ANNUAL REPORT 2015 Message from the President 3 Board of Directors 7 Committees and Task Forces 9 NABJ Awards 11 SEED Program 13 Media Institutes 17 Membership 19 NABJ Annual Convention 21 Financial Report 25 MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT Sarah Glover NABJ President This year marked our historical 40th anniversary. The Minneapolis convention honored the brave 44 men and women who founded NABJ. 1975 was a time when Black journalists found it difficult to obtain employ- ment in media organizations. It was also a time when coverage of the black community was often deficient and unfair. Some of those same challenges are still present today. The convention’s theme was “Celebrating Milestones-Leveraging Our Legacy.” The opening plenary set the stage with a sub-theme of “Race in America: Really How Far Have We Come?” The plenary featured Joy- Ann Reid as moderator. The session included Louis Gossett Jr., U.S. Rep. James Clyburn and Wesley Lowery of the Washington Post. Other sessions included a close look at diversity in the Hollywood film industry, specific examples of dis- connects between mass media coverage and the black community, tributes to sports icons Stuart Scott and Bryan Burwell, a special look at 25 years of NABJ photo history through the lens of Jason Miccolo Johnson and a special workshop on life after journalism. The Minneapolis convention brought dozens of partners who brought training, jobs and networking oppor- tunities for our members. Our Student Projects once again provided great opportunities for aspiring young journalists who will one day be leaders in the industry. NABJ members traveled to music icon Prince’s Paisley Park mansion and listened to his brief welcoming remarks. He did not perform. Less than a year later, Prince was dead. Our August 2015 convention elected new leadership. As the new NABJ president leading a brand new board, we were challenged with stabilizing the organization from governance and financial perspectives. Immediately after taking the reigns in late 2015, we began taking critical steps, starting with building a new strategic plan designed to govern the organization’s initiatives and organizational structure setting a firm foundation positioning NABJ for success in the years to come. Sarah Glover Sarah Glover NABJ President 3 NABJ ANNUAL REPORT 2015 2015 NABJ ANNUAL REPORT 4 OUR MISSION The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) is an organization of journalists, students, and media-related professionals that provides quality programs and services to and advocates on behalf of black journalists worldwide. NABJ IS COMMITTED TO: STRENGTHENING ties among black journalists. SENSITIZING all media to the importance of fairness in the workplace for black journalists. EXPANDING job opportunities and recruiting activities for veteran, young and aspiring black journalists, while providing continued professional development and training. INCREASING the number of black journalists in management positions and encouraging black journalists to become entrepreneurs. FOSTERING an exemplary group of professionals that honors excellence and outstanding achievements by black journalists, and outstanding achievement in the media industry as a whole, particularly when it comes to providing balanced coverage of the black community and society at large. PARTNERING with high schools and colleges to identify and encourage black students to become journalists and to diversify faculties and related curriculum. PROVIDING informational and training services to the general public. 5 NABJ ANNUAL REPORT 2015 Founded by 44 men and women on December 12, 1975, in Washington, D.C., NABJ is the largest organization of journalists of color in the nation. Many of NABJ’s members also belong to one of the dozens of professional and student chapters that serve black journalists nationwide. NABJ MEMBER BENEFITS: ACCESS to year-round professional development through the NABJ Media Institute, the annual convention and career fair and regional conferences. OPPORTUNITIES --and a responsibility--to help ensure fair and balanced media cov- erage of the black community and to encourage the industry to hire and retain more black journalists. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT for black journalists seeking to improve their skills and advance to newsroom management. RECOGNITION of journalistic excellence and achievement via the annual Salute to Excellence and Special Honors awards. SUBSCRIPTIONS to the annual NABJ Journal, NABJobs Online, NABJ Forum, and NABJ E-News. MENTORING AND RECRUITING the next generation of aspiring black journalists through our partnership programs with high schools and colleges across the country. 