SUMMER 2014 A look back at pioneer CHUCK STONE 1924-2014 COMMUNITY UNITY The strongest bonds are the bonds between people. And when businesses and leaders work hard, like the National Association of Black Journalists, to build a relationship with people, they build a community that is nothing but impressive. ©2014 FedEx. All rights reserved. 2 | National Association of Black Journalists | nabj.org | Summer 2014 table of contents Honoring a legend SUMMER 2014| Vol. 32, No. 2 Official Publication of the National Association of Black Journalists NABJ Staff EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 20 Darryl R. Matthews Sr. EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Taylor Osborne-Smith COMMUNITY FINANCE MANAGER Nathaniel Chambers MEMBERSHIP MANAGER Veronique Dodson PROGRAM MANAGER Scott Berry CONSULTANT CONSULTANT From the President 4 Carol D. Ash PROGRAM COORDINATOR Reinvention: Transition to entreprenuer 6 Lisa Waldschmitt Media Institute focuses on healthcare disparity 10 DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Denise Brooking Questions about on country’s healthcare system 12 FINANCE MANAGER Black journalists and Boston 16 Nathaniel Chambers UNITY COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTANT Echoes of the “N-word” 18 April O. Turner STAFF ACCOUNTANT Lorna Grant-Charles NABJ Journal Staff Bonnie Newman Davis, Editor Russel LaCour, Copy Editor Benet J. Wilson, Copy Editor Scott Berry, Managing Editor Veronique` Dodson, Circulation Manager 16 Sheldon Sneed, Design & Layout Sarah Glover, Photography Jason Miccolo Johnson, Photography CONTRIBUTORS 30 Kimberly N. Alleyne Fond Bonnie Newman Davis memories of a Wayne Dawkins “Phenomenal Rochelle Riley Woman” The strongest bonds are the bonds Benet J. Wilson Christopher Nelson between people. And when Vanessa` Cunningham-Engram businesses and leaders work hard, Kimberly Fields like the National Association of Mija Gary Black Journalists, to build a relationship with people, they build a 8 community that is nothing but Copyright 2014 Pause The National Association before impressive. ©2014 FedEx. All rights reserved. of Black Journalists you post Summer 2014 | nabj.org | National Association of Black Journalists | 3 From the President Dear NABJ Family, I’m pleased to present the Summer 2014 edition of the NABJ NABJ BOARD OF DIRECTORS Journal. This issue will help prepare members for what they PRESIDENT can expect as we host NABJ’s 39th Annual Convention in Bob Butler Boston. In this Convention Issue, you will see profiles of KCBS Radio NABJ’s brightest stars and the winners of our organization’s VICE PRESIDENT/BROADCAST highest honors. Dedrick Russell WBTV, LLC/Raycom Media You will read about our 2014 Journalist of the Year, Stephen Henderson of the Detroit Free Press. As the newspaper’s VICE PRESIDENT/PRINT editorial page editor, Henderson was honored with the 2014 Errin Haines Whack Pulitzer Prize for commentary. His award citation noted that Henderson had earned the award “for his columns on the SECRETARY financial crisis facing his hometown, written with passion and Corey Dade a stirring sense of place, sparing no one in their critique.” The Root Our 2014 Legacy Award winner, the late photojournalist TREASURER Hugh Grannum, blazed a trail for African-American photo- Keith Reed journalists. His work gained national acclaim, appearing in Black Enterprise, EBONY, Essence, Forbes and Jet magazines. PARLIAMENTARIAN Observers underscore that, had he not done the work he Cindy George did, the perspective of black Detroit would never have been Houston Chronicle reflected in the mainstream media. REGION I DIRECTOR I am especially pleased about the profile of Wesley Lowery of Sherlon Christie the Washington Post, NABJ’s 2014 Emerging Journalist of the Asbury Park Press Year. While attending the E.W. Scripps School of Journal- REGION II DIRECTOR ism at Ohio University he was editor-in-chief of The Post the Lee Ivory school newspaper where he managed coverage of the uni- Ivory Communication versity and of Athens County, Ohio. Wesley was the second black editor in the paper’s 100-year history. He was part of REGION III DIRECTOR a team at the Boston Globe that won a Pulitzer Prize for that Gayle Hurd newspaper’s coverage of the Boston Marathon bombings. He Curtis Media Group also served as a member of NABJ’s Board of Directors as the REGION IV DIRECTOR national student representative. Vickie Thomas WWJ-CBS Radio Detroit I would like to thank Editors Bonnie Newman Davis and Marlon Walker and their team for producing this great is- REGION V DIRECTOR sue that serves as a preview to what I feel will be a lively and Mary Benton informative convention. May you all continue to achieve in the spirit of our convention theme, “Revolution to Evolution: REGION VI DIRECTOR Shaping Our Future.” Michelle Fitzhugh-Craig shades Magazine Bob Butler, ASSOCIATE REPRESENTATIVE Dawn Roberts President, National Association of Black Journalists KD Communications Group STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE Khorri Atkinson York College at the City University of