‘Workplace Culture Needs to Measurably Improve’
Shani Hilton to Help Drive L.A. Times Outreach
Wall St. Journal’s Johnson to Grow Audiences
Tanzina Vega Leaves ‘The Takeaway’; Harris-Perry to Sub
Short Takes
From earlier this week:
Black Women to Lead Two Big Texas Papers
Maria Reeve in Houston; Katrice Hardy in Dallas
ESPN, Maria Taylor Split; Next Stop May Be NBC
Patricia Mays in a Top Role at Hollywood Reporter
Can Journalism Solve Urban Problems?:
Temple J-School Launches Investigative Unit
Paul Cheung to Lead Center for Public Integrity
‘Workplace Culture Needs to Measurably Improve’
“In a sweeping shake-up, CBS has ousted two senior managers responsible for its television stations in Los Angeles and Chicago,” Meg James reported Thursday for the Los Angeles Times.
“Jay Howell, general manager of KCBS-TV Channel 2 and KCAL-TV Channel 9 in Los Angeles; and Derek Dalton, the head of WBBM-TV Channel 2 in Chicago, were ousted Thursday after a six-month investigation into alleged wrongdoing within CBS’ stations group.
“The moves extend a dramatic management makeover at CBS News and the network’s stations division after a Los Angeles Times investigation uncovered alleged misconduct, racism and misogyny at a handful of CBS-owned stations.”
Deadline reported that George Cheeks (pictured), president and CEO, said in an email to staff:
“This has been a difficult period for everyone in the group. The investigation cited painful revelations about experiences that we cannot tolerate today or in the future.
“While the investigation largely looked at events in the past, and the issues revealed were more pronounced in certain areas and at specific stations than others, there are clear themes that we need to address moving forward: our diversity, equity and inclusion standards need to be a top priority for leadership in every corner of our Stations business; our workplace culture needs to measurably improve; and, your trust needs to be restored with your CBS leaders. [boldfaced in the email]
“Several steps have already been taken in this direction:
- “We have established new leadership at the Stations group and have already made important changes in the top three markets.
“Johnny Green (pictured) is now our dedicated general manager at WCBS/New York, separate from the Stations’ central team.
- “We have refocused our local priorities on content, culture and community connections, with special attention being paid to reflecting and representing our local audiences. This approach includes weaving the CBS News’ Race and Culture Unit into our community coverage.”
The National Association of Black Journalists said in a statement that “these developments come in the aftermath of the former President of CBS Television Stations Peter Dunn and former Senior Vice President (SVP) of News for CBS Stations David Friend being released from their positions. This also comes on the heels of CBS CEO and President of CBS Entertainment Group George Cheeks naming NABJ member Johnny Green the new GM at CBS’s New York station.
“NABJ met several months ago with Cheeks and Marva Smalls (pictured), Executive Vice President and Global Head of Inclusion. Discussions included numerous allegations from our members about unfair treatment of Black journalists and other people of color, women, and the LGBTQ+ community. Many of those charges were detailed in an LA Times article earlier this year, which can be found here.
“NABJ Vice President-Broadcast Ken Lemon said, ‘We are encouraged by significant movements to address charges from our members and CBS employees. We applaud George Cheeks for taking decisive action and look forward to the steps he is taking to continue changing the company’s culture.”
The statement also said, “ ‘What George Cheeks has done is exactly what he promised us that he would do: take corrective action that will positively impact a change in the culture of CBS,’ said NABJ Vice President-Digital Roland S. Martin. ‘This is not the time for gradual change. For media companies to change, it requires bold action. And we look forward to offering Mr. Cheeks a list of eminently qualified Black candidates to fill these GM roles.’ ”
Shani Hilton to Help Drive L.A. Times Outreach
Shani Hilton (pictured), who joined the Los Angeles Times two years ago from BuzzFeed News and helped lead the Times through its racial reckoning last year, has been appointed to the newly created role of managing editor for new initiatives, the news organization announced on Thursday.
Merida, who became executive editor in June, has said he wants the L.A. Times to be more than a newspaper, to reach consumers in a variety of ways. (video)
In a news release, the Times said, “As Managing Editor for New Initiatives, Hilton joins Managing Editors Scott Kraft and Kimi Yoshino, and will oversee the Podcast and Video departments, working with those teams and other collaborators to sharpen The Times’ audio and video strategies. Hilton will also work within the newsroom to cultivate ideas and create an environment where journalists can try new things, launch products and pursue different ways to engage subscribers and the community with their reporting.”
