Articles Feature

Layoffs, Walkout Leave Plain Dealer With Just Four Reporters

by richard05414

‘Personal and Professional Indignities’
White Declines Mean Rise in Diversity
Watts Shakes Up Black News Channel
$2.3M to Aid News Outlets of Color
Media Recognize Virus Disparities
Coalition Launches #ThankAJourno
What Is Virus’ Effect on Native Folks?
Diamond & Silk Called on ‘Facts’
. . . S. Africans Debate Naming Victims
Short Takes

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WKYC-TV reports April 3 that The Plain Dealer announced it had laid off 22 people. Co-anchor Russ Mitchell recalled that the venerated Walter Cronkite once said he wished he could close his “CBS Evening News” with “That’s the way it is — now go read a newspaper.” Broadcast journalism can’t provide the same level of depth, Mitchell said. (Credit: YouTube)

Cover photo credit: WKSU-TV. Correction: A previous version of the column implied that Cronkite actually said “now go read a newspaper,“ rather than that he wished he could have said that.

‘Personal and Professional Indignities’

“Fourteen Plain Dealer journalists were left after last Friday’s massive layoffs that saw 22 staffers depart,” Vince Grzegorek reported Friday for The Scene in Cleveland. “Those who remained were subjected, on the very next business day, to the cruelest and perhaps final installment of local union-busting by Advance Publications and the Newhouse family.”

Three journalists of color were among 10 who walked out, leaving the newspaper with four reporters, according to Northeast Ohio Newspaper Guild Local 1:

“Greg Burnett, a features reporter who also oversaw all of the Friday Magazine event listings and penned stories on a wide range of topics, from local TV to family and park activities to barber shops, movies and food. His recent feature on ‘Keeping the traditional black Sunday dinner alive’ exemplified his strong and insightful connection to the local community. He had been at the Plain Dealer for 40 years.

Phillip Morris

“Phillip Morris, who planned a three-year stop in Cleveland that turned into almost 30 years. He said he wouldn’t trade a day — other than maybe the day Don King scared the crap out of him at an editorial board meeting, or maybe the time his friend George Forbes was ordered to uninvite him to a house party. Morris said he doesn’t leave The Plain Dealer with a heavy heart because his heart never belonged to a newspaper. It belongs to Cleveland.”

Gus Chan

“Gus Chan, a photographer who looked forward to celebrating 30 years at the Plain Dealer this June. He is the winner of a number of national awards, including the Dart and National Headliner awards. He looks back at covering the national housing crisis, Catholic church closings and the Cavs NBA championship as some of his most meaningful contributions to the readers.

The Scene story continued: “They were told, with just four exceptions, that they could keep their jobs but not their beats, or even their geographic coverage area. They would be dispatched to cover the hinterlands of Cleveland, not Cleveland itself. . . .

“They and their colleagues were asked to let management — including whatever is left of the man who goes by the name of Tim Warsinskey and nominally occupies the position of PD editor-in-chief — know this week whether they would be willing to suffer those personal and professional indignities while their beats of education and real estate and more were handed off to their non-union sister newsroom at Cleveland.com, which, luckily for the readers of Northeast Ohio and of utmost concern to Advance Publications, is not likely in a financial position to hire new reporters to cover those major beats in the foreseeable future.

“Today, as Warsinskey announced on behalf of the family that owns the newspaper and also recently completed a $730 million cash purchase of the Iron Man competition and brand, 10 of those 14 journalists told Advance to fuck off. Those included [Rachel] Dissell, [Ginger] Christ, [Patrick] O’Donnell, Gus Chan, Laura DeMarco, John Petkovic, Lisa DeJong, Michelle Jarboe, Phillip Morris, and Greg Burnett. . . .”

On the previous Friday, four black women, plus sports photographer Marvin Fong and sports reporter Branson Wright were among those laid off, as reported last week.

Branson Wright said, “I asked God to put me in position to live my dream as a filmmaker.” (Credit: Branson Wright)

Wright wrote on Facebook Tuesday that he was celebrating answered prayers.

“My desire changed over the years from being a beat writer to wanting to tell compelling stories through film,” he wrote.

“That journey began nine years ago when I completed my first documentary — ‘The Blur.’ From there, I asked God to put me in position to live my dream as a filmmaker.

“Now things are starting to turn in that direction because of my signed movie deal with Sony and Steph Curry’s Unanimous Media and because of my relationship with fellow filmmaker and mentor Gary Cohen, which led to the HBO film ‘Women of Troy,’ which I produced.

“The layoff may have ended my thankful time in newspapers, but it did not end my dedication to story telling. It’s just now in a different form. . . .”

