounced the cover of AnOther Magazine, featuring actress Michelle Williams wearing what was intended to be Indian garb. "Any time a non-Native person is styled to appear Native American, it perpetuates a stereotype that all Native people look like this, that Native people do not exist or even evokes comparisons of this group to that of mythical beings . . . ," the association said Thursday.
Robert Chrisman, Editor of Black Scholar, Dies at 75
Robert Chrisman, a founding editor of The Black Scholar, poet, academic and activist, died on March 10th, at his home in San Francisco, of complications from congestive heart failure. He was 75. He is survived by his brother, Philip Chrisman, and his daughter, Laura Chrisman.
Robert Chrisman was raised in Nogales, Arizona. His family moved to the Bay Area in the 1950s where he became involved in the lively and diverse cultural scene in San Francisco. He entered UC Berkeley’s English department to study literature. On his own he discovered the works of Frederick Douglass, W.E.B. Du Bois, Langston Hughes, Richard Wright, Robert Hayden, James Baldwin, Lorraine Hansberry, Vladimir Lenin, Karl Marx, Che Guevara, Pablo Neruda, Mao Tse-tung, and the Beat Generation writers.
Chrisman turned to poetry as medium of expression for his vision. His work gained recognition from critics and other poets, including Alice Walker who wrote of his poetry: "Revealed in this beautifully lyrical poetry is a mind's intense desire to comprehend the limits of, and to break through the snares of essentially Euro-Tectonic orientation into the larger world of struggling humanity." Chrisman published three volumes of poetry, Children of Empire (1981), Minor Casualties: New and Selected Poems (1993) and The Dirty Wars (2012).
Chrisman’s other books include three major edited anthologies of writings from The Black Scholar. These are: Contemporary Black Thought (1972), Pan-Africanism (1973), and Court of Appeal: The Black Community Speaks out on the Racial and Sexual Politics of Clarence Thomas v. Anita Hill (1993). In 2001 Chrisman co-edited with Laurence Goldstein the anthology, Robert Hayden: Essays on the Poetry.
In November 1969, Robert Chrisman co-founded The Black Scholar with Nathan Hare and Allan Ross. The launching of TBS followed in the wake of the historic strike at San Francisco State College. The strike involved thousands of students and faculty, including Chrisman, in a prolonged and sometimes violently repressive struggle with the administration and the state. Among the student demands were the creation of a Black Studies Department and a Third World College. These demands were won but Chrisman was forced to pay a high price for the victory. He and Nathan Hare were fired from their teaching positions in retribution for their activism in the strike. Chrisman was reinstated but not in a tenure-track position. Refusing to be silenced or driven from Black Studies, they instead decided to found a journal devoted to black studies and research, a journal that would be interdisciplinary in approach and that would seek to unite street activists and academic intellectuals in common advocacy for the needs of the black community. More than 200 issues later that journal is still publishing and has become the leading independent journal of African American scholarship and intellectual inquiry in the US. Following Chrisman's retirement as Editor-in-Chief, in 2012, his daughter Laura Chrisman became Editor-in-Chief, with Louis Chude-Sokei and Sundiata Cha-Jua as Senior Editors.
Robert Allen, long-term Senior Editor of TBS and close friend of Chrisman, writes “I know of no one who has worked harder than Robert Chrisman to actualize an intellectual vision. In building TBS he demonstrated the power of the principles of self-determination and self-reliance. He built the journal not by relying on grants and funding from foundations and government agencies, but by relying on the people we serve – teachers, students, community activists, labor activists, writers and artists, librarians, academicians, and just plain working people – our subscribers. These folks have shown that they have the power to sustain an intellectual enterprise and keep it independent. Chrisman believed that by relying on community support TBS could be self determining. For over forty years Robert Chrisman’s strategic vision enabled TBS to make a path where there was none before.”
Aside from his writing and editing, Chrisman was long engaged with the academy. He held an MA degree in Language Arts from San Francisco State, and a Ph.D. in English from the University of Michigan. He taught at the University of Michigan, Williams College, UC Berkeley, the University of Vermont, and Wayne State University. In 2005 he retired as Professor and Chair of the Black Studies Department at the University of Nebraska, Omaha. Among the initiatives he developed while at the University of Nebraska was the creation of an annual Malcolm X Festival in Omaha, the city where Malcolm X was born. In 2004 Chrisman and The Black Scholar were awarded the Pan-African Contribution for Publishing Award by the Organization of Women Writers of Africa and the Institute of African American Affairs at New York University. Chrisman’s other books include three major edited anthologies of writings from The Black Scholar. These are: Contemporary Black Thought (1974), Pan-Africanism (1972), and Court of Appeal: The Black Community Speaks out on the Racial and Sexual Politics of Clarence Thomas v. Anita Hill (1992). In 2001 Chrisman co-edited with Laurence Goldstein the anthology, Robert Hayden: Essays on the Poetry.
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Essence Founder: I'd Sell to Time Inc. Again
Edward Lewis dismissed the recently fired editor-in-chief's complaints about the parent company.
Edward Lewis Dismissive of Fired Editor's Complaints
Edward Lewis, one of the principal founders of Essence magazine, told Journal-isms Monday that he "absolutely" would again sell the publication to Time Inc. regardless of the complaints of fired editor-in-chief Constance C.R. White and readers who support her.
"It's very difficult for any size magazine to be standing out here alone without some other support elsewhere," Lewis said by telephone, adding that the magazine business has faced the additional challenges of changing technology and a punishing recession since he sold Essence to Time Inc. in 2005.
However, another founder, Jonathan Blount, wrote in a message posted on the website Naturally Moi that he stands with White and that Essence had strayed from his vision.
White disclosed in this column Friday that her departure as editor-in-chief of Essence magazine, made public Feb. 8, was involuntary and the result of repeated clashes with Martha Nelson, the editor-in-chief of Time Inc. who White says sought to limit the way black women were portrayed.
"I went in there with passion and excitement and high expectations," White told Journal-isms, referring to her 2011 hiring. "It wasn't what I expected at all."
