Lerone Bennett Jr. holds a resolution from the Mississippi State Senate honoring him in 2007. He is flanked by Mississippi State Sens. David Jordan, left, and John Horhn, with Rep. Omaria Scott and Sen. Willie Simmons, center, and Sen. Hillman Frazier and Rep. Willie Perkins in the rear. (credit: Mississippi State Senate.)
Lerone Bennett Cuts Tie With Johnson Publishing
Lerone Bennett Jr., the venerated writer and social historian who worked in a variety of positions at Johnson Publishing Co. for 52 years, including executive editor of Ebony magazine, has asked that his name be removed from the publication.
He has been listed as "editor emeritus" since 2005, when he retired from Ebony at age 78.
Bennett told Journal-isms that he did not want to discuss the matter, but his daughter, Joy Bennett, vanished abruptly from the publication in August, marking the first time in decades that neither father nor daughter was on the staff.
Joy Bennett has not discussed her departure from the magazine.
Wendy E. Parks, a spokeswoman for the Johnson Publishing, publishers of Ebony and Jet, told Journal-isms, "We’ve reluctantly accepted Mr. Lerone Bennett Jr.’s request to have his name and honorary title of executive editor emeritus removed from the masthead of Ebony. Over the years, Mr. Bennett made many valued contributions to Ebony, both personally and professionally, and his wise counsel will always be appreciated."
She said Bennett made his request several weeks ago.
Johnson Publishing has undertaken several major personnel changes in recent months, adding to turmoil at the company occasioned by changes in the magazine industry, a recessionary economy and the death of the company’s founder, John H. Johnson, in 2005. His daughter, Linda Johnson Rice, is now CEO.
Bennett became an iconic figure during the John H. Johnson years. He spoke at Johnson’s funeral, where he said of the publishing pioneer, "considering the depth from which he came, and the height he climbed and the obstacles he overcame, he was the greatest of all American publishers, Black or White." The crowd applauded with a standing ovation.
In announcing Bennett’s appointment as editor emeritus in 2005, the company called him an "internationally renowned historian and critically acclaimed author" and noted that he had "a long, distinguished career with EBONY covering most of the major civil rights events including the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the March on Washington."
It noted that "Bennett has received numerous awards including the Distinguished W.E.B. DuBois Scholarship Award from the Association of Social and Behavioral Scientists, Inc., the ‘Salute To Greatness Award’ from the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center For Non-Violent Social Change, Inc., the Literature Award from the Academy of Arts and Letters and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of Black Journalists."
White House Criticized for Changing Position on Shield Law
"The Obama administration has told lawmakers that it opposes legislation that could protect reporters from being imprisoned if they refuse to disclose confidential sources who leak material about national security, according to several people involved with the negotiations," Charlie Savage reported Wednesday in the New York Times.
"The administration this week sent to Congress sweeping revisions to a ‘media shield’ bill that would significantly weaken its protections against forcing reporters to testify.
"The bill includes safeguards that would require prosecutors to exhaust other methods for finding the source of the information before subpoenaing a reporter, and would balance investigators‚Äô interests with ‘the public interest in gathering news and maintaining the free flow of information.’
"But under the administration‚Äôs proposal, such procedures would not apply to leaks of a matter deemed to cause ‘significant’ harm to national security. Moreover, judges would be instructed to be deferential to executive branch assertions about whether a leak caused or was likely to cause such harm, according to officials familiar with the proposal.
"The two Democratic senators who have been prime sponsors of the legislation, Charles E. Schumer of New York and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, said on Wednesday that they were disappointed by the administration’s position.
"Mr. Specter called the proposed changes ‘totally unacceptable,’ saying they would gut meaningful judicial review. And in a statement, Mr. Schumer said: ‘The White House‚Äôs opposition to the fundamental essence of this bill is an unexpected and significant setback. It will make it hard to pass this legislation.’‚Äù
- Clint Hendler, Columbia Journalism Review: A Change That’s Hard to Believe In
NABJ Supports FCC’s Diversity Officer Position
The National Association of Black Journalists has expressed support¬†for the ‚Äúchief diversity officer‚Äù of the Federal Communications Commission, telling FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski that the position "adds substance to your promise to ‘expand opportunities for women, minorities and small businesses to participate in the communications marketplace.’"