By Saturday, the post had drawn 255 “likes” and “loves” and 168 comments.

The four black women are Olivera Perkins, Roxanne Washington, Julie Washington and Melodie Smith.

White Declines Mean Rise in Diversity

“While non-Hispanic whites still made up the majority of newsroom workers across the industry by 2018, the share of newsroom employees of other races and ethnicities increased to 26%, up from 20% in 2008,” Elizabeth Grieco reported Tuesday for the Pew Research Center.

“This increase in newsroom diversity, however, was due to the decline in the number of white newsroom employees, not an increase in nonwhite journalists. Between 2008 and 2018, the number of white newsroom employees fell from about 88,200 to 63,200, a 28% drop. By comparison, the number of nonwhite newsroom employees remained relatively flat, at about 22,000. . . .”

J.C. Watts Jr., left, and Robert (Bob) Brillante (Credit: Black News Channel)

Watts Shakes Up Black News Channel

Black News Channel, the nation’s 24-hour news outlet that debuted in February, is undergoing a shakeup, Scott Jones reported Saturday for his FTVLive.

“On Thursday, FTVLive FIRST reported that Black News Channel parted ways with CEO Bob Brillante,” Jones wrote.

“A day later, Black News Channel reported the same thing that FTVLive reported the day before. Chairman J.C. Watts, Jr. says that he will assume the position of interim CEO until a replacement can be found.

“FTVLive reported that word is that former CNN boss Princell Hair is strongly being looked at as that replacement. . . .”

News director Gary Wordlaw said in January that Hair was joining him temporarily to help him undertake the launch.

Robert “Bob” Brillante, a cable TV veteran, was founder of Florida’s News Channel, Black News Channel’s predecessor.

Despite a number of promotional interviews with executives, the channel has failed to produce much buzz since its Feb. 24 debut.

$2.3M to Aid News Outlets of Color

Sixteen news organizations serving communities of color across the country will share $2.3 million in grants, the Racial Equity in Journalism Fund at Borealis Philanthropy announced Monday.

“The COVID-19 global pandemic and the sometimes overwhelming stream of information makes clear the need for trusted news sources that prioritize the needs of underserved communities, who will be among the most impacted,” Craig Newmark, founder of craigslist and Craig Newmark Philanthropies, said in a news release.

Grantees are: The Atlanta Voice newspaper; Borderless Magazine, which is “reimagining immigration journalism”; Buffalo’s Fire, publishing arm of the Indigenous Media Freedom Alliance; Documented: a nonprofit newsroom covering New York’s immigrants; and Flint Beat, launched in 2017 and inspired by lack of coverage of the Michigan city’s water crisis.

Also, El Informador, the largest Spanish newspaper serving the Charleston (S.C) Metro area and Hilton Head Island; La Noticia, Spanish-language news organization that serves Charlotte, Winston-Salem and Raleigh in North Carolina; Memphis-based investigative project MLK50: Justice Through Journalism; the New York Amsterdam News; Pulso, a digital enterprise by and for Latinos; PushBlack, a national nonprofit “dedicated to raising up Black voices”; and Qcitymetro, an online news source for black Charlotte, N.C.

Also, Sahan Journal, covering immigrants and refugees; in Minnesota; El Tecolote, a Spanish/English bilingual publication covering the San Francisco Bay area; The TRiiBE, a digital publication and production company for black Chicago; and WURD radio, the only African American-owned and operated commercial talk radio station in Pennsylvania.

Separately, the Philadelphia COVID-19 Community Information Fund announced that WURD would receive $170,000 to launch Lively-HOOD, with “radio, digital, and event programming focused on employment opportunities, access to career assistance, and economic recovery,” Kristen Hare reported Wednesday for the Poynter Institute. It is part of a $2.5 initiative overall.

When the Borealis fund launched last September, its donors included Craig Newmark Philanthropies, the Democracy Fund, the Ford Foundation, the Google News Initiative and the News Integrity Initiative at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY.

“At 39, Omari Mitchell, a radio host for KLUC-FM, 98.5, was healthy and strong — a far cry from the high-risk population of individuals 65 and older or those with underlying conditions,” Rio Lacanlale reported Wednesday for the Las Vegas Review Journal. “So when he developed a mild cough in late March, he wasn’t too worried. . . .” (Credit: Las Vegas Review Journal)

Media Recognize Virus Disparities

“Of the victims whose demographic data was publicly shared by officials — nearly 3,300 of the nation’s 13,000 deaths thus far — about 42% were black, according to an Associated Press analysis,” Kat Stafford, Meghan Hoyer and Aaron Morrison reported Thursday for the AP. “African Americans account for roughly 21% of the total population in the areas covered by the analysis.