However, Lewis, 72, senior adviser at Solera Capital, a private equity and venture capital firm, backed Time Inc. "To change the voice, I don't think would make any sense. They don't have a clue about African Americans. That's where we came in, and where we have come in for 43 years," the length of time Essence has published.
The proof that Time and Michelle Ebanks, president of Essence Communications Inc., are getting it right, Lewis said, is in the magazine's million-plus circulation and in the success of the Essence Festival, now in its 19th year.
White said she had had repeated clashes with Nelson, who is white, but Lewis said Marcia Ann Gillespie, the editor-in-chief from 1971 to 1980 who assisted in the search for editor-in-chief when White was named, "was a major consultant" for Nelson and White during her tenure. The announcement of White's appointment also named Gillespie as special projects director.
White's story generated sympathetic comments on African American-oriented websites over the weekend, with many saying she had confirmed their fears about what has happened to the magazine under white ownership. Some urged White to start her own publication. The sentiments about selling out to white corporate ownership were similarly voiced when Black Entertainment Television was sold to Viacom in 2000.
The phenomenon is not limited to media enterprises. In a cover story about the natural hair-care business in the current (January/February) issue of Black Enterprise, Tamara E. Holmes says of the makers of black hair-care products, "the black firms did not have the resources to compete with the monoliths and were eventually acquired by these firms and turned into divisions of the majority corporations. Today, most hair products for black consumers are no longer produced by black-owned companies . . . "
Among the top-selling publications targeting African Americans, only Johnson Publications' Ebony and Jet magazines and Black Enterprise, founded by Earl Graves Sr., remain black-owned. In 2009, Johnson Publishing announced that JPMorgan Chase's Special Investments Group would become an investor and part owner of the company, the first time in the company's then-69-year history that it would not be fully family-owned. However, CEO Desiree Rodgers told Journal-isms at the time that it was "very important that the company remain minority-owned."
Lewis also denied that longtime editor Susan L. Taylor had been pushed out, as White said, maintaining that Taylor and he were given severance contracts for the following three years. He added that Gordon Parks Sr., the famed photographer and early Essence editorial director, was not part of the magazine's DNA, as White asserted. "Gordon Parks really had nothing to do with it," Lewis said. Parks at one time unsuccessfully claimed control of the magazine.
Asked whether he had any advice for White, Lewis said, "She's got a wonderful resume and accomplishments. I hope she would continue to stay in the magazine business, and I wish her the best."
White did not respond to a request for comment.
"ESSENCE has not yet begun to be the leading International voice, conduit and amalgamation force of, for and about Black Women globally.
"I firmly believe that 'wherever Black America is going, Black Women are going to lead us.' I never wanted to be acquired by TIME Inc, I wanted to BE TIME Inc. I fought to the last minute to maintain Black majority control. It is still possible if Black women leaders, organizations and institutions will unite behind Susan Taylor and Constance White to buy back our freedom. Constance is to be applauded for her courageous stand. It is not the first but it should be and can be the last. There is much more to the story."
Eric Deggans, Daily Download: 21st Century Black Media: Must They Be Owned By Black People?
Doug Halonen, TVNewsCheck: Armstrong Looks To Build On WEYI-WWMB
Michael Learmonth, Ad Age: How Time Inc. Should Reinvent Itself as an Independent Publisher
Pepper Miller, Ad Age: Except for the Obamas, Where Are Black Couples in the Media?: Showing Love Is a Great Way to Reach the Black Community (Feb. 28)
On the Internet, does anyone know whether you’re black or Latino? (2011)
Black Enterprise Adds to Digital, Trims Two Months From Print Edition
Black Enterprise magazine is cutting its print editions from 12 to 10 issues a year as it shifts to an emphasis to its online editions, Alfred A. Edmond Jr., senior vice president/multimedia editor-at-large, told Journal-isms on Monday.
"All things being equal, we intend to deliver content across 10 print issues roughly equivalent to what we've delivered in 12 issues each year. The savings on printing and mailing two fewer issues each year is being shifted to our other media platforms, particularly digital, which has taken over from the print platform as a source of breaking news and delivers the responsiveness and interactivity our audience expects," Edmond said by email. "Those expectations can hardly be met by printed newspapers, much less by monthly or even weekly magazines."
Edmond was paraphrasing a letter to subscribers from Earl G. Graves Jr., president and CEO, in the January/February edition. Explaining why that issue is still on the newsstands, Edmond said, "One of the unavoidable consequences of preparing for and implementing these changes over the past year has been ongoing changes and disruptions of our production schedule, which has caused late production and delivery of our issues to newsstands and many subscribers for the past year."
Edmond went on, continuing the paraphrase, "Much of the content formerly delivered by our print platform is better suited for delivery via digital means, including our website, mobile and social media efforts; we will continue to shift resources accordingly.
"We are refocusing our magazine (including format and design changes introduced in the Jan/Feb 2013 issue) on content best suited to print periodicals, including more evergreen advice, exclusive lists and profiles, and less news-driven articles and resources, while creating stronger connections between the print product and our ongoing conversation with our audience on other platforms, especially social media and live events."
Graves told readers, "as a print magazine subscriber you are now entitled to an additional digital subscription to the all-new Black Enterprise iPad app at no extra charge, through our new All Access subscription program . . . In short, the subscription investment that once gave you access to just one platform now provides entree to all that we have to offer. . . . "
Black Enterprise had a circulation of 518,602 in June 2012, according to the Alliance for Audited Media, formerly the Audit Bureau of Circulations.
Detroit Papers Played Parts in Kwame Kilpatrick Saga
"Kwame Kilpatrick and contractor Bobby Ferguson headed straight to prison Monday, just hours after a federal jury found them guilty of running a criminal enterprise out of the Detroit mayor’s office," Robert Snell and Jim Lynch reported Monday for the Detroit News.
"Kilpatrick was found guilty of 24 counts of racketeering, extortion, conspiracy and bribery. Ferguson, a city contractor and his longtime friend, was found guilty of nine counts. Both men face up to 20 years or more in prison."
The Detroit newspapers could claim their share of credit.
A timeline published by the Detroit Free Press began with a Free Press report from Aug. 29, 2001, reporting that then-state Rep. Kilpatrick solicited a $50,000 contribution in 2000 from Jon Rutherford, president of a homeless shelter, to the nonprofit Kilpatrick Civic Fund.