The Sept. 23 letter from NABJ President Kathy Times does not name the person holding the position, Mark Lloyd, who "has been unfairly attacked on cable TV and radio talk shows with false and misleading information about his role and responsibilities at the FCC," according to a different letter signed by 50 groups, including the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.
As Times wrote her letter, the Washington Times ran a story¬†that began, "President Obama’s diversity czar at the Federal Communications Commission has spoken publicly of getting white media executives to ‘step down’ in favor of minorities, prescribed policies to make liberal talk radio more successful, and described Hugo Chavez’s rise to power in Venezuela ‘an incredible revolution.’"
Genachowski said in response to these concerns, according to the Times story, "Mark Lloyd is not working on these issues. He’s not working on Fairness Doctrine issues. He’s not working on censorship issues. He’s … working on opportunity issues, primarily now on broadband adoption, focusing on making sure that broadband is available to all Americans."
,p> Times wrote to Genachowski, "During a 1995 White House visit, one of our NABJ members asked President Clinton about the effect that ending the FCC tax certificate policy had on African-American station ownership. The President said that regretfully, the effect of his action on the decline of black ownership had been ‘breathtaking.’ This action coupled with the past administration‚Äôs policy has concentrated media ownership to an extent where people of color are hard to find."
The minority tax certificate policy allowed broadcasters and cable companies to defer capital gains if they sold properties to minorities. Tax certificates also were issued to investors who provided start-up capital of minority-controlled companies. It was repealed in 1995, after Republicans took control of Congress in an anti-affirmative action climate.
Carter Says Remarks on Racism Misinterpreted
"Former President Jimmy Carter insisted Thursday that he did not say protests against President Barack Obama were driven by racism," as Andy Barr reported Friday for Politico.
"Carter touched off a firestorm three weeks ago when he said Rep. Joe Wilson‚Äôs (R-S.C.) ‘You Lie!’ outburst was ‘based on racism’ and that there ‘is an inherent feeling among many in this country that an African-American should not be president.’
Carter appeared with CNN’s Candy Crowley on "American Morning.‚Äù
CROWLEY: "Mr. President, let me ask you, first, domestically, you made some remarks recently about how you felt about the protesters that were protesting against President Obama. You said overall you thought the protesters were upset that there was a black president, that there was racism involved. You said that many people —
CARTER: "By the way, that’s not what I said."
CROWLEY: "Okay."
CARTER: "I said those on the fringe element that had vituperative, personal attacks on President Obama, those were the ones that I included. But I recognize —"
CROWLEY: "I think your first remarks were that overall —"
CARTER: "No, it wasn’t. If you read the remarks carefully, you’ll see that that’s not what I said. I said those that had a personal, vituperative attack on President Obama as a person, that was tinged with racism. But I recognize that people who disagree with him on health care or the environment, things like that, the vast majority of those are not tinged by racism."
CROWLEY: "So you think they were taken out of context? You didn’t mean that most of those protesters out there were racist?"
CARTER: "I meant exactly what I said. What I actually said, if you look at the transcript, is just what I just repeated to you."
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1009/27808.html#ixzz0Sq36yvVe
NPR Gets $3 Million to Develop Community Coverage
"NPR will launch a new journalism project to develop in-depth, local coverage on topics critical to communities and the nation, in a new effort funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the groups announced today," NPR announced on Friday.
"The new funding — $2 million from CPB and $1 million from Knight Foundation — provides a pilot group of NPR stations with the resources to expand original reporting, and to curate, distribute and share online content about high-interest, specialized subjects. It is the first time that CPB and Knight Foundation have jointly funded a project of this type.