New York POSTMASTER: ADVERTISING INQUIRIES: ADDRESS ALL CORRESPODENCE TO: Send address changes to: Advertising Inquires: NABJ journal National Association of Black Journalists Please call: (301) 405-0248 1100 Knight Hall, Suite 3100 1100 Knight Hall, Suite 3100 College Park, MD 20742 College Park, MD 20742 (301) 405-0248 4 | National Association of Black Journalists | nabj.org | Summer 2014 NABJ 2015 minneapolis aug. 4- Aug. 9 Summer 2014 | nabj.org | National Association of Black Journalists | 5 REINVENTION Making the transition from journalist to entrepreneur By Benét Wilson etting and keeping a back-up G plan was the focus of an NABJ regional conference workshop last year, with panelists encouraging attendees to put their entrepreneurial skills to work while veteran journalists discussed their Plan Bs. The workshop was and remains timely, given that many news organizations continue to downsize throughout the country. Yet, perhaps because of the often nomadic nature of journal- ism, several NABJ members are successfully navigating new paths by establishing their own media-related ventures. Former NABJ President Kathy Times, who spoke during the Region III work- shop last year in Charlotte, N.C., described her start as a newspaper Continued on page 7 6 | National Association of Black Journalists | nabj.org | Summer 2014 Kathy Times, former NABJ president, launched her website, Wheretogo411. File photo com in 2011. Continued from page 6 Times and Fitzhugh-Craig reporter who eventually went to funded their own ventures and graduate school to achieve her goal were assisted by programs target- of becoming a broadcast journal- ing journalists of color. Times ist. After a series of jobs in various won a $20,000 seed grant from cities, Times concluded her broad- Unity’s NewU program, which cast career as an anchor in Jackson, provides training boot camps and Miss. When she left television to strategic mentorships to develop become an entrepreneur, the tran- entrepreneurship skills in journal- sition proved smooth, she said. ists of color. Fitzhugh-Craig won Close friends knew that while the inaugural NABJ Ray Taliaferro Times was a journalist, she also Entrepreneurial Spirit Award in had a real estate business with a 2011. few properties. “I met James, my “As journalists, we are well business partner, who was already equipped. Every day we handle enjoying being an entrepreneur, change and we adapt and meet and I said I could do that,” said deadlines. My advice for those Times. “We wanted to build an wanting to become entrepreneurs investigative website for the black is to use what you have,” said community but wanted to do dif- Times. “Ask what unique skills do I ferent things. Michelle Fitzhugh-Craig, NABJ’s Region VI director, is have that are marketable? You only Times’ website, WhereToGo411. CEO/Editor-in-Chief of shades magazine and co-owner, have your name. Use your good com, launched in 2011. The site with Z’Ma Wyatt, of ZM Productions/M’agine Creative name and keep it good. Don’t be connects black enterprises to local Services. afraid. Start charging people for and national buyers, along with lo- the services you now do for free. cal public economic engines. “The Fitzhugh-Craig eventually zine, but it was put on hiatus for Write a list of every skill and what site has articles, but we encourage moved to San Francisco, where personal reasons, said Fitzhugh- you can charge for them.” folks to use it to educate people she landed at the Bay Area News Craig. “In early 2010, Z’ma and Fitzhugh-Craig advises people about African-American busi- Group, working at three differ- I had the opportunity to buy an- to remember why they decided nesses. It’s driven by consumers ent newspapers and eventually other magazine. That fell through, to go into journalism. “It’s not for and businesses.” moving up to become city editor so we decided to restart shades,” money, but for the love and pas- Michelle Fitzhugh-Craig, NABJ’s at the Oakland Tribune. “I was she said. sion of sharing stories,” she said. Region VI director, is CEO/Editor- part of the first round of manage- “shades’s audience is women “You have to do this with any busi- in-Chief ofshades magazine and ment layoffs in 2008. I then began of color around the globe and ness -- not for the money, but for co-owner, with Z’Ma Wyatt, of working at hyperlocal and online anyone interested in learning and the love. That’s the only way you’ll ZM Productions/M’agine Creative publications as an editor,” she said. embracing these women and what succeed.” Services. She began her “tradi- “When I started working for the they have to offer,” she said. “It’s for Benét J. Wilson serves on the tional” media career in 1998, when hyperlocals, I learned a lot about anyone who wants to see how their board of the Online News Associa- she was an intern at the Arizona behind the scenes online.” lives impact the world and to read tion and is vice president of educa- Republic, where she eventually shades originally started in in stories you don’t see in mainstream tion for NABJ’s Digital Journalism became a full-time reporter.