Maynard Institute archives

Pacifica Acts to Secure Control of Its Stations

by richard0428

and April 3, 2009
3 Black Journalists Among Times-Dispatch Layoffs

Measure Prompted by Concern Over New York’s WBAI

The national board of Pacifica Radio – which owns five politically and culturally "progressive" stations around the country – has taken steps to "secure our broadcast signals should we need to prevent legal liability," the board said in a statement Thursday night.
Amy Goodman

The statement was issued after the general manager of the New York Pacifica station, Tony Riddle of WBAI-FM, reportedly wrote to the national Pacifica leadership Thursday saying, "It has been brought to my attention that you have issued an order today to change the locks on the WBAI transmitter room in the Empire State Building tomorrow."

A support group, United for Peace and Justice, announced a rally in New York for Saturday morning to "Save WBAI Radio!"

Disputes between the feisty, listener-supported Pacifica stations and their national leadership are nothing new.

In 1999, such a dispute at KPFA-FM in Berkeley, Calif., the nation’s oldest listener-sponsored radio station, resulted in a lockout and the arrests of 53 supporters.

The New York Times said last year of WBAI, "its turmoil-filled . . . history has featured a fiesta of staff clashes, board eruptions, station coups and protests. Amid accusations of every imaginable form of -ism, on-air personalities and producers have been summarily banned; on-air resignations have not been unknown."

The other Pacifica stations are KPFK in Los Angeles, KPFT in Houston and WPFW in Washington.

Nationally, Pacifica is perhaps most well known for its news show "Democracy Now!" hosted by Amy Goodman and co-hosted by Juan Gonzalez, New York Daily News columnist. WBAI created and transmits the radio simulcast.

The national statement was signed by Grace Aaron, who chairs the Pacifica National Board and is interim executive director of the Pacifica Foundation. It began:

"We have received complaints about programming that may be threatening the financial and legal health of the Pacifica Foundation.  Therefore, following legal advice, we are taking preparatory measures to secure our broadcast signals should we need to prevent legal liability as a last resort.  These precautionary measures will be taken at all five stations under advice of Counsel.  Pacifica is the license holder for all five stations and is ultimately responsible for everything broadcast over all of them.

"No one on the National Board or at the National Office or at any of our Pacifica stations wishes to threaten any high quality, community-based programming at our stations that conforms to the Pacifica Mission. 

"The Pacifica Foundation is facing a severe financial crisis.  Multi-year downtrending listenership at all of our stations has been eroding our membership and net income.  The economic downtrends in society as a whole are also impacting us." 

In New York, "we are at risk of being sued for breach of our lease agreements, which could have dire consequences," including "a loss of our signal.

"As long as our listeners, staff and governance bodies work together to bring needed changes we see no major obstacle to a resurgent WBAI that is more vital than ever."

Aaron said she and others planned to come to New York from the West Coast "to assess what is needed at the station.  We also intend to roll up our sleeves, fix what needs fixing, wipe out any backlogs such as in mailing out premiums, repair equipment, enhance the website and give a boost to WBAI."

Killings Are Binghamton’s Biggest Story in Decades

Calvin StovallIt was the biggest news in Binghamton, N.Y., since Nov. 14, 1957, when authorities rounded up 65 men who gathered nearby for a secret meeting of mob leaders; the Vito Genovese, Carlo Gambino and Paul Castellano crowd. It was certainly the biggest story since Calvin Stovall became executive editor at the Press & Sun-Bulletin in 2005.

"BINGHAMTON SHOOTING," the all-caps, red-lettered headline said on the paper’s Web site.

"Fourteen are dead after a gunman went on a shooting spree inside the American Civic Association in Binghamton, according to Binghamton Police Chief Joseph Zikuski," the story began.

"One of the dead has a satchel around his neck with ammunition and is believed to be the shooter, Zikuski said."

The Web site featured a continually looped Webcast narrated by a Press & Sun-Bulletin reporter, a selection of videos and photographs, opportunities for readers to blog about the horror and a plea for eyewitnesses to call the newsroom.

