Romney Could Reach Historic Low With Black Voters

"Gov. Mitt Romney is currently positioned to garner an historic low rate of support among African-American voters," according to a BET survey of 800 black voters in swing states released on Monday. "Only two percent of African-American voters in our poll currently support the Romney/Ryan ticket. The data indicate the traits that are pushing African-Americans away from the GOP, including the perception that too many Republican leaders seem 'hostile to minorities.'

"Even where significant percentages of black voters are philosophically in line with traditional Republican Party positions on issues such as same-sex marriage (40% favor/38% oppose), a decline in moral values as biggest obstacle to black advancement (46%), and abortion (51% pro-choice/44% pro-life), these views overwhelmingly do not translate into GOP votes," the study, conducted by Cornell Belcher, who worked with the Barack Obama campaign in 2008, reported.

"Hope is still alive. President Obama's base is frustrated but still optimistic and determined." Belcher said in a news release. "The President still has a lot of work to do to achieve his historic 2008 performance, but Republicans are increasingly poorly positioned to compete for Black voters."

In other findings:

"ENTHUSIASM VS. APATHY: Despite conventional wisdom, black voters are on track to vote in numbers equivalent to 2008. Only 4% say they are less interested in voting in the upcoming election than they were in 2008. 85% say they are following the election closely.

"HOPE AMIDST DESPAIR: African-American voters are surprisingly optimistic, despite an unemployment rate double that of whites, 69% are optimistic about the economy rebounding in the next 12 months. 77% say the US economy is stabilizing or improving.

" 'IT'S THE COST OF LIVING, STUPID:' The top concern about the economy for black voters is not jobs (21%), but rather salary and wages not keeping pace with the cost of living (38%) and affordable health care (24%).

"A PRESIDENT FOR ALL AMERICANS: Though a number of prominent African-Americans have called on the President to more explicitly target programs to address black unemployment, the overwhelming majority of black voters accept that he must focus on repairing the national economy and in that way help black Americans (76% vs 14%)."

Buffalo's Sullivan to Be N.Y. Times Public Editor

Margaret Sullivan, the next public editor of the New York Times, wrote a farewell column to readers of the Buffalo News over the weekend. She had been at the paper for 32 years, nearly 13 years as chief editor.

One of the events that stood out during her tenure, Sullivan said, took place two years ago.

"The bloodiest crime in Buffalo's recent history -- a downtown shooting spree on Aug. 14, 2010, in which four died and four others were badly injured -- was extraordinarily hard to cover," Sullivan said. "In the first news cycle, police apprehended a suspect and we photographed him; on deadline, just as we were about to publish that the suspect had been named, authorities changed their minds.

"Later, our story about the police records of some of the victims set off protests in Buffalo's African-American community. Activist Darnell Jackson burned newspapers outside The News' building. I volunteered to meet with community members at True Bethel Baptist Church, and found an unhappy crowd of 700 awaiting me, ready to air their grievances for decades of perceived unfairness.

"Two years later, The News has taken many steps to reinforce ties to the black community. I appreciated what True Bethel's pastor, the Rev. Darius Pridgen, said recently: 'I was surprised and humbled to have the editor of The News not only respond to our concerns, but also show up and take the heat and make changes. ... We're not all the way there yet, but I think we're much further in fairness of reporting than we have been for a long time.' "

Did Sullivan really win Pridgen over? Yes, Pridgen told Journal-isms by telephone on Monday. Before that meeting, "I would read the Bible before I would read a Buffalo News, just to keep my sanity and salvation," Pridgen said. It was Pridgen, who is also a member of the City Council, who organized the community meeting at his church.

". . . She was both 'shaken and changed,' as she said, when she left the church." Now there are "more positive articles about people of color, on purpose. If the News felt like they were stepping on hot stones, they would reach out: 'Are we phrasing this right?' I appreciated that.

"I hope the future editor does move forward" and not revert to old ways, Pridgen said.

The News' turnabout affects more than one news organization, Pridgen added. "Other outlets felt comfortable in doing the same type of practices -- hyped-up negative reporting of incidents when it happens in a black or Latino neighborhood. . . . Other media outlets take their cue from what the major newspaper in the town does. The other media outlets have had to take note.

"We still have a problem with radio in our area," Pridgen continued. "The most popular stations are about African Americans in a negative tone. I don't allow my grandkids to listen to it -- it is so negative," he said of the talk-radio stations.

Asked whether other communities could learn from his experience with the News, Pridgen said yes. "People should not complain without having an organized, direct effort to change things. This is about money," and it is important to address the advertisers.

With a public demonstration, "you have the other outlets who will give you [the offending news organization] a black eye" just by reporting on the protest, Pridgen said. " . . . Many in our community have no idea they have the right to complain."