“ ‘Shani is superbly equipped for this new role,’ Merida said. ‘She is a force for creativity with a get-things-done spirit. Her focus will be wide-ranging and may include new areas of coverage, music, poetry, comedy, books, documentaries, scripted projects, new ways for journalists to engage with subscribers, pop-up events, debates, community and prison journalism, block parties and much more.’
“Since coming to the L.A. Times as a deputy managing editor in 2019, Hilton has worked with staffs across the newsroom — from Business to the Washington bureau to Politics to Entertainment — to focus The Times’ coverage through a California lens. At BuzzFeed News, where Hilton had previously served as vice president of news and programming, she was a newsroom innovator, developing forward-thinking news coverage and building live television programming and documentaries. . . .”
Last year, the Times published an apology for past racist coverage and pledged to do better. “Our entire industry is going through this reckoning: How do we root out the anti-Black racism from our organization and from our coverage?” Hilton said then. “How do we stop the tides of white supremacy that invade, not only what we do, but all of society?”
- Los Angeles Times: L.A. Times announces new deputies, investigations editor and senior writers in Arts & Entertainment (July 2)
Wall St. Journal’s Johnson to Grow Audiences
Kimberly S. Johnson (pictured) was named Speed & Trending Coverage Chief of The Wall Street Journal, the Journal’s top editors announced Thursday, saying Johnson was “taking on a key leadership role at the center of the newsroom. “
“As we said last month, this new team is central to our efforts to grow audience and deepen engagement,” Matt Murray, editor in chief, and Jason Anders, chief news editor, said in their memo.
“Kimberly will build and lead a high-metabolism team charged with being the first word on many of the most important stories of the day, as well as weighing in on a wide range of trending stories. We’re staffing the desk with reporting, editing, visuals and SEO expertise, and have a number of open positions posted at WSJ.jobs. Kimberly will work closely with Hub editors, coverage chiefs and colleagues across the newsroom.
“Kimberly is a natural leader for this important role. Her strong news judgment, record of innovation and dedication to high standards have guided her tenure as Professional Products Editor, where she has expanded and strengthened our editorial offerings for business and finance professionals. Under Kimberly’s leadership, we have launched three new verticals including WSJ Pro Artificial Intelligence, The Experience Report and WSJ Pro Sustainable Business, while deepening our 10 existing products and growing our reach. Kimberly also led the project exploring the legacy of the Tulsa Race Massacre and its economic reverberations a century later. . . .”
✨Some news✨ pic.twitter.com/MMTfV6rFua
— Tanzina Vega (@tanzinavega) July 23, 2021
Vega Leaves ‘The Takeaway’; Harris-Perry to Sub
Tanzina Vega (pictured), who began hosting public radio’s “The Takeaway” in 2018 after a stint as The New York Times’ race and ethnicity reporter and as a reporter for CNN Politics, announced Friday that she is leaving the show. The Daily Beast reported that she “is leaving following reports that she berated staff and was subject of internal complaints.”
Vega had been on approved leave since April. She messaged Journal-isms, “I’m most looking forward to spending some quality summer time with my [infant] son.”
In a memo to the staff at New York’s WNYC , where “The Takeaway” originates, Chief Content Officer Andrew Golis wrote Friday, “Over the last three years, Tanzina and the entire Takeaway team have worked tirelessly to produce an essential daily national news show for the listeners of 290 public radio stations and thousands more online. They’ve focused the show on the issues that bring us together and sometimes divide us, paying special attention to criminal and social justice, the economy, and racial disparities. We wish Tanzina the very best on her next chapter.
“I’m thrilled to also announce that the esteemed scholar and journalist Melissa Harris-Perry (pictured) has agreed to stay on as interim host of The Takeaway through the end of 2021.
“Melissa is a brilliant thinker, teacher, and broadcaster. She’s the Maya Angelou Presidential Chair in three departments at Wake Forest, and held previous roles on the faculty of University of Chicago, Princeton, and Tulane. She is a prolific writer and speaker. And many of you, like me, probably loved spending Saturday and Sunday mornings with her when she hosted a far-ranging, welcoming, and deeply intelligent show on MSNBC (#nerdland). . . .”
Daily Beast reporters Maxwell Tani and Diana Falzone wrote, “The well-known journalist has been on medical leave for months at the same time the network has looked into human-resources complaints against her, including claims that on multiple occasions Vega blew up at members of her staff.