Stovall, a Gannett Co. veteran, said Friday night that news managers, including himself, were still too busy for anyone to discuss coverage. The incident had drawn worldwide attention.

"Media covering the mass shootings and hostage crisis in Binghamton, N.Y., late this morning and afternoon [were] all over the map," Editor & Publisher reported.

"As hours passed TV cable networks kept changing the death toll from four to 12, to an ‘unconfirmed’ 13 to 15, and then maybe back to four, or not. The Associated Press and newspapers have been much more restrained.

"Two ‘Asian’ men were reported to seen in handcuffs and TV reports declared the crisis over. Then maybe a third man was on the loose. Then perhaps the hostages were still being held."

Obama at G-20: Helene Cooper Gets First Question

"NYT’s Helene Cooper penned a blog on The Caucus yesterday, ‘We’re Not Keeping Score, but . . .’ in which she asked, ‘Is President Obama trying to muzzle his press corps?’" Christine Delargy wrote Thursday on the FishBowl DC blog.

"Well someone seems to have taken notice ‚Äî Cooper got the first question at the President’s press conference today, still going on now, at the G-20 Summit in London."

Cooper, who moved from the State Department to the White House to cover the Obama administration, appeared to be one of a very few U.S. journalists of color assigned to Obama’s overseas trip, and the only African American. The White House press office was not responsive when asked which news organizations or journalists went along.

3 Black Journalists Among Times-Dispatch Layoffs

"The Richmond Times-Dispatch eliminated 31 open positions and laid off 59 employees today, the Virginia newspaper reported on Thursday. Three of those were black journalists. "Affected departments include Production, Circulation, Marketing, Business, Advertising, Editorial, News, Operations, Facilities, Prepress Design Services and Targeted Solutions, a new product development group," the story said.

"In addition, there will be no pay increases for non-unionized RTD employees this year, extending the suspension enacted earlier this year. The RTD will be inviting the Richmond Newspapers Professional Association (RNPA) to join in this needed savings," it continued, referring to the union.

"All full-time departing colleagues will receive severance packages."

Just before the announcement, Chris Dovi and Jason Roop of the alternative Richmond Style Weekly reported, "Veteran reporter Robin Farmer, whose husband is columnist Michael Paul Williams, packed the contents of her desk last night, according to sources."

Newsroom employees confirmed that two other black journalists, photographer Clement S. Britt and editor Mary Goodwyn were also laid off.

Jeff Kelley, a former Times-Dispatch reporter, joined those posting comments under the Times-Dispatch’s Web site story.

"What I cannot wrap my head around . . . is the way in which the Times-Dispatch attempts to hide or, as is said, ‘spin’ the truth," he wrote.

"When I was a business reporter, it was common practice to find those who have been laid off at companies (Circuit City, ‘the credit card company,’ etc‚Ķ) and interview them about the experience. Get the ‘real’ story. Get the feeling of the employees. Get a sense of what it‚Äôs like, and what their future holds for themselves, their families, their career. Yet, the TD shields its people from talking. Because I‚Äôve been there, I can say with certainty that while this story may have been written by a reporter, it was channeled through upper management on both the editorial and advertorial side of the house. As you can plainly tell.

"It’s a sad thing because we’ll never be able to look back on the story and hear from the people who lost their jobs at the TD . . . unlike the stories of Circuit City, LandAmerica, Qimonda, and the like."

Denver Post Editor Greg Moore says, "Woe is me? I don’t believe in that."

Denver’s Greg Moore Impressed by Rocky Staffers

Denver Post Editor Greg Moore says he was impressed as he began interviewing candidates from the rival Rocky Mountain News, which folded its print edition in February. He also said, "One of the things that happens when you go through the kind of constriction the industry has gone through is, you learn from your friends that there is life after newspapers."

In an interview¬†with Michael Roberts of Denver’s alternative publication WestWord, Moore said he began conversations about bringing aboard Rocky staffers in mid-December or January.

"What was that experience like? Were you impressed by the caliber of the talent?" Roberts asked Moore.

