On assignment
Reporter Backs One Whose Query Wasn’t Answered
Obama Foundation Helps African Journalists
Isaac Lee, Key Figure at Univision, Steps Down
370 Reporters Offer to Help the Capital Gazette
Film Criticism, Seen by 14 Who Are Not White Men
John C. Watson, a Pioneer, Wins Ida B. Wells Award
. . . Public Pledges Enough to Build Wells Monument
Support Journal-isms— Audra MsBlu Berger (@MsBlunyc) July 18, 2018
In still from video: April Ryan, left, and Sarah Huckabee Sanders
Reporter Backs One Whose Query Wasn’t Answered
When April Ryan, Jorge Ramos or Jim Acosta would be dissed by a press secretary for the Trump White House, many journalists and some viewers wondered why other members of the White House press corps, though competitors, didn’t stand behind their colleagues.
Wednesday it happened, Michael M. Grynbaum reported for the New York Times.
“But an unusual show of solidarity between rival journalists seemed to signal a new approach by the White House press corps toward an administration that regularly uses briefings to deride, and divide, the news media.
“Hallie Jackson, a correspondent for NBC News, was grilling the press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, about President Trump’s credibility, given his attempts at damage control after a Helsinki summit meeting with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia.
“Ms. Sanders, eager to move on, invoked a tried-and-true spin doctor tactic: Next question, please.
“ ‘I’m going to keep moving,’ she said, interrupting Ms. Jackson and turning to Jordan Fabian of The Hill. ‘Jordan, go ahead.’
“Undeterred, Ms. Jackson said she had a follow-up question. ‘Sorry, you’ve asked two,’ Ms. Sanders said, speaking over her. ‘I’m going to move on to Jordan.’
“A brief silence fell over the room, before Mr. Fabian spoke up.
“ ‘Hallie,’ he said, ‘go ahead if you want.’
“Covering the White House is among the most competitive jobs in Washington journalism, a fact that press secretaries are keen to exploit. Between the demands of story-hungry editors — and a shot at cable-news glory — few reporters pass up a chance to ask a question on live TV.
“So Mr. Fabian’s gesture, which caught Ms. Sanders off guard, quickly resonated beyond the West Wing. Perhaps the moments of stonewalling from Ms. Sanders — and a notable recent drop-off in the frequency of the briefings —— had generated a minor revolt in the press. . . .”
Ryan told Journal-isms by telephone Wednesday that “Jordan did a great thing today” and that she had told him so. “Hallie had a legitimate question on a real issue that’s been [placed] in the forefront by the president.”
Hopes that things might change at the podium could be premature, however.
Josh Feldman reported for Mediaite, “During today’s heated White House press briefing with Sarah Sanders, American Urban Radio Networks White House correspondent April Ryan called out a question regarding President Trump‘s concerns about the integrity of the election system.
“After making a comment on that point, Sanders went to call on another reporter, but Ryan called out, ‘Is voter suppression included with that, please? I’m just asking you a question because you choose not to call on me. Is voter suppression part of that election process that the president is trying to look for?’
“ ‘John, go ahead,’ Sanders said, not answering the question.
“ ‘Oh, you’re not going to answer that,’ Ryan said.
“Minutes later Ryan asked her question again and Sanders did respond.
“Ryan again said, ‘You did not mention voter suppression in that. Voter suppression has been an issue for decades… Is voter suppression now on the table?’
“ ‘We want to do everything within our power to protect the integrity of our elections,’ Sanders said, ‘and we’re going to look at that on a number of fronts.’ ”
Ryan told Journal-isms, “I was just following up. That’s what we do — ask questions.”
Later Wednesday, Ryan tweeted the link to a Washington Post analysis by Eugene Scott, “Black and Latino voters are way more likely than white voters to report ballot problems.”
