• Tuskegee Airmen are honored at the NABJ Hall of Fame event held on January 26, 2012 at the Newseum in Washington, DC.

Seems that filmmaker George Lucas has more to thank than his own money  for making Red Tails, the long-awaited big screen movie about the Tuskegee Airmen.  In fact, his and our thanks  for the story of the WWII black fighter pilots  extends WAY back, to the 1940s, when the Black Press was writing their narrative like no others.

The importance of the Black Press’s role in the reporting of the Airmen’s story particularly resonated last week at the NABJ Hall of Fame event, a ceremony that emphasized the importance of racially diverse newsroom staffs and celebrated  legendary black journalists.  During the ceremony, a speaker pulled out a 1940s  copy of the Norfolk Journal and Guide, a Black Press paper, that blared news of the Tuskegee Airmen on its front page. I was overwhelmed by the sight, aware that for decades the  Airmen had been largely ignored by history. But that front page, in one of our own local papers no less, was proof: Way back in the ’40s, there were journalists who saw the importance of this story.  Black journalists.

While NABJ honored news professionals at the Hall of Fame ceremony, they also honored the Tuskegee Airmen. About 15 of the Airmen attended the event donned in regal red jackets and a regal air. That night, they thanked black journalists for telling their story and we thanked them for their service to our country.

What was so overwhelmingly clear that evening  is why it’s  important for newsrooms to reflect the people they serve. It takes many points of view to produce stories that truly reflect the hopes, dreams and concerns of an array of readers.

We all know that diversity numbers in newsrooms have been falling. Do we sit idly by and say “Oh, well,” or do we stand up and try to do something to reverse the trend?

The story of the Tuskegee Airmen’s  fight for a place in history makes the answer to that question pretty clear.

Cheryl Ross, President, HRBMP

Cheryl Ross, President, HRBMP

NABJ President Greg Lee and HRBMP President Cheryl Ross at the NABJ Hall of Fame Awards, January 26, 2012

January 2012: Industry Wide and Industry Wise, Diverse Newsrooms Matter by NABJ President Greg Lee Jr.

 Nearly 18 years ago, as an intern in the Associated Press Sports Editors’ Sports Journalism Institute, I wrote a story about the lack of diversity in sports departments. I quoted Justice B. Hill, then sports editor at the News-Sentinel (Indiana), who challenged then-APSE President Dale Bye on the lack of black sports editors at daily newspapers.

 At the time there were only two, the other was Garry D. Howard of the Milwaukee Journal – who started the job about a month before I wrote my story in 1994. 

 In the years since, there have been a few to run sports departments at mainstream dailies. In 2012, only one – Lisa Bell Wilson of the Buffalo News – carries the baton. 

 ”I know things have changed since 18 years ago,” said Hill, a longtime NABJ member who has held various sports editing positions over his 30-year career. “I never thought … today it would be as bad as it is. Sports editors leave, but there is no one of color in the pipeline to fill those jobs. There is no pretense by editors when it comes to diversity.” 

 Who is responsible for the dearth of diversity in this segment of the industry? The sports editors? Their bosses? Accountability on the issue has jumped around like a hot potato. 

 Sports journalism can hardly be singled out. A look at the journalism industry as a whole reveals a similar and troubling pattern. 

 Just last month, NABJ member Steven Gray announced his departure from TIME Magazine, leaving the publication with no black correspondents. In the latest edition of Forbes Magazine, the publication released a list of 30 media members under 30 who were “changing the game.” It was alarming to see no blacks.  

 Recently, two respected journalists, CBS’ Russ Mitchell and CNN’s T.J. Holmes, left their jobs for new opportunities. Though both of these talented journalists worked for major news networks regarded as destinations for many of their colleagues, these men had long toiled on weekend shifts. Their situation became so out-of-sync with their abilities that they made a decision unheard of just a decade ago: Mitchell returned to the local network level and Holmes left to go to BET.  

 The moves were personal ones to advance their careers. I salute Mitchell and Holmes for taking a stand for their professional futures and refusing to be marginalized as “weekend warriors” in their respective newsroom. 

