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Gruden’s Out, but What About the Rest?

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Oct. 14 update: NABJ Announces 2021 Hall of Fame Inductees, Special Honors Recipients and Finalists

Commentators Say NFL Has Lots to Explain
Calif. Press Gets ‘Unfettered Access’ to Protests
MSNBC’s Rashida Jones Faces Daunting Tasks
Claire Smith to Lead Temple U. Sports Media Center
Smaller Newsrooms Less Favorable to Diversity

N.Y. Times Replaces Student Journalism Institute
Diverse Team to Take on N.Y. Times Culture
Troubled ‘Golden Globes’ Group Seeks Out NAACP
FCC Urged to Examine Own Role in Inequities
Chicago Sun-Times Creates Newsroom DEI Post
Stations in Orlando, Puerto Rico Collaborate
Radio Journalist in Colombia Now a GOP Spokesman

Passings:
Clara McLaughlin, Publisher
Mansfield Frazier, Cleveland Activist
Gerardo Moreno Aranda, Investigative Journalist

Friday Is Deadline to Nominate a J-Educator

Short Takes: “We Are CNN”; Lisa Ling; Native American Journalists Association election; Oxford Climate Journalism Network; chokehold revealed; apologies for white broadcasters’ “afros”; saving San Antonio college paper; “critical race theory” smears fade; Empire State Building tribute to Fox; Talia Parkinson-Jones; John Quinones; Shaquille Brewster’s assailant; David Ono; Friends of the Chicago Reporter;

Muriel Pearson; Steve Coll; Quiana Burns; Albert Ramon; Phillip Sungyong Han; Sage Steele; “Five Tropes Local TV News Uses to Dehumanize Homeless People”; Attica uprising revisited; Frank Somerville reinstatement urged; editorial on high-school racism; Natalie Morales; Ben Fong-Torres; race and Canada’s National Newspaper Awards; Britain’s Black History Month offerings; Algerian journalist sentenced; disabled journalists in Latin America; fatal attack on Pakistani journalist; Tunisian television station shuttered; press freedom prizes for Latin America; Palestinian photographer honored; expansion of Report for the World.

Homepage photo: Jon Gruden, center, in “Monday Night Football” booth

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Commentators Say NFL Has Lots to Explain

“The sports world is still buzzing about Jon Gruden stepping down as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders following the discovery that he had sent multiple emails to associates using racist, anti-gay and misogynistic language,” Tom Jones wrote Wednesday for the Poynter Institute. “Less than an hour after The New York Times’ Ken Belson and Katherine Rosman published a story Monday night with the details of the emails, Gruden resigned.

“Gruden’s emails were over a seven-year period while he was an analyst for ESPN. Originally, just one email in which Gruden used a racial trope to describe NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith was known publicly — thanks to a story last week by The Wall Street Journal’s Andrew Beaton (paywall). Gruden apologized for what he said.

“That led to various reactions, from condemnations of Gruden (his former player Keyshawn Johnson called him a ‘fraud’) to calls for forgiveness.

“During the ‘Sunday Night Football’ telecast on NBC, analyst Tony Dungy said, ‘What Jon Gruden did in that (racist) email — definitely insensitive, definitely inappropriate, definitely immature — I thought he attacked the character of a man. But he apologized for it. He said it wasn’t racially motivated. I have to believe him. I think this was an incident that was 10 years ago. He apologized. I think we need to accept that apology and move on.’ . . .”

But Dungy was in the minority among Black commentators. Many asked, when are the others who think like Gruden going to be rooted out?

Jemele Hill wrote in The Atlantic under the headline, “ don’t be surprised as to why the things are the way they are in terms of coaching, in terms of hiring and development and all of these things. This is the underbelly behind the shiny face of the NFL.”

William Rhoden, who was interviewed Tuesday on the “CBS Evening News,” wrote for The Undefeated, “The NFL has gotten rid of its Gruden problem. It has not gotten rid of Gruden-ism: regressive sensibilities that stand foursquare against diversity, inclusion and tolerance.”

