Articles Feature

Lester Holt Stepping Down at ‘NBC Nightly News’

by richard0312

First Black Solo Anchor on Network Evening Program

Up at MSNBC: Psaki, Velshi; Down: Wagner, Phang, Diaz-Balart

Homepage photo: Lester Holt reports the death of Aretha Franklin for “NBC Nightly News” on Aug. 16, 2018. (Credit: NBC)

Support Journal-isms

Donations are tax-deductible.

Lester Holt anchors “NBC Nightly News” on Friday. (Credit: YouTube)

First Black Solo Anchor on Network Evening Program

Lester Holt, anchor and managing editor of “NBC Nightly News” for a decade and the first African American solo anchor on a nightly network news program, announced Monday that he is stepping down from the broadcast at the beginning of the summer.

“Holt will continue to be a fixture at the network with a full-time role at ‘Dateline,’ where he has been the principal anchor for almost 15 years, according to a memo shared with network staff Monday,” Daniel Arkin reported for NBC.

“NBC News did not immediately name Holt’s successor.”

“After 10 years, 17 if you include my years on the weekends, the time has come for me to step away from my role as anchor of ‘Nightly News,’ ” Holt told colleagues. “It has truly been the honor of a lifetime to work with each of you every day, keeping journalism as our true north and our viewers at the center of everything we do,” Holt said in a memo to staffers Monday.

“But before we play the walk off music, I have another announcement. I’m excited to report I will be continuing as anchor of ‘Dateline NBC,’ but for the first time in a full time capacity whereby I will be expanding my footprint on the broadcast and crafting ‘Dateline ‘hours on subjects I care deeply about. I am thrilled to be able to work more closely with my enormously talented friends at Dateline as the broadcast continues to grow and attract new viewers in new places.”

While Holt did not emphasize his race on air, he told Journal-isms when he was named in 2015 that he has “a strong sensitivity” about the story of race and that “It’s a story that, among others, we’ll be going at aggressively.” He also said then that he expected to pay more attention to how technology affects our lives, and that Asian American and Latino journalists are in the NBC pipeline who could one day follow him into the anchor chair.

The National Association of Black Journalists added to Holt’s many honors in 2016 when it named him Journalist of the Year.

When Holt accepted the award at a reception at NBC’s New York headquarters, then-NABJ president Sarah Glover said, “He has done so much – the journalism excellence that he exudes day after day is the gold standard. We thank you for shining a light on great journalism and for leading the way.”

Holt said at the occasion, “Our diversity in newsrooms simply makes us better. When we sit in our editorial meetings every afternoon at ‘Nightly News,’ that diversity of race, culture and sexual identity – all of those things come into place when we start discussing news of the day and everybody can bring something to the table. That just simply makes us better journalists. So, I want to applaud NABJ for what the organization continues to do, it’s incredibly vital.”

Holt also discussed there the Black anchors who came before him, mentioning Max Robinson, Carole Simpson, Bryant Gumbel and Bernard Shaw. “These are people that opened the doors for people like me to walk through and therefore it’s incumbent on all of us to remember that many of us are the products of great mentors.”

A younger Lester Holt reports for Chicago’s WBBM-TV in 1991. (Credit: YouTube)

Racial protest gave many of them a boost, including Holt. “A native Californian who had worked in Los Angeles and New York, Holt started in Chicago in 1986 after the Operation PUSH-led boycott of WBBM, over issues of minority representation and coverage, seriously damaged its standing among viewers,” Steve Johnson wrote in 2013 for the Chicago Tribune. “So did subsequent management stabs at a more tabloid-style newscast.

More recently, after the protests over the police killing of George Floyd in 2020, NBCUniversal News Group Chairman Cesar Conde set a goal of having a 50 percent diverse work force across his division.

In Chicago, “Holt teamed with Linda MacLennan to front the flagship 10 p.m. news in 1995. While they were a polished, professional team, nothing the station could do would improve the ratings.”

But that was then. Today, Geoff Bennett is co-anchor of the “PBS News Hour” and Maurice DuBois is the new co-anchor of the “CBS Evening News.” Both are Black men.

Bennett (pictured) messaged Journal-isms Monday, “Lester Holt is the epitome of journalistic excellence and one of the most trusted voices in news. His impact on the industry is undeniable, and his commitment to delivering the news with professionalism and humanity is something we all admire. He’s also one of the kindest and most gracious people you’ll ever meet in this business — his generosity is just as impressive as his journalism.”

Brian Steinberg wrote Monday for Variety, “Holt has been a calming presence at NBC News, where his unflappable and low-key demeanor helped the news division move forward after a period of tumult. He took over ‘Nightly’ duties after his predecessor, Brian Williams, was removed following scrutiny of claims the latter made about the details of a reporting trip to Iraq.

“Holt has tried to stretch new muscles, always conscious that traditional TV viewers, once wed to watching evening news after coming home from work on a set in the living or family room, were interacting with such content in different ways. ‘A year or two from now, people might be watching us on their toaster,’ Holt told Variety in 2015, ‘and we’ve got to be there to put butter on the bread.”