 Since becoming elected as president of the National Association of Black Journalists, I have also heard from many of you about the state of our industry. You have kept me informed on the state of black journalists in mainstream newsrooms. From members being banished to working weekends to filling nearly ten consecutive job openings with white men, NABJ will take a stand against these practices. 

 Many of you say you have been passed over as those less qualified received opportunities. You’ve also talked about seeing your newsrooms become less reflective of the readers and viewers they seek to attract. This is the trend on cable news networks, which seem to be experiencing a virtual journalism black-out. 

 Erin Burnett, a show booker for CNN just 10 years ago, has a primetime show on the network. Her story rings familiar for Hill, who over his career has seen qualified black journalists passed over for jobs by less experienced people. 

 ”It seems unfair,” Hill said. “There is no ‘Rooney Rule.’ Diversity used to be a good word. It doesn’t mean anything today.” 

 NABJ has repeatedly called upon cable news networks to improve their lack of diversity in prime-time programming. Groups like the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law have echoed the organization’s urgings. 

 Our concerns have largely fallen on deaf ears, but NABJ will continue to hold the industry accountable. 

 To that end, NABJ has issued its 2011 Thumbs Down Award collectively to all cable news networks – given for the absence of black journalists working on air, in prime time.  

 In 2011, NABJ executive board members offered solutions to CNN Worldwide President Jim Walton, who seemed receptive. Notably, NBC has made recent progress in further diversifying its non-primetime on-air and management staff. 

 In September, NABJ released its diversity census of management-level positions at the local and network level during the Congressional Black Caucus’ annual meeting. The report highlighted some abysmal statistics, putting the spotlight on one of the industry’s under-the-rug secrets: that diversity in the newsroom was not a priority. This report continues to gather momentum, and we aim to hold the networks accountable at the highest levels. 

 We also have our sights trained on the lack of diversity in the emerging and fast-developing field of new media. As 2010 NABJ Lifetime Achievement Winner Paul Delaney said in his acceptance speech: “We find ourselves fighting for our professional lives. New media resemble old media.”  

 Indeed, digital sites are popping out in fast numbers, yet black journalists are barely part of the explosion. 

 In the coming weeks, I am planning a series of advocacy visits to major media outlets, reintroducing them to NABJ and putting them on notice that they cannot afford to dismiss a diverse newsroom, not even in a poor economy that is forcing many newsrooms into survival mode.  

 When the economy was doing well, diversity failed to reach its full potential. Media companies who think diversity is something they cannot afford must understand that it is something they cannot afford to sacrifice. Diversity is a mindset, and it is NABJ’s job to change the mentalities of these executives. 

 For those who suggest that they are unable to find talented black journalists, NABJ will offer its own job portal, where our organization will filter and categorize our members’ resumes for companies seeking diverse talent. Their excuses will soon become extinct. 

 And we continue to challenge all of our media partners to join us in New Orleans at our annual convention and career fair – still the largest of its kind in the country – to not only find talented journalists to hire, but to sit, listen and learn about the challenges facing black journalists in mainstream newsrooms. 

 NABJ is here to help the industry reach its full potential, but it won’t be easy. Nearly two decades after our first interview, Hill reminds me we are travelling a long road. 

 ”We have taken giant steps back,” he said. “We need to hold people accountable. The industry needs somebody to shape the industry to help it reflect America.” 

 Amen, Brother Hill. The industry needs NABJ.

Greg Lee is the President of the National Association of Black Journalists and the Sr. Assistant Sports Editor at the Boston Globe. He can be reached at glee@nabj.org.

This month’s member spotlight belongs to Shelia Harrison. She’s the first member ever to be featured in our “Member Spotlight” post. 

HRBMP budget officer Shelia Harrison (second from left) – an HRBMP member extraordinaire – chats with Norfolk State students about media. We laud Shelia, director of marketing and public relations at Nauticus and a long-time HRBMP member, for her wonderful service and commitment to HRBMP. Shelia is always there to lend a helping hand, help us meet deadlines and keep our finances in order. She’s great and we want everyone to know! Thank you, Shelia!!!

