The weekly grind: Reporting news when it’s not so fresh

By Necie Green
NABJ Convention Online Staff

 

Because the majority of black newspapers are not published daily, they face the unique challenge of keeping news timely and interesting to readers. This was the subject of a Black Press Day panel discussion, “Monday’s News, Friday’s Deadlines,” featuring Sharyn Flanagan of the Philadelphia Tribune, freelance journalist Michael Dabney and Joe Boyce, retired senior editor of the Wall Street Journal.

Fia Curley of Hampton, Va., came to the workshop unsure of whether the black press held any opportunities in her field. The recent Ohio University graduate is looking for a company where she can learn and grow, as well as take risks. She never envisioned a black-owned company could provide such opportunities.

“After hearing the panelists I have a renewed sense of the vitality of the black press,” said Curley.

Curley said she learned that there are openings in black news outlets that are succeeding and doing well. The panelists assured her that these companies are looking for eager and hard-working journalists.

“The advice they gave was universal for all journalists,” said Curley, “whether you’re working in a black organization or mainstream daily in Nebraska.”

Although she was initially hesitant about attending the workshop, Curley said she left feeling she made the right choice.

Ethan J. Brisby of Bryan, Texas, also found the workshop helpful. He said he learned tips he hopes to incorporate into his work on the Texas A&M campus newspaper and weekly radio show.

Brisby said he now understands the importance of tackling – not avoiding – tough issues in the black community, and has learned how to “provide a learning opportunity even if you’re being critical.”

He also walked away with knowledge of how to report news that may not be first-day when his radio show airs. Brisby wants to deliver the stories in a way that will be continually helpful to his audience, even if they’ve previously read about the subject.

The Black Press Day activities concluded with the viewing of Stanley Nelson’s, “Soldiers Without Swords,” a historical film depicting the evolution of the black press in America.

Talk show host ‘Jazzed’ about health

Danielle Wilson
Monitor Staff Writer

In today’s fast-paced newsrooms, eating and exercising properly frequently fall by the wayside, but Los Angeles National Public Radio talk show host and author, Farai Chideya, is confident it can change.

The substitute host of “News & Notes with Ed Gordon,” said she’s always battled with her weight.

But since March, she has lost 20 pounds after issuing a challenge to her listeners to join her in a program to exercise and eat healthily. Now, she’s bringing the program to NABJ with a morning workout beginning Thursday at 6:30 a.m.

“I’m getting older and my knees are beginning to complain,” said Chideya, a self-described workaholic. “There are weight problems in my family and I don’t want to have (health) problems later in life.”

Chideya, 37, wants to encourage convention goers to invest in their health as much as they focus on their careers. Chideya encourages NABJ members to come to the workout sessions and get “jazzed” about being healthy.

During the workout session, Chideya also will talk about emotional, spiritual and mental health.

“I’ve got really good house music,” she said, hoping participants will focus on the beat of the music – not the fact that they’re exercising.

“If they do come, they will have fun,” Chideya added.

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.

Convention registration under way

By Darren Sands
NABJ Convention Online Staff

Registration for the NABJ convention started off slowly at 8 a.m. this morning, allowing convention attendees who arrived early at the Indiana Convention Center to complete registration in less than three minutes.

Around noon, hundreds of envelopes and convention bags were still closed and awaiting pickup. Registration workers say that the rush is coming — they just don’t know when.

Ramona Harris, who is working a pre-registration booth, said she believed that attendees may have gone straight to the morning programming, opting to register later.

“It is going a little slow right now, which is surprising,” she said.

“It’s early in the process but it is very smooth,” said Kimberly Wells, a producer and on-air personality for Radio One in Indianapolis. She spoke at a day-long session on the Black Press earlier this morning.

Workers at the registration booths wore red coaster-sized buttons with the NABJ logo that read, “Can I Help You?”

Sightings

Joe Grimm, Recruting and Development Editor for the Detroit Free Press. Grimm spent time getting his booth ready for the job fair. Said Grimm, “I’m setting up this booth this morning, so that this afternoon I can be out talking to people.”

Herb Lowe, immediate past president, NABJ. Lowe was spotted looking relaxed in a Hawaiian-style shirt, before entering a training session on creating web pages with Adobe Go Live.

Super workshop spotlights black press issues

Craig Young/NABJ Convention Online
Kim Wells of Radio One, Indianapolis,
makes a point at Black Press Day.

By Necie Green
NABJ Convention Online Staff

Throughout the Civil War, lynchings, Reconstruction and other tumultuous times in U.S. history, “the black press was there,” said Gordon Jackson, managing editor of The Dallas Examiner, at Black Press Day, a day-long pre-convention workshop being held today at NABJ 2006.

“The black press not only reported on the advances, in many cases they helped make it happen,” Jackson said.

Panelists at the session titled “The Role of the Black Press,” noted that since the establishment of Freedom’s Journal newspaper in 1827, the black press has strived to give a voice to the black community when no one else cared.