2015 NABJ ANNUAL REPORT 6 NABJ BOARD OF DIRECTORS PARLIAMENTARIAN PRESIDENT REGION V DIRECTOR Bob Butler Cindy George Mary Benton Reporter Health Access Reporter Journalist and Media KCBS Radio Houston Chronicle Relations specialist San Francisco, CA Houston, TX Houston, TX VICE PRESIDENT/BROADCAST REGION I DIRECTOR REGION VI DIRECTOR Dedrick Russell Reporter Sherlon Christie Michelle Fitzhugh-Craig WBTV, LLC/Raycom Sports Reporter Editor-in-Chief Media Asbury Park Press shades Magazine Charlotte, NC Neptune, NJ Oakland, CA VICE PRESIDENT/P RINT REGION II DIRECTOR ASSOCIATE REPRESENTATIVE Troy Johnson Dawn Roberts Anchor/Reporter/On-Air Managing Partner/Founder Errin Whack Personality KD Communications Washington, DC WHUR 96.3 Group Washington, DC Philadelphia, PA SECRETARY REGION III DIRECTOR STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE Corey Dade Gayle Hurd Contributing Editor, Anchor/Reporter/Producer Khorri Atkinson The Root WBZJ-FM/WPTF-AM York College at the City Curtis Media Group (Raleigh) Washington, DC University of New York Raleigh, North Carolina New York, New York TREASURER REGION IV DIRECTOR Keith Reed Office of Mayor Kasim Reed Vickie Thomas Deputy Press Secretary Reporter WWJ/CBS Radio Detroit Atlanta, GA Detroit, MI 7 NABJ ANNUAL REPORT 2015 NATIONAL OFFICE STAFF EXECUTIVE CONSultant REGION V DIRECTOR Drew Berry ProGRAM ASSIStant Mary Benton Tiffany Robinson Journalist and Media Relations specialist ProGRAM MANAGER Houston, TX Scott Berry REGION VI DIRECTOR DEVelopMENT CONCIERGE Heidi Stevens Michelle Fitzhugh-Craig FINANCE MANAGER Editor-in-Chief Nathaniel Chambers shades Magazine Oakland, CA COMMUNICatIONS CONSultant ASSOCIATE REPRESENTATIVE Aprill Turner MEMBERSHIP MANAGER Dawn Roberts Veronique Dodson Managing Partner/Founder KD Communications Group ProGRAM MANAGER Philadelphia, PA Lisa Waldschmitt STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE DEVelopMENT CONSultant JoAnne Lyons Wooten InternS Khorri Atkinson York College at the City Yanava B. Hawkins University of New York Sedria Thomas New York, New York Tyler Tarrant StaFF ACCountant Sharon Odle 2015 NABJ ANNUAL REPORT 8 COMMITTEES & TASK FORCES COMMITTEES advise the Board on the annual budget, review spending and income quarterly. It shall be comprised of the NABJ Treasur- StandING COMMITTEES er, two former NABJ treasurers, two independent financial According to NABJ’s Operating Procedures, the duties of advisors and a top executive from a media company. the following nine national standing committees shall be as follows: MEDIA MONITORING Monitoring the national media for discrimination and AWARDS other injustices to people in the African diaspora in their Developing and distributing criteria for various national coverage and employment practices. It shall report to the journalism categories in the annual NABJ Salute to Excel- Board of Directors and the membership issues of concern. lence awards contest. MEMBERSHIP CONSTITUTION AND Locating new member, reclaiming former members and OperatING ProCEDURES retaining current members, and creating programs for Considering any proposed amendments to the Constitution this purpose. It also shall be responsible for evaluating all and Operating Procedures suggested by any full member. The membership applications and affiliate chapter applications. Committee shall make recommendations on such changes to the membership for consideration according to the guidelines ProGRAMS established by the Constitution and Operating Procedures. Developing and implementing programs for the annual national convention. COUNCIL OF PRESIDENTS Foster effective chapter management, develop strategies for MEDIA InSTITUTE chapters to recruit and retain members, develop strategies The Media Institute offers professional development op- to assist chapters in raising funds for scholarships and portunities, technical training, historical documentation other award programs. It shall also aggressively recruit and educational programs. members to NABJ and work to reach a consensus and make recommendations on how mutual problems can be OTHER COMMITTEES addressed and resolved within NABJ. Other work may be done on behalf of NABJ and black journalists by other committees and task forces as deemed COMMUNICatIONS necessary by the President and Board of Directors. The Actively develop, implement and execute a communica- President shall appoint all committees. tions strategy for NABJ. NABJ JOURNAL DEVelopMENT Published online and twice a year in print, the NABJ Jour- Actively pursuing new business partnerships and fundrais- nal provides news and information about NABJ activities, ing initiatives for NABJ. its members, chapters and journalism organizations with similar goals. Distributed to NABJ Members and individu- ELECTIONS al subscribers, the journal explores industry-related issue, Oversee the election process and develop the rules that trends and lifestyles as they affect African-Americans