Black commentators were not the only ones thinking that way. The headline on Kurt Streeter’s “Sports of The Times” column in The New York Times: “TheWhat Gruden’s Emails Tell Us About the N.F.L.’s Hypocrisy.”

Calif. Press Gets ‘Unfettered Access’ to Protests

As California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a new state law requiring police to allow journalists access to closed-off demonstrations and protests, the Justice Department is appealing to journalists to contact the department with concerns about police interactions with them.

The new California law, “Senate Bill 98, requires that journalists be given unfettered access to closed-off protests,” Andrew Sheeler reported Sunday for the Sacramento Bee, “and prohibits law enforcement officers from assaulting, interfering or obstructing journalists from covering such events.

“Journalists at such scenes ‘shall not be cited for the failure to disperse, violation of a curfew or resisting arrest,’ according to a California Senate floor analysis of the bill.”

The Justice Department appeal Tuesday came as a follow-up to a Journal-isms Roundtable discussion Sept. 28 with DOJ officials.

“The Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice is currently conducting a civil investigation into whether there is reasonable cause to believe that the police departments in Louisville, Kentucky; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Phoenix, Arizona have engaged in a pattern or practice of civil rights violations,” it reads.

“Among other things, each investigation is examining the police departments’ handling of protest activities, including police interactions with journalists. If you have information you would like to share about this issue, we encourage you to reach out to the Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section via the respective email or phone number listed below that corresponds with each investigation.

“LOUISVILLE – Email: Community.Louisville@usdoj.gov. Toll-free phone: 844.920.1460

“MINNEAPOLIS – Email: Community.Minneapolis@usdoj.gov Toll-free phone: 866.432.0268

“PHOENIX – Email: Phoenix.Community@usdoj.gov Toll-free phone: 866.432.0335.”

MSNBC’s Rashida Jones Faces Daunting Tasks

Rashida Jones (pictured, by Sharon Farmer/’sfphotoworks), the first Black journalist to head a mainstream network or a news division, “is in just her first year as president of MSNBC, the NBCUniversal cable news network that makes the bulk of its revenue from a primetime lineup that tilts toward progressive politics, and that may be in flux in the not-too-distant future,” Variety’s Brian Steinberg wrote Thursday.

Steinberg’s piece appeared under the headline, “New MSNBC President Rashida Jones Faces Challenges That Would Make Cable News Veterans Shudder.”

“It’s a scenario that even the most veteran news executive would rather not face. MSNBC and its corporate parent are in talks with its star anchor, Rachel Maddow, about a new content portfolio that could have her scale back on the 9 p.m. MSNBC program for which she is best known and produce a wider array of ventures. Doing so may leave Jones having to rebuild a primetime lineup — just as the audiences who flocked to cable news during the election are dissipating and as TV viewers overall abandon live programming for on-demand streaming.

“In the third quarter, MSNBC’s total day viewership among people between 25 and 54, the audience preferred by advertisers in news programming, was off 48% from the year-earlier period, according to Nielsen. CNN’s was off by 46%, while Fox News Channel’s was down 25%. . . .

“There is some expectation that Jones will test unique and format-busting concepts. . . .”

Claire Smith to Lead Temple U. Sports Media Center

“A pioneering sportswriter with Philadelphia roots will help lead a new sports media center at Temple University, the school announced Wednesday,” Scott Lauber reported Oct. 6 for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

“Claire Smith, a Temple graduate and the first woman to be honored by the National Baseball Hall of Fame, will join the faculty at the Klein College of Media and Communication and serve as co-director of the Claire Smith Center for Sports Media.

“The university is about two-thirds of the way to raising $1 million to establish and name the center, which has a stated vision of teaching, professional training, and research in sports journalism, broadcasting, advertising, public relations, production, and social influence. . . .”

