Deadline Monday for D.C.’s Urban Journalism Workshop
You Can Help Young Women in Sierra Leone
From S. Mitra Kalita in New York — D.C. Event
Invitation to Author Kevin Powell’s First Film, in N.Y
Training Program for Investigative Editors Seeks Applicants
Contemplating Writing a Black Biography?
Now You Can Watch Int’l Black Writers Fest Online
From New York: Media Watch for Jan. 6
Jobs
Homepage photo: President Carter meeting with the senior staff of Johnson Publishing Co. and Ebony magazine in the White House, from posting by Joy Bennett.
On the first Friday of 2025, this writer discussed the “Journal-isms” column “Black Journalists Will Figure in Jimmy Carter’s Legacy” on Sirius XM’s “Urban View Mornings,” the successor to the “Joe Madison Show”, with the day’s co-hosts Lamont King and Greg Carr, chair of Africana Studies at Howard University.
We also discussed the state of journalism, including credibility issues and the competition from social media.
It was fun!
Meanwhile, underneath the column item now are links to social media postings about Carter from:
Faye Anderson, Joy Bennett, William Drummond, Marc Lacey, Kevin Merida, Marie Nelson, Janita Poe, Ellen Sweets, Hollis Towns, Robert Vickers and Andrew Young, along with later columns by Mary C. Curtis and Colbert King, and a video from Emil Guillermo.
- Journal-isms: ‘Black Eagle’ Joe Madison Dies of Prostate Cancer (Feb. 1, 2024)
Deadline Monday for D.C.’s Urban Journalism Workshop
From Washington Association of Black Journalists:
| WABJ is still seeking DC area high school students and mentors for our 2025 Urban Journalism Workshop. This is a friendly reminder that the deadline for the workshop is Monday, January 6th at 5 pm EST. STUDENTS APPLY HEREMENTORS APPLY HERE The Urban Journalism Workshop is an annual program that teaches Washington, D.C. area high school students the fundamentals of print, broadcast and digital journalism. Students will meet for eight consecutive Saturdays — from early March through late April — and get hands-on training and assistance from experienced media professionals. Now in its 39th year, UJW helps prepare high school students for further academic studies in media and serves as a pipeline to diversify the journalism profession. UJW alumni have worked for The New York Times, The Associated Press, ESPN, Sirius/XM and local TV network affiliates across the country. Mentors wanted! Mentors are essential to UJW’s success and paying it forward can be so rewarding. If you are a media professional or a college senior with experience in print, digital, or broadcast, please apply to be a mentor. Graduating high school seniors who successfully complete the program and will enroll in an accredited college or university are eligible to apply for the George E. Curry UJW Scholarship to cover tuition costs. For inquiries about the 2025 session, please email ujwdc2020 (at) gmail.com. |
You Can Help Young Women in Sierra Leone
“Join [Strong Women-Strong Girls-Sierra Leone] on a transformative journey as they celebrate 5 years of empowering change with the SWSG-SL Documentary! Witness the incredible impact of Strong Women, Strong Girls – Strong Leaders (SWSG-SL) program, as we follow the inspiring stories of young girls and women who have become strong leaders in their communities. From fostering resilience to promoting self-confidence, this documentary showcases the power of mentorship and the positive ripple effect it has on young minds.” (Credit: YouTube)
From Julia Wallace (pictured), a longtime newspaper editor (she was the top editor at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution) who is now Frank Russell Chair and Professor of Practice at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State U. (a mouthful, I know.)
In that capacity, she is curator of the Hubert B. Humphrey Fellowship, a 10-month program for mid-career media professionals from emerging democracies, including such countries as Sierra Leone.
See her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliawallace1/
Julia wrote on New Year’s Eve:
“Hi Everyone,
“On this final day of the year, I wanted to share a cause that’s become important to me. Hope Pathways is a nonprofit organization focused on improving the lives of girls and women in Sierra Leone. If you’re thinking about year-end donations, I hope you’ll consider it.
“Mariatu Kabba (pictured) founded Hope Pathways, someone I’ve been fortunate to get to know through the Humphrey Fellowship. Mariatu’s story is extraordinary. After losing her father, her family was thrown out of their home. Mariatu was sent to a family member where she was expected to cook, clean, and care for the children. To attend school, she worked late nights to cook candy she would then sell to pay her school fees. She went on to be a successful journalist in Sierra Leone.
“During her time as a Humphrey Fellow at ASU and now as a graduate student at Thunderbird, Mariatu has worked to grow her organization. She just signed an agreement with the Najafi 100 Million Learners Global Initiative and Sierra Leone’s Department of Education to offer extensive free online education.
“We aim to raise $20,000 to hire 2-3 staff members in Sierra Leone to roll out this initiative and expand the impact. We’re half-way there! Any amount you can contribute will help girls gain access to education that could change their lives.
“You can learn more or donate here. Feel free to contact me if you have questions or want to know how you can help. (We are looking for more U.S. board members).
“Thanks for considering this,
“All the best and have a wonderful 2025!