"The two-year pilot will help a dozen stations establish themselves as definitive sources of news on a topic selected by each one as most relevant to its community, such as city politics, the changing economy, healthcare, immigration or education. These online reports will help fill the growing gap in local news offerings."
Meanwhile, "AOL has been busily launching or acquiring a slate of about 80 sites — from TMZ, to Engadget, to Bloggingstocks.com, most without any visible relation to the parent brand," Timothy Lavin wrote in a blog Thursday for the Atlantic.
"And Tim Armstrong ‚Äî a former marketing executive at Disney’s ABC/ESPN Internet ventures ‚Äî has said that he sees AOL as the Disney of the future: ruling over a series of independently branded Web properties."
As noted previously, AOL Sports has been hiring a number of journalists of color, and columnists Mary C. Curtis and Donna Britt are now writing for AOL’s Politics Daily.
- Simon Dumenco, Advertising Age: ‘There’s Not Going to Be Room for Press Release Journalism Anymore’
- Amanda Ernst, MediaBistro: Nonprofit Online News Startup Texas Tribune Receives $750K In Grants
- Nat Ives, Advertising Age: Newspaper Subscribers Stick Around Longer, Pay More
- Pew Research Center for the People & the Press: Strong Support For Watchdog Role, Despite Public Criticism Of News Media
- Ed Sealover, Denver Business Journal: Rocky Mountain Independent, ex-Rocky staffers’ news website, to cease new content
"A Journalist in the Hands of Somali Pirates"
‚Äú’We started this trade because some countries are destroying our livelihood by dumping toxic materials into our sea,’ says a man named Mohamed who is sipping coffee. ‘We are also up against the illegal fishing that takes place here.’
"To the far right is a man about 70 years old with a bushy beard that is slowly taking over his round face. I am told he is the ringleader. ‘We are only waiting for the monsoon period to end and this time we will strike hard,’ says Guled Mohamed.
"On this Friday, the team is busy organizing the food to take to hostages held in different locations. Men clad in local Somali regalia crisscross the verandah. The team offers to take me to a group of Asian hostages secured at an island miles away. I agree to go.
"Along the route, a confrontation ensues between the pirates onboard while deep in the Gulf of Aden. A section is opposed to the idea of a journalist recording and visiting the highly guarded territory. Two of them turn, pointing their AK-47 rifles at me. At this point I am speechless that the men who only a few minutes ago were friends are baying for my blood.
"After more than four hours roaming the Gulf of Aden, we finally come ashore. They lead me to a dark room and hold me hostage for eight hours, often threatening me: ‘You‚Äôre going to die in the next four hours if we don‚Äôt get a kill today,’ one of them says."
Mohamed, who has written for U.S.-based Current TV, continues the tale of his eventual release, and ends with a warning:
"For those who perceive the current calm in piracy off the Gulf of Aden as an end of sea piracy, Somali pirates are asking you to think again. The men, who earned themselves the nickname “The Robin Hoods of the Sea,” say they are still in action and are strategizing."
Pirates off the Horn of Africa have receded from the American consciousness since the April 12 rescue of U.S. sea captain Richard Phillips. He was believed to have been the first U.S. citizen taken by pirates since 1804. Snipers killed three of the pirates.
- Committee to Protect Journalists: Government suspends VOA service in Puntland
Few Natural Styles on America’s Anchor Teams
Comedian Chris Rock travels to far-flung parts of the globe in the new documentary, "Good Hair," opening in five cities on Friday, but he doesn’t hit television newsrooms.
The movie about many African Americans’ obsession with straight hair could have found rich material there.
When the National Association of Black Journalists in 2005 sought 30 "Influential Moments in Journalism" that had occurred since its 1975 founding, this was one of the finalists:
Today, spokesmen for ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and CNN told Journal-isms, there are no guidelines preventing black women from wearing their hair in natural styles. And a small number do. But that doesn’t mean restrictions aren’t still in place.