The Los Angeles chapters of the Asian American Journalists Association and the National Association of Black Journalists held a virtual discussion about diversity and journalism featuring two of Southern California’s most prominent newsroom leaders of color: Pam Chen, KABC-TV vice president and news director, and Kevin Merida, Los Angeles Times executive editor. The conversation was moderated by Frank Buckley, KTLA-TV news anchor, and Erika D. Smith, Los Angeles Times columnist.

Smaller Newsrooms Less Favorable to Diversity

Conversations taking place at a national level about diversity, equity and inclusion “have not always permeated down to local newsrooms,” according to a report from the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, which surveyed more than 300 newsroom employees at print publications with a circulation below 50,000.  

“Respondents highlighted lack of resources, buy-in from management, demographics (especially in rural America), and gaps in their own skills and knowledge as potential obstacles to addressing these issues. DEI was typically seen through a racial lens, although other considerations were also discussed.”

In addition, “Set against the backdrop of COVID-19, survey respondents shared how the pandemic — as well as wider deep-rooted challenges — were redefining their work.”

Internationally, the Reuters Institute in March analyzed the percentage of non-white top editors in 100 major online and offline news outlets in countries across four continents: Brazil, Germany, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States.

“Overall, 15% of the 80 top editors across the 100 brands covered are non-white, despite the fact that, on average, 42% of the general population across all five countries are non-white. If we set aside South Africa and look at the four other countries covered, 5% of the top editors are non-white, compared to, on average, 30% of the general population. There has been no significant overall increase in the number of non-white top editors over the last year across the markets covered. . . .”

Over three months, 46 students at the New York Times Student Journalism Institute had a single focus: reporting on victims of police violence. (Credit: New York TImes)

N.Y. Times Replaces Student Journalism Institute

“The New York Times is launching a first-of-its-kind talent pipeline program for early-college students to receive career guidance from Times journalists over a multiyear period,” the Times has announced.

“The program, named The New York Times Corps, will pair college freshmen, sophomores and some juniors who aspire to have journalism careers with Times journalists. Students will talk with their advisers perhaps two or three times a year, up to the duration of students’ undergraduate careers. Those conversations will focus specifically on career-building advice. Occasional speakers, training and activities will punctuate the experience.”

The Times also said in its Sept. 27 announcement, “The Times Corps will replace the Student Journalism Institute.

“The goal is to incorporate some of the best elements of the Institute into the Times Corps, such as speakers and training sessions and a visit to New York City.”

The Times opted not to provide both the fellows program and the institute. “We found that the Institute overlapped quite a bit with our fellowship program,” Theodore Kim (pictured), director of newsroom career programs, messaged Journal-isms.

“Candidates of color often applied for both. The Institute also took a lot of sweat equity to put on and it was largely focused around a print product. And we have been looking for ways to evolve the Institute to better meet the needs of today’s students.”

In an introduction to the 2021 class, the Times said, “Founded in 2003, The Institute is a skills-development ‘boot camp’ for collegiate members of the National Association of Black Journalists, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, the Asian American Journalists Association or the Native American Journalists Association, (or December or May graduates of) a historically black college or university.

“More than 500 students have graduated from the program since its inception, with alumni going on to work at such outlets as The Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times and The Boston Globe. Other alumni now work at companies like Facebook, Google and Slack.”

Diverse Team to Take on N.Y. Times Culture

The New York Times has assembled a diverse team to “usher in a new era of career development and newsroom culture,” the news organization announced Wednesday.

“Our central aim is to demystify how people thrive and get ahead at The Times, and help more people do so,” said Deputy Managing Editor Carolyn Ryan (pictured). 

The team consists of Vivian Toy, director of career mobility; Keiko Morris, director of journalism recruiting; Charo Henríquez, editor, newsroom development and support; Theodore Kim, director of career programs; Charlotte Behrendt, director of policy and internal investigations; and Sharon Chan, deputy, Newsroom Culture and Careers department.