- Julia Ainsley, NBC News: FBI Director Wray hints that he considered resigning, restates belief in Russian election meddling
- Renée Graham, Boston Globe: Russian arrogance and Republican impotence
- Michiko Kakutani, the Guardian: The death of truth: how we gave up on facts and ended up with Trump
- Anna Nemtsova and Christopher Dickey, Daily Beast: Trump Just Fell for ‘a Classic KGB Trick’
- Vann R. Newkirk II, the Atlantic: Voter Suppression Is Warping Democracy
Obama Foundation Helps African Journalists
While President Trump was yet again denouncing the news media as “fake news,” his predecessor, Barack Obama, was half a world away in South Africa touting a program helping young Africans succeed — including as journalists.
Obama gave the Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture in Johannesburg, marking the 100th anniversary of Mandela’s birth.
“And, for those of us who care about the legacy that we honor here today — about equality and dignity and democracy and solidarity and kindness, those of us who remain young at heart, if not in body — we have an obligation to help our youth succeed,” Obama said. “Some of you know, here in South Africa, my Foundation is convening over the last few days, two hundred young people from across this continent who are doing the hard work of making change in their communities; who reflect Madiba’s values, who are poised to lead the way.
“People like Abaas Mpindi, a journalist from Uganda, who founded the Media Challenge Initiative, to help other young people get the training they need to tell the stories that the world needs to know. . . .”
The Obama Foundation website lists 14 participants in its African Leaders Program who are in media-related professions.
The Zambian website Mwebantu reported Monday that reporter Paul Shalala of the Zambia National Broadcasting Corp. “is among 200 selected young African leaders from 44 African countries who are attending the first meeting of the Obama Foundation Africa Leaders Program which opened in Johannesburg, South Africa on Saturday.
“Shalala, who is a journalist and a United States [alumnus], is among youths who are being mentored by global leaders to become Africa’s next change makers.
“According to the Obama Foundation’s website, the 200 young leaders [were] specially selected because they are already making a change in their societies and need to be mentored for a one year period to continue their good job. . . .”
Shalala “also revealed that former US President Barack Obama and other eminent persons are scheduled to mentor them this week. . . .”
Isaac Lee, Key Figure at Univision, Steps Down
“Univision content chief Isaac Lee is stepping down from his post at the Spanish-language broadcaster as it looks to dismantle the digital business that he spent the last several [years] building,” Natalie Jarvey reported Tuesday for the Hollywood Reporter.
“After more than seven years at Univision, Lee plans to start his own television production company. His departure comes as Univision undergoes a period of transition as it looks for a path forward following scrapped IPO plans and the appointment of a new CEO.
” ‘I want to thank Isaac for leading Univision’s content team with integrity and courage and helping elevate and position Univision in mainstream American media,’ Univision chairman Haim Saban said in a statement. ‘He understood the relevance that Univision has for Hispanic America and served the audience well. Isaac has vision and knows how to execute. I wish him well and expect more exciting things from him in the future.’
“In his years at Univision, Lee has overseen its news and digital divisions. He was a key decision maker in the creation of Fusion joint venture with Disney’s ABC and also led the company’s push into digital through the acquisitions of The Root, The Onion and the Gizmodo Media Group. In January 2017 he was promoted to serve in the joint role of chief content officer for both Univision and its partial owner, Televisa. . . .”
370 Reporters Offer to Help the Capital Gazette
“The Capital Gazette staff needs our help,” Investigative Reporters & Editors wrote in a note posted Tuesday on its website. “In the wake of the June 28 shooting, they need journalists to help publish the daily paper.
“They are looking for reporters and editors who can commit two to five consecutive days in July, August and/or September. While all help is appreciated, journalists will need to be on-site at the Baltimore Sun office. The Sun wishes to clarify that visiting journalists are being paid. . . .”