“The AP’s analysis is one of the first attempts to examine the racial disparities of COVID-19 cases and deaths nationwide. It involved examining more than 4,450 deaths and 52,000 COVID-19 cases from across the country, relying on the handful of state and local governments that have released victims’ race.

“A history of systemic racism and inequity in access to health care and economic opportunity has made many African Americans far more vulnerable to the virus. Black adults suffer from higher rates of obesity, diabetes and asthma, which make them more susceptible, and also are more likely to be uninsured. They also often report that medical professionals take their ailments less seriously when they seek treatment. .. .”

Latinos are similarly disproportionately affected. “Much like it’s playing out in places like Queens, N.Y., the virus is having a disproportionate impact in places where the immigrant working class lives,” Marcela García reported Tuesday for the Boston Globe. “Not only are these immigrants — mostly Latino, many of them here without legal status — the most economically vulnerable, but a high proportion of them already have limited access to health care and other public support networks. Working from home is a privilege that they simply don’t have. . . .”

Last week, more than 40 local and national media and nonprofit partners announced a joint bilingual campaign.

Coalition Launches #ThankAJourno

“Today, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ), along with a core coalition of over 40 local and national media and nonprofit partners, announced the launch of a joint bilingual campaign to recognize the #PRESSentials workers, and #ThankAJourno for their efforts on the frontlines of COVID-19,” NAHJ announced  Thursday.

“The coalition is asking the public to post on their social media accounts at 10am ET on April 9, and include messages of support and gratitude to journalists and newsrooms. . . .

“Comprised of a coalition who represent every essential area of the fourth Estate, the #PRESSential campaign will serve to inform the public of the critical work done daily by journalists, unite the world in a spirit of gratitude for the press, and celebrate individuals and newsrooms for their diligence in serving their communities. . . .”

What Is Virus’ Effect on Native Folks?

“I have yet to read of any national news report which shows how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected our people,” Doug George-Kanentiio (pictured), Akwesasne Mohawk, wrote Thursday for indianz.com.

“What are the rates of infection? How many Natives have died? We are historically underserved by hospitals, clinics and health professionals — we have the highest rates of poverty and also top the scales in every other negative social and health category.

“Many of us live far from decent food markets, we don’t have automatic access to the internet, we live in dilapidated homes and our schools are in a state of chronic decay. We are the least represented in county, state and federal governments and are virtually ignored in terms of securing support from these entities.

“The Republicans, with Trump’s support, tried to zero out Native nations from the trillion dollar recovery package only to have the Democrats secure half of what they asked for. Instead of $20 billion Native nations need, at a minimum, we were given only $10 billion and this from a federal government which works hand in glove with mining and energy extraction companies as they suck hundreds of billions of dollars from our natural resources. . . .”

Diamond & Silk Called on ‘Facts’

” ‘Diamond & Silk’ (pictured) might not seem like a duo worth your attention, but the pro-Trump sisters command a sizable audience that includes the President of the United States,” Oliver Darcy reported Wednesday for CNN’s “Reliable Sources” newsletter. “They are also paid by Fox, where the two have a Fox Nation show. And they appear on the network’s programming.

“Over the last few weeks, the duo has advanced all sorts of misinformation and conspiracy theories about the coronavirus. They’ve questioned the death toll. They’ve questioned whether the virus is being ‘deliberately spread.’ They’ve suggested the ‘Deep State’ is working ‘behind the scenes’ and that it is ‘engineered.’ On and on and on it goes.

“On Wednesday, ‘Diamond & Silk’ posted a tweet. ‘The only way we can become immune to the environment; we must be out in the environment,’ the duo declared. ‘Quarantining people inside of their houses for extended periods will make people sick!’  

“Twitter promptly took action against the tweet for violating its rules against coronavirus misinformation. The suggestion from the Fox News personalities is clearly dangerous. People should not be ‘out in the environment.’ Twitter required the two to remove the tweet in order to regain access to their account. . . .”

. . . S. Africans Debate Naming Victims

“A debate is currently happening among local journalists: Should South African media identify those who die from Covid-19?,” Rebecca Davis reported Tuesday for South Africa’s Daily Maverick.

“The same discussions have been taking place worldwide, with few clear protocols in place – and the ability of WhatsApp users to spread the identity of the deceased is complicating the issue. . . .”