Troubled ‘Golden Globes’ Group Seeks Out NAACP

“In its latest step to address the ongoing firestorm that has threatened the future of the Golden Globe Awards, the embattled Hollywood Foreign Press Assn announced Thursday that it has forged a five-year collaborative partnership with the NAACP,” Josh Rottenberg reported for the Los Angeles Times.

Separately, the association announced the selection of 21 new members in response to its expressed commitment to improving diversity among its membership ranks.

“Among the new members are six Black journalists including NABJ member Kelley Carter of ESPN’s The Undefeated, who is also chair of NABJ’s Arts & Entertainment Task Force,” the National Association of Black Journalists reported Oct. 1. “The other five Black members are journalist and producer KJ Matthews, Earl Gibson III of Getty Images, Kimberly Reyes of Film Ireland; Rubén Peralta Rigaud of SensaCine, and Jânio Carlos Vieira Nazareth of Cinépop.”

The HFPA also added five new people to its nine-member Credentials Committee. The group helps select new members.

FCC Urged to Examine Own Role in Inequities

“In September, more than 100 organizations and community leaders submitted a letter to FCC Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel urging the agency to ‘acknowledge that its policies and practices are a primary reason why deep structural inequities exist in the media and telecom industries that have harmed the Black community,‘ ” Alicia Bell and Joseph Torres wrote Friday in a guest column in the Hollywood Reporter.

“The letter was organized jointly by Free Press’ Media 2070 project, which advocates for media reparations for the Black community, and MediaJustice, a leader of the movement to create just and participatory media. Signers include the African American Policy Forum, BLD PWR, Color of Change, Greenpeace US, Mijente and the National Association of Black Journalists.

“The Media 2070 letter followed one from Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D–New York) and 24 of his House colleagues, who called on the FCC to conduct an equity audit to ‘address and redress the harm the agency’s policies and programs have caused Black and brown communities.’ ”

Bell is a co-creator of Media 2070. She served as the founding director of Media 2070 and is now director of the Racial Equity in Journalism Fund at Borealis Philanthropy. With Juan González, Torres, also of Free Press, co-authored “News for All the People: The Epic Story of Race and the American Media” in 2011.

Chicago Sun-Times Creates Newsroom DEI Post


Former Chicago Sun-Times reporter and editor Norman Parish (pictured) returned to the news organization Monday to fill the new position of deputy managing editor for DEI/administration and planning.

“For those in the newsroom who don’t know Norm, he brings formidable journalism experience to the job, including stints with the Daily Southtown, St. Louis Post Dispatch, the Arizona Republic and the Plain Dealer, among others,” Steve Warmbir, interim editor-in-chief, wrote in an email to staff members.

“Norm’s latest role was as director of recruitment at Report for America, which the Sun-Times established an early partnership with. At RFA, Norm recruited prospective corps members and newsrooms at a time of dramatic expansion for the program, which went from 60 to 300 journalists.”

Meanwhile, “Chicago Public Media, parent of one of the most prominent public radio stations in the country, WBEZ, has signed a letter of intent” to acquire the Sun-Times. “The move would further transform the city’s news environment, recently shaken by a hedge fund’s acquisition of the Chicago Tribune and buyouts that dramatically cut staffing there,” Mark Jacob reported for the Local News Initiative, part of Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications.

Jacob wrote that, “there’s an ‘expectation’ of 40-50 new hires after the deal closes.”

As part of Hispanic Heritage Month, members of the NBC News NOW team reflect on how their heritage affects both their personal and professional lives.

Stations in Orlando, Puerto Rico Collaborate

“Telemundo stations WTMO (Telemundo 31) Orlando, Fla., and WKAQ (Telemundo Puerto Rico) San Juan, P.R., today announced a news collaboration that will result in their respective audiences receiving live, local news coverage from each market during the stations’ newscasts,” TVNewsCheck reported Oct. 5.

“The Telemundo 31 & Telemundo Puerto Rico news collaboration kicked off today, Oct. 5, at 4 p.m. ET across Noticias Telemundo 31 (WTMO) and Telenoticias (WKAQ) with WTMO Anchor Olga Aymat and WKAQ News Anchor Zugey Lamela at the helm.