“Vega has privately disputed the claims, enlisting Neil Mullin, a prominent employment attorney, who told The Daily Beast last month that the media had ‘spread false rumors about the reason for her leave,’ which he said was ‘indecent treatment of an esteemed radio host.’ ”
A year into the WNYC job, in which Vega succeeded host John Hockenberry, who left amid accusations of sexual misconduct, Vega was chosen by Kent University for its Robert G. McGruder Distinguished Lecture and Award.
She told Jeff St. Clair of the campus radio station, WKSU then, “At ‘The Takeaway’ we try to go deep. We know there’s too much ‘surface’ out there, we know that news has become a commodity, so we try to go deep.
“Two examples of how we did that: the first is going out to Puerto Rico for the one year anniversary of hurricane Maria. I took a step back from the host chair and spent one week on the ground talking to people that I knew, family members of mine, going to parts of the island that people hadn’t been talked to for quite some time, and getting a week’s worth of reporting to get a different story of resilience, of their relationship with the U.S., and nuances that had gotten loss in the coverage leading up to the one year anniversary. You can hear that on TheTakeaway.org.
“The other series that we did: we’re living in a moment right now, a lot of people are calling it the #MeToo movement.
“Obviously women are having a moment, there’s a reckoning happening with women in the U.S. and around the world. And as part of that we decided to look at rage, and we called it Hysterical. We really examined what happens when women get angry, when women push back. What does that sound like? What does that look like, if it happens in the workplace, if it happens in your personal life? The ways that women are limited in how they can express themselves emotionally. We took four days, in different segments, talking with experts around the country to really dig deep into the ways that we allow men to walk the world and not women.”
- Ben Smith, New York Times: It’s the Media’s ‘Mean-Too’ Moment. Stop Yelling and Go to Human Resources. (May 23, updated June 1)
Short Takes
- “Maria Taylor’s NBC career began with a surprise appearance from Tokyo before the rebroadcast of the Olympic opening ceremony on Friday evening in the United States,” Kevin Draper reported Friday for The New York Times. Draper also wrote, “It has been a whirlwind few days for Taylor. On Tuesday, she hosted coverage of the N.B.A. finals in Milwaukee as an ESPN employee. On Wednesday, ESPN announced that it could not agree on a contract extension with her. On Friday, she was working for NBC at the Olympics. . . .”
Adrienne Green (pictured) will start in September as deputy editor, special projects at The New York Times Magazine, magazine editor Jake Silverstein announced Thursday. “Adrienne is currently a features editor at New York magazine, where she edits longform stories and works on big editorial packages and special issues. She was the editor behind New York’s excellent recent special issue on the one-year anniversary of the murder of George Floyd. She’s also worked with a number of writers we all admire, from Allison P. Davis to Rebecca Traister. . . .”
Jaweed Kaleem (pictured), a national correspondent for the Los Angeles Times, placed first in the The American Academy of Religion’s reporting on religion contest. “His artful narratives of five Americans revealed a poetic mosaic about the nature of religion in the age of Trump,” said the association of academics who research or teach topics related to religion. “Kaleem’s winning entry included a feature of one of Auschwitz’s last remaining survivors and a story about a rural Idaho Mormon family that spent a lifetime preparing for disasters. One juror observed that ‘Kaleem’s depiction of an emerging clergyman illustrated the gritty reality of lived religion in an era of zoom worship’. His investigation of a Catholic parish priest to immigrants who worked for Smithfield was an exposé of the intersection of religion, citizenship, food, Covid, and politics. The winning entry also included Kaleem’s portrayal of a Christian Reform Church pastor’s emotional struggle to leave his church and his ministry over Trump.”
- “Three months ago, Comcast responded to the passage of Georgia’s sweeping voting law by saying, ‘Efforts to limit or impede access to this vital constitutional right for any citizen are not consistent with our values,’ ” Isaac Stanley-Becker reported Thursday for The Washington Post. “That was then. On June 30, the telecommunications giant contributed $2,500 to Georgia’s attorney general, Chris Carr, who has vigorously defended the law, which critics say will curtail voting access, including by limiting use of drop boxes for absentee ballots and making it a crime for third-party groups to hand out food and water to voters standing in line. . . . Comcast and the two law firms did not respond to requests for comment. . . .”