"I can’t wait to see the movie," the current NABJ president, Kathy Times, an investigative reporter and anchor at Fox 40 News in Jackson, Miss., told Journal-isms. "That’s always been an issue for black talent in newsrooms. I would love to wear my hair natural, but so many anchors and reporters conform with the majority’s expectations. I could go on all day! Even our own peers discourage us from wearing our hair ‘natural’."
And it is about the bottom line, says Renee Ferguson, who retired last year as an investigative reporter at NBC’s WMAQ-TV in Chicago. After completing a Nieman fellowship at Harvard University in 2007, Ferguson wrote¬†how "I had spent most of my Nieman year happily liberated from the tyranny of straight hair." But, she wrote, "Returning to work, my news director, an African-American woman, insisted that I return to my straight, neat, corporate (whatever you want to call it) not-nappy, hair again. Thirty years have passed since this same issue was raised with me and, while the messenger was decidedly different, the message was the same: ‘Welcome back, but leave the Afro at Harvard.’"
Brainwashed or not, it’s important to note that as in the general black population, many of those who bring us details at 11 are happy to be able to sport the styles that work well for their white counterparts. Still, on television news sets, one doesn’t see the variety one would see in the general population of African American women.
Cornrows and dreadlocks, for example, are virtual no-nos.
"For most of America, dreads are not seen as clean, not as professional, as something you can relate to," Monica Pearson, an anchor at Atlanta’s WSB-TV who has worn her hair in many styles, told Journal-isms. "It’s not fair," she conceded, but she repeated this truism: "If it is a distraction, they are not listening to you. Your job has to come first."
"At industry conferences," Martin said, "the young women tell me they cannot get jobs with natural hair, they cannot even get an interview. . . . By the time I came in to the network I was a known quantity from the Sunday talk show circuit; it would have been very odd for me to change my hair. And I even asked my soon-to-be" executive producer "if my hair would be an issue because I told him during the interview process that I was not open to changing it. He said it never came up and everybody knew my look when they came looking for me.
"But if you are asking me if I think there’s a deep seated cultural prejudice against natural hair I have to say that yes I do . . are there really no great reporters out there with natural hair? I find that hard to believe . . . Remember that Glamour Magazine editor or consultant who did a workshop for the women at a major New York law firm? What’s the first thing she said?Lose the natural hair." The then-associate editor, Ashley Baker, resigned after an uproar.
Hunter-Gault recalls being the first to wear braids on a national show. "I got my hair braided in Kenya on the way back from Somalia when I was still at the NEWSHOUR," she told Journal-isms via e-mail. "And while no one on the Newshour had any objections — it actually was never discussed once I pitched up with braids. But the reaction from some in the Newshour audience was surprising. We had a higher than usual intellectual base and yet, some wrote: what can we expect next: Robert MacNeil with a ring in his nose?
"But even today, after a long time away from The NewsHour, I still encounter people who remember me for what I contributed, rather than how I wore my hair. And my position was I didn’t want to take voice lessons because I wanted to be me and as an African-American woman, I also wanted to be me and hoped that our audience would focus on what I could do to inform them rather than how I wore my hair. And most did. But again, no one at The NewsHour said a negative word. They had fun with it when I left and they did a video showing my different hairstyles."
"Students who are anchors and on-air reporters for Florida A&M University’s student media are encouraged to practice neat grooming habits and behave professionally. We’ve had students sport a variety of hairstyles including braids and short afros. We have a strong professional development component in our program," she told Journal-isms.
"Frankly, it’s not about the hair. It’s about developing solid communication skills so that our students compete on multiple platforms. Core news values such as curiosity, credibility, context, courage, cooperation, managing change and customers are more important than hair."
Pearson, who as Monica Kaufman became a staple in Atlanta, says her advice to students and other beginners is, "You have to get your foot in the door. I knew when I interviewed for the job, I wore a wig. I knew I was coming to the South, and I knew it was an opportunity to be a black star. I needed to look middle class and reliable. If people were distracted by your hair, then they weren’t listening to what you were saying. The decision I made: I wore my natural on my weekends and wore my wig on the air."
