Reporting on diversity issues in the news business
ArticlesFeature

NABJ Sued by Rejected Executive Director Choice

by richard02072

Elise Durham Wants $614,000 Plus Other Costs

Homepage photo: Elise Durham Aug. 5 at NABJ’s convention at Cleveland’s Huntington Convention Center. (Photos by Richard Prince)

Ken Lemon, then-NABJ president, introduces Elise Durham on Aug.5 as NABJ’s next executive director. 

Elise Durham Wants $614,000 Plus Other Costs

Elise Durham, the choice of the previous president of the National Association of Black Journalists to be its executive director, has filed an unprecedented suit against the organization, charging breach of contract, asking for a jury trial, and declaring that NABJ is required to pay $613,987 in severance, plus other costs, according to court documents.

It is the first time the organization, commemorating its 50th anniversary this month, has faced such a lawsuit.

​The NABJ board, under newly elected President Errin Haines, voted Aug. 20 in an unpublicized meeting to rescind the contract with Durham, despite an assertion from its now-dismissed attorney of record that such a move could leave it open to lawsuits charging breach of contract and defamation of character — and perhaps a hefty financial penalty.

Questioning by members at an hours-long meeting at the NABJ convention in Cleveland Aug. 9 revealed that key members of NABJ, such as board treasurer Jasmine Styles and financial manager Nathaniel Chambers, were kept out of the loop when then-president Ken Lemon, just days before he was defeated in a bid for re-election, signed a contract with Durham to become NABJ’s next executive director later in the  year.

Lemon acknowledged then that the full board of directors did not vote on the contract.

Durham is a communications strategist and television news manager in Atlanta with a long history with NABJ.

Elections Chair Lynn Norment, third from left, with newly elected NABJ board members at the August convention. From left: Roland Martin, vice president/digital; Melony Roy, Region I director; Norment; Errin Haines, president; Walter Smith Randolph, vice president/broadcast; Khorri Atkinson, secretary; and Steven Crocker, Region III director. 

The complaint was filed Dec. 16 in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, Md., which has jurisdiction in the Prince George’s County location where NABJ, headquartered at the University of Maryland in College Park, is based.

Durham said in the complaint, “Ken Lemon, then the President of NABJ, personally reached out to Durham in June of 2025 to recruit her away from Hartsfield-Jackson [Airport] to become the Executive Director of NABJ,” and that “Relying upon NABJ’s Employment Agreement, Durham notified Hartsfield-Jackson of her resignation on August 4, 2025.”

Dirham also said, “The term of the contract is three (3) years, from September 1, 2025 – September 1, 2028.
The contract establishes Durham’s salary for each year, as follows: $195,000 from September 1, 2025 – September 1, 2026; $204,750 from September 1, 2026 – September 1, 2027; and $214,237 from September 1, 2027 – September 1, 2028.The contract further provides for the provision of fringe benefits, including health insurance and a 401(k) plan, a laptop computer, and a cell phone (or cell phone allowance).

“The contract provides that it may be terminated for cause or without cause. In the event of Durham’s termination without cause, Executive shall be entitled to severance pay in the amount equal to the unpaid full Base Salary accrued and unaccrued … and accrued and unaccrued vacation to the end of the agreement, plus health care coverage through the length of this contract ….

“The NABJ’s attempt to unilaterally void the Employment Agreement constitutes a breach of the contract and a termination without cause.”

In an emailed message to members dated Friday, Haines said that “following the national convention and the transition to newly elected leadership, the board undertook a thorough review of several organizational matters to ensure alignment with our governing documents and fiduciary responsibilities. As part of that review, the board voted to rescind the Executive Director contract that had been approved by the previous administration before it went into effect.

“Over the course of the following months, and with the advice of legal counsel, the board engaged in good-faith efforts to explore whether revised terms could support alignment between the organization’s current leadership, operational needs and financial considerations. Ultimately, those discussions did not result in a mutual agreement.

“The board is aware that a legal complaint has been filed related to this matter. As it is now subject to ongoing legal proceedings, the organization is not able to comment further; however, this matter will be addressed responsibly and in accordance with the organization’s legal and financial protocols, including applicable insurance coverage. The board is confident this will not impact NABJ’s day-to-day operations, or the financial integrity of the organization.

“Looking ahead, the board plans to reopen the Executive Director search in the coming year. Members can expect a structured, transparent process that reflects NABJ’s mission, governance standards and the evolving needs of the organization.”