Kim Wells, a news anchor and on-air personality for Radio One Indianapolis, said the black press is a symbol of necessity, change and advocacy.

 

“We had to tell our own stories because our people were being slaughtered,” said Wells, who added that the slaughter was spiritual and literal.

The biggest challenge facing the black press is constant questioning of whether it is necessary, the panelists said. They also noted that black media are grappling with staffing shortages and budget cuts which make it difficult to carry out their mission.

“We have to do more with less, a lot of times,” said Jackson. However, it is imperative that the black press keep up with technology trends in order to survive, said Wells.

 

The panelists agreed that there will always be a need for the black press. Wells said that as long as struggles such as disparities in education and economic advancement persist, the black press will always have a voice.

Jackson believes that the future of the black press depends upon the strength of the black community. He encouraged young journalists to seek employment with black media outlets.

“You get a chance to get into the heart of covering the black community,” said Jackson.

Rev. Jesse Jackson cancels

Rev. Jesse Jackson, founder of the RainbowPush Coalition will not be able to attend Thursday’s W.E.B. DuBois Lecture due to a scheduling conflict. Rev. Al Sharpton, who is also scheduled to be a panelist, will still be in attendance. The lecture will continue as scheduled from 11:30 p.m. to 1 p.m. and will be moderated by CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux.

Holy convention, Batman!

Craig Young/NABJ Convention Online A Batman
statue by Upper Deck Marvel/DC was included in
one of 250 exhibitor displays during a four-day
gaming convention in Indianapolis.

Gamers out, NABJ in.: More than 25,000 video game fans attended the 39th Gen Con gaming convention last week at the Indiana Convention Center, just before NABJ arrived in town. Remants from their gathering were spotted throughout the convention center, including a super-sized Batman.

The consumer science-fiction, fantasy and adventure game convention offered 5,500 gaming events from Thursday, Aug. 10 to Sunday, Aug. 13.

The annual convention, which has been held in Indianapolis for the last four years, featured interactive games, films, robot exhibits, costumes, and contests.

The conference also included celebrity appearances by Richard Hatch who played Capt. Apollo in “Battlestar Galactica” and Kevin Sorbo of “Hercules: The Legendary Journeys.” Gen Con will host another convention in Anaheim, Calif. in November.

Two-minute drill: A Colts tribute

Since we’re literally sitting under the RCA Dome here in the newsroom, we decided to take a walk around the downtown Indianapolis for 30 minutes to get a feel for how people in the city are feeling about Peyton Manning and their Indianapolis Colts.

Armed with a digital camera, we talked to tourists, construction workers and day campers, and put together a little photo diary to help you understand the pride that is Colts Nation.

Enjoy. First of all, some of us — *cough* Michelle Johnson *cough* — would have you know that the Colts were a Baltimore franchise before they were “stolen” by Indianapolis.

But that’s just bringing up the past to Ricky Williams of Indianapolis. He is one of the construction workers working on Lucas Oil Stadium, the new home of the Colts, due to be completed for the 2008-2009 season.

Williams, who belongs to Local 120 of Indianapolis, said that although the Colts got rid of his favorite player Edgerrin James, he’s hoping the Colts win the Super Bowl — in their first season in the new stadium, that is.

Sorry, Ricky, but I’m sure these guys…

…would be just fine winning it this season playing in here.

Ironically, the team on the left, well, they have won it three times in the past five years, beating the Colts in the playoffs three times.

Hoping that the Colts can finally pull it off this year? Spend more time in prayer at this church across the street from the RCA Dome.

Six-year-old Ashani’s favorite player on the Colts? “The cheerleaders!” Good for you, Ashani.

Finally, we talked to Colts fan Mike Cook who lives in Oxford, Miss. He spent time Tuesday afternoon in the Colts Pro Shop scooping up Colts paraphernalia for friends and family back home. But wait, how does a Mississippi native become a Colts fan?

“I turned on a little black-and-white TV and that’s what was on,” Cook said in a Mississippi-flavored twang, referring to a December 1968 game that he still remembers. Cook, 47, a former student and now an accountant at Ole Miss, says he remembers sitting above Peyton and Eli Manning at Ole Miss games when they were just little kids. Their father Archie was a legendary quarterback at Ole Miss, and Eli played there also. The Mannings, needless to say, are demigods in Mississippi.

“Eli gave us a year of his life,” Cook explained, referring to Eli’s decision to delay his entry into the NFL draft and return to Ole Miss for his senior season. “He didn’t have to do that. He gave us something magical for the first time in 33 years. And look now, he’s got the whole New York City on his shoulders,” Cook said.

So how thrilled was Cook when Peyton was drafted by his beloved Colts?

Cook paused.

“Didn’t mean much,” he said. “Until he picked Archie’s number. That was an incredible moment.”

Welcome to Indy

Welcome to the NABJ Convention’s news blog. Check back here for continuous updates from NABJ 2006.

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