Later, as viewers got to know her, Pearson could change her hairstyle. Not that all were pleased. "The majority of my complaints are from black women," Pearson said. "They said, ‘You need to get a wig. You represent us.’"
Viewers’ familiarity also helped two on-air journalists who struggled with breast cancer, Pearson’s former WSB colleague JaQuitta Williams¬†and, nationally, Robin Roberts of ABC-TV’s "Good Morning America." Each underwent or planned to undergo chemotherapy treatments that required them to lose their hair. Roberts at first wore a wig, then sported short, natural-style hairdo.
"For my reporters, I say, you’ve got to know your market," Pearson said. If you’re trying for a job in a small market where natural hair won’t fly, don’t try it there.
And "Pick your battles. If you’re trying to get a job, this is not a battle you need." The television news business is one where "You have to almost look like everybody else. Long, voluptuous hair is in. Look at Diane Sawyer’s hair, very long and blonde. Katie Couric was always described as ‘perky.’ But when she went to the anchor chair, she had long hair. Now it’s back short ‚Äî to who she is."
"If you’re near the end of your contract, go to your GM or news director and say, ‘hey, I’m thinking about doing this. If you ask, they’ll tell you what they think.’
"And then you have to decide."
For all the money and time spent on wardrobe and hair, it shouldn’t be forgotten that dressing up to be on television is fun. "Black women get bored with their hair," Ferguson says. And although black women spend more on weaves and the like, white women have their beauty issues, too. They simply have more home products available, she said.
She also notes a diversity issue: Just as it took having African American lighting directors and other behind the scenes people to light dark skin correctly, the same is true for making natural hair look good.
"I’ve never had any problems wearing natural hair on television," said Chideya, 40. In fact, I think it’s one of the things that made me stand out, and helped create a brand," she told Journal-isms. "That said, I realize this wouldn’t have been possible 20 years before I started my career, and for some people in some markets still may be denigrated today.
"May I add, good hair is what’s on your head. Though I haven’t had processed hair in decades, I believe each woman has a personal choice as to what suits her."
"Good Hair" opens Friday in Los Angeles, New York, Washington, Atlanta and Chicago on almost 200 screens, said Veronica Bufalini, a spokeswoman for Roadside Attractions, which is distributing the film. It goes national on Oct 23.
- Lashawnda Becoats, QcityMetro.com: Our quest for "good hair"
- Greg Braxton, Los Angeles Times: Chris Rock finds the humor in ‘Good Hair’
- DeNeen L. Brown, Washington Post: You Grow, Girl! As Chris Rock Airs the Secrets of the Salon, Black Women Untangle Feelings About ‘Good Hair’
- DeNeen L. Brown, Washington Post: What Does ‘Good Hair’ Mean to You?¬†
-  Maya Francis, Philadelphia Inquirer: For blacks, hair to die for
- Catherine Saint Louis, New York Times: Black Hair, Still Tangled in Politics
- Dawn Turner Trice, Chicago Tribune: Stylist preaches healthy hair and lifestyle to Chicago schoolgirls
- Nikki Woods, BlackAmericaWeb: I Am Not My Hair
Short Takes
- "Those groans you heard following Chicago’s failure to land the 2016 Summer Olympics Games after the games were awarded to Rio de Janeiro weren’t all coming from Mayor Richard M. Daley’s office," Jeremy Mullman wrote Friday for Advertising Age. "The bankrupt Tribune Co., for instance, would have likely seen some benefit across all of its TV, radio, print and digital properties in the city, even though it won’t be broadcasting the games."