NABJ has been without an executive director since Drew Berry’s term expired Oct. 1.

Watch ‘60 Minutes’ Story Pulled by CBS News Boss

Dec. 23, 2025

Latino Civil Rights Group Calls Action ‘Indefensible’

 

The full spiked 60 Minutes CECOT package, clean & subtitled. 1/5

[image or embed]

— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog.xyz) December 22, 2025 at 8:28 PM

Video of the damning “60 Minutes” segment made the rounds on social media Monday afternoon after it ran on a streaming platform owned by Global TV, a network that airs “60 Minutes” in Canada. This version is in five parts. If no image is visible, please consider using another browser. Warning: Paramount is making efforts to block the circulating copies of the story, and on Tuesday morning had at least one taken down.  However, on Tuesday, Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., was among those reposting on his own site. It was later taken down. If no video appears, try this site.

Latino Civil Rights Group Calls Action ‘Indefensible’

As critics questioned whether politics was behind CBS’ decision to pull a planned “60 Minutes” story about Venezuelan detainees sent by the United States to a notorious El Salvador prison, and a leading Latino civil rights group called the CBS action “indefensible” and “deeply troubling,” the report reached a worldwide audience despite the CBS retreat.

“On Monday, some Canadian viewers noticed that the pre-planned ‘60 Minutes’ episode was published on a streaming platform owned by Global TV, the network that has the rights to ‘60 Minutes’ in Canada,” Brian Stelter reported Monday for CNN.

“CBS News editor in chief Bari Weiss (pictured) decided to shelve the story, titled ‘Inside CECOT,’ creating an uproar inside CBS,” Stelter wrote.

“The preplanned episode led with correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi’s story — the one that Weiss stopped from airing in the US because she said it was ‘not ready.’

“Several Canadian viewers shared clips and summaries of the story on social media, and within hours, the videos went viral on platforms like Reddit and Bluesky.

“ ‘Watch fast,’ one of the Canadian viewers wrote on Bluesky, predicting that CBS would try to have the videos taken offline.”

As Axios reported, ‘‘If the administration’s refusal to participate becomes a valid reason to spike a story, we have effectively handed them a ‘kill switch’ for any reporting they find inconvenient,” Alfonsi wrote. The prison, CECOT in El Salvador, has become a symbol of President Trump’s harsh immigration crackdown, with courts, immigration activists and civil libertarians accusing the administration of steamrolling due process.

  • “The Trump administration sent more than 280 migrants to CECOT in March, about 230 of whom are from Venezuela.

This photo, released by the Presidencia El Salvador, shows 2,000 detainees being transferred overnight to the Terrorist Confinement Centre (CECOT) in Tecoluca, El Salvador, on March 15, 2023.

“Driving the news: CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss pulled the segment days after Trump publicly complained that ’60 Minutes’ was treating him ‘far worse’ since CBS’ parent company was acquired earlier this year.

  • ” ’60 Minutes’ announced on social media Sunday afternoon that it was dropping the segment from that evening’s broadcast lineup, but said that it would air at a later date.
  • “Weiss told producers that the team didn’t do enough to get administration officials on the record, Axios’ Sara Fischer reports.

“Sharyn Alfonsi, the segment’s correspondent, defended the story as ‘factually correct’ and said it underwent a thorough legal review, according to a copy of the email that journalist Liam Scott shared on X.

If image is not visible, please consider using another browser.

“In an X post Monday, Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer implied that the ’60 Minutes’ postponement was politically motivated,” Reuters reported. “ ‘Trump and his billionaire buddies are trying to shape what people see and hear to create their own alternative reality,’ Schumer wrote.

“ ‘The Trump administration doesn’t have a veto on what stories get told. CBS should put the full, unedited version of this story on the air ASAP. A free press doesn’t kowtow to the president – it holds him accountable.’ ”

“The decision by CBS News Editor-In-Chief Bari Weiss to block this 60 Minutes investigation is indefensible,” said Roman Palomares (pictured), national president and chairman of the board of LULAC, the League of United Latin American Citizens.

“This decision was not a routine programming issue. It was the suppression of critical journalism about the treatment of Latino detainees sent to CECOT. The American people have a right to know what is being done in their name, and silencing this report undermines the very foundation of a free and independent press.”

“The abrupt ‘postponement,’ ordered at the highest levels of CBS News, deprived millions of Americans of vital information affecting Latino families and communities nationwide. LULAC is formally lodging complaints with CBS News and its parent company, Paramount Global. To date, the explanation offered for this decision is unclear, internally inconsistent, and deeply troubling.”