January 9, 2012 – Hampton University Professor Wayne Dawkins will provide insight on why potential journalism students are turning away from the possibility of a career in the news business and give us tips on what HRBMP can do to help reverse that trend. Dawkins will speak on the topic at our regular monthly meeting, to be held at 10 a.m.  on Saturday, January 21 in the second floor news conference room of  The Virginian-Pilot, 150 W. Brambleton Avenue in Norfolk. Please join us.

The following biographical information about Prof. Dawkins is taken directly from Hampton University’s website:

Prof. Wayne Dawkins

Assistant Professor Wayne Dawkins worked as a daily newspaper journalist for nearly 23 years. He was an associate editor of the Daily Press of Newport News from 1998-2003 and served as managing editor of BlackAmericanWeb.com from September 2003 to January 2005. Dawkins was an adjunct professor at the Scripps Howard School of Journalism and Communications during the Spring 2005 semester, before joining the full-time faculty in fall of that year.

Dawkins has published articles in the Encyclopedia of American Journalism History [2007]; the African American National Biography [2008], and the forthcoming Oxford Encyclopedia of African-American History since 1896 [2009].

Dawkins was producer of “Voting Rights Northern Style,” an “Eyes on the Prize” New Media project. www.nbpc.tv/hbcu. He is author of “Rugged Waters: Black Journalists Swim the Mainstream” [2003]. After founding August Press in 1992, he published “Black Journalists: The NABJ Story” in 1993 and updated the seminal book in 1997.

In 2006, Dawkins edited and was a contributing writer to “Black Voices in Commentary: The Trotter Group,” an anthology. www.trottergroup.org

He is co-founder and editor of the Black Alumni Network newsletter [Columbia University journalism] which was established in 1980. He is a distinguished Journalism Alumni award winner [1990] and winner of a Columbia University Alumni Federation Medal [2004].

It’s a fact: The picture of diversity in American newsrooms isn’t a pretty one.  Numbers are tanking, and, as Lee points out, even if blacks are still on newsroom staffs, many are fighting (and losing the fight) for opportunities to grow in their profession.

What’s happening? Obviously, diversity isn’t a priority.  Perhaps what newsroom movers and shakers who make the hiring decisions need to understand is that having a diverse staff, not just racially, but also in terms of world outlook, can help improve a newsroom’s economic bottom line.  It can make the news product a greater and more relevant one to the communities served by those newsrooms.

More can be said about the importance of having a diverse newsroom staff.  So perhaps you’ll join us in February, when HRBMP will meet to discuss this very topic.  I’ll have more info on date, time and location in the coming weeks.

Stay tuned,

Cheryl Ross

Happy New Year!

I am looking forward to a wonderful and rewarding year working alongside you all in our common quest to serve as a resource for the larger community and to help students consider and pursue mass communications-related careers.

Meanwhile, good luck in your other professional and personal endeavors.

Cheers!

Cheryl

Kenny is an honor student majoring in print  journalism.  She has shown a commitment to journalism through her participation in numerous professional newspaper internships and her work as a staff writer for her university’s student newspaper.  She is fluent in French and in her scholarship essay she wrote, “I hope to use my ability to communicate across international boundaries as an avenue to open doors for me in the field of journalism and international politics.”

HRBMP member Katrice Hardy, a city editor at The Virginian-Pilot, funded Kenny’s scholarship. We thank Katrice for helping HRBMP help students.

Hampton Roads Black Media Professionals received word from the National Association of Black Journalists today that it has been awarded a $250 grant for its “Let’s Talk: The Media, Diverse Coverage and You” town hall held last month.

HRBMP is a chapter affiliate of NABJ, which awards the grants to chapters that are performing innovative work.

The grant-winning town hall drew about 70 people to the Half Moone center on the Nauticus campus in Norfolk.  All town hall participants who turned in comment forms gave the event high ratings.

Participants voiced their concerns about diversity in local media coverage and a panel of HRBMP media experts gave the public advice on how to get their stories on the radar of newsroom decision makers.