Charlayne Hunter-Gault Makes Plea at NABJ Awards
Veteran journalist Charlayne Hunter-Gault broke the rule that forbade acceptance speeches and pleaded with black journalists Saturday night to “change the face of international journalism” by getting American media to present a more balanced picture of Africa.
The occasion was a National Association of Black Journalists awards ceremony. Hunter-Gault, CNN’s Johannesburg bureau chief since 1999, said that only two of any 20 stories she files makes it to CNN broadcasts in the United States.
“All you hear is Afro-pessimism. You have got to do something about what happens in the rest of the world for the people in America.
“I come back here and intelligent people ask me, ‘are there skyscrapers in Africa?’,” she said.
Americans hear only about “the exotic and the bizarre, and all the things we used to (report) about African Americans.”
Hunter-Gault won in the category “television – international (network and top 15 markets)” for “Inside Zimbabwe.”
She mentioned Jonathan Moyo, the Zimbabwe information minister who has shut down several papers this year and who this month, as allafrica.com reported, declared that the main opposition movement would not be allowed access to the state media as next year’s general elections approach.
Report on Zimbabwe officials “as they oppress and detain and torture their people. You are the ones who changed the face of American journalism. Please do that for the people on the African continent, and in that way you will honor me as you honor the people,” said Hunter-Gault, who said she traveled 16,000 miles to be at the Washington event.
NABJ President Herbert Lowe told the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel crowd that more than 300 had attended what was the organization’s first awards gala held separately from the annual convention. Tickets were $75 each, with VIP reserved tables at $1,000. Singer Regina Belle performed with recorded instrumentation; Rene Syler of CBS-TV’s “The Early Show” was the emcee.
Some 41 “Salute to Excellence” awards were presented. The National Association of Hispanic Journalists held a similar, first-time event in Washington on Sept. 16.
Clarence Page, syndicated columnist and editorial writer at the Chicago Tribune, picked up on Hunter-Gault’s comments about African coverage as he accepted the organization’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
“It’s sad to see what’s happened to Zimbabwe. It was the breadbasket. Now we see what tyranny does,” he said, comparing the actions of Zimbabwe officials to “the language of John Ashcroft.” He noted that he and Hunter-Gault were both on the board of the Committee to Protect Journalists and that in CPJ’s annual list of list of attacks on the press, “the continent of Africa has more cases than any other.”
He also noted that the commentators on the Sunday morning talk shows were limited to himself, Juan Williams of Fox News and ABC’s Michel Martin, who once was on ABC’s “This Week” roundtable.
“We must demand more representation. We must see more aggressive reporting of all kinds,” Page said.
In contrast to Hispanic journalists, whose 12 contest winners painted a picture of immigrants struggling to enter the United States and facing obstacles once they arrived; the NABJ’s 41 awardees’ themes were more diverse.
The biggest applause went to such winners as Marilyn W. Thompson for her Washington Post story, “Strom Thurmond’s Daughter,” about the biracial Essie Mae Washington Williams; to Mary Curtis of the Charlotte Observer for columns that included a remembrance of being a black woman journalist at the time of the Janet Cooke scandal of 1981, and to Hunter-Gault’s speech.
Sole Black Debate Questioner Wasn’t Satisfied
Despite expectations that Friday’s town-hall-style presidential debate would allow more opportunity for questions targeting the direct concerns of people of color, only one of the 18 questioners was African American. The 140 uncommitted voters in the audience were chosen by the Gallup polling organization, and ABC News anchor Charles Gibson picked the questioners, according to the New York Times.
“The candidates . . . failed to impress Nikki Washington, a 31-year-old marketing executive, who said she was displeased with both of their answers to her question posed originally to Mr. Bush about what he planned to do to raise America’s stature around the world,” wrote Jim Rutenberg in Sunday’s New York Times. “I have to be honest and say neither candidate answered the question,” Washington said in the piece.
“Ms. Washington said she went into the debate leaning toward voting for Mr. Kerry, but was not sure she would do so on Election Day. ‘I would like him to be more specific,’ she said. ‘If he really wanted to clinch this thing some specifics would be nice.’
“In the meantime, she said, ‘There’s another debate and another opportunity to hear someone either convince me otherwise or close the deal,'” Rutenberg wrote.
Kerry and Bush Confront Domestic Issues in St. Louis
(Michael H. Cottman, BlackAmericaWeb.com)
Commentators of Color on Debate, Latest Politics
- Betty Baye, Louisville Courier-Journal: Deceit and disenfranchisement are not ordained by divine providence
- Black Commentator.com “Lesser of Two Evils” (cartoon)
- Gerald Boyd, Universal Press Syndicate: The Media and Debates
- Carlos Guerra, San Antonio Express-News: Debates can be better and the basis for real improvements
- Emil Guillermo, SFGate.com: New Campaign Issue: Hiding Bush’s Civil Rights Record
- Derrick Z. Jackson, Boston Globe: Where’s debate about Supreme Court?