Federal Communications Commission member Anna M. Gomez, who was appointed to the telecommunications regulator by former President Joe Biden, said news reports about the CECOT segment were “deeply alarming and strike at the heart of press freedom.”

Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, said on X, “What is happening to CBS is a terrible embarrassment and if executives think they can build shareholder value by avoiding journalism that might offend the Mad King they are about to learn a tough lesson.”

The decision “does merit an explanation right away. It’s a pretty big deal to pull a story at the request of the White House,” Schatz added.

Stephen Buckley, J-Ethicist, Resigns From 2 Jobs

Dec. 21, 2025

Student Newspaper Reports Sexual Misconduct
Charlamagne Wants to Create ‘the BET of Podcasting’
War, Crime Networks Boost Death Toll for Journos
J-Groups Unite to Oppose Ownership Consolidation
. . . Black Milwaukee Outlets Sold to White Owners

McCarter Returns as USA Today Interim Editor
Next Up on ‘CBS Evening News’: Tony Dokoupil
Majority-Black Albany, Ga., Exemplifies Health-Care Ills
NABJ’s Tre’Vell Anderson Helps Lead Trans Journalists
Orlando’s Chet Glover, Active Among Black Journos, Dies at 71
Despite Attacks, African Journalist Vows to Press On

Short Takes: Charles Robinson; Press Forward grants; NABJ endowment campaign; NABJ and Baltimore chapter vs. WJZ-TV; Indigenous Journalists Association at Malaysia conference; Scott Mills, Leona Allen Ford, Rehema Ellis and Irv Randolph; N. Don Wycliff and Fred Hampton; Aja Whitaker-Moore; Halimah Abdullah and Chandelis Duster; Cheryl Smith; Christine Choy

 

If no image is visible, please consider changing browsers. 

Student Newspaper Reports Sexual Misconduct

Stephen Buckley, one of the few Black journalists to become an arbiter of journalism standards and ethics, resigned suddenly from his professorship at Duke University and also from the Dallas Morning News, where he was public editor.

The Duke Chronicle, student newspaper at Duke University, reported a week ago, “The Chronicle confirmed through sources close to Buckley that he had engaged in sexual misconduct and a subsequent investigation prompted his resignation.”

Ana Despa wrote Dec. 13 for her publication that Buckley, Eugene C. Patterson professor of the practice of journalism and public policy and interim director of Polis: Center for Politics,” resigned from Duke around early December, after being placed on leave from the University. . . .

“Buckley’s leave was announced to students in the journalism and media studies minor in the late evening of Oct. 23, resulting in the immediate suspension of his teaching and administrative duties. At the time, he was teaching two journalism courses, both of which were immediately taken over by faculty members from the DeWitt Wallace Center. Buckley also served as the director of undergraduate studies for the journalism and media studies minor.”

In Dallas, meanwhile, in the fifth paragraph of a Nov. 29 column headlined, “How Can The Dallas Morning News Keep Building Trust?,” president and publisher Grant Moise told readers that “Stephen is stepping down from the public editor role, and we have an opportunity now to reflect on what the position accomplished for our readers and how we can develop the trust-building initiative that we believe should be ingrained in every part of our work.”

Managing editor Amy Hollyfield confirmed Wednesday that “Grant’s column was the only messaging” about Buckley and that there was no announcement to the staff. “And the survey of readers is part of the evaluation to decide the future of the position,” she told Journal-isms.

Buckley did not respond to a request for comment, nor did Duke University officials.

Writing Tuesday for Dallas’ D Magazine, columnist Tim Rogers wrote:

“The timing of all this seemed odd to me, how much of that time elapsed between Buckley’s last column and Moise’s non-announcement; how little of the time elapsed between that non-announcement and the Chronicle making public the sexual misconduct. So yesterday, I emailed Moise.

“ ‘Looking at the timeline of this Buckley mess, I can’t help but conclude that you knew what was happening and decided to publish your note about his departure at a time such that you wouldn’t have to reveal he was in trouble,’ I wrote. ‘ESPECIALLY when you’re talking about the departure of a public editor and how important reader trust is — well, I must be wrong about how this all went down.’ I offered to talk and passed along my cell number.