"Very much so, very much so," Moore replied. "I was impressed by the work they did that I’d read, but I was even more impressed when I talked with a number of them. One of the things that really, really impressed me is that even when I was talking to a particular person at the Rocky, at some point during that 25-minute discussion, they’d say, ‘I really appreciate you talking to me ‚Äî but here are five colleagues that I really think you should talk to if they’re not on your list.’ That was very impressive to me ‚Äî that sort of camaraderie and selflessness. It impressed me."

Roberts also asked, "Do you consider yourself a journalism lifer? Do you want to be doing this for your entire career? Or, like so many other journalists, would you consider looking at doing something else down the line?"

"You know what? I’ve been doing this for almost 35 years, so I’ve had a career," Moore said. "I don’t know what the future holds or anything like that. I like doing what I’m doing. I like being in the midst of this struggle and this fight. I like the people I work with and I like the Post. I’ve had a great run here. I’ve been here seven years. I wish there were some other things I was able to accomplish, but I don’t see the end immediately in front of me.

"But I can also envision me doing other things. One of the things that happens when you go through the kind of constriction the industry has gone through is, you learn from your friends that there is life after newspapers. There’s life after journalism. So I’m not afraid. I don’t know exactly what that future is going to be. But for the immediate future, I envision myself still here with my sleeves rolled up with my colleagues. But I also believe I’ve learned a lot over the last 35 years, and a lot of things I’ve learned can be applied in other areas.

"Do you find it exciting, even though times are tough right now, to be in the middle of this whirlwind?" Roberts asked.

"Yeah, I’m excited. I’ve never been in the middle of a hurricane or anything like that, but I imagine when you’re in the middle of a tornado or a hurricane, you probably feel as alive as you’ve ever felt. Your desire and sense for survival is keen, and I feel like that right now. I mean, I am on it. I’m fully engaged in trying to do everything I can to help us get to the other side, and to put out a compelling product online and in print, and to try to be a motivator. I think when times are really tough, that’s when you really need to be a motivator, and not just a naysayer. Woe is me? I don’t believe in that."

Stunned, silent members of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s room, after his April 4, 1968, assassination. They include Andrew Young (far left, under table lamp) and King’s colleague, the Rev. Ralph Abernathy, seated in the middle on the far bed. (Photo credit: Henry Groskinsky/Time & Life Pictures)

Life Publishes Unseen Photos from Lorraine Motel

"On April 4, 1968, LIFE photographer Henry Groskinsky and writer Mike Silva, on assignment in Alabama, learned that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., had been shot at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis," Life magazine says¬†in an announcement. "They raced to the scene and there, incredibly, had unfettered access to the hotel grounds, Dr. King’s room, and the surrounding area. For reasons that have been lost in the intervening years, the photographs taken that night and the next day were never published. Until now."

The photos appear on the magazine’s Web site. About one photo taken in King’s room at the Lorraine, Groskinsky said, "I was very discreet. I shot just enough to document what was going on. I didn’t want to make a nuisance of myself. And right there, almost in the center of the picture, in the mirror you can see the reflection of me taking the picture. It’s very somber, and there I am with a flash camera. So I took a couple of pictures and just kind of backed off."

Statement Promised on Future of Black Book Review

Black Issues Book Review, founded 10 years ago as "a national forum for critical discussion of fiction and nonfiction titles by black authors," hasn’t published in more than a year, vacated its Empire State Building office in October 2007, and has subscribers and freelance contributors wondering whether it will ever appear again.

Ken Smikle, the president of Chicago-based Target Market News who purchased the publication in 2006, told Journal-isms he was preparing an announcement about the publication’s future.

Black Issues Book Review hasn't published in more than a year. It was once considered one of the 10 best new magazines, "Target Market News is currently in negotiations that will determine how it goes forward with publication of Black Issues Book Review," he said on Saturday.

"The publication has been on hiatus for a year following a severe drop in the advertising budgets of book publishers and a near doubling in the cost of postage. A new business model has been under consideration for some time and we expect to have an announcement soon."

The magazine, the largest such publication catering to African American book readers, was created in 1999 as an offshoot of Black Issues in Higher Education, now called Diverse, based in Fairfax, Va.