- Dwight Lewis, Nashville Tennessean: Of pulpit, politics and the black vote
- Norman Lockman, Wilmington (Del.) News-Journal: Throw Bush’s big flip-flops back at him
- Myriam Marquez, Orlando Sentinel: Where’s the beef?: Americans should expect more than campaign zingers
- Sheryl McCarthy, Newsday: Maybe the young aren’t so apathetic
- Les Payne, Newsday: The owl finds Edwards is no pussycat
- Joseph Perkins, San Diego Union-Tribune: The president did what he had to do in iraq
- E.R. Shipp, New York Daily News: To really rock, the vote needs life-long fans
- Wendi Thomas, Memphis Commercial Appeal: Darfurians need more help from America
- Carlos Watson, CNN: Lots of tough talk, but not a lot of impact likely
- DeWayne Wickham, USA Today: Jackson comes to Kerry’s rescue
Black, Asian Journalists Win AP Awards
Two African American journalists, a Baghdad-based Associated Press senior television producer and a correspondent in Rangoon, Burma, are among nine AP staff members from around the world named winners of AP’s 2004 Gramling Awards for excellence.
“The awards are named for Oliver S. Gramling, an AP newsman and executive who in 1941 developed AP’s first radio wire. Gramling bequeathed his estate to AP when he died in 1992, with instructions it be used for AP staff members nominated for excellence by their colleagues. A committee of bureau and department managers selected the winners,” an AP announcement says.
The winners include:
- “Rangoon-based Correspondent Aye Aye Win for her daily coverage of Myanmar under difficult circumstances,” a $10,000 award.
- “Baghdad-based APTN Senior Producer Ahmed Sami for being the linchpin of the company’s television coverage in Iraq for a decade and significantly contributing this year to AP’s print, photo and radio newsgathering efforts,” a $10,000 award.
- “Lisa Matthews, All News Radio Editor for the Broadcast News Center in Washington, for her daily dedication to the AP’s mission of cooperation and her exceptional and enthusiastic service to colleagues around the globe and member broadcasters,” a $3,000 award.
- “Omaha-based Nebraska News Editor Kia Breaux Randle, who will use her award toward a Master of Science in Management degree at Baker University in Overland Park, Kan.”
Greg Moore Agonizes Over Naming Bryant Accuser
“When a federal judge ruled last week that the woman accusing Kobe Bryant of sexual assault must include her name in the civil suit against him, he created a quandary for news organizations,” writes Jacques Steinberg in the New York Times. “While most do not name the victims of suspected sexual assault in criminal cases, they are now grappling with whether they should continue shielding the names in print and on the air once their identities become part of the public record.”
“Gregory Moore, the editor of The Denver Post, said that he was agonizing over what to do and had scheduled conversations this week with about two dozen people — other editors and reporters, as well as experts on sexual assault — to help him decide.
“If the federal court doesn’t feel that out of fairness her identity should be shielded, that becomes a big question for us as well,” Mr. Moore said.
“And yet, Mr. Moore added, the death threats that the woman received during the criminal proceeding, which ended last month when prosecutors dropped charges against Mr. Bryant, provide grist for a counterargument.
“‘I used to wonder, “What are we shielding this person from?” ‘ Mr. Moore said. ‘In watching the Kobe case, to see there are people willing to take money to have her killed, that tells me there’s still a stigma. There’s still a level of intimidation.'”
Native Journalists Honor Al Neuharth in Fla.
The Native American Journalists Association planned to honor journalist and media icon Al Neuharth for his lifelong commitment to diversity today at the 61st annual convention of the National Congress of American Indians in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., NAJA announces.
“Over the past five years the Freedom Forum has sponsored cutting edge Native journalism training programs such as the American Indian Journalism Institute (AIJI), which provides training and experience to Native college students, and the Native American Newspaper Career Conference, which exposes Native high school and college students to newspaper careers. Together, these programs have introduced journalism to more than 500 Native Americans,” an announcement said.
“In May 2003, NAJA relocated its national headquarters to the newly renovated Al Neuharth Media Center, located on the campus at the University of South Dakota. Through the Freedom Forum’s in-kind contribution of office space at the new facility, NAJA now occupies space alongside the Freedom Forum’s South Dakota operations.” Neuharth founded the Freedom Forum.
“It was a great opportunity for NAJA to recognize someone real instrumental in our development over the years,” NAJA President Dan Lewerenz told Journal-isms. At least “a couple of hundred” were present for the presentation, which followed one by Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., on the importance of voting. Former Cherokee Chief Wilma Mankiller, a member of the Freedmo Forum Newseum Board of Trustees, was also present, Lowerenz said.
Carolina Gonzalez Leaves N.Y. News Editorial Board
Carolina Gonzalez has left the editorial board of the New York Daily News, reducing by 50 percent the number of people of color on the board.
Jonathan Capehart, who is African American, remains.
“I left to take on a position with New California Media, which promotes ethnic media by strengthening their editorial and economic viability, and to freelance, focusing on politics and environmental issues,” Gonzalez tells Journal-isms of her Aug. 1 move.
Border Journalists Are “Dying for Their Jobs”
“The Mexican border is right up there with Colombia as a dangerous place to be a reporter,” says Joel Simon of the New York City-based Committee to Protect Journalists. “You have a nearly perfect record of impunity. People who kill journalists in Mexico can be pretty certain they’ll get away with it.”