In her column, Sullivan also wrote about Buffalo's first black mayor, Byron W. Brown, the incumbent, whose "police department stopped providing timely and complete information about arrests," and about a 2006 series, "The High Cost of Being Poor," by Rod Watson and Jonathan Epstein, that "revealed systemic unfairness."

Journalist Can See Why GOP Isn't Very Diverse

". . . As a journalist, I've noticed how the modern-day vision of the party of Lincoln has failed to attract voters in an America that is increasingly nonwhite," Mary C. Curtis, who is covering the Republican National Convention, wrote Sunday for theRoot.com.

". . . Go to a conservative event and there will always be at least one black person on the stage, visible in every photo op of the candidate or speaker, as there was at a recent Romney-Ryan event in Mooresville, N.C.," Curtis added, referring to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., his vice presidential choice.

"What usually happens to me happened there, when a reporter, looking for a black Romney fan, started asking me questions. It's always the same, whether it's at the national Tea Party conference in Nashville or an NRA annual meeting in Charlotte, N.C. -- a hopeful look of discovery followed by disappointment when I reveal I'm just a reporter, too.

"In Mooresville, I asked some in the crowd, as I often do, if they saw a problem that a presidential ticket asking to lead a diverse country draws disproportionately white crowds. Ralph Brittain, 67, of Huntersville, N.C., professed an interest in unity, and though he said he was not sure [President] Obama was a citizen, he said he was a big fan of Florida Rep. Allen West, an African American who has described himself as a 'modern-day Harriet Tubman' trying to lead black voters off the Democratic party 'plantation.' He described West as 'good on his feet' and said, 'I'd love to see him get a good cabinet position' in a Romney administration.

"Mary Mabry, 82, pointed out one other black person and told me how much she loved the black woman who raised her -- evidence, she said, that neither she nor Republicans have harsh feelings toward minorities. Meanwhile, on the road leading up to the gathering, small, diverse clusters of pro-Obama protesters holding signs were mostly ignored, though Romney supporters yelling, 'Get a job!' added a layer of ugliness, considering the racial makeup of both groups. . . ."

BET to Broadcast From GOP, Democratic Meetings

"BET NEWS will offer three live-anchored programs from the Republican National Convention (#BETRNC) in Tampa and Democratic National Convention (#BETDNC) in Charlotte, delving into key issues of the presidential election," the network announced on Monday.

"Each two-hour program will present the election story from the African-American perspective and underscore the high stakes of this historic race. Celebrated journalist Ed Gordon will anchor, with on-air contributor Nia-Malika Henderson (of theWashington Post in Tampa), BET News correspondent Lola Ogunnaike, BET consultant and pollster Cornell Belcher and special contributor T.J. Holmes (host of Don't Sleep!). BET News will frame interviews for the black voter with pre-produced features, integrated with the live coverage of the keynote. Interviews at the RNC will include Jimmie Walker (star of 'Good Times') Rep. Tim Scott (R-South Carolina), Lt. Governor Jennifer Carroll (R-Florida), U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-Florida), former Presidential candidate Herman Cain (R) and many more.

"The exclusive interviews with the First Lady and the President will air during LIVE coverage on September 4th and September 6th, respectively. LIVE interviews with political & entertainment personalities, will air along with integrated BET Vote 2012 elements. Interviews from the DNC include California Attorney General Kamala Harris, Charlotte's Mayor Anthony Foxx, Broderick Johnson (Senior Advisor to the Obama campaign), Alfre Woodard (actor) and more."

" . . . BET News' special contributor, and host of Don't Sleep!, T. J. Holmes will kick-off a 16 city promotional campaign for the series with a branded tour bus making stops at the RNC in Tampa on August 29 and DNC in Charlotte on September 5. At select locations, brand ambassadors and voter registrants will be on hand to encourage voter registration and answer any questions about the voting process. The bus will travel to 14 additional markets making stops including Nashville, Indianapolis, New York and Washington D.C."

Danielle Belton, creator of the Black Snob blog, announced on the blog Monday that she is moving from Washington to New York to work on the Holmes show. "For those of you playing at home, I worked on the pilot last winter and many, many moons ago used to pretend to stalk T.J. for poops n' grins on the Internet, Belton said. "Life is incredibly funny in how a guy I started writing about during this blog's beginnings in 2008 is the same guy I wound up working for in my first scripted TV writing gig."

Cherie Saunders, EURWeb.com: T.J. Holmes on New BET Gig 'Don't Sleep' and Why He Left CNN

65% of Latinos Support Obama in ImpreMedia Poll

The first of 11 national tracking polls of Latino voters finds that  65% of Latino voters saying they would vote for President Obama while only 26% support Mitt Romney, impreMedia, publisher of such Spanish-language news outlets as La Opinión in Los Angeles and El Diario in New York, announced on Monday.

ImpreMedia is conducting the poll with Latino Decisions, a political opinion research firm.