"Within months of its debut, Black Issues Book Review was named one of the ‘Ten Best New Magazines’ by the American Library Journal," a news release boasted when Cox, Matthews and Associates sold it to Target Market News in 2006.

But in January 2007, editor Angela Dodson was laid off. Founding editor Susan McHenry remained as editorial director.

Last year, Clarence Reynolds, the managing editor, left. He, like Dodson, had worked with the magazine in various editorial positions almost from its introduction.

"The last issue that I recall is September/October 2007, with Edwidge Danticat on the cover," Reynolds told Journal-isms. "As far as I know there’s been no other print publication that has stepped in to fill the void of BIBR; and there’s always something to write about in regards to African American authors and readers."

Smikle said the last issue published was a December/January issue released in January 2008. The publication claimed a circulation of 50,000 when it was sold in 2006. [Updated April 4]

Short Takes

  • Liz ZavalaLiz Zavala, the public safety/justice editor at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram who is vice president/print of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, is not leaving¬†after all. "I did end up getting a last-minute reprieve ‚Äî Jim Witt," the editor, "offered me a reporting job, and I accepted," Zavala told Journal-isms. "Too many reporters took the buyout, so I stayed, as did Dianna Hunt and Steve Campbell, the other two editors who were going to be laid off with me. I’ll do some editing in a pinch and remain in the editors’ Saturday rotation, but I officially stepped back into reporting, doing general assignments in the public safety/criminal justice cluster. I am grateful because I still love the craft. There isn’t anything I’d rather be doing."
  • Beverly Shepard, a marketing manager at the Virginian Pilot in Norfolk, Va., when it shut down the entire department this year, is willing to pay a finder’s fee of up to $6,000 to someone who offers her a lead that results in a job, WVEC-TV in Norfolk reported "I am a former president of The Atlanta Association of Black Journalists. I’m the VP/Marketing for the Norfolk-area chapter of the American Marketing Association. I have journalism and law degrees from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. What’s it take to get a job these days?" Shepard said in a statement distributed by her publicist, Neil Foote.
  • Time Warner Cable and Univision announced¬†a comprehensive program carriage agreement Wednesday. The agreement covers carriage of Univision‚Äôs owned and operated broadcast stations, distribution rights for the cable network Galavisi??n, and the network feeds for Univision and TeleFutura.
  • "Dallas police Officer Robert Powell resigned Wednesday, a week after he garnered national notoriety for detaining an NFL player outside a hospital where his mother-in-law lay dying," Steve Thompson and Jennifer Emily reported¬†Thursday in the Dallas Morning News. The videotaped traffic stop involving Powell and Ryan and Tamishia Moats quickly became a national mega-story after WFAA-TV’s Rebecca Lopez broke it last week. Jemele Hill wrote Friday on espn.com, "I don’t know for a fact whether Powell’s inexcusable actions were racially motivated. But I do know there have been enough incidents involving police and African-American athletes to warrant serious concern and examination."
  • Joann LeeTrailblazing television reporter Joann Lee has become "the Studs Terkel of her community. Like the famed oral historian who recorded the stories of everyday Americans, Lee is determined to add complexity and humanity to the stories of Asian-Americans," Sachi Fujimori wrote¬†Sunday for northjersey.com, a product of the company that publishes the Record in Bergen County and the Herald News in Passaic County. "She’s now chairwoman of William Paterson University’s communication department and has published three books ‚Äî all oral histories documenting the diverse experiences of Asian-Americans. Her most recent book, ‘Asian Americans in the Twenty-First Century’ (New Press, 2008), was released in September."
  • The saga of alleged domestic violence involving R&B singer Rihanna and her superstar boyfriend Chris Brown provides "a teachable moment ‚Äî for my daughters and other women who may think physical or emotional abuse is OK," Angela Tuck, former public editor and now Cobb bureau chief for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, wrote¬†on Thursday. Tuck went public with her own story of domestic abuse, declaring, "My life is a living testimony that you can find peace after a dysfunctional union."
