Suarez Says “NewsHour” “Didn’t Have Much of a Plan for Me”
Ray Suarez, who left the “PBS NewsHour” Friday after working as a senior correspondent for the program since 1999, said Monday that he decided to leave because his contributions were heavily minimized and that he just “didn’t see 2014 and 2015 were going to be better” for him than the last couple of years,” according to Lucia Suarez, who interviewed the journalist for Fox News Latino.
“ ‘I felt like I didn’t have much of a future with the broadcast,’ Suarez said Monday morning. ‘(They) didn’t have much of a plan for me, ‘ Lucia Suarez wrote Monday.
She also said “The 56-year-old, who joined the ‘NewsHour’ in 1999, said over the last couple of years his contributions to the broadcast were passed over and marginalized many times. He said decisions made recently by the company and new constrictions also played a part in his resignation ? it just made it difficult to stay, he said.
“ ‘When you look at the prospects realistically, I was there 14 years,’ Suarez said. “The responsibility, the high responsibility … had all been gradually taken away.’ . . .”
In the last month, Gwen Ifill and Judy Woodruff became the show’s main anchors, making history as the first all-female national anchor team, and Hari Sreenivasan became weekend anchor of “PBS NewsHour Weekend.” That extends “NewsHour” across seven days and established the show as the one evening newscast without a white male anchor on any day of the week.
Neal Elected First Black President of Baseball Writers Group
“Neal, 48, is the first black person elected to head the BBWAA, a professional organization for baseball journalists founded in 1908. He succeeds Susan Slusser, a reporter from the San Francisco Chronicle who last year became the first woman to hold the position.
“A Chicago native who came to the Star Tribune from the Kansas City Star in 1998, Neal has served 11 terms as the BBWAA’s Twin Cities Chapter chairman, and last October he was elected the national organization’s vice president,” putting him in line to become president.
In January, Neal appeared at the Hall of Fame Awards of the National Association of Black Journalists, accepting a posthumous award for Wendell Smith, the baseball writer who was portrayed in the movie “42” as Jackie Robinson’s traveling companion.
Messaging from St. Louis, Neal told Journal-isms that “the BBWAA serves as the liaison with Major League Baseball on behalf of newspaper, magazine and online reporters, advocating on such issues as access, credentials and standards. At times, it can be like handling the complaint department when reporters feel they aren’t being treated properly by clubs. I go into this hoping to work with the league and its clubs to maintain some semblance of harmony.
“Also, more reporters than ever are seeking BBWAA membership,” he continued. “We want to make sure right people receive BBWAA cards for the right reasons. This is much tougher than it looks because of the proliferation of online media in recent years. Everyone with a website wants membership, and that just can’t happen.”
A reader posed these questions to Neal, which Journal-isms passed along:
“I wonder if he does any work encouraging young writers to look at baseball as a beat, dudes and girls. Also, since baseball has mostly served print and TV, has baseball had any interest in encouraging blogging and other new media in covering and following baseball? Do bloggers and other new media get press box rights? This is important because baseball, more than other sports, is highly statistical and you cannot follow unless you are in the press box.”
Neal responded, “Well, I speak to local high school students and have had a couple shadow me at the ballpark. Honestly, I encounter just a few who want to be seamheads (baseball writers). I don’t think baseball encourages blogging but it does understand that credible newsgathering organizations produce blogs and tweet from games. I know the Twins have issued credentials to local bloggers in the past, but not on a daily basis. The BBWAA cards are issued to writers who prove they travel with clubs. That’s our main requirement. If you are with a credible organization and plan to cover road games, you can receive a BBWAA card. We look at each case separately.”
One Person’s Fun Costume Is Another’s Racial Insult
“A new poster campaign at the University of Colorado is asking students to think carefully when selecting a Halloween costume this year,” Sarah Kuta wrote Thursday for the Daily Camera in Boulder, Colo.
“The poster campaign, ‘We’re a culture, not a costume,’ originated at Ohio University, and depicts students of various ethnicities, races and social classes holding up photographs of themselves or standing next to themselves in offensive costumes.
“The Center for Multicultural Affairs started hanging the posters on Tuesday in an effort to remind students that some costume choices can demean and isolate their fellow classmates, teachers and university staff. . . .”