“In 2020, he launched a ‘Kids’ Edition’ of ‘Nightly.’ During some broadcasts, Holt talked to Sesame Street characters about mental health awareness, and looked at the birth of a rare antelope at the Oregon Zoo. He has also tinkered with the ‘Nightly’ ‘closing, delivering in somber national moments something more reflective and nuanced than the typical anodyne sign off. One day before the 2020 presidential election, he told viewers, ‘democracy is messy, but we’ve got to let it work,’ particularly for ‘our children, who you know are watching us.’ During Holt’s tenure, ‘Nightly’ also tried to focus on news in different parts of the country, including Florida and California, and not just on events in New York and Washington, D.C.”

Steinberg also wrote, “Holt’s exit is the latest in a parade of departures of senior TV-news personnel in recent months as the industry grapples with new economic pressures brought about by the rise of streaming, and contends with a harsh climate for media outlets in the early days of the second Trump administration. Chuck Todd, the veteran political director and ‘Meet the Press’ moderator, left NBC News in January, and Andrea Mitchell, the longtime international affairs and politics reporter, recently ended her decades-long tenure on MSNBC’s daytime schedule. Hoda Kotb recently left her duties at NBC News’ ‘Today.”’

Apart from his NBC duties, Holt has continued to play bass guitar with his rock band, the Rough Cuts, founded during a holiday party for “Dateline” staff in 2017. “The band plays classic rock and more modern fare,” Michael Malone reported in 2023 for nexttv.com

From left,Jan. 30: Jonathan Capehart, Jen Psaki, Symone Sanders Townsend and Luke Russert. (Credit: X)

Up: Psaki, Velshi; Down: Wagner, Phang, Diaz-Balart

Jen Psaki will anchor a nightly weekday show in prime time, replacing Alex Wagner; “The Weekend” co-hosts will be replaced by a new trio of anchors that includes Jonathan Capehart, a host on MSNBC and columnist; Ali Velshi’s program will expand to three hours on the weekends, and the Miami-based “José Díaz-Balart Reports” and “The Katie Phang Show” will be canceled, according to news reports on an MSNBC announcement Monday.

“The network also plans to introduce an evening edition of ‘The Weekend’ hosted by a different group of anchors including MSNBC host Ayman Mohyeldin,” Benjamin Mullin reported for The New York Times.

Rebecca Kutler, MSNBC’s president, confirmed in a memo Monday that Joy Reid, host of “the ReidOut,” is leaving the network, to be replaced by the trio that currently co-hosts “The Weekend,” which airs Saturday and Sunday mornings: Symone Sanders Townsend, a political commentator and former Democratic strategist; Michael Steele, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee; and Alicia Menendez, an anchor on the network.

(If the video does not display, please consider changing browsers.)

“Ms. Reid (pictured) said in a statement that she was proud of the work she and her team accomplished during her time at MSNBC, including coverage of Kamala Harris’s campaign for president, interviewing Brittney Griner on her ordeal in Russia and covering the police killings of Black Americans,” Mullin reported.

“ ‘We supported and defended real history, the 1619 Project, diversity, equity and inclusion and access to books for our children and students,” Ms. Reid said in her statement. ”And we did it all with a smile and a sense of humor.’ ”

Kutler said of Reid in her memo, “We thank her for her countless contributions over the years. Her work has been recognized with several esteemed honors, including most recently, the 2025 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding News Series.”

Mullin continued, “The network’s leaders made the change primarily because they thought the viewership figures for Ms. Reid’s show were underwhelming, according to two people with knowledge of the decision. So far this year, Ms. Reid’s program has lagged far behind ‘The Ingraham Angle,’ the rival show on Fox News, in total viewership at that hour. But during that period, it has outperformed a rival program on CNN, ‘Erin Burnett OutFront’ in total viewership. Both shows on Fox and CNN have outperformed Ms. Reid’s program in the key advertising demographic, according to Nielsen data.”

Alex Weprin added for the Hollywood Reporter, “In conjunction with MSNBC’s spinoff from NBCUniversal, the cable channel will consolidate its production to New York and Washington D.C., with the channel opening a standalone Washington bureau, with plans to hire journalists and correspondents to stand up a new newsgathering operation.

“As a result, the channel will stop producing shows out of Miami, with José Díaz-Balart Reports and The Katie Phang Show (pictured) both ending production.”

“Díaz-Balart will continue as one of the weekend anchors for NBC Nightly News, while Phang will remain with MSNBC as a legal correspondent. As a result of the dayside changes, Ana Cabrera will expand an hour and anchor weekday Ana Cabrera Reports from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Chris Jansing will shift to anchor Chris Jansing Reports from 12 to 2 p.m. Katy Tur will add an hour to Katy Tur Reports from 2 to 4 p.m. “

Joy Reid’s MSNBC Show Canceled

Feb. 23, 2025

Sources Report ‘Far-Reaching Overhaul’

. . . All Staffers Laid Off; Raw Emotions at Meeting

Resistance to Trump Is Gaining Steam:
Reactions to Anti-DEI Moves Are Split by Party
Miss. Judge Enrages Believers in 1st Amendment