There was Jan. 23-24, 2008: "Free Press publishes text messages showing that Kwame Kilpatrick and chief of staff Christine Beatty lied under oath in a police whistle-blower trial the previous fall."
When Kilpatrick resigned that year, Caesar Andrews, then executive editor of the Free Press, told Journal-isms, "It's one of those magic moments that really justifies so much of what we try to do. This shows what aggressive investigative reporting can yield when done the right way. It shows what can happen when you have highly skilled investigative reporters cut loose to do what they can do."
But, Andrews added, "Make no mistake about it. It is a sad day, at least from my perspective, when a person as deeply talented (as Kilpatrick) is forced to resign," even though he was "very proud" of the quality of work his staff performed.
On Monday, Walter Middlebrook, assistant managing editor -- Metro at the Detroit News, told Journal-isms by email, "We've got the best blog going on the trial... and anyone who has read federal courts reporter Rob Snell's daily reports will tell you he has had the liveliest coverage of the trial in his daily blog. Look for yourself.
"We've had reporters double teaming and tag-teaming the trial from Day One with one reporter in the courtroom and Snell reporting from the media room.
"We've been planning for a while for this day.
"We literally form two reporting teams on stories like this -- a breaking news team that then turns the story over to our print team. OK, we don't have that many people to have two teams but we have to think like we're two teams.
"First mission -- get it online and put together an attractive package of stories. We had several stories/ideas ready to go for the verdict and we got them up as soon as we knew where things stood. It was a strong package of stories that got stronger as the day went one
"Second mission -- working with the design desks and getting all of our stories into print.
"It was one of our better team efforts."
Stephen Henderson, editorial page editor of the Free Press, wrote, "It's tragic that the former mayor, who had such promise and potential, will see this city's future from a prison cell. But it's clear that the palpable energy and the focus around Detroit's rebirth is not hampered by his downfall.
"Let's be clear: The city still suffers horrific problems, and much of city government has fallen to a new low on the effectiveness scale. The looming state intervention to better manage the city's finances is eclipsed in importance only by the spectacular difficulties that Detroiters face every day with lighting, police response and other basic services.
"But just as Kilpatrick cannot be blamed for all of the trouble Detroit government now faces, he also hasn't stopped Detroiters from committing to something better. Even before city government comes around and functions for the benefit of the people who live here, the private and nonprofit sectors, as well as rank-and-file Detroiters themselves, have decided that things must move forward.
"Detroit is ready for a reset. . . . "
Michael Cottman, Black America Web: 'First Junior Jesse, Now Kwame. I Hope Ray Nagin is the Last,’ said Tom Joyner, Host of 'The Tom Joyner Morning Show'
Obama's Hispanic-Media Man Steps Down
"An Obama administration official credited with improving White House access for the burgeoning Hispanic news media is leaving his post," Lesley Clark reported Friday for McClatchy Newspapers.
"Luis Miranda, 36, who grew up in South Florida and staffed then-presidential candidate Al Gore's Miami-Dade campaign office, is stepping down to return to the private sector as a communications consultant. The White House's director of Hispanic media, Miranda is credited -- within the White House and the Hispanic media -- with helping to provide access not seen in previous administrations. The outreach came as the White House was courting the growing Hispanic vote, which helped President Barack Obama win re-election last fall.
" 'The Hispanic media too often has been treated as a distant second string,' said Cecilia Munoz, Obama's chief domestic policy adviser. 'Luis really has shepherded a new era of access.'
"That includes the first bilingual White House daily news briefing, as well as invitations to Hispanic TV anchors to the traditional off-the-record luncheons that Obama holds before big speeches, including his State of the Union address.
"Miranda said he’d viewed his position as an advocate for the administration, 'but also an advocate internally, finding opportunities to integrate Hispanic media into everything we do.' . . ."
Administration Rejects More Than Third of FOIA Requests
"The Obama administration answered more requests from the public to see government records under the Freedom of Information Act last year, but more often than it ever has it cited legal exceptions to censor or withhold the material, according to a new analysis by The Associated Press. It frequently cited the need to protect national security and internal deliberations," Jack Gillum and Ted Bridis reported Monday for the Associated Press.
"The AP's analysis showed the government released all or portions of the information that citizens, journalists, businesses and others sought at about the same rate as the previous three years. It turned over all or parts of the records in about 65 percent of all requests. It fully rejected more than one-third of requests, a slight increase over 2011, including cases when it couldn't find records, a person refused to pay for copies or the request was determined to be improper."
The story also said, "The AP’s analysis also found that the government generally took longer to answer requests. Some agencies, such as the Health and Human Services Department, took less time than the previous year to turn over files. But at the State Department, for example, even urgent requests submitted under a fast-track system covering breaking news or events when a person's life was at stake took an average two years to wait for files. . . ."
Amy Argetsinger, Washington Post: President Obama at elite Gridiron Club jokes about sequester, Biden, Rubio
Chris Cillizza, Washington Post: Read President Obama's remarks at the Gridiron Dinner
Earl Ofari Hutchinson, syndicated: Top Democrats [Blew It Badly] on Filibuster
Tom Joyner, Black America Web: Playing the Race Card -- In Reverse
Tony Norman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Sen. Rand Paul due praise for anti-drone stance
Pew Research Center: After Fight Over CIA Director Ends, A Look at Public Opinion on Drones
Eugene Robinson, Washington Post: Rand Paul makes the right call with filibuster
Bob Ray Sanders, Star-Telegram, Fort Worth, Texas: Targeted killings have led to deadly practices in the past
Margaret Sullivan, New York Times: The Danger of Suppressing the Leaks
Sam Stein and Amanda Terkel, Huffington Post: The Sequester Cuts' Impact Goes Deeper Than White House Tours (VIDEO)
Christie Thompson, ProPublica: A Reading Guide on Obama's Latest Appointments
Are Black Journalists in Pipeline for Top Jobs?
