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HBCU J-Schools Hope Morehouse Gift Can Be a Game-Changer

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Leaders Hope for Rethinking Among Donors

Russians Made Plans to Stoke U.S. Racial Violence

NBC News Picks Multicultural Group of 10 ‘Embeds’

Duncan, Duthiers Join ‘CBS This Morning’ Team

Legislators Want Study of Journalism Diversity

Outlets Find Disturbing Use of Solitary Confinement

Ala. Papers Publish 200 Women on Abortion

Radio, TV Marti Fail Fairness Test, Review Finds

N.Y. Times Reporter Leaves Colombia for His Safety

Reporter Becomes Golden State’s Good Luck Charm

Short Takes

 

 

 

Gift from billionaire Robert F. Smith, right, at Morehouse College’s graduation ceremony set the nation abuzz. (Credit: Atlanta Journal-Constitution.)

Leaders Hope for Rethinking Among Donors

“Education experts hope billionaire Robert F. Smith’s surprise announcement Sunday that he’ll pay the student loan debt for this spring’s graduating class at Morehouse College will be a game changer,” Eric Stirgus wrote Monday for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

You can count leaders of journalism schools at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) among that number, and they have several ways they’d like the game changed. Some bear directly on the schools’ missions.

B. DàVida Plummer

For all the talk of STEM — science, technology, engineering and mathematics — as au courant, B. DàVida Plummer, dean of the Scripps Howard School of Journalism and Communications at Hampton University, told Journal-isms by telephone Tuesday that if a scientist makes an important invention, “You need the storytellers to get the story out.”

DeWayne Wickham, dean of the School of Global Journalism & Communication at Morgan State University, invoked the political direction of the country.

Wickham said by email, “Hopefully other philanthropists will use a portion of their charitable giving to strengthen the ability of HBCUs to prepare the next generation of black journalists, who may well be the bulwark against this nation’s drift toward an American form of apartheid.”

To a person, the five leaders of HBCU journalism schools who commented for Journal-isms praised Smith for his “profound gesture of goodwill, support and encouragement,” “great act of generosity” and the like.

It must be noted, however, that one of the auxiliary benefits of Smith’s gift is the attention it brought to the issue of crushing student debt and the disparity between the endowments at many predominantly white schools and those at HBCUs.

“Smith making this donation to a historically black college adds another layer to the conversation about student debt,” Christopher Rim wrote Monday for Forbes. “Founded two years after the end of the Civil War, Morehouse College is a small, all-male college in Atlanta, Georgia. A historically black school, 95% of students at Morehouse College are African-American.

DeWayne Wickham

“Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have been especially impacted by the student debt crisis, as was detailed in this Wall Street Journal article (subscription required) from last month. Seventy-five percent of students at private HBCUs like Morehouse take out federal loans, compared to 51% at non-HBCU private institutions.

“There are several factors that play into this, including that HBCUs tend to have smaller endowments. Across institution type, black students take on 85% more debt than white students and repay it more slowly — researchers point to increased attendance at predatory for-profit colleges and lower family net wealth as possible factors.

“Regardless, black students are uniquely impacted by the student debt crisis, and this donation has brought this issue further into the light, the first step towards real change. . . .”

Michael Arceneaux, a 2007 Howard University graduate, wrote Tuesday for NBC Think that his “private student loans soon not merely pushed me against the wall, but also swatted me to the ground; I’ve been trying to stand taller ever since. . . .”

Today, Howard University points to an increasing number of donations, despite damaging headlines from a misappropriation scandal last year. In January, the Alfred Street Baptist Church in nearby Alexandria, Va., gave $100,000 to the university, paying the debts of 34 students, noted Gracie Lawson-Borders, dean of the Cathy Hughes School of Communications.

David P. Bennett, Howard’s vice president for development, said FY18 fundraising totaled $20,281,304, up 29 percent over FY17 ($15,685,304).

Board of Trustees giving in 2018 was $5,520,991, a 217 percent increase from the previous year, he said. Bennett would not disclose how much was earmarked for the School of Communications, saying through spokesperson Alonda Thomas, “Unfortunately, we don’t disclose those figures by school or college.”

Some school leaders say it makes a difference when the funds are released and for what purposes.

Michelle Ferrier

“I am just coming from our National Alumni Association convention in Birmingham,” Michelle Ferrier, dean of the School of Journalism & Graphic Communication at Florida A&M University, said by email.

“My biggest ask: scholarship funds to support student travel and incentive scholarships for incoming students. One of my concerns is that the financial aid system makes it near impossible for us to offer scholarships to graduates. Unless the funds are going to pay off tuition or remaining bills.

“There is no mechanism in place to pay it forward. What would be valuable is for higher ed to create the funding structures to offer funds post-graduation to erase student debt, fund startups by alums and assist with moving/relocation expenses.”