“The Cleveland Indians new name is. . .The Guardians,” Paul Hoynes reported Friday for cleveland.com. “The Indians announced the new name on Twitter on Friday morning. They have been called the Indians since 1915. The franchise announced the name change in a video narrated by Cleveland fan Tom Hanks with music supplied by The Black Keys from the Akron area.” The Native American Journalists Association, along with other Native groups, have long opposed sports mascots that reference Native Americans.
Black Women to Lead Two Big Texas Papers
July 21, 2021
Maria Reeve in Houston; Katrice Hardy in Dallas
ESPN, Maria Taylor Split; Next Stop May Be NBC
Patricia Mays in a Top Role at Hollywood Reporter
Maria Reeve in Houston; Katrice Hardy in Dallas
In an unprecedented development, the Houston Chronicle named Managing Editor Maria Reeve as its new executive editor, followed within 24 hours by the Dallas Morning News announcing a second Black woman, Katrice Hardy, executive editor of the Indianapolis Star, as its new newsroom leader.
“The Dallas Morning News has named Katrice Hardy, a veteran journalist whose newsrooms have a track record of award-winning reporting, to be its next top editor,” Maria Halkias reported Wednesday for the Morning News.
Halkias noted that Hardy, 47, is “currently executive editor at the Indianapolis Star, which won this year’s Pulitzer Prize for national reporting, and Midwest regional editor for the USA Today Network.
“Hardy becomes the first woman and Black journalist to hold The News’ top newsroom job. She also led newsrooms in Virginia and South Carolina before joining The Star in March 2020.”
In Houston, “Reeve, 53, joined the Chronicle from the Star Tribune in Minneapolis, where she served in various roles including assistant managing editor of news, assistant features editor and deputy metro editor,” Paul Takahashi reported Tuesday, updated Wednesday, for the Chronicle. “She previously worked for the St. Paul Pioneer Press in Saint Paul, Minn. She started her journalism career as a general assignment reporter at The Bradenton Herald in Florida, where she covered transportation and the environment.
“Reeve joined the Chronicle four months before the coronavirus pandemic broke out. She oversaw the newspaper’s coverage of the coronavirus pandemic, the historic oil bust and the Texas blackouts — all while managing a remote staff.”
Reeve, active in the National Association of Black Journalists, was president of its Twin Cities chapter. Houston has been called the nation’s most diverse city. Reeve told Journal-isms that while the newsroom’s diversity numbers weren’t immediately available, “As for wanting to improve them, that is a goal, especially if we intend to reflect the community, which we do.”
Takahashi also wrote, “Reeve said she plans to accelerate the reinvention of the 120-year-old newspaper into a multi-platform media company, with a particular emphasis on online journalism.”
Hardy chairs the Diversity Committee of the News Leaders Association, which resulted from the merger of the American Society of News Editors and the Associated Press Managing Editors.
“Hardy said she’s excited to see ‘so much diversity’ in the Dallas community. She spent time this week visiting schools for her daughter and exploring neighborhoods,” Halkias wrote.
Halkias added that “only a handful of Black women have been the top editor of an American newspaper. In the past few months, a number of major U.S. newspapers have appointed Black executive editors to lead their newsrooms. . . .
“ ‘It’s important to acknowledge the historical significance of the appointments of Katrice Hardy in Dallas and Maria Reeve in Houston as two of the top editors in the U.S.,’ said Debra Adams Simmons, executive editor, culture at National Geographic and a mentor to Hardy. ‘Just a few short years ago, there was less than a handful of black women running newsrooms. This is an important moment.’
“Simmons said Hardy will ‘survey the landscape and fairly quickly identify opportunities for growth in Dallas.’
“ ‘Katrice is the editor who can help The Dallas Morning News meet the moment — in the work you create and in the relationships you build in the greater community,’ Simmons said. “
In Houston, the Houston Association of Black Journalists posted about Reeve on Facebook: “Huge congrats to Maria Reeve — Houston Chronicle’s FIRST Black Editor in Chief! ✍? We are so proud of you and the trail you’ve blazed. Women and people of color are capable of dynamic things. We just need the same doors opened.”
- Mary C. Curtis, Roll Call: Black women — now and then — lead a recalcitrant America toward justice
ESPN, Maria Taylor Split; Next Stop May Be NBC
“ESPN and Maria Taylor, an up-and-coming on-air personality, have parted ways in the wake of an internal controversy that spilled into the public arena and drew new scrutiny of diversity policies at the Disney-owned sports-media giant,” Brian Steinberg reported Wednesday for Variety.