Ford, Knight Foundations Step Up for Diversity
Public Radio, TV Stations Alter DEI Statements
3 Former Chairs Sound Alarm on Trump’s FCC Chief
AP Creates Unit on Local Investigative Reporting
. . . At Least 29 Police Recruits Died During Training
Education Dept. Warns on Teaching About Race
. . . ‘Eyes on the Prize’ Update Debuts Tuesday

Continued in Part 2 < http://bit.ly/41eIEEk >:

An ‘Internment’ They Didn’t Tell Us About:
U.S. Coerced Latin Nations to Turn Over Own Citizens
Trump AID Cuts to Hit Cuba’s Independent Media

En español: Los recortes de AID de Trump afectarán a los medios independientes de Cuba

Record Number of Journalists Killed Worldwide

Short Takes: “CBS Evening News”; “Sugarcane’s” Oscar nomination; Carlos Watson; Chauncy Glover; Adrian Ma; Black Sportswriters Hall of Fame; Sports Journalism Institute; reframing narrative on gun violence; Alice Bell; Oinika Obiekwe; High Country News; Damali Keith; Romina Ruiz-Goiriena; Harris Faulkner; Kadir Nelson and The New Yorker; George Polk Awards; India’s action against media outlets.

Support Journal-isms

Donations are tax-deductible.

“The final episode of Ms. Reid’s 7 p.m. show, ‘The ReidOut,’ is planned for sometime this week,” according to people who were not authorized to speak publicly, Benjamin Mullin reported for the New York Times. (Credit: MSNBC). 

Sources Report ‘Far-Reaching Overhaul’

“Joy Reid’s evening news show on MSNBC is being canceled, part of a far-reaching programming overhaul orchestrated by Rebecca Kutler, the network’s new president, two people familiar with the changes said,“ Benjamin Mullin reported Sunday for The New York Times.

“What’s more,” reported Brian Steinberg Sunday for Variety, “Alex Wagner (pictured), who has hosted weeknights at 9 p.m. save for a Monday night led by Rachel Maddow, is expected to be named a contributor, according to three people with knowledge of current talks. Wagner, who has been working as a correspondent across the U.S. during the first 100 days of the new Trump presidency while Rachel Maddow anchors each day at 9, is unlikely to return to her weeknight slot, these people indicated.

“Jen Psaki is expected to take over at least one of the hours, according to one of these people. MSNBC is also in talks with Eugene Daniels of Politico (pictured) and Melissa Murray, a law professor at New York University who specializes in the regulation of sex, marriage, caregiving and reproductive rights that would have them join the network in unspecified capacities, according to one of these people.”

The Times’ Mullin wrote, “The final episode of Ms. Reid’s 7 p.m. show, ‘The ReidOut,’ is planned for sometime this week, according to the people, who were not authorized to speak publicly. The show, which features in-depth interviews with politicians and other newsmakers, has been a fixture of MSNBC’s lineup for the past five years.

“MSNBC is planning to replace Ms. Reid’s program with a show led by a trio of anchors: Symone Sanders Townsend (pictured at left, with Melissa Murray), a political commentator and former Democratic strategist; Michael Steele, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee; and Alicia Menendez, the TV journalist, the people said. They currently co-host ‘The Weekend,’ which airs Saturday and Sunday mornings.

“An MSNBC spokesman, Richard Hudock, declined to comment. Ms. Reid declined to comment.

“The programming shake-up is the first major change made by Ms. Kutler, who was appointed president this month,” succeeding Rashida Jones, who in 2020 became the first Black journalist to head a mainstream network or a news division.

“Ms. Kutler has been drawing up a new programming lineup to jump-start the network’s ratings, which have outperformed rival CNN but lagged behind the longtime ratings leader, Fox News. . . .”

MSNBC’s maneuvering is no doubt especially of interest to viewers of color. Reid, Daniels, Murray, Sanders Townsend and Steele are Black; Wagner is Asian American and Menendez is Hispanic.

In 2024, according to Nielsen:

  • MSNBC averaged eight times as many Black viewers as Fox News. The “average minute audience” for 2024 was 173,000 for MSNBC vs. 20,000 for Fox News.
  • MSNBC was the third most-watched cable network among Hispanic viewers, behind No. 1 Fox News and No. 2. ESPN.
  • MSNBC was the second most-watched cable network among Asian American-Pacific Islander viewers, behind Fox News.

Rebecca KutlerMSNBC chief Rebecca Kutler repeatedly told upset staff members that she shared their frustration that they learned their fate from news media leaks, and that she was “incredibly disappointed that this happened in this way.” But she also said, “There will be 100+ new roles added this week and that there will be more MSNBC employees six months from now than there are today,” Oliver Darcy reported. (Credit: MSNBC).

. . . All Staffers Laid Off; Raw Emotions at Meeting

“On Sunday morning, MSNBC chief Rebecca Kutler abruptly summoned staffers of Joy Reid’s program to an impromptu virtual meeting after news of the show’s cancellation leaked to the press. Kutler — who held a similar meeting with Alex Wagner’s show staff — sought to provide clarity on the decision and address employee concerns, but the conversation quickly grew tense and emotional, according to audio of the meeting obtained by Status,” Oliver Darcy reported Sunday for his Status newsletter.