". . . Romney struggles with low favorability with only 27% of Latinos saying they have a positive view of him versus 74% for Obama," impreMedia said.

"The polls further [suggest] that the Republican Party itself faces an uphill battle in wooing over Latinos with only 14% of all registered voters saying the Party is doing a good job in reaching Hispanics compared to 59% who believe the Democratic Party is doing a good job.

"Latinos continue to believe Jobs and the Economy (53%) and Immigration/Dream Act (51%) are the most important issues in this election. But when asked about the central topic of taxes, 66% of all respondents believe the Republican candidate should disclose his tax returns for additional years and 77% of Latino Democrats stating that he should.

"According to Latino Decisions founder Matt Barreto the results indicate that Romney faces a considerable challenge in winning over Latino voters. 'In particular there are three huge challenges facing Romney: First, a large majority of Latinos continue to think Republican policies are to blame for the current state of the economy; Second, a majority of Latinos support the Obama health care bill which Romney would repeal; and Third, Romney's previous comments on immigration have created a huge barrier in his ability to connect with Latinos', stated Barreto."

Monroe Anderson, theRoot.com: RNC 2012: Expect the Usual Sound and Fury

Wayne Bennett, the Field Negro: Mutiny in the house?

Boston Globe Magazine: PBS NewsHour's Gwen Ifill on the presidential race

Jonathan Chait, New York magazine: Team Romney White-Vote Push: 'This Is the Last Time Anyone Will Try to Do This'

Ta-Nehisi Coates, the Atlantic: Chris Matthews and the Shibboleth of Civility

Michael Cottman, Blackamericaweb.com: Herman Cain Talks to Michael Cottman

Eric Deggans, Tampa Bay (Fla.) Times: Chris Matthews tears into RNC head Reince Priebus on MSNBC, accusing GOP of race baiting

Eric Deggans, Tampa Bay (Fla.) Times: Visiting CNN and other media at the RNC: Frenzy of calm before the craziness of Isaac

John Gizzi, Human Events: Cain calls for support of 'ABC -- America's Black Conservatives'

Suzan Shown Harjo, Indian Country Today: The Coded Language Of Privilege

Rick Horowitz, YouTube: Climate Problem? What Climate Problem? (Video)

Jude Joffe-Block, Latina Lista blog: GOP Platform Backs Both 'Self Deportation' And Guest Workers

Allen Johnson blog, News & Record, Greensboro, N.C.: 'A civil war' if Obama wins?

Imara Jones, the Progressive: Paul Ryan a disaster for people of color (Aug. 20)

Colbert I. King, Washington Post: Time for Mitt Romney to come clean on his taxes

Wil LaVeist, Urban Faith: The GOP's 'Black' Problem

Douglas C. Lyons, South Florida SunSentinel: 'Hurricane party' puts the onus on Fla. Gov. Rick Scott

Myriam Marquez, Miami Herald: At RNC: pirates, showgirls, and possibly a defector

Michel Martin with Tara Wall on "Tell Me More," NPR: Romney Campaign Not Giving Up On Black Vote

Roland S. Martin, Creators Syndicate: Univision Right to Lament Diversity Among Presidential Debate Moderators

Erik Maza, Women's Wear Daily: Glamour Gets Time With President Obama

Ruben Navarrette Jr., Washington Post News Media Services: The GOP and the company it keeps

Ruben Navarrette Jr., CNN.com: Is Ryan an immigration pragmatist?

Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune: Romney's zero percenters

Leonard Pitts Jr., Miami Herald: Akin's 'problem' part of a GOP pattern

Joy-Ann Reid, theGrio.com: Black Republicans: Lack of Romney outreach to blacks 'shameful'

Geraldo Rivera, Fox News Latino: Does the GOP Really Want Latino Support?

Mary Sanchez, Kansas City Star: Akin's gaffe offers an unflattering glimpse of Republican attitudes

Brian Stelter, New York Times: With Isaac Bearing Down, Networks Weigh Their Options

Wendi C. Thomas, Commercial Appeal, Memphis: Who knew rape victims have pregnancy stopping powers?

Marisa Treviño, Latina Lista blog: GOP Party Platform may not be set in stone but it sure does throw its fair share of rocks

Marisa Treviño, Latina Lista blog: New voting rules make it harder than ever to get Latinos to the polls

Elon James White, theRoot.com: Chris Matthews Goes Off on RNC Chairman

Women's Media Center: Three-Quarters of Newspapers' Presidential Coverage is Written by Men

Blake Zeff, BuzzFeed: How It Became Safe To Attack Barack Obama

Little Change Likely for Ethiopia's Journalists

"Ethiopia's new rulers waited just one day after the death of dictator Meles Zenawi was announced to confirm that little change is likely for the country's beleaguered independent journalists," Mohammed Ademo wrote Saturday for the Committee to Protect Journalists.