At Morgan State, Jacqueline (Jackie) Jones, assistant dean for programs and chair, Department of Multimedia Journalism, said of Morehouse’s benefactor, “I hope his spirit of generosity spreads like wildfire throughout the HBCU world, but I think we would be better served on the front end. A large scholarship endowment that would allow us to offer more full-ride scholarships would help HBCUs compete against PWIs [predominantly white institutions] and increase the number of college applicants.”

Hampton’s Plummer said she wished there were money set aside for student emergencies, or for when students need just a little more money to enable them to continue. She said she’d also like to see more endowments, so that the interest earned from the donations can be used for succeeding generations.

The Dallas Morning News also pointed to the need for more financial innovation. A “local visionary like Paul Quinn College President Michael Sorrell created an education and work model that draws on major donors and corporate sponsors to reduce the debt burden of higher education,” the Morning News editorialized Tuesday. “Paul Quinn students work and use part of their paychecks to offset the cost of attendance, cutting tuition and fees by almost $10,000. Likewise, the Dallas County Promise has amassed a coalition of nonprofits, employers, public school districts and community colleges and universities to help more Dallas County students complete college sooner with less debt and begin careers, too. . . .”

Plummer emphasized an element overlooked in much of the commentary: The parents. “Any working family that has a kid” should be thinking about preparing for college costs early on — when the child is 3 or 4. Often the parent thinks along those lines, but “life intervenes” and more pressing matters interrupt.

“Let’s savor the moment,” she said of Smith’s benevolence. But remember, Plummer added, parents “need to invest in their children from Day One.”

 


(Credit: NBC News) (video)

Russians Made Plans to Stoke U.S. Racial Violence

“Russians who were linked to interference in the 2016 U.S. election discussed ambitious plans to stoke unrest and even violence inside the U.S. as recently as 2018, according to documents reviewed by NBC News,” Richard Engel, Kate Benyon-Tinker and Kennett Werner reported Monday for NBC News.

They also wrote, “The documents contained proposals for several ways to further exacerbate racial discord in the future, including a suggestion to recruit African Americans and transport them to camps in Africa ‘for combat prep and training in sabotage.’ Those recruits would then be sent back to America to foment violence and work to establish a pan-African state in the South, particularly in South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.

“There is no indication that the plan — which is light on details — was ever put into action, but it offers a fresh example of the mindset around Russian efforts to sow discord in the U.S.

“The blueprint, entitled ‘Development Strategy of a Pan-African State on U.S. Territory,’ floated the idea of enlisting poor, formerly incarcerated African Americans ‘who have experience in organized crime groups’ as well as members of “radical black movements for participation in civil disobedience actions.’ . . .”

The story also said, “The documents were obtained through the Dossier Center, a London-based investigative project funded by Russian opposition figure Mikhail Khodorkovsky. NBC News has not independently verified the materials, but forensic analysis by the Dossier Center appeared to substantiate the communications.

“One document said that President Donald Trump’s election had ‘deepened conflicts in American society’ and suggested that, if successful, the influence project would ‘undermine the country’s territorial integrity and military and economic potential.’ . . .”

In its “State of Black America” report this month, the National Urban League highlighted Russia’s use of race as a weapon to divide Americans and dissuade African Americans from voting, a dynamic it said had been overlooked in the public discussion of Russian interference.

NBC’s embed class for the 2020 election (Credit: NBC)

NBC News Picks Multicultural Group of 10 ‘Embeds’

NBC News has announced its 2020 embed class, 10 reporters and producers who “obsessively follow a campaign or move to an early voting state, racking up airline miles and hotel points while serving as the news division’s eyes and ears on the ground,” Michael Calderone reported Monday for Politico.

The NBC embed team for 2020 includes eight women and several journalists of color, Calderone wrote, quoting political director Chuck Todd: “We have the 10 best people here, regardless of what they look like and where they came from,” adding that the network considered “all sorts of diversity, including geographic.

“I think if you don’t look like 21st century America,” he added, “then you can’t cover American politics very well.”

Todd also said, “A network embed’s primary job — capturing whatever a candidate does and says on the campaign trail — hasn’t changed much over time.” But in 2020, Calderone wrote, quoting Todd, NBC embeds’ reporting “is going to be used 7,000 different ways.”

This cycle, the NBC embeds’ video and written work, once meant largely for internal consumption, will be spread across the broadcast network, MSNBC, CNBC, Telemundo, NBCNews.com, on podcasts and on platforms such as Snapchat and YouTube, Todd said.

The group of 10 reporters and producers, selected from more than 300 applicants, consists of Maura Barrett, Micki Fahner, Amanda Golden, Gary Grumbach, Jordan Jackson, Julia Jester, Ben Pu, Marianna Sotomayor, Deepa Shivaram and Priscilla Thompson.