“Staffers expressed frustration and disbelief, outraged that they had learned of their show’s fate from reports in the press rather than leadership. Others demanded answers about the reasoning behind the cancellation of ‘The Reidout’ and what it meant for their futures at the network.

“The meeting, which lasted nearly 30 minutes, featured pointed questions, raw emotions, and a discussion of the changes ahead — including the revelation that the entire staff had been laid off. Here are the key takeaways:

“Reid’s final show is uncertain: Kutler told staffers that MSNBC would like Reid to host a final show, but indicated it was not certain whether Reid would agree to do so. ‘We are waiting to get a response from Joy and her team about how she would like to handle that, and we want to defer to her on that,’ Kutler said. At another point in the meeting, Kutler said, ‘The hope is that we will have a final show with Joy.’ “MSNBC will announce its programming changes on Monday: Kutler said that the cancelation of Reid’s show is only ‘one piece of a broader slate of programming changes that will be laid out tomorrow.” Replacing Reid’s show will be a panel program hosted by Symone Sanders Townsend, Michael Steele, and Alicia Menendez. The three currently host ‘The Weekend.’ (Pictured, from left: Menendez, Steele, Sanders Townsend; credit MSNBC)

“In addition to the cancelation of Reid’s program, Wagner is also losing her 9pm show, which she has anchored Tuesday through Friday. (Wagner will remain on MSNBC as a correspondent.) Kutler said the changes will go into effect in April. Until then, she is hoping the current staff of ‘The Reidout’ will produce the 7pm hour, which will feature rotating hosts.

“The staff of ‘The Reidout’ has been laid off: A staffer directly pressed Kutler about the fate of the show’s staff, asking, ‘So to make this explicitly clear, we are being terminated currently with the option to apply within the company, right?’ Kutler confirmed that they were being cut, but said they are employees through April and will receive severance.

“There will be 100+ new roles added this week: Kutler said that more than 100 new roles at MSNBC will be posted this week and that impacted staffers are encouraged to apply for them. Kutler said there will be more MSNBC employees six months from now than there are today.

“Donald Trump was not a factor, Kutler insisted: When asked directly whether the Trump administration played a role in deciding whether to cancel Reid’s show, Kutler responded: ‘No, it did not.’ Kutler said the changes across MSNBC have been based on ‘data analysis and programming strategy’ that she believes will ‘best position [MSNBC] for the year ahead.’

“Staffers expressed outrage about leaks to the press: Throughout the meeting, staffers expressed outrage that they learned of the show’s fate in media reports instead of hearing from leadership directly. One staffer told Kutler it was a ‘terrible, terrible way to learn about our fate.’  Kutler repeatedly said she shared the frustration and that she was ‘incredibly disappointed that this happened in this way.’ It goes without saying, but obviously having the programming changes leak in an uncontrolled manner was not something Kutler wanted either.

“Despite MSNBC’s assurances that new roles will be available, staffers exited the meeting shaken. The shock of learning about their show’s fate, married with uncertainty about what comes next, spurred significant frustration with MSNBC brass — which came through during the Sunday meeting.

“While Kutler pointed to the more than 100 new jobs being posted this week as a sign of hope for the staffers, for those who have worked on ‘The ReidOut,’ the meeting drove home a difficult reality: Their show is over, and their future at the progressive network is not certain.”

Resistance to Trump Is Gaining Steam

Rachel Maddow has returned to broadcasting her one-hour show on MSNBC every weeknight at 9 p.m. Eastern for Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office, maintaining that schedule until April 30. (Credit: YouTube)

Reactions to Anti-DEI Moves Are Split by Party

Americans are giving mixed to negative reviews to President Trump’s flurry of actions to disrupt and shrink radically the federal bureaucracy, according to a Washington Post-Ipsos poll, with Trump’s order to end all diversity, equity and inclusion programs within the federal government drawing slightly more negative views than positive, Dan Balz, Scott Clement and Emily Guskin reported Thursday for The Washington Post.

However, “the difference is within the margin of error. Overall, 46 percent approve of what Trump has ordered on DEI, while 49 percent disapprove. Republicans largely support Trump’s position, while Democrats overwhelmingly oppose it. Support is greater among Americans over age 50, while opposition is strong among non-White Americans and those with postgraduate degrees.”

The survey also covered border issues. The Post reporters wrote, “Trump’s most popular initiative is on immigration, where 51 percent initially say they support the idea of deporting the roughly 11 million undocumented immigrants in the country. There is overwhelming support for deporting those who have been accused of committing violent crimes, and a solid majority back the deportation of those who have been accused of committing nonviolent offenses.”

On another question generating worldwide concern, they reported, “About 6 in 10 oppose shutting down the U.S. Agency for International Development, which provides humanitarian aid in low-income countries.

“The agency was created by an act of Congress, and the administration would need congressional approval to eliminate it. But the administration has all but shut it down by freezing funding and cutting the workforce.”

The survey comes as plans for economic boycotts targeting those complying with the anti-DEI demands are increasing. In addition, MSNBC and its star host Rachel Maddow are assuming roles as leaders of the resistance to Trump, some news outlets are reporting on the Trump orders’ negative effects on communities of color, and the Legal Defense Fund (LDF) and Lambda Legal announced last week they had gone to federal court.