Andrew Marchand added for the New York Post, “and she is headed to NBC and will cover the Olympics, The Post has learned. . . . For NBC, Taylor is expected to be part of its forthcoming Olympic coverage that begins in earnest on Friday. . . .
“With NBC, Taylor also could be waiting in the on-deck circle to become the host of ‘Football Night in America,’ when Mike Tirico moves to the full-time ’Sunday Night Football’ play-by-play position in the fall of 2022. It is not fully set that Taylor will replace Tirico, but seems as if it could be a potential fit. Taylor could also have a role on Notre Dame football this season.
Steinberg continued, “ ‘There is no doubt we will miss Maria, but we remain determined to continue to build a deep and skilled talent roster that thoroughly reflects the athletes we cover and the fans we serve,’ said Jimmy Pitaro, ESPN’s chairman, in a prepared statement. ‘While she chose to pursue a new opportunity, we are proud of the work we’ve done together.’
“Taylor’s last on-air appearance for ESPN came Tuesday night during coverage of the last game of the NBA Finals.
“Her departure would seem to cap a period of inner discord at ESPN. In July of last year, basketball correspondent Rachel Nichols was caught on video speaking to representatives of LeBron James about ESPN’s decision to have Taylor host ESPN’s basketball report, ‘NBA Countdown,’ during 2020’s NBA Finals. Her comments were recorded by a video camera she had left on and subsequently uploaded into ESPN’s system, where the footage was discovered and distributed by an employee.
“Nichols was frustrated that she hadn’t gotten the role, and suggested that ESPN’s interest in paying more attention to diversity was a factor in the decision. The matter boiled over after the New York Times reported that some employees who helped produce ESPN’s basketball coverage may have been choosing sides, and has drawn comments from Adam Silver, the NBA Commissioner. . . .”
The National Association of Black Journalists said in a statement Wednesday, “ESPN President James Pitaro has agreed to meet with the NABJ leadership team the first week of August to discuss the current situation and what his team plans to do, in collaboration with NABJ, to address the multiple challenges facing the network.
“ ‘ Our members who either work at ESPN or formerly worked at ESPN are sharing with us deeply troubling stories of their experience there,’ said NABJ President Dorothy Tucker. ‘We are obviously disturbed by what we are hearing and are eager to meet with ESPN to assist them in long-overdue changes that will lead to a positive work environment for Black journalists and media professionals.’ ”
Patricia Mays in a Top Role at Hollywood Reporter
“
The Hollywood Reporter has found its executive editor of news,” the show business publication reported Monday.
“Patricia Mays (pictured), who comes to THR from ESPN, will oversee the digital strategy of the award-winning publication across the brand, including its recently relaunched website. Mays will start her new position Aug. 16.
“ ‘Patricia is a dynamic leader who will be an incredible asset to an already stellar newsroom, one known for breaking news, investigative journalism, revealing features and eye-catching visuals,’ said Nekesa Mumbi Moody (pictured), THR’s editorial director. ‘Patricia’s expertise in digital and proven track record, coupled with her ability to produce unique, compelling journalism across multiple mediums, will allow THR to further distinguish itself as the leader in entertainment and industry news.’
The story also said, “Mays has been instrumental in leading the production of award-winning feature content, capturing a Sports Emmy and successfully orchestrating cross-platform integration across TV, digital, audio and direct-to-consumer. During her tenure as executive editor for ESPN Digital Media, ESPN was the No. 1 online sports destination in audience metrics and time spent. Before joining ESPN in 2009, Mays was sports editor at The Press-Enterprise newspaper in Southern California and worked for The Associated Press for a decade in various key roles, including as assistant sports editor.”
Can Journalism Solve Urban Problems?
July 20, 2021
Temple J-School Launches Investigative Unit
Paul Cheung to Lead Center for Public Integrity
Homepage photo: The scene of a triple shooting in Philadelphia last week, at Keim and East Ontario streets. (Credit: Jessica Griffin/Philadelphia Inquirer)
Temple J-School Launches Investigative Unit
“Temple University’s Klein College of Media and Communication will soon launch a Center for Urban Investigative Reporting, thanks to a $1.2 million founding grant from the Jonathan Logan Family Foundation of Berkeley, California,” the college announced Tuesday.
Asked how many other universities have such centers, Dean David Boardman (pictured) messaged Journal-isms, “Not sure. I know of several: Berkeley, Maryland, Arizona State, for starters. But I believe ours will be the only one exclusively focused on urban issues and dedicated to community input and engagement. “
He said the school was seeking a director.