  • "Discovery Communications on Thursday offered media buyers their first look at what‚Äôs being touted as the biggest idea since MTV, taking the wraps off the inaugural programming slate for the startup OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network," Anthony Crupi reported Thursday in AdWeek. "Among the All Stars projects in development are: a Harpo-produced strip helmed by frequent Oprah Winfrey Show guest Peter Walsh, who makes his living as a professional organizer/clutter buster; a one-hour sex and relationships talk show led by Sirius XM radio host Dr. Laura Berman; and the expos?©/newsmagazine Inside: Lisa Ling Investigates."
  • Cleveland Plain Dealer reporter Joanna Connors has been chosen 2008 winner of the Medill Medal for Courage in Journalism for her series "Beyond Rape: A Survivors Journey," the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University announced¬†on Friday. "Connors’ articles ‚Äî which ran across 16 pages of The Plain Dealer over a weekend in May ‚Äî were not only about the violence she experienced on an empty stage of a Cleveland theatre 23 years ago but also about the crime‚Äôs perpetrator and issues of race and privilege." Connors is white and her attacker black.
  • Bob Shieffer’s interview Sunday of President Obama gave CBS-TV’s "Face the Nation" its largest audience since Jan. 23, 2005, CBS announced on Thursday.
  • "According to FBI statistics, in 2007, a total of 814,967 missing person records were entered into the National Crime Information Center‚Äôs Missing Person File," Jan Ransom wrote¬†for the National Newspaper Publishers Association. "Over 25 percent of those missing are African-Americans and they are only 12 percent of the U.S. population. Whites make-up 66 percent of the U.S. population and account for nearly 63 percent of the missing persons. Others include Latinos. . . . However, national media operations often fail to present what is in fact a very diverse missing persons population ‚Äî African-Americans. And some observers believe race is the factor."
  • Joe Diaz, a former teacher who co-founded¬†Afar, a new travel magazine, and Anne Ichikawa, co-founder of I Heart Daily, an e-mail newsletter targeted at teenage girls, are among the "ones to watch" on Folio magazine’s "annual list¬†of magazine industry influencers and innovators."
  • "To millions of television viewers across Canada, Jason Portuondo is the most trusted man in sports," Jon Sarpong wrote¬†Thursday for insidetoronto.com. "Each night, Portuondo recaps the scores and highlights on Rogers Sportsnet Connected, bringing a fresh new vibe to the sports TV landscape." Asked what it was like being a black sports journalist in Toronto, Portuondo said, "sometimes I get the feeling that because I am a black journalist people think I should be more geared towards basketball or baseball. I still feel there is somewhat of a stereotype, people thinking ‘well what could he know about hockey?’ In fact, hockey is one of my strongest sports. I’ve never had any issue when it comes to the athletes; I think it’s more of a public perception."
  • "Reporters Without Borders is alarmed about the impact that the imposition of the Sharia (Islamic law) in Pakistan‚Äôs northern Swat valley is having on press freedom. Following a fact-finding visit, the press freedom organisation urges both the authorities ‚Äî federal and provincial ‚Äî and Taliban leaders to guarantee the freedom and safety of journalists in the region," Reporters Without Borders said¬†on Thursday. In an item dated Saturday, the organization reported¬†"a pre-dawn attack with explosives today on Radio Pakistan Wana, a state-owned radio station in Wana, South Waziristan, part of the Tribal Areas adjoining the Afghan border. The attack, which destroyed the station, was almost certainly carried out by Taliban activists but their motive is unknown."
  • The Committee to Protect Journalists called on Guatemalan authorities Thursday to conduct an immediate and thorough investigation into the shooting of a two-man TV crew in Guatemala City on Wednesday. Unidentified gunmen killed veteran reporter Rolando Santiz and injured cameraman Antonio de Le??n, the organization said.
  • "Gunmen shot and killed Honduran radio journalist Rafael Mungu??a Ortiz Tuesday night in the northern city of San Pedro Sula, according to local news reports. Honduran authorities must conduct an immediate and thorough investigation into Mungu??a’s killing and bring those responsible to justice," the Committee to Protect Journalists said¬†on Wednesday.

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