One such lawsuit bore fruit on Friday. In Baltimore, federal Judge Adam Abelson issued a nationwide preliminary injunction against Trump’s executive orders targeting DEI, as Walter Hudson reported for Diverse: Issues in Higher Education.

Abelson “ruled that the orders likely violate constitutional rights, particularly free speech protections, and granted the injunction requested by a coalition of plaintiffs led by the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE),” Hudson wrote. The ruling effectively halts the implementation of Trump’s controversial directives that sought to reshape federal policy on diversity programs,” he added.

But legal actions are only one tool in the resistance.

“Media personality Roland Martin called for a February boycott,” Gavin Godfrey noted Thursday for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “In Atlanta and across the country, conversations about how Black entrepreneurs should act in response to DEI cuts include targeted buying, boycotting or creating self-sustaining economic ecosystems. However, there’s level to this, and Black business owners who spoke to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution said arriving at solution needs to be a collective effort.”

The LDF-Lambda Legal lawsuit, challenging three executive orders from Trump related to DEI, accessibility and transgender people, was filed on behalf of the National Urban League, the National Fair Housing Alliance and the AIDS Foundation of Chicago and announced Wednesday in a Zoom news conference.

At Journal-isms’ request, two officials with the Legal Defense Fund offered their thoughts on the role they think the news media should play as their struggle continues.

“I would encourage the media to cover more stories showing the impact of these harmful policies around the country — talking to parents and students at impacted schools, people receiving health care and participating in job training programs provided by nonprofits, etc.,” said Amalea Smirniotopoulos (pictured), LDF senior policy counsel. “These harms might be particularly acute in the South, where state government funding is often more limited, and nonprofits impacted by the anti-diversity EOs [executive orders] can play an essential role in filling gaps.”

Jin Hee Lee (pictured), LDF director of strategic initiatives, said, “It’s really important for the media to cover more of the discrimination — and outright animus — behind the Trump Administration’s actions, especially towards Black people, transgender people, the immigrant community, and others. So much of the Trump Administration’s actions involve hoarding and solidifying power and resources for the very privileged few.”

Meanwhile, the news industry is putting forth a united front in protesting the White House’s dramatic step of barring the Associated Press from the Oval Office and Air Force One over the wire service’s refusal to rename the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America” — a targeting in which it is said that race plays a role.

Marc Caputo of Axios wrote Monday that the action against AP is due in part to complaints that the stylebook issued by the news cooperative and used by news organizations worldwide has become too progressive. Caputo singled out its decisions to capitalize the “B” in “Black” but not the “W” in white when referring to people; in frowning on the use of the label “illegal immigrant,” and in using the term “gender-affirming care” with regard to transgender people. This is all “AP guidance [that] conservatives find objectionable,” Caputo wrote.

During her return for Trump’s first 100 days, Maddow has been feeding fodder to those disaffected with Trump. Her headlines have included, one after another, such declarations as, “Trump oddly squeamish under questioning about contact with Putin,” “‘Very obviously Donald Trump’s fault,” “Red states feel the pain of Trump’s heedless funding cuts,” “Trump stunts on national stage cause headaches for Republicans dealing with local fallout, outrage”; and “Trump apparently oblivious to political damage of his embrace of Russia.”

Mississippi Delta Blues Trail. (Art credit: Greg Harlin)

Miss. Judge Enrages Believers in 1st Amendment

A Black judge in the Mississippi Delta this week enraged believers in the First Amendment by ordering a newspaper to remove an editorial criticizing the mayor and city leaders after the officials sued. The newspaper complied.

“Chancery Judge Crystal Wise Martin issued the restraining order Wednesday against the Clarksdale Press Register on Tuesday in connection with a Feb. 8 editorial titled ‘Secrecy, Deception Erode Public Trust,’ ” Andrew Demillo reported for the Associated Press. “The piece criticized the city for not sending the newspaper notice about a meeting the City Council held regarding a proposed tax on alcohol, marijuana and tobacco.”

In fact, explained Lici Beveridge in the Mississippi Clarion-Ledger, the criticism was accurate. “Notice to the Press Register never happened, per the editorial, and by the admission of city clerk Laketha Covington, who according to the petition ‘forgot to e-mail a copy of the notice to [Publisher Floyd] Ingram as she customarily does.’ “

Regardless, Mayor Chuck Espy said the editorial unfairly implied that the city had broken the law with its meeting and cited another portion that questioned, ‘Have commissioners or the mayor gotten kick-backs from the community?'”

“We’re all for the press doing their job. We’re all for as much transparency as possible,” Espy said. “Just tell the truth. I don’t think that’s too much to ask for.” (Photo: Judge Crystal Wise Martin sworn in by her mother, retired Judge Patricia Wise, in 2019. (Credit: via the Mississippi Office of the Courts).

The races of Martin and Espy were not mentioned in the news stories, although in some, their photos were used. Each comes from a prominent family in the Delta. Espy is the son of Henry Espy, former mayor, and is a nephew of former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy. Martin is the daughter of Patricia Wise, a chancery judge for nearly 30 years. The daughter began her judicial career in 2019, elected to her mother’s seat.