- Roxane Gay, Los Angeles Times: There’s no reason, or excuse, for blackface Halloween costumes
- Ruth Hopkins, Indian Country Today Media Network: The Difference Between Being a Slut & a Racist: Pochahottie Hottentot
- Elissa Washuta, Salon: I regret my “Naughty Native” Halloween costume
Student Journalists Relate Their Side of Grambling Story
“The current controversy surrounding the temporary suspension and alleged firing of two Grambling State University student newspaper editors started earlier this semester with seven words: ‘David, get the f*ck out the Gramblinite,’” Dan Reimold wrote Friday for College Media Matters, which describes itself as “a leading student journalism industry blog” that “aims to tell the story of college media 2.0.”
“Gramblinite adviser Wanda Peters purportedly said this to the paper’s online editor David Lankster Sr. in September during a heated staff meeting. Lankster earned Peters’ ire for questioning her about her sub-par work, an assessment shared by a sizable portion of the staff. According to multiple editors, Peters has exhibited a noticeably growing indifference toward the paper, symbolized by the rising number of meetings and other staff business she has missed. At the meeting, Lankster also addressed an especially enormous elephant in the room — the perception that Peters’ son, Evan, the Gramblinite’s production manager and designer, was increasingly serving as a proxy of sorts for her.
“ ‘Her enthusiasm, it started trickling down and we started not seeing her as much,’ said Lankster. “Me being me, I spoke out at a meeting, and everybody knew I was going to speak out except for the adviser. … [I said] ‘Ms. Peters, why aren’t you and Evan ever at the same meeting? Why is he at a meeting and then you’re not at a meeting?’ She said, “David, get the f*ck out the Gramblinite.” I proceeded to walk out as gracefully as possible. … This is when our rift, I would have to say, started.’
“That rift became a full rupture this past week when Peters condemned Lankster and briefly suspended fellow Gramblinite editor Kimberly Monroe in connection with a high-profile university athletic protest. A front-page article set to run in today’s issue of the paper boldly declared it would report on itself, revealing ‘The Truth About The Gramblinite Chaos.’ However, it contained numerous inaccuracies and was ultimately pulled prior to publication. The staff writer in the byline: Evan, the son of the adviser who cursed out Lankster. (Pause. Shake head. Sigh. OK, keep reading.)
“By comparison, in a session this afternoon at the ACP/CMA National College Media Convention in New Orleans, Lankster and Monroe sought to tell the REAL truth about the recent chaos. . . . “
He concluded, “Moments later, a room full of student journalists, journalism professors and student press advisers applauded Lankster and Monroe for their efforts.”
Journal-isms has sought comment from Peters.
- Greg Bishop, New York Times: At Grambling, a Proud Football Program at Risk
- Chris Murray blog: Tired of Being Sick and Tired: How Grambling State University Failed its Students
With Election, Gannett Again Has African American on Board
In March, the independent Gannett blog reported the departure of Arthur Harper, the sole African American on the board of the Gannett Co., the nation’s largest newspaper company.
On Monday, Gannett announced the election of Tony A. Prophet, senior vice president of Operations, Printing and Personal Systems at Hewlett-Packard Co. to its board.
“Gracia Martore, Gannett’s president and chief executive officer, said, ‘Tony has strong operational experience that will help enhance our efforts as we continue to leverage our growth opportunities and deliver best-in-class content and services across broadcast, digital, print and mobile platforms.’
“Prophet has been with Hewlett-Packard since 2006, initially as senior vice president of Supply Chain Operations, Personal Systems Group, until 2012 when he was named to his current role. Prior to joining Hewlett-Packard, he served in a variety of roles at United Technologies Corporation, Honeywell International, Inc., Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc., and General Motors Company. . . . “
Last month, Black Enterprise magazine reported that in “our listing of black board members from the 250 largest companies on the S&P 500, we discovered that 75 companies — 30% — currently do not have any blacks on their boards including quite a few household names.”
ABC Apologizes to Chinese-Americans for Kimmel Show Joke
“ABC is apologizing for a segment of Jimmy Kimmel Live in which a child joked about killing Chinese people to help erase the U.S. debt” the Associated Press reported on Monday.