"NABJ is celebrating the reported announcement that ABC News is planning to hire Byron Pitts from CBS," Gregory H. Lee Jr., president of the National Association of Black Journalists, wrote on the NABJ website. "We celebrate one of our brightest talents not only in our association, but also in the industry. However, looking deeper into the issue, there are a number of questions that can be asked in the aftermath, including:
"1. Does CBS News have any successors of color lined up to replace Pitts, whose duties included contributions to '60 Minutes?'
"2. Are there any black journalists in the pipeline at CBS to be promoted? Although critics will ask: 'Why does Pitts have to be replaced by a black journalist?' others will argue Pitts replaced the irreplaceable Ed Bradley.
"But why do these questions need to be asked? Shouldn't the question be: 'Why does CBS have only "one" position slotted for a black journalist at '60 Minutes?' Where is the professional development at CBS to properly prepare and position black journalists in these roles and create more opportunities?
"These questions are not posed only to CBS; they are posed to an industry that is accustomed to trading its select few black journalists around like they are baseball cards. It does not happen only in the broadcast industry. It happens also in print journalism. . . .
"There is no real leadership in our industry to fix our diversity shortage, though our nation's demographics are changing at a rapid pace. Sure, there are programs such as the Sports Journalism Institute and the Chips Quinn Scholars programs that help feed the pipeline, but there are leaks in those pipes as people fall out of the industry because of a lack of development opportunities. . . . "
Ronald E. Childs Named Chicago Defender Editor
Ronald E. Childs, a Chicago public relations man who has worked as a journalist and speechwriter, has been named executive editor of the Chicago Defender, Target Market News reported last week.
Detroit-based Real Times Media, which also owns the Michigan Chronicle, the New Pittsburgh Courier, the Memphis Tri-State Defender and the Michigan Front Page, all black weekies, fired Executive Editor Lou Ransom in 2011 amid financial problems.
Rhonda Gillespie, who had been laid off as news editor with Ransom, returned as managing editor late last year, Michael House, the Defender president, told Journal-isms in December. House said then he was looking to hire an executive editor and that four people remained on the editorial staff. The once-daily newspaper became a weekly publication in 2008.
Childs, 53, was founder and principal of OMEN Communications, a media relations firm, and spent 10 years at Flowers Communications Group, where he was vice president of media relations. From 1988 to 1991, he worked as a publicist for Johnson Publishing Co., and from 1990 to 1994 worked at Johnson's now-defunct EM -- Ebony Man magazine, where he was associate editor.
If You Have to Ask About the Diversity, You're Not Doing It Right
Last month, Margaret Sullivan, public editor of the New York Times, said of the redesigned "T: The Times Style Magazine": "There was much to admire. But many readers found one aspect of the magazine disturbing -- its lack of people of color. Indeed, there could be no argument; it was overwhelmingly white."
At a glance, the 138 pages of the latest edition, "Spring Men's Fashion" seemed just as white, but this time with 20-something, European-looking men.
"We just don't see what you see," Eileen Murphy, New York Times spokeswoman, told Journal-isms by email. "Notably, several of the poets we feature are people of color and there are other images throughout. And, we remain committed to a publication rich in diversity of all kinds."
A closer look, turning page by page, did indeed find some people of color, including the three in a "Young Poets" feature who actually dominated their pages. A spread on Belgian actor Matthias Schoenaerts, at first shown lying shirtless in bed, then, later, holding up the late Gil Scott-Heron's first album, "A New Black Poet: Small Talk at 12th and Lenox." An ad from designer John Varvatos features the young African American guitarist Gary Clark Jr. with Led Zeppelin founder Jimmy Page.
But then there are all those other pages. Tokenism? Diversity? This edition of "T: The Times Style Magazine" might fuel a discussion of which is which.
Event Planned to Respond to "Being White in Philly"
"Organizers hope Philadelphians of all races will turn out next week for an event at Love Park called 'Being in Philly,' " Jenice Armstrong, columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News, wrote Monday on her philly.com blog.
"The gathering, scheduled for 4 p.m. on March 20, is in response to a controversial Philadelphia magazine cover story called 'Being White In Philly.' In the piece, based on anonymous interviews, Robert Huber makes the claim that white people are afraid to talk about race for fear of being called racist.
"The article has a lot of problems, many of them well documented already. But the first-day-of-spring event isn't so much to address the issue of bad journalism but to present another view of what's happening in Philly. . . ."
James Causey, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Can a white person really talk about race?
Eugene Kane, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: A flawed account of race issues
"One Book, One Chicago," launched in fall 2001 "as an opportunity to engage and enlighten our residents and to foster a sense of community through reading," has chosen "The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration" by Isabel Wilkerson as its selection for April 2013 through March 2014. The book "follows the lives of two men and a woman who represent the 6 million black Americans who moved north in the decades between World War I and the 1970s, many of whom settled on Chicago's South Side," Matt Walberg reported Monday for the Chicago Tribune.
"Former Denver television reporter Raj Chohan will speak in front of a jury instead of a camera when he begins his new job as a prosecutor in the Weld District Attorney’s Office on March 18," T.M. Fasano reported Friday for the Greeley (Colo.) Tribune. Chohan worked as a reporter for Denver’s KCNC-TV before practicing commercial litigation and media law for BakerHostetler in Denver.
"A Mississippi television anchorman can keep documents and other materials tied to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., that the civil rights leader's estate sued to obtain, a federal appeals court panel ruled Friday," the Associated Press reported. "King's estate sued WLBT-TV's Howard Ballou in September 2011 in U.S. District Court in Jackson. The estate wanted possession of documents, photographs and other items that Ballou's mother got while working for King."
Ernesto Romero has been promoted to news director at KYMA-TV in Yuma, Ariz., Kevin Olivas reported for the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. "He succeeds NAHJ member Luis Cruz, who is heading to Southern California to teach the next generation of broadcast journalists."
"The Associated Press Media Editors Foundation will offer diversity scholarships to APME NewsTrain events in 2013 for print and broadcast journalists and students who are pursuing careers in journalism," the foundation announced Thursday. "The scholarships will cover the cost of NewsTrain along with the recipient's accommodations and travel expenses. . . . The first NewsTrain will be held April 29-30 in Springfield, Ill." The application deadline is March 25.