“You are right Hinds County Chancery Judge Crystal Wise Martin and Clarksdale Mayor Chuck Espy are Black,” Jimmie Gates, president of the Jackson (Miss.) Association of Black Journalists, messaged Journal-isms.

(Credit: City of Clarksdale Facebook page)

“The owner of the paper is Wyatt Emmerich, who is white and conservative. I don’t know why Judge Martin ruled the way she did. However, looking at the case from a distance, it appears to be a bad decision since the article in question was an editorial. Maybe there is something she went by in making her decision that we don’t know but I’m sure her decision will be overturned by the MS Supreme Court.”

Under the headline “Someone needs to read the First Amendment to Judge Crystal Wise Martin,” Mississippi Today editorialized Thursday, “Martin has issued a ruling that appears so unconstitutional, so anathema to accepted jurisprudence and so un-American that she’s drawing attention and criticism nationwide and abroad. . . . As longtime Mississippi editor, columnist and attorney Charlie Mitchell said, there are so many things wrong with this ruling, it’s hard to know where to start.”

Ford, Knight Foundations Step Up for Diversity

“Two transformative grants will significantly bolster our mission to foster Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) in journalism,” the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education announced Thursday. “The Ford Foundation has awarded us a $400,000 grant for general support between 2025 and 2026, and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation has committed an unprecedented $2.5 million over four years — the largest grant in our history.

“These generous contributions, totaling $2.9 million, couldn’t come at a more critical time. As DEIB initiatives face increasing challenges nationwide, this funding empowers us to expand our signature Fault Lines® training methodology, create new programming, and deepen our commitment to building organizational cultures that truly reflect the diversity of our communities.

“ ‘Ford and Knight have been some of our longest-standing funding partners,’ said Martin G. Reynolds (pictured, above), Maynard Institute co-executive director overseeing fundraising and external affairs. ‘A few years ago, at the height of the racial awakening and pandemic, supporting this work was a priority. Today, we are facing an entirely different climate, making these grants all the more important, impactful, and meaningful. These funds will super-charge our efforts to build journalistic institutions of belonging and help us hire our first-ever development director, as well as other support staff.’ . . . .”

“Today we are going to celebrate diversity and learn to not be afraid of things or people that are different than we are,” reads this caption from 2020, from “PBS Kids.” “We will meet a band made up of kids from all over the world. We will virtually visit with neighbors for story time, and we’ll enjoy yoga, music and a finger puppet craft!” (Credit: PBS/YouTube)

Public Radio, TV Stations Alter DEI Statements

“Stations are removing and revising diversity statements on their websites amid growing attacks on DEI programs at the state and federal levels,” Julian Wyllie reported Monday for Current.

“Some of the stations that have made changes are in states where lawmakers have taken steps to limit DEI programs at public institutions. The revisions also reflect a shift in CPB [Corporation for Public Broadcasting] requirements. In October 2023, CPB’s board passed a change to the corporation’s diversity statement requirement for stations that receive Community Service Grants and began requiring ‘Community Representation Statements’ instead.”

Separately, an analysis of FCC data on public broadcasting “finds that most station boards fail to represent the racial and ethnic diversity of their communities, undercutting the system’s mission to reflect the people it intends to serve, “Tyler Falk and Owen Auston-Babcock, reported Monday for the publication.

“According to an analysis conducted by Current, fewer than 15% of 205 licensees for which data was available had boards that meet or exceed the diversity of the licensee’s city or state of license. More than 19% of the boards consisted entirely of white members. Just six of the 40 all-white boards were at stations in areas with a population that is at least 95% white. . . .”

On the diversity statement, Wyllie continued, “The Boston Globe first reported Tuesday that GBH in Boston had made changes to its website. A web page with the heading ‘Inclusion & Equity’ now redirects to a different page titled ‘The Four Cs.’ The new page no longer refers to an Office of Inclusion and Equity.

“In a statement to Current, GBH CEO Susan Goldberg said, ‘Our mission and values remain unchanged and we’re proud of the work we do.’ . . .

“GBH, producer of Frontline, Nova and other series, is among several stations that championed DEI-related work after 2020, when protests over race, police brutality and equity in the workplace were at a high point. The station also has an equity and justice reporting unit funded by the Barr Foundation.

“According to a Thursday report by Hell Gate, PBS LearningMedia, a website for educators run by PBS and GBH, has taken down LGBTQ teaching resources. . . .

“A PBS spokesperson told Hell Gate that the toolkit was removed in response to President Donald Trump’s executive orders. Last week, PBS closed its DEI office and fired the office’s two employees, citing an executive order by Trump. PBS President Paula Kerger told the Associated Press that she’s ‘trying to encourage’ stations to have lawyers review their circumstances regarding DEI initiatives.

“A review by Current found that several other stations have also altered language on DEI-related web pages or deleted them entirely. They are Ball State Public Media in Muncie, Ind.; West Virginia Public Broadcasting; WBHM in Birmingham, Ala.; Alabama Public Radio in Tuscaloosa; Texas Public Radio in San Antonio; and WUKY in Lexington, Ky.