“In response, I received this email from his executive assistant, the quotes indicating the words came from Moise: ‘Stephen notified us in November that he had resigned from Duke and was resigning from his position with us. We were unaware of these allegations at the time of his resignation.’ ”

Buckley’s first column as Dallas Morning News public editor, headlined “Building Trust,” was published May 11, 2024. Buckley took the job after stints as dean of faculty at the Poynter Institute, the school for journalists; managing editor of the St. Petersburg Times (now Tampa Bay Times); associate dean and professor of practice at the Aga Khan University Graduate School of Media and Communications in Nairobi, Kenya; and in the late 1990s, Brazil bureau chief for the Washington Post.

At Duke, Buckley regularly taught courses for undergraduates in the public policy and journalism and media studies departments on trust in media, and on news and sports journalism. He was named interim director of Polis, the Center for Politics, in late August.

Buckley’s final column, on Sept. 24, defended the Morning News’ reporting of the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Noting the debate it prompted over free speech, especially on campuses, Buckley wrote, “Coverage of these issues likely won’t ebb. And it shouldn’t. Kirk’s slaying has surfaced questions that strike at the heart of who we are as a nation, and it is a moment when people should look to outlets like The News to help them grapple with these essential issues. This is what journalism is all about. For The News to do any less would be to shun a sacred responsibility.”

In August, Buckley looked at the relationship between journalists and readers, citing lack of courtesy on both sides.

“The relationship between our journalists and our audience is inherently fraught, but it is also the heartbeat of the local news ecosystem,” Buckley wrote. “A little grace goes a long way in every relationship. And a bit of grace would no doubt make this complex give-and-take both more pleasant and more productive.”

“Charlamagne Tha God sat down with Forbes senior writer Jabari Young on The Enterprise Zone at Nasdaq MarketSite. He talked about his $200 million deal with iHeartMedia, shared insights from his career, and explained how he is expanding the Black Effect podcast network,” writes Forbes. (Credit: YouTube).

Charlamagne Wants to Create ‘the BET of Podcasting’

“Radio personality Charlamagne Tha God recently signed a $200 million deal with iHeartMedia. Now he has ambitious plans to turn his Black Effect network into the BET of podcasting,” proclaims the subhead  on “How Charlamagne Became A Media God,” posted Friday by Forbes.

Jabari Young wrote, “In August, Charlamagne signed a five-year, $200 million extension with iHeartMedia. The deal keeps Charlamagne on The Breakfast Club for the near future and puts him in the same league with Joe Rogan, who signed a multiyear extension with Spotify for a reported $250 million last year.

“Locking in Charlamagne is vital to iHeartMedia, which struck a deal with Netflix to stream The Breakfast Club, among 15 other podcasts, starting in 2026. But more important, Charlamagne’s new deal will help him expand his Black Effect podcast network, a joint venture with iHeartMedia.

“ ‘When I was looking at doing my new deal with iHeartMedia,’ Charlamagne says, ‘I was, like, “I don’t want to just be talent. I want to create this podcast network. I want to create the BET [Black Entertainment Television] for podcasting.’’ ‘

“Since 2020, Black Effect has launched more than 60 shows — including with former NBA stars Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, and entrepreneurs Daymond John and John Hope Bryant — becoming a vital large part of iHeartMedia’s revenue stream. IHeartMedia reported podcast revenue of $448.8 million in 2024, up from $252.6 million in 2021, and $101 million the year prior. Charlamagne says he wants to add 10 more shows in 2026. . .  .”

On Nov. 18, three Latin American journalists shared their experiences of reporting in exile as part of a virtual panel organized by the Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas. Speakers are Luz Mely Reyes, co-founder of Efecto Cocuyo of Venezuela; Carlos Fernando Chamorro, founder of Confidencial of Nicaragua; and César Castro Fagoaga, co-founder of Revista Factum of El Salvador. (Credit: YouTube)

War, Crime Networks Boost Death Toll for Journos

“Journalists do not just die – they are killed,” Reporters Without Borders said Dec. 9. “The number of murdered journalists has risen again, due to the criminal practices of military groups — both regular and paramilitary — and organised crime. At least 53 of the 67 media professionals killed over the past year are victims of war or criminal networks.”

The Committee to Protect Journalists added Dec. 10, “With more than three weeks still to go to the end of the year, the number of journalists and media workers killed worldwide in 2025 already equals 2024’s record figures, data gathered by the Committee to Protect Journalists shows.”