"They sent that message by arresting Temesgen Desalegn, editor of the now-defunct Feteh newspaper, one of the last critical media voices in the country. Earlier, when Zenawi was alive but apparently ailing in secrecy in Belgium, the government gagged Desalegn's newspaper for daring to report on the prime minister's two-month absence from the limelight. Desalegn's arrest Thursday was not reported by the state-run media, devoted to broadcasting a week-long campaign to lionize the fallen leader.

"That left it to exiled media to report the news through social networks. . . . "

Jeffrey Gettleman, New York Times: Ethiopian Leader's Death Highlights Gap Between U.S. Interests and Ideals (Aug. 21)

Peter Hart, Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting: NY Times and the Myth of 'U.S. Ideals' (Aug. 22)

What Story Does This Picture Tell?

Jon Banner, third from right, senior executive producer of ABC-TV's "This Week," is leaving the network after more than 25 years. Merrill Knox reported for TVNewser that Banner took a moment Sunday to pose with "This Week" staffers after his last program. The Sunday talk shows are often criticized for their insufficient on-air diversity. Jeffrey Schneider, senior vice president for communications for ABC News, would not say Monday whether any people of color work on "This Week." (Credit: TVNewser)

Short Takes

"On newsstands across Spain, Michelle Obama can be seen gracing the August 2012 cover of Magazine Fuera de Serie, a lifestyle supplement to the newspaper Expansión," Althea Legal-Miller wrote Monday for Clutch magazine. "She is seated on a chair draped in the American flag, partially nude in slave attire, complete with one of Aunt Jemima's chicer headscarves. . . . The magazine cover for the feature article 'Michelle Tataranieta De Esclava, Dueña De América' (Michelle Granddaughter of a Slave, Lady of America) is the brainchild of white French/English fine artist Karine Percheron-Daniels. . . . Percheron-Daniels' portrait, First Lady, was not commissioned for the Spanish magazine cover, but is part of a larger series of 'famous nudes' that includes Princess Diana, Queen Elizabeth II, Abraham Lincoln, and President Barack Obama."

The Associated Press Sports Editors is accepting applications for Fellows for its 2012-13 Diversity Fellowship Program. The program "is an in-depth, nine-month course of study for working, mid-career professionals who are interested in pursuing a path as a manager (typically a sports editor or assistant sports editor) in sports journalism. This training program, which prepares Fellows to be candidates for such positions, is underwritten by APSE and its partners, and there is no cost to the Fellows." The application deadline is Sept. 19.

John-Carlos Estrada, who plans to attend Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism in the fall, is the third annual recipient of the Kay Longcope Scholarship Award, worth $3,000 and bestowed by the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association. The award provides tuition assistance to a lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender student of color who plans a career in journalism. Estrada graduated from George Washington University in 2009 with a degree in International Affairs focused on Latin America.

Yvonne Latty, who teaches journalism at New York University, has been named a National Association of Hispanic Journalists representative on the Unity Journalists board, NAHJ President Hugo Balta announced on Sunday. Latty who is Dominican and African American, succeeds Cecilia Alvear, who is stepping down.

The St. Louis American, part of the black press, won one of the Missouri Bar's Excellence in Legal Journalism Awards for 2012 for its coverage of an unfolding scandal within the North St. Louis County municipality of Dellwood involving the city's police department. Editor Chris King told Journal-isms by email: "Like journalists, lawyers earn a living with facts and narratives, and while it may not be in the best interests of any lawyer on any case to admit the truth, most lawyers have a strong sense of what is true in the world around us. I appreciate a journalism award from a bar association exactly as much as I appreciate an award from a press association. I consider this a meaningful, expert and objective judgment on our journalism."

"Jawan Strader has been named Weekend Evening anchor and reporter at NBC6 South Florida," Chris Ariens reported Monday for TVSpy. "Strader joins the station from crosstown rival, CBS-owned WFOR where he spent the last 10 years, most recently anchoring mornings."

Lawyer Rachel Wolkenstein filed a challenge Thursday to the Aug. 13 imposition of a sentence of life without parole for Mumia Abu-Jamal, the onetime president of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists who has been imprisoned for the 1981 killing of Philadelphia Police Officer Daniel Faulkner.

The FishbowlDC "Summer Superlatives" contest included a "Most Likely to Wind Up in Jail" category. Peter Ogburn reported Thursday that "The choices were Politico's Joe Williams, PR Exec. David Bass, BuzzFeed's John Stanton, The Daily Caller's David Martosko, The Daily Caller's Neil Munro, Reason's Mike Riggs and freelancer Moe Tkacik. The overwhelming winner was Joe Williams," who left the publication in June over statements and tweets he made about Mitt Romney, the Republican presidential candidate.