On Wednesday, Cheryl W. Thompson, president of the IRE board of directors, posted an update: “We received more than 370 offers to help the Capital Gazette put out its paper. At this point, the Baltimore Sun, which is coordinating the efforts, said that because of your generosity, they now have ‘more offers than we could possibly use.’ However, if you’d still like to help, you can go to this page and contribute to a fund for families and/or for memorial scholarships.
The New York Times, meanwhile, published a first-person account by Erica L. Green, a Times reporter who worked seven years at the Baltimore Sun. The Sun’s parent company owns the Capital Gazette, published in Annapolis, Md. Green volunteered to return to the Sun to help the Gazette, which was using the Sun’s newsroom as temporary quarters.
“I sat at my old desk. I spoke way too loudly. I debated Beyoncé’s and Kanye’s new music. I called the public information officer on my old beat at the Baltimore City school system with a request every hour.
“My most daunting task was writing an article about the delayed opening of a public market in Annapolis. I stressed so much to make it perfect that it became a running joke. Danielle Ohl, a Capital reporter, guided me through it, even as she juggled articles about her slain colleagues and the Trump administration’s response to the shooting. “Having reporters there who had our back for the little things was really important,” she said.
“Andy Green, The Sun’s editorial page editor, said The Times was the first news organization outside of the Tronc corporation to send a reporter. But others from Montana to Florida are lining up. Over the next several weeks, a parade of alumni will backfill the Sun and Capital Gazette newsrooms, including those from The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe and The Tampa Bay Times. And on Tuesday, the nonprofit Investigative Reporters and Editors even put out a call on Twitter looking for journalist-volunteers. . . .”
- Dan Shelley, Radio Television Digital News Association: Threats to journalists, while not new, take on more significance
Film Criticism, Seen by 14 Who Are Not White Men
“When USC’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative published the results of its study on diversity in film criticism last month, the ‘news’ that the vast majority of film critics are white men surprised exactly no one,” Tre’vell Anderson reported Monday for the Los Angeles Times. “The data, however, did provide statistical support to what many have experienced and felt while pursuing careers in criticism and entertainment journalism.
“Days later, the Sundance and Toronto film festivals announced that they would be taking steps to increase the percentage of press from underrepresented groups at their upcoming festivals.
“But the issues of access and support for journalists who aren’t white and male are too nuanced to be solved by film festivals alone.
“Historically, the singular way one became a film critic was by being hired by a newspaper or magazine to write about movies. Many of these early positions went to white men, who became identified with their publications and settled in for long-term roles. . . .”
Anderson also wrote that “there is a hierarchy throughout the industry that privileges traditional publications to online and ‘niche’ outlets. Those who work for the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, USA Today, the Hollywood Reporter and Variety, among others, receive preferential treatment for talent interviews and screening access. And traditional publications tend to have traditional critics.
“The result is a community of discourse around film and art that is fairly homogeneous and ignores many members of the filmmaking and filmgoing communities across all demographics.
“But there are also voices out there working to change the system and offer fresh perspectives.
“We spoke to 14 critics and entertainment reporters of diverse backgrounds, based in Los Angeles, about their industry experiences, the importance of having a place in the conversation and what can be done to make film criticism more inclusive. . . .”
The 14 are Jaleesa Lashay, Wendy Lee Szany, Tim Cogshell, Nestor Bentancor, Claudia Puig, Carla Renata, Joelle Monique, Angie Han, Jacqueline Coley, Kristen Lopez, Justin Chang, Yolanda Machado, Alicia Malone and Alonso Duralde.
John C. Watson, a Pioneer, Wins Ida B. Wells Award
John C. Watson, PhD, an associate professor of journalism at American University in Washington, is the 2018 recipient of the Ida B. Wells Award, the National Association of Black Journalists reported Monday.
“The annual honor is given to an individual who has made outstanding efforts to make newsrooms and news coverage more accurately reflect the diversity of the communities they serve. It is named in honor of Ida B. Wells, the distinguished journalist, fearless reporter and feminist who led an anti-lynching crusade in the United States in the 1890s. The Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University co-curates the award with NABJ.