Short Takes

  • Former journalist Duchesne Drew (pictured) has been named as the next president for Minnesota Public Radio, a position from which he will lead daily operations and programming for MPR News, as well as The Current and Classical MPR,” Neal Justin reported Wednesday for the Star Tribune in Minneapolis. “Drew has a long history of advocating for diversity, dating back to his time at the Star Tribune, where he was . . . staff reporter and business editor. . . . Former WCCO anchor Angela Davis, his wife of nearly 25 years, has been hosting an MPR morning talk show since 2018. . . .” MPR spokesperson Angie Andresen told Journal-isms,  “While Angela Davis does not report directly to the President of MPR, to avoid even the appearance of conflicts, any decisions regarding Angela Davis’ terms of employment will be approved, in advance, by Jon McTaggart (MPR CEO), and the CEO will also be informed, in advance, about any decisions that directly affect Angela Davis’ show or role within MPR News.”
  • “The Observer is very pleased to welcome Tristan Ahtone as our next editor-in-chief,” Mike Kanin, publisher of the Texas Observer, wrote Wednesday. “. . . Tristan is a Nieman fellow at Harvard University. He received a master’s degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and an undergraduate degree from the Institute of American Indian Arts. He is the current president of the Native American Journalists Association. Tristan comes to us from High Country News, where he was the indigenous affairs editor, and he previously worked for Al Jazeera America and NPR.. . .”
Jennifer Lopez in spring 2018 campaign for Guess.
  • “Before The Hollywood Reporter’s top editor resigned, he was told by his bosses: Tiptoe around Jennifer Lopez, lay off Louise Linton, stop talking so much about box office ‘bombs,’ and ease up on the ‘negative coverage of the industry,’ ” Maxwell Tani reported Monday, updated Tuesday, for the Daily Beast. Citing sources and documents, Tani said “THR editorial director Matthew Belloni’s departure on Monday came after high-level clashes with the heads of the magazine’s parent company, Valence Media, and partner company MRC.” After a piece about Lopez signing a new contract with the brand Guess, MRC’s president Deanna Brown asked Belloni “why the author had included a line about sexual harassment allegations against Guess cofounder Paul Marciano, and reminded the top editor that MRC did business with Lopez. . . .”
  • Don Black (pictured), founder of the Dayton Weekly News, died at 73 on Monday, Amelia Robinson reported Tuesday for dayton.com. The cause of death was not reported. Black and his son, Donerik Black. started The Dayton Weekly News in 1993. “Before that, Black had been involved in a list of black newspapers that includes The Dayton Defender and The Dayton Express. . . . ” Black was quoted as saying, “I’m old enough to remember when you couldn’t get any news unless you got it from a black newspaper. The purpose of black newspapers is to tell the story behind the story.”
  • Citing a loss of business due to the coronavirus epidemic, the 120-year-old New Journal and Guide, a Norfolk, Va., member of the black press, “will suspend its newspaper publication temporarily after next week’s issue on April 16, 2020 until further notice,” Brenda H. Andrews, publisher and owner, wrote subscribers on Thursday. “My prayer is that we will resume publication on or before June 4, 2020. . . .” Andrews messaged Journal-isms that the paper has a circulation of 10,000 and that “We are beefing up our digital platform.” .”
  • Alicia Montgomery (pictured), supervising senior editor/producer at NPR’s “Morning Edition,” starts Monday as the executive producer of Slate Podcasts,” Slate spokesperson Katie Rayford confirmed to Journal-isms last week. “What her job entails is, broadly, to oversee the production of our stable of podcasts, which includes more than 25 shows. So, working to help our shows stay sharp, our producers grow, our range broaden, and our business thrive,” Rayford said.
  • The International Federation of Journalists joined its affiliate in Yemen, the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate Thursday, in calling for the release of all 20 journalists currently imprisoned in Yemen. “The YJS last week condemned Sanaa’ authorities’ refusal to release journalists Salah Al-Qadi and Abd al-Hafiz al-Samadi, a decision in violation of two recent judicial decisions. A reporter with Suhail TV, Salah Al-Qadi was kidnapped in August 2015 by the Houthi group. He has been illegally detained for four years and a half, tortured and denied family visits, according to local reports. A court decision to release him was made on 9 March.Abd al-Hafiz al-Samadi was abducted in July 2019 from his home in Sanaa by Houthi militia in plainclothes. . . .”


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Richard Prince’s Journal-isms originates from Washington. It began in print before most of us knew what the internet was, and it would like to be referred to as a “column.” Any views expressed in the column are those of the person or organization quoted and not those of any other entity.   Send tips, comments and concerns to Richard Prince at journal-isms-owner@yahoogroups.com

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