Meanwhile, Collin Binkley reported Tuesday for the Associated Press, “The Trump administration is giving America’s schools and universities two weeks to eliminate diversity initiatives or risk losing federal money, raising the stakes in the president’s fight against ‘wokeness.’

“In a memo Friday, the Education Department gave an ultimatum to stop using ‘racial preferences’ as a factor in admissions, financial aid, hiring or other areas. Schools are being given 14 days to end any practice that treats students or workers differently because of their race. . . .”

The same day, the Chronicle of Higher Education reported separately:

  • North Carolina’s public-university system is suspending all general-education and major-specific course requirements related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. In an internal memo obtained by The Chronicle, Andrew Tripp, the system’s general counsel, wrote to the chancellors that the curricular requirements may conflict with an executive order Trump signed in January that could threaten their institution’s federal research funding. . . .

  • “National Institute of Health withdraws fellowship applications from minority researchers, then reverses course days later. . . .”

Brendan Carr, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, said the FCC would look into DEI practices broadly at many companies it regulates, starting with Comcast. (Credit: Pool photo by Jonathan Newton)

3 Former Chairs Sound Alarm on Trump’s FCC Chief

Brendan Carr, the Trump-appointed chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, has ordered an investigation into the diversity, equity and inclusion programs at Comcast, the parent company of NBC News and Universal Studios, Benjamin Mullin reported Feb. 12 for The New York Times, That and other actions prompted rare criticism from three of Carr’s FCC predecessors.

“Mr. Carr has ordered investigations into PBS and NPR, examined an interview that ’60 Minutes’ conducted with former Vice President Kamala Harris and announced an inquiry into the San Francisco radio station KCBS for its coverage of immigration enforcement actions,’ Mullin wrote.

Oliver Darcy reported Tuesday for his Status newsletter, “Indeed, it is exceedingly rare for former FCC chairs — Republican and Democrats alike — to speak out so forcefully against one of their successors. Yet, Carr’s actions have alarmed the three former FCC chiefs,” Tom Wheeler, Reed Hundt and Alfred Sikes, “all of whom now feel compelled to sound the alarm over what they see as an assault on the First Amendment. That kind of bipartisan rebuke signals just how far Carr is pushing the FCC into dangerous new territory, where regulatory power is wielded as a weapon against Trump’s critics.

“Yet, amid the daily chaos of Trump’s second term, Carr has largely escaped high degrees of public scrutiny. While the news media fixates on all the other chaos consuming Washington (and there is plenty), Carr has operated slightly under the radar. In a less turbulent moment, his alarming moves would be a front-page crisis that would saturate cable news — a regulatory body being openly transformed into an instrument of political retribution. Instead, it hasn’t drawn as much attention as it should.

“But the consequences of Carr’s actions will be felt long after the current news cycle moves on. His willingness to use the FCC to intimidate media companies sends a chilling message to everyone in the industry: align with the administration’s right-wing worldview, or prepare to be suffocated with scrutiny. Such threats — of naked government bullying — have a way of reshaping what companies choose to say, how journalists are directed to report, and what stories ultimately reach the public. Which is to say, it isn’t just a regulatory shift with no meaningful consequence. It’s a direct assault on press freedom, and it’s happening in plain sight.”

Carr responded to Darcy, “it does not surprise me in the least that they disagree with the current FCC’s agenda. Two of them were President Obama’s and President Clinton’s FCC Chairs and, while I’m not a doctor, all three of them appear to have a pretty bad case of TDS. . . .,” Darcy reported.

“In any event, all three of them have either called on the FCC to revoke Fox’s FCC license, pushed for the FCC to take Elon Musk’s Starlink licenses away from him, cheered on Big Tech’s decision to censor President Trump, or all three of those!”

“In other words, these three are not objective observers — they’re just partisans that are mad the Biden FCC didn’t do more to punish their political enemies. In contrast to them, though, I will ensure that everyone gets a fair shake from this FCC.”

AP Creates Unit on Local Investigative Reporting

“For the past 20 years, I’ve worked on, led, or overseen big national and international investigations,” Ron Nixon posted Friday on social media. “I am returning to my roots in a way with a new The Associated Press program to help local media.”

Nixon (pictured), vice president, news and head of investigations, enterprise, partnerships and grants at the AP, has been named to head “a new Local Investigative Reporting Program to accelerate our longstanding efforts to support newsrooms across the U.S.,” Julie Pace, AP executive editor, announced Thursday.

“Ron and his team will work with state and local outlets to cultivate stories and support their investigative reporting needs. This includes providing training for local newsrooms in areas such as open source investigative techniques; using AI for local investigations; producing localized investigative guides; connecting local newsrooms with AP editors and other subject matter experts; and working with AP’s data team to provide data analysis services, consultations and data distributions.

“The creation of the Local Investigative Reporting Program builds on the work that’s been done by AP’s Local News Success Team to localize national stories for member audiences and provide services and support to newsrooms across the U.S.”

Nixon told Journal-isms that the program “will use existing staff, but we will be adding more once we get a sense of the scope and scale of the program based on feedback. This is something that members and customers have been suggesting for a while.”

Black recruits represented nearly 60 percent of the recruits who died, the Associated Press found. (Credit: YouTube)

. . . At Least 29 Police Recruits Died During Training

The announcement about Ron Nixon’s new position came the same week as his investigative team found that
at least 29 recruits died during basic training at law enforcement academies around the country in the last decade.