“ ‘More than half a million Puerto Ricans now call Central Florida home, following their move to our area after Hurricane Maria impacted the island,’ said Miguelangel Lopez, WTMO VP of news. ‘Working hand in hand with our colleagues at Telemundo Puerto Rico, our viewers can tune in to our newscasts to stay in the know about the latest news affecting their [loved] ones and communities in Puerto Rico as the island continues to face economic and infrastructural crises. ‘ . . .”

Radio Journalist in Colombia Now a GOP Spokesman


Jaime Florez (pictured), the Hispanic communications director for the Republican National Committee, was a radio journalist in Colombia who was very critical of peace talks between the Colombian government and FARC, the guerrilla revolutionary group that has been involved in Colombian conflict for decades. Florez fled the country. 


“There was a time when in a lapse of 10 years, over 100 journalists were killed,” Florez said, Emily Brooks reported Monday for the Washington Examiner. “When a job offer provided the opportunity to move to the U.S., he seized it. The relief that comes with a sense of security is what stood out to him.”


 Brooks also wrote, “In a celebration of [Hispanic Heritage Month], which runs Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, the Republican National Committee is opening several ‘Hispanic community centers’ and by the end of the month will have them in Doral, Florida; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Texas locations in McAllen, Laredo, and San Antonio.”

Florez wrote a piece for Fox News, “I fled Colombia for the American Dream. Here’s why I became a Republican.”

Passings

Clara McLaughlin, Publisher

“Clara Jackson McLaughlin (pictured), owner and publisher of the Florida Star newspaper, died Sunday in hospice care at her daughter’s house in Houston,“ Matt Soergel reported Oct. 6 for the Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville, Fla., “She was 81.

“Mrs. McLaughlin bought the paper, which is aimed at Jacksonville’s Black community, in 2002. A native of Brunswick, Ga., and a veteran of TV and radio, she also published the Georgia Star.

“Both weekly papers were in large part a family affair, with friends pitching in to make sure they got in the hands of readers. . . .”

McLaughlin also “became owner of an East Texas TV station, KLMG, at least in part, she said, to better reflect the lives of women and minorities. A statement from her paper and the Florida Star said that made [her] the first Black person to own a CBS affiliate station.”

McLaughlin was in this column in 2005, when the New York Times Co. sought to start a “Black” newspaper in Gainesville, Fla., mirroring efforts by mainstream newspaper companies to target the Hispanic market by offering Latino products.

McLaughlin told Journal-isms then that “it made me angry” when she heard the news, and that she went to the Times to make her feelings known to its publisher and executive editor. “We’ll get the readers and they’ll get the ads, because they’re a white company and they have a stronger base,” she said. After protests from McLaughlin and others in the Black press, the Times Co. decided not to market the Gainesville Guardian, a free weekly, as a “Black” newspaper.

Mansfield Frazier, Cleveland Activist


“Mansfield Frazier (pictured), a community activist intent on improving Cleveland and owner of Chateau Hough winery, died at his home surrounded by family Saturday,” Cameron Fields reported Sunday for cleveland.com.

“He was 78 and died of liver cancer, said friend Damian Calvert. . . .”

WKYC added: “The Cleveland native and Hough neighborhood resident was a pillar of the community. Prior to co-founding Chateau Hough in 2010, Frazier, a self-taught writer, served as an editor and contributor for several local and national publications including the Downtown Tab, The Call & Post, CityNews, and Newsweek/The Daily Beast, just to name a few.

“The Greater Cleveland chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists, which Frazier established, released the following statement:

” ‘The Greater Cleveland Association of Black Journalists is mourning the loss of our friend and chapter charter member [Facebook] Mansfield Frazier. He served on our editorial and PR committees.

” ‘As an author, print and radio journalist, and commentator, Mansfield touched so many lives across Greater Cleveland and beyond. His strong voice stirred passion, debate, and always made us think.’ . . .”