The announcement came as the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that, “An average of more than 10 people have been shot per day in Philadelphia in July, as of Sunday. That July pace is 53% higher than last year, and 159% higher than 2019.”
Two weeks ago, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared a new state of emergency around gun violence and committed almost $139 million to reverse the trend of rising shootings and murders across the state. Cuomo said it was the first by a state to address gun violence, Ashley Southall reported for The New York Times.
According to Temple’s Klein College news release, “The Jonathan Logan Family Foundation Center for Urban Investigative Reporting will focus exclusively on the issues facing Philadelphia and other large American cities, including gun violence, economic inequality, education and health disparities, crumbling infrastructure and eroding trust in institutions.
“Through the Logan Center, Klein students and faculty will report aggressively not only on these problems, but on potential solutions, closely examining what has worked well in other cities across the nation and the globe.”
Boardman is also vice chair of the Solutions Journalism Network. That organization says on its website, “As news avoidance and distrust grow, solutions journalism has rapidly grown from an ‘extra’ to a must-have for newsrooms building or repairing relationships with their communities. These results reveal the extent to which audiences respond to solutions journalism in ways that can strengthen local news.”
“Klein has long had a ‘teaching hospital’ model for preparing students for careers in journalism and other communications professions, giving them a strong foundation in theory and research along with myriad opportunities to hone their skills on campus and in the community. Through the college’s Philadelphia Neighborhoods capstone class, students report from areas of North and West Philadelphia that are largely overlooked by mainstream media. . . .”
- Solutions Journalism Network: Francine Huff joins Solutions Journalism Network as director of journalism school partnerships
- Helen Ubiñas, Philadelphia Inquirer: Mayor Kenney’s decision not to declare gun violence an emergency is an act of cowardice
Paul Cheung to Lead Center for Public Integrity
Paul Cheung (pictured), a past president of the Asian American Journalists Association and most recently director of journalism and technology innovation at the Knight Foundation, has been named CEO of the Center for Public Integrity. He “will lead one of the country’s oldest nonprofit news organizations in its mission of investigative reporting about inequality,” the Washington-based organization said Monday.
In a question-and-answer on the Center’s website, Cheung said, “Public Integrity has a rich history of holding the powerful accountable, and I want to use that power to hold those people and systems who are perpetuating or worsening inequality accountable as well as uplifting those who are solving the problems of inequality.
“My vision is for us to be the leading newsroom in America in equipping and inspiring change makers with our investigative journalism to reverse the effects of inequalities.”
Cheung previously worked at NBC News Digital, the Associated Press, The Wall Street Journal and the Miami Herald, and he is a board member of the News Leaders Association.
As Kristin Hare reported Monday for the Poynter Institute, Cheung “succeeds Susan Smith Richardson, who became deputy editor of The Guardian US earlier this year. Cheung is the first Asian American to lead the Center for Public Integrity, which was founded in 1989 and is an investigative, nonprofit news organization.”
On his LinkedIn profile, Cheung emphasizes his background in technology. “I manage a multimillion dollar investment portfolio at the Knight Foundation. My key investment areas include scaling AI [artificial intelligence], business sustainability solutions, and mitigating misinformation,” he wrote.
“With more than 20 years of experience at the forefront of digital transformation in the media — pioneering AI, data journalism, AR/VR [Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality], visual storytelling and digital training strategies, I am ready to lead media companies looking to launch breakthrough ideas from concept to reality across new digital and emerging technology platforms.”
AAJA membership declined during Cheung’s four years as president, as newsrooms shrank, but in his farewell message in 2016, Cheung listed these successes:
- “Partnering with more than 30 community groups to host the first Asian American Presidential Town Hall, which featured principals and surrogates from all major campaigns.
- “Launching ‘The Heartland Project,’ a first-of-its-kind partnership among the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to help newsrooms in the
- “Cornhusker State do a better job in covering communities of color and LGBT issues.
- “Acquiring more than $300,000 in grants and sponsorships to reboot AAJA’s signature journalism programs, including the Executive Leadership Program.
- “Holding newsrooms accountable by aggressively responding — via our MediaWatch team — to unfair, irresponsible and inaccurate coverage of our communities.”
Cheung advocated for keeping AAJA in the Unity: Journalists of Color coalition after the National Association of Black Journalists and National Association of Hispanic Journalists pulled out, and AAJA remained until Unity dissolved in 2018.
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