Julia Wallace <julia.diane.wallace (at) gmail.com>
From S. Mitra Kalita in New York — D.C. Event
Invitation to Author Kevin Powell’s First Film, in N.Y
From Kevin Powell, who describes himself as “GRAMMY-nominated Poet. Human and Civil Rights Activist. Public Speaker. Author of 16 books. Filmmaker. Journalist. Alpha Phi Alpha”:
“Happy New Year! Many blessings to you in 2025. Personally inviting you/your circle to the New York and world premier of my first film as director.
“It is called WHEN WE FREE THE WORLD, it is a deep-dive about manhood, featuring 70 male voices of various identities, from teenagers to 90-somethings, 5 generations.
“The premiere/screening will take place on WED JAN. 15. All details in attached flyer. Please feel free to share this flyer and the official film trailer.”
Training Program for Investigative Editors Seeks Applicants
“Investigative Reporters and Editors is proud to partner with Arizona State University to launch an IRE-approved certificate program in investigative editing,” the two organizations announced Dec. 19.
“This is a ground-breaking professional education opportunity, offering training in watchdog journalism that can make significant changes in your community,” said IRE Executive Director Diana Fuentes, a Journal-isms Roundtable regular (pictured at Dec 3, 2023, Roundtable, by Jeanine Cummins) . “High quality editors are crucial to producing high quality journalism.”
The release continued:
“This is a self-paced online program offered in 12 modules, beginning Jan. 13. It is designed for editors who seek to develop their skills in managing investigative stories and projects, reporters who seek to move into investigative editing or any journalist who wants to sharpen their watchdog skills, regardless of their title. Journalists from all types of media are welcome.
“Each module will be available online for two weeks, and learners can work through them at their own pace. A live Zoom session will conclude each of the 12 modules so that participants can ask questions and discuss what they learned with trainers and peers who’ve taken the course.
“IRE members who successfully meet the requirements of the program will receive a certificate of completion that can be added to resumes, portfolios, LinkedIn profiles and performance reviews.
“Alternatively, members can sign up for individual modules to learn a specialized aspect of editing and earn a badge of completion.
“The cost for each module is $300 or get all 12 for $3,000 — a savings of $600!
“Learn more and register now.
“Diversity difference
“A primary goal of the program is to increase diversity in the newsroom. . . .”
- Mark J. Rochester, Sarasota (Fla.) Herald-Tribune: Sharpening the watchdog: new program aims to boost investigative editing skills in media (Dec. 29)
Contemplating Writing a Black Biography?
From our own A’Lelia Bundles:
“I’m forwarding information about the March 21-22 Black Biography Conference in Montgomery, Alabama because I thought it might be of interest to any NABJ members who are writing books, especially because journalists Rachel Swarns and Tamara Payne are among the participants.
“Attached is a social media ready flier (above) and a news release.
“Here is a link to registration.
“The conference is hosted by BIO (Biographers International) and is the first major national Black biography conference since the 1986 gathering at City College of NY.
“Among the participants in 1986: Nell Irvin Painter, Thadious Davis, Arnold Rampersad, Robert Hemenway, and John A. Williams.
“This year’s participants include Tanisha Ford (Mollie Moon), Alexis Pauline Gumbs (Audre Lord bio), Rachel Swarns (Michelle Obama bio), Tamara Payne (Malcolm X bio), David Greenberg (John Lewis bio), me and more. . . .”
Now You Can Watch Int’l Black Writers Fest Online
For those who missed the International Black Writers Festival at Howard University in September, Todd Steven Burroughs notes that it is now online.
“Panels and discussions will include topics like Black satire, settler colonialism, critical biographies, Afrofuturism, and Black artists in rock music, among others,” the university said in announcing it.
Two accounts:
- Simone Boyd, The Dig, Howard University: International Black Writers Festival Hosts Student Panel Writers Unbound: A Showcase of Howard’s Literary Talent (Oct. 4)
- Yacine Khaly Ba, The Hilltop: Panelists Offer Writing Advice at the Annual International Black Writers Fest (Oct. 1)
From New York: Media Watch for Jan. 6
WATCH NOW, or later…Next Media Watch, Monday 6 January 2025:
YouTube channel: MediaWatchEVT…
Alan Singer, PhD, Robert Anthony, and Eric V Tait Jr,, Opening Obit/Tribute to friend and colleague Yasutsune “Tony” Hirashiki, and, Greg Gumble, Richard Parsons and R&B singer Sugar Pie DeSanto. Plus, Journalists being killed/assaulted in Haiti, Colorado, and Gaza; a Gaza no-Ceasefire update, and an historic look-back at President Jimmy Carter’s Mid-East peace efforts with Begin and Sadat in the late 1970s.
Close with our President Jimmy Carter tribute/assessment…
JOBS
From journalist organizations
- National Association of Hispanic Journalists
- National Association of Black Journalists
- Asian American Journalists Association
- Poynter Institute
- Society of Professional Journalists
- PublicMediaJobs.
- Online News Association
