Barry Bingham Sr. Fellowship, Rewarding Diversity Efforts, Began with Editorial Writers Group in 1990
Homepage photo: Audience members at a Feb. 1 Black History Month event at the Catholic University of America ask questions of Rachel L. Swarns of New York University, 2023 winner of the Barry Bingham Sr. Fellowship and author of the bestseller “The 272 – The Families Who Were Enslaved and Sold to Build the American Catholic Church.” (Credit: Patrick Ryan/ Catholic University of America)
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Julian Rodriguez of the University of Texas, Arlington, accepts the Barry Bingham Sr. Fellowship award in 2015 at the Association of Opinion Journalists Symposium, held at the Poynter Institute. (Credit: John McClelland/YouTube)
Barry Bingham Sr. Fellowship, Rewarding Diversity Efforts, Began with Editorial Writers Group in 1990
WASHINGTON, D.C., November 15, 2024 – Journal-isms, an influential nonprofit dedicated to chronicling diversity in the media industry through words and conversations, announced today that it will assume stewardship of the Barry Bingham Sr. Fellowship Award.
“As the NLA Board of Directors continues to move its programs to premier non-profit organizations, we are pleased that Richard Prince and the Journal-isms Board of Directors will oversee the annual Barry Bingham Sr. Fellowship Award, honoring journalism educators who champion inclusive news coverage in our nation’s diverse communities,” said Myriam Marquez, executive director of the News Leaders Association, successor to the American Society of News Editors and Associated Press Managing Editors.
Founded by respected journalist Richard Prince, Journal-isms has long been at the forefront of promoting diversity in media discussions and coverage. The organization’s assumption of the Barry Bingham Sr. Fellowship award follows the dissolution of the News Leaders Association, under whose leadership the award was previously managed. It was created by the National Conference of Editorial Writers, later the Association of Opinion Journalists.
The Bingham family at Christmas, 1959. The legendary family, longtime publishers of the Courier-Journal in Louisville, Ky., was featured last year in an exhibit at the Roots 101 Museum in Louisville that shared stories of white allies who stood against racial inequalities and helped the Black community. (Credit: Billy Davis via Courier-Journal.)
“We’re proud to carry on the legacy of Mr. Bingham and to recognize educators who are championing diverse representation in journalism,” said Prince. “Since 2002, I’ve chaired the judging of this fellowship, and I’m continually inspired by the educators who dedicate their careers to uplifting students of color and ensuring a more inclusive future for journalism.”
The Barry Bingham Sr. Fellowship was first awarded in 1990 to honor Bingham’s contributions to civil rights, education, and the media. Joanna Wragg, former editorial page editor of the Miami Herald, remembered, “. . . As best I can recall, Mr. Bingham Sr. had been considered a champion of civil rights advocacy through the ’60s and ’70s, at a time when many Southern papers were struggling with those issues. He was part of that generation of white Southerners, along with Ralph McGill and some others, whom we considered to be examples of courage and decency.”
Richard Prince’s Journal-isms is committed to continuing this legacy by shining a spotlight on educators who mentor students of color and advocate for journalism programs that empower the next generation of diverse voices.
“Educators play a vital role in fostering representation in newsrooms, and their mentorship has a lasting impact on students and the industry,” Prince added. “Through this award, we honor those who help students of color find their voice in journalism.”
This announcement comes as Journal-isms celebrates 33 years of advancing diversity in journalism. As the award finds a new home with Journal-isms, the organization remains dedicated to ensuring that Bingham’s vision of an inclusive media landscape endures.
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); David G. Armstrong, Georgia State University (2016); Gerald Jordan, University of Arkansas (2017), Bill Celis, University of Southern California (2018); Laura Castañeda, University of Southern California (2019); Mei-Ling Hopgood, Northwestern University (2020); Wayne Dawkins, Morgan State University (2021); Marquita Smith of the University of Mississippi (2022), and Rachel Swarns, New York University (2023).
For more information, contact Neil Foote, Journal-isms board chair, at 214.448.3765 or via email at neil (at) neilfoote.com.
- Ken Molestina, KTVT/KTXA, Fort Worth, Texas: Professor Julian Rodriguez celebrates 15 years of shaping bilingual journalists at UT Arlington (Oct. 2)
- Andrew Wolfson, Courier-Journal, Louisville, Ky.: For 150 years, the Courier Journal has fought for justice and fairness (Nov. 8, 2018, updated Nov. 20, 2018)