"New Delhi police officials have released hundreds of pages of documents from their investigation into the Feb. 13 bombing of an Israeli Embassy car," Gareth Porter reported for Inter-Press Service. "The documents aimed to show that a well-known Indian Muslim journalist," Syed [Mohammed] Ahmad Kazmi, "aided an Iranian conspiracy to plan and carry out the bombing. But a review by IPS of the evidence filed in the case suggests that the Indian journalist accused in the case has been framed by the police, at least in part to implicate the Iranians in the terror plot."

"The president of Ecuador has dismissed the allegations against Julian Assange by claiming that a man who shares a bed with a woman cannot be accused of rape," Nazia Parveen reported Sunday for Britain's Mail newspaper. "Rafael Correa said the accusations would not be considered crimes in '90 to 95 percent of the planet' and questioned the behaviour and motives of the alleged victims. The WikiLeaks founder was granted asylum by Ecuador 11 days ago after fleeing to its embassy in West London."

Follow Richard Prince on Twitter @princeeditor.

Facebook users: "Like" "Richard Prince's Journal-isms" on Facebook.

Journal-isms is published on the site of the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education (www.mije.org). Reprinted on The Root by permission.

NBC-Wall Street Journal Survey Gives Obama 94%

"A new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released on Tuesday shows President Barack Obama holding a four point lead over Republican challenger Mitt Romney," Ned Resnikoff reported for NBC News' "Lean Forward" blog. "But among African Americans, the poll shows an even stronger lead for Obama, as First Read reports:

" 'Looking inside the numbers, Obama continues to lead Romney among key parts of his political base, including African Americans (94 percent to 0 percent), Latinos (by a 2-to-1 margin), voters under 35-years-old (52 percent to 41 percent) and women (51 percent to 41 percent).'

"That's right: according to this poll, Romney has zero percent support among African Americans.

" 'The numbers came from a statistically significant sample of more than 100 African-American voters out of 1,000 total voters in the poll,' NBC News senior political editor Mark Murray told Lean Forward. 'Given the sample size of these African-American respondents, the margin of error is well within the 95 percent-5 percent split with which Obama won this group in 2008.'

"In other words, none of the roughly 110 black respondents to this poll said they would support Romney. The poll should not be taken to mean that Romney has no African American supporters at all. However, at the very most, he has far fewer than Obama."

Emil Guillermo blog, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund: New Field Poll in California says Asian Americans support the Affordable Care Act

Media Companies Favor Obama With Their Cash

"Wall Street may lean Republican this presidential election cycle, but the New York media world is staunchly Democratic," Amy Chozick reported Wednesday for the New York Times.

"All the major media companies, driven largely by their Hollywood film and television businesses, have made larger contributions to President Obama than to his rival, former Gov. Mitt Romney, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonprofit, nonpartisan Washington-based research group that publishes the Open Secrets Web site.

"The center's numbers represent donations by a company's PAC and any employees who listed that company as their employer.

"Even companies whose news outlets are often perceived as having a conservative bias have given significantly more money to Mr. Obama. Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, for example, has contributed $58,825 to Mr. Obama's campaign, compared with $2,750 to Mr. Romney. The conglomerate, which owns Fox News, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Post and the 20th Century Fox studios, gave roughly the same amount to Mr. Romney's Republican primary competitors Rick Perry and Ron Paul as it did to Mr. Romney.

"But the choice of Representative Paul Ryan, the conservative congressman from Wisconsin, to be Mr. Romney's running mate, might help win News Corporation dollars. . . ."

High Negatives for Medicare Vouchers, Ryan, Biden

"Paul Ryan's selection to the Republican ticket has put the issue of Medicare squarely on the 2012 campaign agenda," the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press reported Tuesday. "And the latest Pew Research Center survey continues to find the public is aware of a proposal to gradually shift Medicare to a system of vouchers and is, on balance, more opposed than supportive of the idea.

". . . The public offers a relatively negative assessment of Mitt Romney's selection of Ryan as his running mate. Nearly half (46%) say Ryan is an only fair or poor choice, while 28% say he is an excellent or good choice. By comparison, reactions to John Kerry's selection of John Edwards in 2004, and Bill Clinton's selection of Al Gore in 1992, were more positive than negative.

"But public assessments of Ryan's Democratic counterpart are even more negative. Just 27% say Joe Biden has done an excellent or good job as vice president, while 56% say his job performance has been only fair or poor. . . "

Danielle Belton, Lean Forward, NBC News: Joe Biden lives in the Big Tent

Charles M. Blow, New York Times: Dark Road to the White House

Adrian Carrasquillo, NBC Latino: Romney goes big with Paul Ryan vice presidential nomination, but how will Latino voters react?