Simon is quoted in a story yesterday by John MacCormack of the San Antonio Express-News, “Dying for their jobs: Reporters on the border face danger when covering drug trade today.”
Today, “as part of a national day of protest, journalists will gather at the Monument to the Revolution in Mexico City. They will then deliver petitions to Mexico’s leaders demanding justice and protection for reporters,” MacCormack’s story continues.
“Similar demonstrations will be held in a dozen states. In addition, advertisements denouncing the murders are appearing in more than 250 newspapers around the hemisphere.
“Among the requests is that killing a reporter be made a federal offense.
“Murder is a state offense in Mexico unless drugs, illegal weapons or links to organized crime are found, triggering federal intervention. But local prosecutors are often subject to being bought off or intimidated.
“It’s always the same story. Cases not solved. Murky cases. It’s very difficult for state authorities to do an exhaustive and impartial investigation into the killings,” said Carlos Lauria of the Committee to Protect Journalists.
“And, he said, when attacks on journalists go unsolved, only the bravest continue to write about narco trafficking and corrupt politicians.”
Why So Few Nonwhite Cartoonists Published?
WashingtonPost.com columnist Jabari Asim recalls The New Yorker’s much-discussed “Black in America” issue, published in April 1996, and particularly a cartoon by Robb Armstrong.
“It showed a graying, pinstripe-bedecked black professional looking on attentively as his white boss, a bow-tied, well-fed sort, prepares to fire him. ‘Gosh, it kills me to do this to you, Worthington,’ the boss says, ‘but you’re not turning out to be as black as we had hoped.'”
Asim says that, “Eight years later, the impressive diversity that has begun to creep into the pages of The New Yorker — with maddening slowness, to be sure — has yet to show up much in the cartoons. . . . Evidently the magazine decided that the easiest way to avoid stepping on racial sensitivities is to leave blacks and other minorities out of the cartoons altogether.
The New Yorker is not alone, Asim notes.
“Editors’ confusion about racial commentary in cartoons demonstrates the enduring power of these tiny drawings to perplex and infuriate as well as amuse. At the same time, one wonders why publications have failed to learn from the rise of comedians such as Dave Chappelle, Margaret Cho and Chris Rock (and before them, Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy). Their popularity suggests that audiences have less difficulty ‘handling’ racial humor than is often supposed.
“Why, then, are there still so few nonwhite cartoonists working in mainstream forums? And why are those few still greeted with trepidation and concern?”
Columnist Finds Both at Fault in “Uncle Tom” Fray
Los Angeles Times sports columnist T.J. Simers assesses last week’s confrontation between Dodger outfielder Milton Bradley and L.A. Times reporter Jason Reid, and finds fault on both sides.
“As a clubhouse interview escalated into a tense argument between the two black men, Bradley called Jason Reid an ‘Uncle Tom’ and ‘a sellout.’ The words provoked a heated response from Reid, and Dodger players intervened to escort him from the clubhouse,” as Bill Shaikin reported last week. Bradley later apologized.
“A number of people think Times beat reporter Jason Reid never should have asked Bradley how the fans in St. Louis reacted to his first appearance on the field after a five-game suspension for getting into it with his own fans,” wrote Simers.
“They are correct, in this respect: The Times should have had someone ask Bradley that question the night before, immediately after his first game back, in the name of timely news. Tell me you wouldn’t have wanted to know what he was thinking.”
But “In cleaning up that oversight, Reid was doing something that is done 100 times over every day in every clubhouse. . . . Reid would have been negligent in his duties if he hadn’t asked that question. Besides, it’s all in the answer.”
“. . . Here’s where some e-mailers have it right, though.
“There’s no question Bradley has a problem, obviously a very disturbing one that the Dodgers are in no hurry to address, but what about the Times reporter who lost his composure? . . . In the name of fair play, Reid blew it when he stopped conducting himself like a professional.”
Stanton Tang is ME of Las Vegas Cable Operation
Stanton Tong, vice president-elect of the Asian American Journalists Association, has moved from executive news producer at KLAS-TV in Las Vegas to managing editor of Las Vegas ONE, the company’s news cable operation, AAJA reports.
Tang is a graduate of AAJA’s Executive Leadership Program and becomes AAJA national vice president for broadcast in January.
Celebs Help Al Roker Celebrate 50th
“Surprise! A hundred of Al Roker’s closest friends threw a blitzkrieg 50th-birthday party for the ‘Today Show’ weatherman on Wednesday at Blue Smoke,” writes Ben Widdicombe in the New York Daily News.
“‘I’m supposed to be his ruse tonight,’ Bryant Gumbel told me just before Roker walked in. ‘He thinks he’s coming here to have dinner with me.’
“. . . Spike Lee, Willard Scott, Ann Curry, NBC News President Neal Shapiro and Tony Bennett, who serenaded Roker with ‘Blue Skies,’ also offered their best wishes. But the highlight came when Katie Couric and Matt Lauer took to the stage to read Roker a birthday poem.”