Todd, who hosts “Meet the Press,” oversees the embed program with NBC News Politics managing editor Dafna Linzer.

ABC News announced its diverse embed team of 18 in March.

Clockwise, from bottom left: Anthony Mason, Anna Werner, David Begnaud, Jericka Duncan, Vladimir Duthiers, Tony Dokoupil and Gayle King. (Credit: CBS)

Duncan, Duthiers Join ‘CBS This Morning’ Team

“CBS THIS MORNING will have a team of correspondents dedicated to the Network’s flagship morning program, it was announced today by executive producer Diana Miller,” the network said on Sunday. “CBS News’ David Begnaud, Jericka Duncan, Anna Werner and Vladimir Duthiers will appear on CBS THIS MORNING along with co-hosts Gayle King, Anthony Mason and Tony Dokoupil to deliver original reporting on the day’s top stories, investigative reports and news-making interviews that will distinguish the broadcast.

“ ‘Having a dedicated team of correspondents will provide a consistent, high level of original reporting that viewers can count on each day,’ said Miller. ‘Each one of them brings something different to the broadcast and is focused on our mission of hard news with a heart.’

“Their reporting will also be featured on the CBS EVENING NEWS, our streaming network CBSN and all other CBS News platforms . .  . .”

The National Hispanic Media Coalition was not pleased. It said in a statement Wednesday that CBS “failed miserably in representing the nation’s largest and fastest growing minority by not hiring at least one qualified Latino reporter or anchor on either one of its national news broadcasts.”

Alex Nogales, president and CEO of NHMC, said in the release, “There is no doubt that this is a business about ratings. However, [CBS News President Susan] Zirinsky should focus just as much effort into diversifying her newsrooms by hiring qualified Latino journalists on air as she is by trying to turn a profit. Latino journalists are not only important because they sit at the table with decision makers, but also cover more accurate portrayals of the beliefs and experiences of the Latino community, which represents 18.9% of the U.S. population — the biggest and growing ethnic minority in the nation. . . .”

Legislators Want Study of Journalism Diversity

Lynn, Mass. (Credit: World Atlas)

In Massachusetts, “State Rep. Lori Ehrlich and State. Sen. Brendan Crighton have teamed up to file a bill addressing diversity in journalism,” Sue Woodcock reported Friday for the Lynn Journal.

“The bill H.181 would establish a commission to study journalism in underserved communities. The bill has been sent to the committee on community development and small businesses.

“If approved there will be a non-binding study relative to communities underserved by local journalism in Massachusetts; review all aspects of local journalism including, but not limited to, the adequacy of press coverage of cities and towns, ratio of residents to media outlets, the history of local news in Massachusetts, print and digital business models for media outlets, the impact of social media on local news, strategies to improve local news access, public policy solutions to improve the sustainability of local press business models and private and nonprofit solutions, and identifying career pathways and existing or potential professional development opportunities for aspiring journalists in Massachusetts. . . .”

The 17-member commission would include a member each from the Boston Association of Black Journalists, National Association of Hispanic Journalists,  Asian American Journalists Association of New England and the Ida B. Wells Society.


(Credit: International Consortium of Investigative Journalists) (video)

Outlets Find Disturbing Use of Solitary Confinement

“Dulce Rivera lived for the one hour a day she was allowed to walk outside on a patch of concrete surrounded by metal fencing,” Hannah Rappleye, Andrew W. Lehren, Spencer Woodman and Vanessa Swales reported Tuesday for the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.

“The 36-year-old transgender woman from Central America was locked in solitary confinement at a New Mexico detention center that housed immigrants in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. For 23 hours a day, she remained alone in a cell, with no one to talk to and nothing to distract from her increasingly dark thoughts.

” ‘You never know what day it is, what time it is,’ said Rivera, who has struggled with mental illness. ‘Sometimes you never see the sun.’

“Rivera was placed in isolation because of allegations, later determined to be unfounded, that she had kissed and touched other detainees, records show.

“Nearly four weeks into her stint in solitary, she lost her will to live. She fashioned a noose from a torn blanket and hanged herself from the cell’s ceiling vent — only to be saved by a passing guard.

“Rivera was rushed to a hospital. Upon her return to the detention center, she was labeled a suicide threat and placed back in solitary, under even more restrictions.

“Thousands of others were outlined in a trove of government documents that shed new light on the widespread use of solitary confinement for immigrant detainees in ICE custody under both the Obama and Trump administrations.

“The newly obtained documents paint a disturbing portrait of a system where detainees are sometimes forced into extended periods of isolation for reasons that have nothing to do with violating any rules.

“Disabled immigrants in need of a wheelchair or cane. Those who identify as gay. Those who report abuse from guards or other detainees. . . .”