Esther J. Cepeda, Washington Post News Media Services: The Romney gaffe that wasn't

Earl Ofari Hutchinson, syndicated: Mitt Romney's Southern Strategy Gambit

Derrick Z. Jackson, Boston Globe: Paul Ryan: Red meat in Congress, green jobs at home

Ruben Navarrette Jr., Washington Post News Media Services: Keeping a debate one-sided

O. Ricardo Pimentel, San Antonio Express-News: Romney may lose, but it won't be Ryan's fault

Rochelle Riley, Detroit Free Press: Mitt Romney's legal-minimum tax disclosure will make voters wonder

Eugene Robinson, Washington Post: The real Medicare question

Mary Sanchez, Kansas City Star: It's time for the American middle class to get wise

E.R. Shipp Named Morgan State Journo-in-Residence

E.R. Shipp, who won a Pulitzer Prize in 1996 as a columnist at the Daily News in New York, started work Tuesday as journalist-in-residence for the new Department of Communication Studies  being organized at Morgan State University by DeWayne Wickham, the USA Today columnist who is department chair.

"I will teach in the morning," Shipp told Journal-isms by telephone. "Two entry-level writing classes and one feature writing class. I hope they will be as engaged as I am at 8 o'clock."

Shipp is a former reporter at the New York Times who has been a faculty member at the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism, former ombudsman at the Washington Post, and from 2005 to 2009, Lawrence Stessin Distinguished Professor in Journalism at Hofstra University.

Since then, she has contributed to a book on the history of her native Rockdale County, Ga., written for theRoot.com, worked on a family history and been "active in my community" of Center Moriches in Long Island, N.Y.

Wickham is to "provide the leadership to enable Morgan to grow and build a world-class communication and journalism program and lead the University toward the realization of a School of Global Communications and Journalism," according to a June 28 announcement from Morgan State President David Wilson.

Among his hires are veteran journalists Jackie Jones and Jerry Bembry.

"The challenge is to work with DeWayne Wickham, the department chair, to create a [strong] journalism program that will be part of a communications school," Shipp said, adding that she will use her connections in journalism to invite others to meet her students. Wickham said Shipp will have the rank of associate professor.

"Journal-isms": Sexy, but Limited Crossover Appeal?

"Earlier this spring, veteran journalist Richard Prince marked the 40th anniversary of . . . landmark efforts against discriminatory practices at the Washington Post with a reunion of the so-called 'Metro Seven,' " Richard Horgan, co-editor of FishbowlLA, wrote Wednesday in a Q-and-A with this columnist for MediaBistro's "So What Do You Do . . ." series.

Along the way, Horgan asked what kind of traffic "Journal-isms" receives.

"It mostly depends on what other reporters and organizations link to it," came the reply, "and, when we talk about the lack of diversity in the media in general, it's also true about the lack of diversity in media columns. In other words, 'Journal-isms' does not get linked to by a lot of the predominantly white news sites. We're not on their radar screen and we're not important to them."

By coincidence, Columbia Journalism Review Tuesday published "Required skimming: media news aggregators not named Romenesko (Only because everyone knows about him already)" by Michael Meyer.

You guessed it. None were listed that primarily address diversity issues.

Meanwhile, FishbowlDC closed the online voting for editor Betsy Rothstein's "Sexiest Media Type in Washington" contest. This columnist came in third, behind two good-looking women, but ahead of the four other men. Does that make him the sexiest male media type in Washington? Stay tuned.

The results were: "CNN's blonde bombshell Brianna Keilar," 30.91 percent; "Washingtonian's classically beautiful Kate Bennett," 20.68 percent; "Maynard Institute's Richard Prince. The Fresh Prince of FishbowlDC," 20 percent; "NBC4 Chief Meteorologist Doug Kammerer. He'll water your petunias anytime," 10.45 percent; "The Atlantic's Justin Smith. International man of mystery," 9.09 percent; "AP's dreamy Steve Peoples," 7.27 percent.

NAHJ Urges Courant to Dump Google Translate

The National Association of Hispanic Journalists told the Hartford Courant this week that readers deserve more than the Google Translate service to render its English-language stories in Spanish for its Spanish-language section, the association said on Wednesday.

"While we applaud the awareness of Latinos in Connecticut - where roughly 13 percent of the population identifies as Hispanic/Latino" NAHJ's officers wrote, ". . . NAHJ would encourage the Courant to look to its sister papers, including El Sentinel at the Orlando Sentinel and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, and Hoy at the Chicago Tribune, to devise a better plan."

A more well-rounded strategy to reach Spanish-speaking readers "could include partnering with Spanish-language media outlets already doing business [in] Connecticut to disseminate Courant content, hiring more Latinos and Spanish-speakers in the newsroom, or creating a Courant product targeting Latinos, and that contains news translated by fluent Spanish-speakers.

"We can help you create that plan, and put you in touch with Latino journalists, educators and media outlets. Our resources and expertise are yours if you want them."

Meanwhile, Sergio Quintana won a runoff election for NAHJ secretary, defeating Chris Ramirez, the association announced on Tuesday. Quintana, a freelance broadcast journalist in San Francisco, received 17 votes in the runoff period, or 55 percent of the vote, while Ramirez, a reporter at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, received 14, or 45 percent.