Merlene Davis, columnist for the Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader, is "very pleased" that "Starting next year, when the annual American Community Survey is distributed to 3.5 million homes in the U.S., the agency is giving black folk only two choices: black or African American." After reviewing various racial designations applied to the group over the years, Davis concluded, "Our response to those self designations is how people know we care."
"Later this month, the voice of Cleveland native Clark Kellogg will become one of the most closely listened to in the nation," Phillip Morris wrote Saturday for the Plain Dealer in Cleveland. "As lead college basketball analyst for CBS Sports, Kellogg will narrate the annual rite of spring known as March Madness." Praising Kellogg's values off the court, Morris continued, "I think he should humor us all by at least studying the political migration of former Cavalier Point Guard Kevin Johnson, who returned to his hometown of Sacramento, Calif., after his NBA playing days were over. Johnson's title since 2008? Mayor."
In the News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C., Barry Saunders wrote Monday, "if the Al Jazeera television network really is the preferred network of terrorists everywhere, as some fear, that is all the more reason that we in the U.S. and the Triangle should have access to it, too." Saunders added, "we should be able to see what's on the so-called enemy's preferred viewing channel for the same reason men read 'Cosmo' magazine: to know what the other side is plotting."
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Journal-isms is published on the site of the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education (mije.org). Reprinted on The Root by permission.
Essence Editor Says She Was Fired
Constance C.R. White says Time Inc. leaders are disregarding the needs of black women.
Exit Followed Clashes Over Time Inc. View of Black Women
Constance C.R. White has disclosed that her departure as editor-in-chief of Essence magazine was involuntary and the result of repeated clashes with Martha Nelson, the editor-in-chief of Time Inc. who White says sought to limit the way black women were portrayed.
"I went in there with passion and excitement and high expectations," White told Journal-isms, referring to her 2011 hiring. "It wasn't what I expected at all.
"What needs to happen is the reader is getting lost and the reader has to be at the center. To make their world smaller is unacceptable," White said by telephone. "A lot of the readers have sensed" what is happening, she said.
Essence, the nation's leading magazine for black women, was originally black-owned but has not fared well under Time Inc. ownership, White maintained. Nelson vetoed such pieces as a look at African American art and culture, and "I was not able to make the creative hires that needed to be made," White said.
She elaborated by email, "When was the last time you saw Essence in the community advocating for or talking with Black women?
"No more T-shirts with a male employee's face on it being distributed at the [Essence] Festival."
Essence announced White's departure in a terse statement on Feb. 8. No explanation was given.
But White told Journal-isms that her exit came after "another tug of war with them" in January. "Them" was principally Nelson.
Nelson, a 20-year Time Inc. veteran, became editor-in-chief of Time Inc. in January, responsible for the editorial content of all 21 of Time Inc.'s U.S. magazines and its digital products, according to her bio. Before that, Nelson spent two years as editorial director, overseeing the 17 titles and editors in the company's Style & Entertainment Group and Lifestyle Group.
The final "tug of war" came in January, White said. Referring to Nelson, White recalled, "My boss said, 'you know what? It's time to go.' I was asked to leave my position. I asked, 'Was it something we can discuss, or has the decision been made?' She said, 'The decision has been made.'
"I had a certain point of view about black women being central to this magazine. The boss didn't agree with me, and the president didn't agree with me," she said, referring to Michelle Ebanks, president of Essence Communications Inc. "It became an untenable situation." She would not comment on whether she had a contract with the publication.
Ebanks issued this statement Friday night: "We truly wish Constance well. Essence exists to affirm and inspire Black women. We always have and we always will."
Essence magazine debuted in 1970, the product of a communications company founded in 1968 by a group of African Americans that included as principals Edward T. Lewis and Clarence O. Smith.
Time bought 49 percent of Essence Communications in 2000 and absorbed the rest in 2005.
Lewis said in 2000, "The reason Time Warner is interested in Essence is they are interested in the editorial view of the magazine. They are not there to change it."
Indeed, Essence still proclaims on its website, "ESSENCE is Where Black Women Come First for news, entertainment and motivation. ESSENCE occupies a special place in the hearts of millions of Black women — [it's] not just a magazine but her most trusted confidante, a brand that has revolutionized the magazine industry and has become a cultural institution in the African-American community."
However, White's comments indicate that white corporate ownership has changed the magazine after all.
"This is a magazine where the central DNA was laid down by Gordon Parks," she said, referring to the famed African American photographer who helped found Essence and was its editorial director from 1970 to 1973. White intimated that her efforts to maintain Parks' standards had been rebuffed.
"How is it that from 2000, when Susan [L. Taylor, longtime editor] left — she was pushed out — we have had about five editors, including two acting editors, yet Essence continues to decline? So where's the problem? And the editors are the black women. 'They are disposable. Let's keep changing them.'
"The point is, it didn't start with me," White said of the conflicts between top Essence editors and Time Inc. management. "If I can make a difference, I'd like to. If no one speaks up, it's possible it won't end with me."
She continued in an email, "Martha Nelson cannot shape the editorial [content] for the magazine, and it was a strange use of her time considering People, the cash cow of Time inc accounting for over $1 billion, was down 12-18 percent in the last two years and All You was down 38 percent." All You is described on its advertising website as "proudly" providing the value-minded woman "with practical, attainable, no-nonsense ideas for her everyday life."
The Publishers Information Bureau reported in January that the number of advertising pages in Essence dropped by 10.3 percent during 2012. Industrywide, ad pages were down by 8.2 percent. However, circulation rose from 1,051,000 in 2011 to 1,104,871 in 2012, according to the Alliance for Audited Media, previously the Audit Bureau of Circulations. For the industry overall, magazine circulation declined last year.
Influencing White's efforts to speak with Journal-isms, she said, was the decision by Time Warner this week to spin off Time Inc. magazines. As a result, Laura Lang, CEO of Time Inc. since 2011, said she would step down.
"I believe that Essence may have fared better under Laura Lang's regime because people became more accountable for their jobs rather than playing out their personal politics. But with her departure I just don't know what's going to become of Essence," White said.