” ‘I am honored, humbled and encouraged by this recognition. I see it not as a reward for what I have done in the past, but encouragement to stay on track in the future,’ Watson said. ‘It’s recognition of the fact that everyday people like me, someone who does not have the impressive public profile of prior recipients, have an important role to play in expanding newsroom diversity. It’s not only a noble crusade, it’s an every-day professional duty for us all.’
“Watson, whose professional career spans more than four decades in journalism — including reporting, editing, teaching and mentoring — teaches journalism ethics and communication law at American University. . . .
“Watson became an advocate for diversity when he became the first black reporter hired at The Jersey Journal in 1975. During his 21 years at the Journal, he would go on to become the newspaper’s first black city editor, recruiting and hiring dozens of journalists of color.
“As a result, The New York Times would later describe the rival Journal newsroom as the most diverse in the NYC metro market. It didn’t stop there, as Watson also helped provide high school students with journalism scholarships through NABJ’s New Jersey chapter. During that time he also taught at Rutgers University and what’s known now as New Jersey City University. . . .
“During Watson’s first year teaching at American in 1998, he noticed that he was the only African-American journalism professor on tenure track and that he rarely had students of color in his classes. As a result, he became a trainer in the highly regarded Chips Quinn Scholars Program for Diversity in Journalism, providing hands-on training and mentoring to minority journalism students across the country. . . .”
. . . Public Pledges Enough to Build Wells Monument
“More than 80 years after she died, legendary African American journalist Ida B. Wells is getting a late birthday present of sorts. One that will bring her new recognition and cement her legacy,” Taylor Telford reported Tuesday for the Washington Post.
“Supporters have said they will give $300,000 to fund a monument — with the final pledges rolling in on July 16 in honor of Wells’s birthday in 1862. The memorial to Wells — who exposed racial injustice and fought for women’s suffrage — is now slated to go up in Chicago sometime in 2019. . . .”
Michelle Duster, Wells’ great-granddaughter, told Journal-isms by email, “Once we receive the pledges that some organizations said they would raise we will be funded. Not sure when that money will be given. Hopefully by end of the summer.”
Short Takes
- “The Fund for Investigative Journalism is proud to announce partnerships with four of the country’s most innovative journalism nonprofits for a yearlong fellowship program that aims to expand opportunities for diverse journalists in watchdog reporting, with an emphasis on journalists of color,” the fund announced on Tuesday. “InsideClimate News, The Marshall Project and Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting are joining FIJ in this important collaboration to train more investigative journalists and help draw focus to stories that might otherwise go untold. The Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting will play a supporting rolee by providing fellows with additional training and support. . . .”
- “The Guardian [U.S]. is launching a Writers fund, ‘an initiative to foreground voices that are underrepresented in the national press,’ and a Fellowship program, a six-month position geared toward aspiring journalists,” Michael Calderone reported Thursday in his Morning Media newsletter. “The goal, said Malik Meer, West Coast editor of Guardian US, is ‘to build a team of Guardian writers and contributors that mirrors each corner of this country.’ “
- “Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle are increasingly working on finding relief for the newspaper industry, which has been hit hard by tariffs imposed on Canadian groundwood paper imports by the Trump administration,” Maria Curi reported Tuesday for Politico.
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Shani Saxxon-Parrish Jamilah Lemieux and Kierna Mayo, who oversaw editorial content at iOne, formerly Interactive One, aren’t the only editorial managers who have left the company. Shani Saxxon-Parrish, who “was handling content operations” and was an executive leader on Cassiuslife.com, left about April and will not be replaced, Detavio Samuels, president of iOne, confirmed Thursday. “Shani Saxxon-Parrish helped us evolve GlobalGrind post-acquisition and played a role in shaping our editorial operations and strategy for CASSIUS. She has gone on to pursue other opportunities and will be missed,” Samuels said. Global Grind and cassiouslife.com target millennials.