The election finish Aug. 3 found Quintana and Ramirez each with 124 votes. The board decided to extend the voting period for two weeks. Ramirez, a member of the "HalftimeInNAHJ" slate headed by Russell Contreras, the defeated candidate for NAHJ president, remains a board member representing Region 3, the mid-Atlantic area.

At the first meeting of the new NAHJ board, Ramirez voted to keep the NAHJ's policy barring tweeting from NAHJ board meetings, a policy the new board defeated 6-5, while Quintana said he would have voted to drop it.

Writer Attacked in Ecuador, Raised Free-Speech Issue

"Orlando Gómez Léon, a Colombian journalist based in the Ecuadorean capital of Quito, was attacked and threatened last week after Semana, a Colombian weekly for which he is a correspondent, ran a story contrasting free speech problems in Ecuador with its decision to offer asylum to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange," Reporters Without Borders reported on Wednesday.

". . . Gómez received a call at this home from an unidentified person who said: 'Watch out, you son of a bitch, stop saying bad things about Ecuador.' "

". . . Semana editor Mauricio Sáenz told Reporters Without Borders . . . that the reactions to the article confirmed that, whenever the Ecuadorean government was criticized in a press report, it did everything possible to suppress it."

"While we welcome Ecuador's decision to give asylum to Assange, we must not lose sight of the high degree of internal tension between the Ecuadorean authorities and part of the country's press," Reporters Without Borders said.

"The Ecuadorean government wants to portray itself to the international community as a defender of free speech, but attacks on press freedom and the media in general continue to be frequent in Ecuador. Raids, closures, exorbitant damages awards and prosecutions of opposition journalists are all part of the very difficult day-to-day reality for the media in Ecuador."

Andres Oppenheimer, Miami Herald: Ecuador's crusade for Assange is all about power

Ethiopian Prime Minister Fostered Culture of Secrecy

"Ethiopians awakened this morning to state media reports that Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, 57, the country's leader for 21 years, had died late Monday in an overseas hospital of an undisclosed disease," Mohamed Keita reported Tuesday for the Committee to Protect Journalists.

"Within seconds, Ethiopians spread the news on social media; within minutes, international news media were issuing bulletins. Finally, after weeks of government silence and obfuscation over Meles' health, there was clarity for Ethiopians anxious for word about their leader. Still, it was left to unnamed sources to fill in even the basic details. Meles died in a Brussels hospital of liver cancer, these sources told international news organizations, and he had been ill for many months.

"Death of yet another African leader highlights secrecy & lack of transparency when it comes to ailing leaders," CNN's Faith Karimi noted on Twitter, where the hashtag #MelesZenawi was trending globally.

". . . The government's handling of Meles' health situation reflects its culture of secrecy . . . along with its heavy-handed tactics to control news and information. Yet for all its efforts, the government could not control the public's hunger for information. The official secrecy merely fueled rampant public speculation and fears about the country's future.

"The government's tactics are a product of its long-time leader. The paradox of Meles is that he was a formidable politician who nonetheless feared criticism in the Ethiopian press."

Jenée Desmond-Harris, theRoot.com: African Reactions to Zenawi's Death

Charlayne Hunter-Gault, theRoot.com: Ethiopian Journalist Gets 18 Years in Prison (July 23)

Emily Wax, Washington Post: In D.C.'s Little Ethiopia, a search for answers about Meles's death

Philly Columnist Rallies Readers Over Voter ID

"I'm sure you remember my meltdown in this space last week after a Commonwealth Court judge upheld the state's ill-timed, ill-conceived and downright devious show-me-your-papers voter ID law last week, a political and poisonous disenfranchisement ploy if I ever saw one," Annette John-Hall, columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer, wrote Tuesday.

"Believe me, I'm still disgusted. But while a team of lawyers headed by the ACLU battles it out in state Supreme Court, we have to turn our outrage into action.

"Now.

"It's not just about new voters and the obstacles facing them. Hundreds of thousands of voters who cast a ballot in previous elections could find themselves unable to vote now that they have to prove who they are all over again.

"After so many of you flooded my inbox asking what you can do, I got an answer at the headquarters of the Voter ID Coalition, which represents about 150 nonpartisan civic organizations.

". . . Before we go any further, write down this number: 215-848-1283. Make that call if you want to volunteer for any number of tasks the coalition needs."