The Jamaica-born White was style director, brand consultant and spokeswoman for eBay, the online company, when she was named to lead Essence. "White was previously the founding Fashion Editor for Talk magazine, a celebrated Style Reporter for The New York Times and the Executive Fashion Editor for Elle magazine," an announcement said when she was named. "She also served as Associate Editor at Women's Wear Daily and W magazine and began her career at Ms. magazine, as assistant to co-Founder Gloria Steinem."
"I still love magazines," White told Journal-isms. "I'm considering my next move. I'm happy to be able to see more of my kids," of whom there are three. "Later this month I will be speaking at Syracuse University on branding and the media and I will resume my appearances on NY Live!," referring to "New York Live," a daily lifestyle show on New York's WNBC-TV.
"I'd really like to see Essence move forward in a stronger way. I'm even more concerned about how Essence has fared being part of Time Inc. It hasn't fared particularly well. Hopefully, this upheaval will be for the better.
"There has to be a come-to-Jesus moment when people say, 'Here's what we're going to do and here are the right people to do it. We are a very valuable audience. In my farewell speech I asked my team to present to management what needs to happen at Essence to ensure its survival because they know.
"Essence needs stability and the brand needs a leader with a vision. Black women are social leaders, cultural leaders, we are aspirational and spiritual. Black women deserve the best. Essence is the last place where black women should be demeaned and diminished."
Associated Press: Meredith shares fall on Time Warner spin-off plans
Danielle Belton, the Black Snob: Fmr. Essence Editor Constance C.R. White Says She Clashed With Time Inc. Over Black Women
Amy Chozick, New York Times: In a Spinoff of Time Inc., Evolution Is Complete
Clutch magazine: Former Essence Editor-in-Chief Constance White Says She Was Fired For Clashing With Time Inc. Head
Bill Cromwell, Media Life Magazine: Readers: Magazines aren’t that bad off
Daniel Gross, Daily Beast: Why Time Warner Felt It Had to Spin Off Magazine Unit Time Inc.
Keith J. Kelly, New York Post: 'Lighter mood' as a new day dawns at Time
Sam Mamudi, Barron's: Time Warner Rises After Spin-Off Decision; Meredith Falls 7%
Bill Mickey, Folio:: Time Inc. Spinoff Has a Bumpy Road Ahead
Isoul Harris, Entertainment Journalist, Editing Uptown Magazine
Isoul Harris, an alumnus of People magazine, the Huffington Post and Atlanta-based 944 Magazine, has been promoted from executive editor to editor-in-chief of Uptown magazine. The March issue is his first as top editor. Harris succeeds Angela Bronner Helm.
"I certainly want to build on what the brand has become over last 9 years," Harris, 39, told Journal-isms by email, "a publication presenting African-American life in the most beautiful, professional and creative way possible.
"The current March cover with comedian and actor Kevin Hart leaping mid-air sporting a Dolce & Gabbana tuxedo jacket exhibits the new direction in which I would like to take the magazine: stylish, fun, and energetic. That coupled with more substantive pieces such as 'The New America,' a feature about post-Obama America, which was written by MSNBC host and civil rights leader Al Sharpton. I want UPTOWN to be a book of sophistication and substance."
Harris' first book, "Nicki Minaj: Hip Pop Moments 4 Life," is due from Omnibus Press on April 1. He says he has interviewed Jada Pinkett-Smith and Will Smith, Janet Jackson, Rihanna, Sean "Diddy" Combs, Drew Barrymore, LeAnn Rimes, Usher, Beyoncé, Outkast, Vince Vaughn and Queen Latifah.
Uptown, based in New York, has a circulation of 228,488, according to the Alliance for Audited Media, previously the Audit Bureau of Circulations.
Soledad O'Brien Obtains "in America" Franchises
Soledad O'Brien, who is giving up her CNN morning show, "Starting Point," in exchange for forming a production company and supplying documentaries to CNN on a nonexclusive basis, says she has obtained the rights to the "Black in America" and "Latino in America" franchises.
"We struck an unusual deal," O'Brien told Diane Brady of Business Week on Thursday. "I’ll get to leave CNN with my catalog and documentaries. We were able to create a brand at CNN — Black in America — that I now own. I can take that brand and extend it in any way I want. You have Netflix (NFLX) and all these channels that are looking for interesting and different ways to tell stories. To have ownership of Black in America and Latino in America is hugely important.
"I absolutely pushed for that — it was critical to me. I’m so affiliated with this brand that there wasn't a real struggle. I don't just own it, but I can now take it across other platforms.
"I’m not exclusive to CNN. If I decide I want to go and do a show somewhere, I can go and do it. I’ve never owned my own content. Most people in TV do not own their own production company. In fact, most of us don't even own our own Facebook (FB) pages, and some don't own their Twitter account. . . ."
Williams Attributes Apparent Plagiarism to Researcher
"In a case of apparent plagiarism, Fox News pundit Juan Williams lifted — sometimes word for word — from a Center for American Progress report, without ever attributing the information, for a column he wrote last month for the Hill newspaper," Alex Seitz-Wald reported Thursday for Salon.
"Almost two weeks after publication, the column was quietly revised online, with many of the sections rewritten or put in quotation marks, and this time citing the CAP report. It also included an editor's note that read: 'This column was revised on March 2, 2013, to include previously-omitted attribution to the Center for American Progress.'
"But that editor’s note mentions only the attribution problem, and not the nearly identical wording that was also fixed.
"In a phone interview Thursday evening, Williams pinned the blame on a researcher who he described as a 'young man.' "
Erik Wemple wrote Friday for the Washington Post, "So what Williams is saying here is that he lifted his researcher's words. Why, then, wasn't the researcher credited in the piece?
Referring to Hugo Gurdon, editor in chief of the Hill, Wemple continued, "When asked about that matter, Gurdon replied, 'I’m not sure that researchers always do get credit.'
"They should. The only time they rear their heads should not be when they allegedly screw up."
Paul Waldman, American Prospect: How Many Big-Time Pundits Are Plagiarists?
Latinos Closing Digital Divide With Whites
"Latinos own smartphones, go online from a mobile device and use social networking sites at similar — and sometimes higher — rates than do other groups of Americans, according to a new analysis of three surveys by the Pew Research Center," Mark Hugo Lopez, Ana Gonzalez-Barrera and Eileen Patten reported Thursday for the Pew Hispanic Center.