Gerardo Moreno Aranda, Investigative Journalist

“Journalist Gerardo Moreno Aranda (pictured) has died while on assignment in Mexico,” Veronica Villafañe reported Tuesday for her Media Moves site. “He was 43.

“Moreno, who worked as a reporter, producer and anchor for Telemundo and Univision stations in Texas and Nevada, was most recently working for conservative website Breitbart, producing Spanish-language investigative reporting. . . .”

Breitbart added, “Aranda was also investigating the narco-politics behind the Haitian migrant crisis at the U.S.-Mexico Border, including the involvement of government officials and criminal organizations in control of human smuggling throughout the country.

“During his trip, Mexican authorities say eyewitnesses saw a strong current pull Aranda into the ocean near Puerto Arista, Chiapas.

“Aranda, whose full name was Gerardo Antonio Moreno Aranda, was an immigrant who obtained U.S. citizenship after moving from Mexico to Texas in 2012. During his time as a journalist in Mexico, Aranda endured threats from criminal organizations for his reporting. . . .

“He began his work with Breitbart’s Cartel Chronicles project in 2016 under an alias due to concerns for his safety. The project allows Mexican journalists and others to write under pseudonyms so they can report truthfully without being murdered by the cartels and corrupt political leaders facing exposure. Aranda only recently began reporting at Breitbart under his own name. . . .”

Friday Is Deadline to Nominate a J-Educator

Mei-Ling Hopgood, 2020 recipient

Beginning in 1990, the Association of Opinion Journalists, now part of the News Leaders Association, annually granted a Barry Bingham Sr. Fellowship — actually an award — “in recognition of an educator’s outstanding efforts to encourage minority students in the field of journalism.”

Since 2000, the recipient has been awarded an honorarium of $1,000 to be used to “further work in progress or begin a new project.”

Past winners include James Hawkins, Florida A&M University (1990); Larry Kaggwa, Howard University (1992); Ben Holman, University of Maryland (1996); Linda Jones, Roosevelt University, Chicago (1998); Ramon Chavez, University of Colorado, Boulder (1999); Erna Smith, San Francisco State (2000); Joseph Selden, Penn State University (2001); Cheryl Smith, Paul Quinn College (2002); Rose Richard, Marquette University (2003).

Also, Leara D. Rhodes, University of Georgia (2004); Denny McAuliffe, University of Montana (2005); Pearl Stewart, Black College Wire (2006); Valerie White, Florida A&M University (2007); Phillip Dixon, Howard University (2008); Bruce DePyssler, North Carolina Central University (2009); Sree Sreenivasan, Columbia University (2010); Yvonne Latty, New York University (2011); Michelle Johnson, Boston University (2012); Vanessa Shelton, University of Iowa (2013); William Drummond, University of California at Berkeley (2014); Julian Rodriguez of the University of Texas at Arlington (2015) (video); David G. Armstrong, Georgia State University (2016) (video); Gerald Jordan, University of Arkansas (2017), Bill Celis, University of Southern California (2018); Laura Castañeda, University of Southern California (2019); and Mei-Ling Hopgood, Northwestern University (pictured) (2020).

Nominations may be emailed to Richard Prince, Opinion Journalism Committee, richardprince (at) hotmail.com. The deadline is Oct. 15. Please use that address only for NLA matters.

Short Takes

The staff of The Ranger in 2017


 

Photographer Annie Liebovitz and Ben Fong-Torres

 


Britain’s World War II “Brown Babies.”

 

Olivier Dubois, a captive in Mali shown on the banner, is the only French citizen held hostage anywhere in the world.

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Richard Prince’s Journal-isms originates from Washington. It began in print before most of us knew what the internet was, and it would like to be referred to as a “column.” Any views expressed in the column are those of the person or organization quoted and not those of any other entity. Send tips, comments and concerns to Richard Prince at journal-isms+owner@groups.io

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