- “Sinclair Broadcast Group, the largest local television operator in the United States, tried to placate federal regulators on Wednesday regarding its proposal to buy a rival TV group. But the Federal Communications Commission still voted unanimously to have a judge review aspects of the deal, a potentially ominous sign for the merger,” Edmund Lee reported Wednesday for the New York Times. How Sinclair lost Trump’s FCC (Politico)
- “A federal judge Tuesday lifted a controversial order requiring the Los Angeles Times to remove information in an article about a former Glendale police detective accused of working with the Mexican Mafia,” Victoria Kim reported Tuesday for the Los Angeles Times. Kim also wrote, “On behalf of 59 media organizations, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press filed a petition before the 9th Circuit late Monday proposing to file a friend-of-the-court brief in favor of The Times. . . .”
- “I am clear-headed on one aspect of the case: America isn’t ready to be a race-blind society,” Shirley Leung wrote Tuesday in the Boston Globe. “If people of color didn’t face discrimination at all, I’d be the first to say we don’t need affirmative action. This country isn’t there yet. Now more than ever, we need race-conscious policies to achieve diversity. If we’re not intentional, diversity won’t happen.” Leung wrote because “Recent filings in a federal lawsuit accuse Harvard University of discriminating against Asian Americans by capping the number admitted in each class. The plaintiff’s proposed remedy: Stop using race as a factor in selecting students. The case has divided the Asian-American community. . . .”
- Services for E. Richard Walton, the veteran journalist who died Friday in Greenville, S.C., have been set for Saturday. A visitation will be held at 2 p.m. at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church, 307 Gower St., Greenville, with a funeral service at 3 p.m. followed by a repast, Liv Osby reported for the Greenville News. “Richard was a shoe-leather reporter, for sure,” his former Greenville News colleague Ron Barnett wrote Tuesday. “He loved to go out on the street and talk to people, and people loved to talk to him. I loved to talk to him, and I’m not a big talker. He was just that kind of guy. He made everybody feel at ease. . . .”
- “The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors honored longtime broadcaster Beverly White on Tuesday,” KNBC-TV reported. “White, NBC4’s veteran general assignment reporter, was selected in June to receive the National Association of Black Journalists’ prestigious Chuck Stone Lifetime Achievement Award. . . .
- “Egypt’s parliament has passed three controversial draft bills regulating the press and media,” the Associated Press reported Monday. It also wrote, “Prominent journalists have decried them as unconstitutional and in violation of basic press freedoms, saying they grant far-reaching powers to authorities to censor the press, revoke media licenses and restrict journalists’ work. . . .”
- “A Moroccan court has sentenced a prominent journalist to three years in prison on a dubious charge of failing to report a security threat,” Human Rights Watch said Wednesday. “Authorities have repeatedly prosecuted Hamid El Mahdaoui, known for criticizing the Moroccan government on social media, including for charges that violated his right to peaceful speech. He is already serving a one-year sentence for ‘inciting people to participate in an unauthorized protest.’ . . . “
- “The Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC), the federal government-run broadcast regulator, should immediately permit the Broadcasting Service of Ekiti State (BSES) to reopen,” the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. “On July 14, police acting on the order of the NBC evacuated the state government-owned radio and television broadcaster and locked its doors, Rotimi Ojomoyela, chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists in Ekiti state, told CPJ. The closure came after Ekiti Governor Ayodele Fayose on July 14 went on the state broadcaster and declared victory for his deputy and fellow member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kolapo Olusola Eleka, in the election for governor. His announcement came before the Independent National Electoral Commission had made its results announcement, according to the privately owned Sahara Reporters news website and a statement published on the NBC website. . . .”
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View previous columns (after Feb. 13, 2016).
- Journalist Richard Prince w/Joe Madison (Sirius XM, April 18, 2018) (podcast)
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