Student rep alludes to partnership

By Darren Sands
NABJ Convention Online Staff

NABJ Student Representative Mashaun Simon, announced that the organization will begin a nationwide student chapter audit and that NABJ is in discussions about a possible partnership with a “major” news company.

Simon addressed more than 60 students at a meeting at NABJ’s annual conference in Indianapolis yesterday. He is completing his first year as student representative after winning the election last year in Atlanta.

Though he did not mention the company by name, there was discussion about whether Simon was referring to NBC. Richard Prince’s Aug. 7 Journal-isms column featured the picture of what appeared to be an all-white 2006 summer intern class at NBC Nightly News. Prince reported that an NBC spokeswoman said that the intern selection process is color-blind.

Reached for comment, Simon would not elaborate, saying that the plans for the partnership were not finalized.