Annette John-Hall, Philadelphia Inquirer:  Small surprise but much anger in Pa. ruling on voter ID (Aug. 17)

Suevon Lee, Pro Publica: Everything You've Ever Wanted to Know About Voter ID Laws (Aug. 16)

Phillip Morris, Plain Dealer, Cleveland: Charges that Ohio is engaged in racial voter suppression distract from issues that truly matter (Aug. 14)

Phillip Morris, Plain Dealer, Cleveland: The 2012 Presidential Election is literally going to the dogs (Aug. 18)

Rochelle Riley, Detroit Free Press: GOP caught with voter-suppression pants down (Aug. 14)

Short Takes

"In more than six years of spying on Muslim neighborhoods, eavesdropping on conversations and cataloguing mosques, the New York Police Department's secret Demographics Unit never generated a lead or triggered a terrorism investigation, the department acknowledged in court testimony unsealed late Monday," the Associated Press reported. The AP won a Pulitzer Prize for investigative journalism in March for revealing the NYPD's widespread spying on Muslims.

"Politico reporter David Catanese apologized Tuesday night for tweeting in defense of Republican Rep. Todd Akin two days earlier, following the Missouri Congressman's controversial comment about 'legitimate rape'," Michael Calderone reported Tuesday for Huffington Post. "Politico editors removed Catanese on Monday from covering the Senate race in Missouri, a state where he covered politics before moving to Washington. . . . So far, Politico editors have not announced any suspension or further disciplinary action. In June, Politico editors suspended White House reporter Joe Williams for comments made about Mitt Romney on MSNBC and for some inappropriate tweets." Williams later lost his job.

On Aug. 13, "without any notice and in violation of his constitutional rights and state law, Mumia Abu-Jamal was formally sentenced by Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge Pamela Dembe to life imprisonment without parole," according to the imprisoned former journalist's supporters. "The impact of this illegal sentencing is to prevent a possible challenge to the slow death of life imprisonment. All sentences, including 'mandatory' sentences, require a formal proceeding allowing the person to be sentenced the right to be heard and to challenge his sentence."

Univision News announced Wednesday that it has teamed  with YouTube "to provide coverage of the upcoming Democratic and Republican conventions and U.S. Presidential Election via the YouTube Elections Hub. Coverage begins today and runs through Election Day, November 6, and will feature exclusive reporting and analysis from the award-winning Univision News team."

"On Monday night, the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Sports Task Force will award the Sam Lacy Pioneer Award -- the organization's highest honor -- to Texas Rangers' manager Ron Washington for his excellence in sports," the Texas Rangers announced Monday afternoon. The award was to be presented 20 minutes prior to the first pitch of the Baltimore Orioles-Rangers game at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, Texas. This game was selected in recognition of Lacy's storied tenure with the Baltimore Afro-American newspaper.

"CNBC anchor Maria Bartiromo said goodbye to her producer, Lulu Chiang, who is leaving CNBC after eight years," the TalkingBizNews site reported Monday. "Bartiromo said, 'She also pushed me hard to be a better journalist, and I will always be in her debt for that. Her instincts are spot on.' "

"What might be called 'l'affaire Ferguson' erupted on Sunday, when Paul Krugman lit into writer Niall Ferguson for what he deemed to be unforgivable factual errors in Ferguson's cover story for [Newsweek]," Jack Mirkinson reported Tuesday for Huffington Post. "Ferguson then responded to Krugman, saying that he had been telling the truth and nothing but. His response was followed by a whole phalanx of fact-checkers, economists and bloggers who trashed the story and Ferguson's rebuttal, saying that both were filled with distortions and falsehoods about [President] Obama's record."

Oprah Winfrey registered No. 11 on Forbes magazine's latest list of the world's most powerful women.

Funeral services for Artie Williams III, a photographer at KABC-TV in Los Angeles who died Saturday after having what was described as a "medical emergency" while scuba diving, are scheduled for Aug. 28 at 11 a.m. They take place at Grace Baptist Church, 22833 Copper Hill Drive, Santa Clarita, Calif. 91350, colleagues said. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the Los Angeles City Council each paid tribute to Williams on Tuesday, KABC reported.

"ABC is expected to announce in early September that Michael Strahan will take over as the cohost of Live! alongside Kelly Ripa, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the situation," Ben Grossman reported Tuesday for Broadcasting & Cable. "Even when he assumes the new role, Strahan is expected to remain in his role with Fox NFL Sunday, as first reported by Joe Flint in the Los Angeles Times."

The retirement of Dennis Lien, a reporter for the Pioneer Press in St. Paul, Minn., prompted Pioneer Press columnist Ruben Rosario to recall memorable moments in his own 32-year career. They included time as a rookie New York Daily News reporter in Brooklyn as well as his career at the Pioneer Press.

In Sudan, "The head of the government-controlled Union of Sudanese journalists (USJ), Mohi Al-Din Titawi, announced on Monday that all journalists arrested during a crackdown on weeks of protests in the country have been released," the Sudan Tribune reported. ". . . Meanwhile, a local journalist who was detained for one day during the early weeks of the protests published an article on Monday recounting ghastly details of torture that left him with serious health conditions."

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Journal-isms is published on the site of the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education (www.mije.org). Reprinted on The Root by permission.