- Four journalists have won the 2009 Knowledge@Wharton Awards for Business Journalism, sponsored by the South Asian Journalists Association, the Wharton School and the Knowledge@Wharton online business journal, SAJA announced on Wednesday. They are Sonia Narang, a member of SAJA and a journalist with NBC News in New York; Sanjay Bhatt, a member of the Asian American Journalists Association and an enterprise reporter for the Seattle Times; Olivera Perkins, a member of the National Association of Black Journalists and a business reporter for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, and Jonnelle Marte, a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and a reporting assistant for the Wall Street Journal.
- "A Florida appeals court upheld Florida’s open meetings law today and ordered the National Collegiate Athletic Association to hand over documents related to secret disciplinary proceedings against Florida State University," the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press reported on Thursday. "Twenty-six media outlets filed suit against the NCAA and FSU."
- AARP announced it will launch a weekly Spanish-language radio show, "Su Segunda Juventud," on Sunday. Gabriela Zabal??a-Goddard, editor of AARP Segunda Juventud, will host this half-hour health, finance and lifestyle oriented show, HispanicAd.com reported.
- "The Annenberg School for Communication honored diversity and history Wednesday night with Voices for Justice: 200 years of Latino Newspapers, which celebrated the influential history and future of Spanish-speaking media," Corianda Dimes reported¬†for the campus newspaper the Daily Trojan. Professor F?©lix Guiti?©rrez, who specializes in diversity and media, moderated the event,
- "Darla Miles, who joined Dallas-based WFAA8 in December 2006, is
- "Talking about the future of news too often translates to talking about the past," Jose Antonio Vargas wrote Thursday on the Huffington Post. "That’s exactly how I felt when a friend, a fellow 20-something journalist, tweeted the news release of a 10-part public television series called ‘The Future of News,’ produced by the Newseum in Washington, D.C. and scheduled to air next year. ‘You’ve got to be kidding,’ the friend wrote in a subsequent instant message. ‘This is the future of news?" All the guests were over 40 years old.
- David Letterman’s survival depends on two things: "whether there are worse revelations to come, and if he can negotiate them as smoothly as he handled this moment," Eric Deggans wrote Friday on his St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times blog. Letterman jokingly confessed on his show Thursday night that he has had sex with women working on his show, possibly cheating on his wife, Regina Lasko. Robert Halderman, a producer for CBS television, pleaded not guilty to charges he tried to extort $2 million from Letterman in exchange for not revealing the affairs.
- Pro Publica, the public-interest Web site, is looking for two additional investigative reporters. "Applicants will be considered from any specialized or generalist investigative reporting background, but we are especially interested in applicants focused on energy and environment, education or immigration. Both of the reporters to be hired will be based in ProPublica’s New York office."
- Hampton University this week held a National Summit on Marriage, Parenting and Families, "which brought in great talkers and thinkers from around the country," David Squires wrote Thursday for the Daily Press of Newport News, Va. CNN Commentator Roland Martin and his wife, the Rev. Jacquie Hood Martin, were the keynote speakers for a Tuesday luncheon.
- "The Council of Europe is next week hosting the 3rd International Journalism and News Conference in Strasbourg, France, to discuss diversity in the media industry across Europe," according to Asians in Media magazine. "Over 150 participants will take part in workshops, debates and meetings — to look at how the media can play a key role in combating discrimination and fostering intercultural dialogue across European member states."
- "Unemployment under President Barack Obama is at a 26-year-high. The last time the economy had 9.7 percent or higher unemployment was under President Ronald Reagan. But despite similar periods of rising unemployment, Obama and Reagan received almost exactly opposite treatment from the network news media," according to a study from the Business & Media Institute, which is dedicated to "advancing the culture of free enterprise in America."
- Criminal charges and the closure of several radio stations over alleged incitement to violence in Kampala have sparked a debate about the limits of free speech in Uganda," according to an unbylined analysis¬† Friday from Integrated Regional Information Networks, part of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. "The Uganda Broadcasting Council (UBC) silenced four Luganda* radio stations during three days of riots in September 2009 sparked by the government’s refusal to allow the king of Buganda, Kabaka Ronald Mutebi, from travelling to a district within his kingdom."