“The boy’s unscripted comment (‘Kill everyone in China,’ he suggested) came during a comedy bit in which youngsters commented on news events. The skit, aimed at poking fun at childish politicians, aired last week on Kimmel’s late-night talk show.
“ABC’s apology [PDF] came in response to a complaint from a group called 80-20, which identifies itself as a pan-Asian-American political organization.
“In an Oct. 25 letter to the group, ABC said it would never purposefully do anything to upset the Chinese, Asian or other communities. The network says the skit will be edited out of the ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ episode for future airings or any other distribution, including online.”
In a news release, the 80-20 group said that Tim McNeal, ABC’s vice president, talent development and diversity, “also verbally requested S. B. Woo to convey ABC’s eagerness to have Asian American writers, actors and producers apply for jobs with ABC. It is one way to avoid such unfortunate incident in the future — through diversity in its organization. McNeal said, ‘ABC takes achieving diversity very seriously.’ Interested parties may reach his office at Tim.McNeal@ABC.com.”
Woo, president of the 80-20 National Asian American Political Action Committee, said in an email to supporters, “80-20 PAC is proud to have served the Chinese Am. component of the Asian Am community by being the ONLY organization to have obtained a verbal & written apology from ABC.
“This incident is a teachable moment for our community — the importance of an Asian Am organization that has the stature & ability to serve the rightful interests of our community. It illustrates the importance of SELF RELIANCE. . . .”
Short Takes
- “Reports about racial profiling at Barneys New York, the upscale store, have appeared in The Detroit News, The Las Vegas Review-Journal, USA Today and other newspapers throughout the nation and world, but not in the pages of The Times ? despite the store’s location in Manhattan,” Margaret Sullivan, New York Times public editor, wrote on Monday. She rejected the protests of Metro Editor Wendell Jamieson that, “This is one of those cases where a competitor has made a campaign out of it. I can’t figure a way for us to move the story forward. The suits are rather old and we don’t know about their veracity. . . . ”
- “On Saturday, November 9 at 7pm ET, TV One will air 12 Years A Slave: A TV One Special with Cathy Hughes,” the network announced on Monday. “Radio One Founder and Chairperson Ms. Hughes will sit down with the film’s director Steve McQueen and cast members Chiwetel Ejiofor, Lupita Nyong’o and Alfre Woodard to discuss the critically acclaimed film. . . .
- ESPN announced last week it has “reached a multi-year extension with versatile on-air personality Sage Steele. Per the agreement, Steele will take on a new role at ESPN, hosting the Friday and Sunday editions of NBA Countdown — ESPN’s and ABC’s NBA pre-game show. She’ll help form the Friday and Sunday Countdown team with ESPN newcomer and veteran analyst Doug Collins and returning analysts Jalen Rose and Bill Simmons. . . .”
- Sinclair Broadcasting Group Inc. has called “outrageous” [PDF] an assertion by the media activist group Free Press that “claims broadcasters are engaging in ‘covert’ arrangements, using ‘loopholes’ and acting ‘in direct violation of the law.’ In addition, despite specific evidence to the contrary, Free Press claims that, ‘[t]his wave [of acquisitions] is leaving in its wake shuttered newsrooms and jobless journalists in communities all across the country’ resulting in ‘the devastation of community-centered journalism.’ . . .”
- “It is just a little more than two weeks until my company’s newest project, an online magazine called RICA, launches, Alisa Valdes, who describes herself as “Bestselling author, screenwriter, producer, recovering journalist. Mom,” wrote on her blog. “As we prepare for the big debut I’m learning a lot about how many, if not most, Latina freelance writers working in English in the US seems to have been conditioned to pitch stories about Latina victimhood or sexuality in order to sell their work. Neither of these approaches are appropriate to RICA, yet the impulse to “go there” seems absolutely instinctive to many writers, sadly. . . .”
- In Somalia, “Journalist Mohamed Mohamud, commonly known as ‘Tima’ade,’ succumbed to gunshot wounds on Saturday and died at Medina Hospital in the capital, Mogadishu,” local journalists the Committee to Protect Journalists. “Unidentified gunmen shot Mohamed, a reporter for the popular, privately owned, U.K.-based Universal TV, on his way to work on October 22 in the Wadajir district of Mogadishu,” CPJ reported on Monday.