"The analysis also finds that when it comes to using the internet, the digital divide between Latinos and whites is smaller than what it had been just a few years ago. Between 2009 and 2012, the share of Latino adults who say they go online at least occasionally increased 14 percentage points, rising from 64% to 78%. Among whites, internet use rates also increased, but only by half as much — from 80% in 2009 to 87% in 2012.
"Over the same period, the gap in cellphone ownership between Latinos and other groups either diminished or disappeared. In 2012, 86% of Latinos said they owned a cellphone, up from 76% in 2009. . . ."
Social Media Becoming Indispensable for Journalists
The evidence is mounting that familiarity with social media is becoming mandatory for journalists.
Twitter "is building a powerful media company that is a threat to many of the biggest players in digital media," Brian Morrissey reported Wednesday for Digiday.
"Its ambitions to this point have been dogged by questions of scale. Remember all those stories about Twitter quitters? No more. Two hundred million monthly active users, the company reports, are double last year’s number. But still, how many people really tweet? The company now processes 1 billion tweets every two and a half days. During New Year's in Japan, that meant 33,000 tweets per second. Half of all Americans now see, read about or hear about tweets every day. These are facts that back up its execs' contention that Twitter is now a 'global town hall.'
"All that scale and activity gives Twitter something else: leverage. . . ."
Meanwhile, Lynne Varner, editorial writer and columnist at the Seattle Times, wrote Friday about the backlash against the Seattle Public Schools after it began investigating a class exploring white privilege.
Varner told Journal-isms by email, "I also created a Word Cloud adjacent to my column to get responses from people about how they view the treatment of minority students in Seattle. I opened it to responses from parents and non-parents, in Seattle and outside, because I want to better understand how the public education system overall treats minority students. As you know with Word Clouds, the more a word is chosen the larger it will be."
Not Much Evidence of Hiring for New Fusion Network
In applying for a $3.5 million job-creation grant last year from Miami-Dade County, Fusion, the new ABC-Univision English-language cable network targeted to Hispanics, "promised to create 346 new jobs over the next five years — 201 in 2013 — in addition to retaining 137 jobs in the county," Veronica Villafañe recalled Tuesday for TVNewsCheck. "The new jobs would have an average salary of $81,000.
"So far, there isn't much evidence of such hiring.
"A LinkedIn site currently shows only 10 job listings for Fusion, including a digital reporter, coordinating producer, assignment manager and director of communications and public affairs, but an ABC spokesperson says they’re 'working 24/7 to bring people on board.' . . . "
March 10 Marks Anniversary of King-Gandhi Milestone
"Having won our independence in a nonviolent struggle, Indians join Americans in celebrating the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s leadership of the civil rights movement in the United States," Nirupama Rao, India's ambassador to Washington, wrote Friday for Politico. "On Aug. 28, we will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington where King delivered his 'I Have a Dream' speech, and, on April 4, we will mourn the 45th anniversary of his assassination.
"On March 10, we will mark another milestone moment in King's public ministry and personal journey. On that day, 54 years ago, he returned from a monthlong journey to India where he rededicated himself to the nonviolent struggle for justice to which the leader of our nation's independence movement, Mahatma Gandhi, gave his life.
Rao continued, "Through most of the past century, Indians and African-Americans supported each other's struggles because we identify with each other’s predicaments and principles. . . . " He elaborated on the Gandhi-African American connection.
Ta-Nehisi Coates, New York Times: The Good, Racist People
Khalid Salaam, the Shadow League: Social Illiteracy Is What's Plaguing America's Race Relations
Fatima Shaik, In These Times: Black and Bengali: A new book traces the hidden story of a mixed-race community.
British GQ Pulls Naomi Campbell Piece on Chávez
"In the wake of Hugo Chávez's death Wednesday afternoon, British GQ re-published an interview in which British supermodel Naomi Campbell fawned over the 'rebel angel' Venezuelan autocrat," Andrew Kirell reported Friday for Mediaite.
"Within hours, however, the piece was mysteriously scrubbed from the site. Was this a protective PR demand from Campbell's people? After all, she's in the midst of promoting her new Oxygen reality show? . . ."
Editorial, Al Día, Philadelphia: In Latin America, U.S. Would Rather Talk About Villains than Partners
Katie Glueck, Politico: Jesse Jackson on Hugo Chavez: 'Democracies evolve'
Vanessa Rodriguez, Fox News Latino: After Hugo Chavez's Death, Venezuelan Expatriates Ponder a Return to Homeland
Noah Rothman, Mediaite: Jesse Jackson's 'Tribute' At Chavez Funeral: He Fed Hungry, Lifted Poor, Helped People 'Realize Their Dreams'
" 'In Plain Sight' is a special initiative by NBC News to report on poverty in America. Our work is supported by a grant from the Ford Foundation," NBC News says on its website. "In America's most dangerous and poorest city, Camden, N.J., bullet holes are visible in a church's stained glass window, crosses commemorating the murdered line the outside of city hall and the police staff is so outnumbered and outgunned, drug deals occur in the open. Rock Center's Brian Williams visits Camden and talks to those fighting to turn around the forgotten city." So began an introduction to a "Rock Center" segment this week. The series is also running on the "NBC Nightly News."
BET and Univision picked up Walter Cronkite awards from the Norman Lear Center at the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, with both cited for serving their viewers "extremely well" with the kind of "solid coverage" the judges said all Americans deserve, John Eggerton reported Wednesday for Broadcasting & Cable. BET said its award recognized five BET News broadcasts, "Michelle Obama on a Mission: Impact Africa," about the first lady's journey to South Africa and Botswana, "President Obama Answers Black America," "The Curious Case of Citizen Cain," about former GOP presidential hopeful Herman Cain, "Second Coming?: Will Black America Decide 2012?" and "Battleground 2012: Countdown With The First Couple." Univision was cited for its presidential forums. Watch the winning entries.
"The cover says it all: 'Simply The Best!' Which is why we can't believe this April 2013 issue of Vogue magazine marks Tina Turner's first time gracing the glossy. Finally!" Julee Wilson wrote Friday for the Huffington Post. Turner is 73, and the Vogue in question is the German edition.