Ryan J. Foley reported Tuesday that “Most died of exertion, dehydration, heatstroke and other conditions tied to intense exercise — often on the first day of training. . . . Others died several weeks in, sometimes after suffering trauma during boxing or use-of-force drills or collapsing during high-stakes timed runs on hot days.

“Experts and police advocates were surprised by AP’s findings — based on an extensive review of lists of law enforcement deaths in every state, workplace safety records and news reports — and said many of the deaths were preventable. No federal agency or outside organization comprehensively tracks recruit deaths, unlike officers who die in the line of duty. . . .

“Black recruits represented nearly 60% of those who died, a striking disparity given that federal data show Black officers make up 12% of local police forces. Many carried sickle cell trait, a condition most prevalent among Black Americans that increases the risk of serious injury following extreme exertion. . . .”

The new six-part “Eyes on the Prize III” includes the Million Man March, grassroots battles over housing and health care, the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, the criminal justice system’s impact on Black communities and fights for environmental justice. (Credit: YouTube)

Education Dep’t Warns on Teaching About Race

“The Department of Education sent a ‘Dear Colleague’ letter Friday threatening the federal funding of any academic institution that considers race in most aspects of student life,” Aileen Graef and Isabelle D’Antonio reported Monday for CNN.

“The letter — geared toward all preschool, elementary, secondary and postsecondary educational institutions, as well as state educational agencies that receive financial assistance from the federal government — laid out a sweeping and controversial interpretation of federal law following the 2023 Supreme Court decision that gutted affirmative action. It’s almost certain to draw legal challenges.

“ ‘Federal law thus prohibits covered entities from using race in decisions pertaining to admissions, hiring, promotion, compensation, financial aid, scholarships, prizes, administrative support, discipline, housing, graduation ceremonies, and all other aspects of student, academic, and campus life,’ wrote Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights for the Education Department.

“The Supreme Court’s landmark 6-3 decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard overturned long-standing precedent that has benefited Black and Latino students in higher education. Donald Trump, at that time the former president, called it a ‘great day for America.’

“Trainor said that although the 2023 decision ‘addressed admissions decisions, the Supreme Court’s holding applies more broadly. At its core, the test is simple: If an educational institution treats a person of one race differently than it treats another person because of that person’s race, the educational institution violates the law.’

“This interpretation could open a wide range of challenges to courses and literature taught in schools, scholarships for non-White students, and various student organizations, including Black fraternities and sororities. . . .”

On Feb. 13, Linda McMahon, Trump’s nominee for education secretary, most well-known for her former role as CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, “cast doubt on the future of Black history courses in American public schools, saying she’s ‘not quite certain’ if Black history instruction would violate an executive order banning ‘critical race theory in the classroom,’ Helena Hind wrote Feb. 14 for Media Matters for America.

However, Jessica Blake reported Feb. 13 for Inside Higher Ed that, “McMahon did note . . . that all schools can and should celebrate Black History Month and Martin Luther King Jr. Day. She suggested that in saying individuals should be judged by ‘content of their character,’ King was supporting a colorblind approach to policy and looking at all populations as the same, rather than addressing systemic inequities,” McMahon claimed, misinterpreting the race-conscious civil rights leader.

. . . ‘Eyes on the Prize’ Update Debuts Tuesday

“The HBO original six-part documentary series ‘Eyes on the Prize III: We Who Believe in Freedom Cannot Rest 1977-2015’ debuts Feb. 25 (9 p.m-10 p.m. ET/PT) on HBO with two episodes airing back-to-back,” Stephanie Prange reported Feb. 14 for mediaplayer.com. “Episodes three and four will debut the following day on Feb. 26 followed by episodes five and six on Feb. 27 at the same time on HBO. All six episodes will be available to stream on Max beginning Feb. 25.

“The docuseries, executive produced by Dawn Porter (‘John Lewis: Good Trouble’), is inspired by Henry Hampton’s documentary series ‘Eyes on the Prize: America’s Civil Rights Movement.’ The new installment of the 1987 series illuminates the bold stories of people and communities who continue to work for equity and racial justice in the years since the birth of the American civil rights movement.

“The new chapter of the series begins in the late 1970s and continues into 2015, with episodes examining the strategies of those who fought for racial equality across multiple decades. As in the original production, diverse teams of filmmakers bring each story to life by showcasing the work of citizens in an ever-more multicultural society working to achieve true equity. . . .”

(Continued in Part 2) < http://bit.ly/41eIEEk >

Support Journal-isms

To subscribe at no cost, please send an email to journal-isms+subscribe@groups.io and say who you are.

Facebook users: “Like” “Richard Prince’s Journal-isms” on Facebook.

Follow Richard Prince on Twitter @princeeditor

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

About Richard Prince

View previous columns (after Feb. 13, 2016).

View previous columns (before Feb. 13, 2016)

/wp:list-item –>

Related posts

‘Black Panther’ to Air Sunday Night

richard

More columns, March 2019

richard

Detroit Editor Lays Himself Off

richard

Leave a Comment

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.