They also wrote, “The data, along with a review of thousands of pages of documents, including detention records and court filings, and interviews with dozens of current and former detainees from across the globe — India to Egypt to Nicaragua — offers an expansive look at how the practice of solitary confinement has been used in the nation’s civil immigration detention system.

“The bulk of the records, which document solitary cases from March 2012 to March 2017, were obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and shared through a partnership with NBC News and five other news organizations. . . .”

Ala. Papers Publish 200 Women on Abortion

“Alabama’s major newspapers on Sunday devoted their entire editions to the voices of hundreds of women in the state, giving them the spotlight to draw attention to the fact that ‘a majority of men in the state legislature spoke for them’ last week in passing the nation’s strictest abortion ban,” Marina Fang reported Monday for HuffPost.

“More than 200 women wrote essays published Sunday in the three newspapers owned by the Alabama Media Group — The Birmingham News, Huntsville Times, and Mobile Press-Register — with some of the writers sharing their own stories of receiving abortions. The package of essays was also featured at the top of the Alabama Media Group’s website, with the headline ‘Alabama women speak out.’

“When the Alabama state Senate last week passed legislation criminalizing nearly all abortions, with no exceptions for rape and incest, all 25 votes in favor of the bill were from white men. There are only four women in the entire state Senate, serving alongside 31 men. . . .”

Radio, TV Marti Fail Fairness Test, Review Finds

“A U.S. agency that is supposed to broadcast objective Spanish-language news programs into Cuba fails to meet basic standards of journalistic fairness and last month let an anchor describe Trump administration officials as the ‘dream team’ for Cuba policy, according to an independent review,” Aaron C. Davis reported Tuesday for the Washington Post.

“The analysis of content aired and published by Radio and Television Martí, a sister agency to the better-known Voice of America, was launched by the broadcasters’ parent organization after reports that Martí had aired anti-Semitic segments disparaging philanthropist and prominent Democratic donor George Soros.

“The review of Martí content, conducted by Spanish-speaking academics and former journalists and released Tuesday, found the news organization routinely allows ‘almost any criticism of the Cuban government and its leaders’ on the air. The effect, the report concluded, is that the station has sometimes resembled anti-communist propaganda and has failed to be a broker of fair and unbiased broadcast journalism, as is mandated by Congress. . . . ”

Nicholas Casey wrote, “this type of accusation is false, and serious given the lack of security that . . . we find in this country as journalists.” (Credit: Nicholas Casey)

N.Y. Times Reporter Leaves Colombia for His Safety

Nicholas Casey, New York Times bureau chief for the Andean region, left Colombia for his own safety (in Spanish) after reporting Saturday that the head of the Colombian army had ordered his troops to double the number of criminals and guerrillas killed or captured, endangering the lives of civilians, the Colombian newspaper El Tiempo reported Sunday.

“I had to take the measure to stay out of the country because of the false accusations that were launched (Saturday) on Twitter by María Fernanda Cabal and replicated by several politicians in the last 24 hours,” Casey told El Tiempo via email on Sunday, the publication said.

The senator tweeted a message in which two images of the reporter appeared and this text: “This is the ‘journalist’ Nicholas Casey, who in 2016 was on tour with the Farc in the jungle. How much will you have been paid for this story? And for the now, against the Colombian Army? #CaseyEsFakeNews.”

Casey said that “this type of accusation is false, and serious given the lack of security that Cabal knows we find in this country as journalists.” The Times responded to the senator, saying that it reports in an “accurate and impartial” manner, El Tiempo said.

Casey’s story, “Colombia Army’s New Kill Orders Send Chills Down Ranks,” led the print edition of Sunday’s Times.

Reporter Becomes Golden State’s Good Luck Charm

“Minutes before the start of Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals, the Warriors huddled around Geoffrey Arnold, a sports reporter from The Oregonian, since the team needed to find a replacement for Kevin Durant at the center of their pregame huddle,” Eric Ting reported Tuesday for sfgate.com, a website of the San Francisco Chronicle.

“After the Warriors won, [Golden State Warriors’ Draymond] Green promised to pay for Arnold’s plane ticket to the NBA Finals.

” ‘You was good luck today,’ Green told Arnold at the postgame press conference.

” ‘You guys gonna fly me down for the Finals?’ Arnold asked.

” ‘Absolutely,’ the Warriors star responded. ‘I’ll pay for the ticket myself. Hey Raymond, I got to buy his flight to the Finals. I ain’t paying for your hotel though.’

“SFGATE reached out to Raymond Ridder, the team official Green referenced, to see if Green followed through on his promise, but did not hear back at the time of publication.

“Before the game, Stephen Curry put his arm around an unsuspecting Arnold while he was standing near the locker room entrance and had him walk into the middle of the team huddle. . . .”

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