The Associated Press added an entry in its Stylebook Thursday on mental illness: "Do not describe an individual as mentally ill unless it is clearly pertinent to a story and the diagnosis is properly sourced. When used, identify the source for the diagnosis. Seek firsthand knowledge; ask how the source knows. . . ."
As scheduled, CNN Worldwide President Jeff Zucker hosted a networking reception in New York Friday as part of the Region 2 conference of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. He "Just reinforced commitment to diversity n working w NAHJ," NAHJ President Hugo Balta messaged Journal-isms. The appearance was scheduled before NAHJ and the National Association of Black Journalists complained that Zucker's first hires have included no journalists of color.
Justice B. Hill, a veteran sports reporter who writes for sports websites that include MLB.com and SBnation.com, is not optimistic about Richard E. Lapchick's suggestion that news organizations "adopt a Rooney Rule" to boost the numbers of African American sports journalists. "Rooney sounds great, except in its execution," Hill wrote Thursday for BET.com. "In reality, the rule has proved an embarrassment. Blacks went 0-for-15 in the latest round of Rooney interviews for head coaching and front office jobs. . . . "
"According to Sports Illustrated's Richard Deitsch, women carry zero clout in the sports media world," Chris O'Shea wrote Thursday for Fishbowl NY. "Deitsch published a list of the 'The 10 Most Powerful People in Sports Media' and there's not a single woman made the cut. There are even 10 additional honorable mentions, but still it's all dudes, all the time. . . ."
In Vermont, "The Caledonian Record newspaper of St. Johnsbury is being criticized by the Asian American Journalists Association for publishing a poster using a print type associated with Chinese calligraphy for the words 'Fry Rice' to urge a local school to beat its opponent — Rice Memorial High School — in a state championship basketball game," Wilson Ring reported Friday for the Associated Press. In an editorial Saturday (http://bit.ly/Yj75aB ), the newspaper said the back-page poster meant no offense to any individual or group. The editorial said it sought a play on words, and simply invoking ethnic customs does not constitute racism, AP reported.
"Radio One, Inc is flipping its Indy's Music Channel station – WDNI – to Spanish," Veronica Villafañe reported Wednesday for her Media Moves site. "Telemundo Indy will start broadcasting on channel 19 next Monday, March 11, making it the only Spanish-language broadcast station in the market. . . ."
"It took tax evasion to bring down Capone," Philip Bump reported Thursday for the Atlantic. Referring to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Bump continued, "A Native American group hopes that another arcane economic law — trademarks — can do the same to the Washington Redskins. Later today, the USPTO's Trademark Trial and Appeal Board will consider if the NFL team should lose its federal trademark because it violates Section 2(a) of the Trademark Act, which bars any mark that '[c]onsists of or comprises immoral, deceptive, or scandalous matter; or matter which may disparage or falsely suggest a connection with persons, living or dead, institutions, beliefs, or national symbols, or bring them into contempt, or disrepute . . . ' "
Crystal Wright, who runs the blog Conservative Black Chick and the PR firm Baker Wright Group, LLC, "has formed a new political action committee designed to help make the Republican Party more inclusive," Byron Tau and Anna Palmer reported Thursday for Politico's Politico Influence column. "The PAC will support women and candidates of color at the state and federal level, Wright told PI. Obama 'bothered to talk to minority groups and women,' Wright said. 'We haven't bothered. The Republican Party hasn't bothered to really talk to most ethnic groups in 20-plus years.' "
A "Celebration of Life" service for NPR journalist Brenda Box Johnson, who died Thursday after a long battle with pancreatic cancer, is scheduled from 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Demaine Funeral Home, 5308 Backlick Road, Springfield, Va., her friend, Geri Coleman Tucker of USA Today, announced. The funeral home can be reached at 703-941-9428.
Viviana Hurtado, founder of the Wise Latinas Club, Laura Donnelly Gonzalez, COO and co-founder of the digital magazine Latinitas, and Alicia Rascon and Dream Activists finished in a three-way tie for New Americano awards presented at the Social Revolución, the official Latino event at the 2013 SXSW Interactive Festival in Austin, Texas. Dream Activists is an online network of social media activists who advocate the enactment of the DREAM Act by sharing the stories of individual DREAMers online.
Lynn Norment, a former editor at Ebony magazine active in the National Association of Black Journalists, has launched Chicago-based Lynn Norment Media "to offer services and expertise to individuals, agencies, corporations and government entities to advance and elevate reputations, brands, products and personal/business goals" as well as writing and editing services.
"Gunmen stormed the offices of a television station in the Libyan capital of Tripoli on Thursday amid a protest outside the station's studios, according to news reports," the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. "The gunmen abducted at least five journalists and media workers, the reports said, although all were released within 24 hours."
"At a meeting of the Beijing delegates during China's National People's Congress, a journalist asked a question about air pollution that lasted over 3-minute mark, and saw her almost break down in tears numerous times," Adam Taylor reported Thursday for Business Insider. "The delegates response? Nothing at all. . . ."
"Twenty-one people have been arrested for a wave of crimes that included 11 murders (six of which were committed against police officers), the abduction for hours of five employees of El Siglo de Torreón newspaper, the murder of a mayoral candidate, and attempted murder of a current mayor in a large metropolitan area in central Mexico, according a senior federal official," Mike O’Connor wrote Friday for the Committee to Protect Journalists. "The question is, will the arrests have any effect on the larger climate of fear among the area's press and public? . . ."
"It's the biggest news of the year in Kenya: A presidential election with huge potential for violence. Why then are the headlines so boring, the TV broadcasts so dull? the Associated Press asked Thursday. "The answer: Kenyan media are self-censoring the story to avoid fanning the flames of conflict. Kenya's Media Owners Association told The Associated Press that media leaders made a 'gentleman’s agreement' to balance the national interest and the public's right to know, including not reporting anything that could incite ethnic tensions and not airing political statements live. . . ." Kenya's election commission declared Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta the winner, but Prime Minister Raila Odinga said Saturday he would not concede and would challenge the results in court.
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Journal-isms is published on the site of the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education (mije.org). Reprinted on The Root by permission.