Reporters Without Borders made these points:

  • ”Nearly half (43%) of the journalists slain in the past 12 months were killed in Gaza by Israeli armed forces. . . .”
  • ”In Mexico, organised crime groups are responsible for the alarming spike in journalist murders seen in 2025 . . . .
  • “Journalists are more at risk within their own countries . . . .
  • “503 journalists are currently detained around the world. . . .
  • “One year after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, many of the reporters arrested or captured under his rule are yet to be found, making Syria the country with the highest number of missing news professionals — over a quarter of the world total. . . .”

Meanwhile:

J-Groups Unite to Oppose Ownership Consolidation

Changes to media ownership rules under consideration by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) threaten to accelerate the contraction of local newsrooms and cost jobs of journalists of color, according to a joint statement Wednesday from eight journalism organizations.

They are the Asian American Journalists Association, the Indigenous Journalists Association, Journalism & Women Symposium, known as JAWS, National Association of Black Journalists, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists, the South Asian Journalists Association and the Society of Professional Journalists.

“Across the country, local newsrooms are shrinking — leaving communities with fewer journalists, fewer local stories, and fewer perspectives,” the groups said. “For journalists and audiences of color, this loss is deeply felt. Local stations have long been where many journalists from underrepresented backgrounds begin their careers and where communities turn for culturally relevant coverage that national outlets often overlook.”

Separately, “In an ex parte filing filed just in time to offer comments in response to the Commission’s long-delayed 2022 Quadrennial Review of its media ownership rules, the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters and its President, Jim Winston, asserts that ‘relaxation or repeal of the Commission’s broadcast ownership rules has led to excessive concentration of broadcast station ownership and a decline in minority ownership,‘ Adam R Jacobson reported Friday for Radio Ink.

“In stating its opposition to any revisions of the Local Radio Ownership Rule, NABOB [contends] that ownership of broadcast stations among Blacks has declined since 1995 because of Congress’s repeal of the minority tax certificate policy, the Supreme Court’s Adarand decision, and the approval by President Clinton of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. . . .”

In 2024, Jerrel W.Jones celebrated 60 years as head of Courier Communications and as a voice and activist in Milwaukee’s Black community. His company founded the Milwaukee Courier, launched WNOV 860 AM and would later add 106.5 FM and The Madison Times, a Black newspaper in Wisconsin’s capital. He died June 5 at 84.

 . . . Black Milwaukee Outlets Sold to White Owners

“On Wednesday, December 17, 2025, the Wisconsin news and progressive-talk radio network, Civic Media, announced that it would be expanding its footprint in Milwaukee with the acquisition of heritage radio station urban AC WNOV (860 AM), its corresponding FM translator W293CX at 106.5, and the weekly Milwaukee Courier newspaper, assuming responsibility for both operations on January 1,” the Milwaukee Times reported Thursday.

“The deal marks a significant transition for two of the city’s most enduring black-owned media institutions. WNOV was purchased in 1972 by Courier Communications Corporation under the leadership of Dr. Jerrel Jones, becoming the first black-owned radio station in Wisconsin, while the Milwaukee Courier has served the community continuously since 1964. Following more than five decades of family ownership — and the recent passing of Dr. Jones — the Jones family has entrusted Civic Media with continuing that legacy.

As part of the transition, current WNOV owner Mary Ellen Jones will serve as a consultant, with Jerrel Jones assisting on the newspaper side. Civic Media also named Dr. Robert ‘Biko’ Baker as Operations Manager for both WNOV and the Courier. A longtime civic engagement leader, political commentator and former editor of The Source, Baker will oversee efforts to invest in journalism and programming that serve Milwaukee’s Black community.

“ ‘My parents built The Milwaukee Courier and WNOV to give Milwaukee’s black community a voice when few existed,’ Mary Ellen Jones said. ‘Passing that responsibility forward was not taken lightly. Civic Media is committed to honoring that legacy while investing in the future of trusted media.’

“Civic Media CEO Sage Weil called the acquisition both an opportunity and a responsibility. ‘These are trusted institutions with deep roots in Milwaukee,’ Weil added. ‘Our role is to steward that legacy while investing in their future — modernizing operations, expanding digital reach, and ensuring they continue to serve the community with integrity.’

“Earnestine Jones, widow of Dr. Jones, said the family is confident the mission will continue. ‘We believed that accurate information is powerful and our voices matter,’ she commented. ‘As my family passes the torch to Civic Media, we do so with trust.’ . . . ”

The issue of whites owning a Black-oriented media product reached a flashpoint in  2005, when the New York Times Co. sought to start a “Black” newspaper in Gainesville, Fla., mirroring efforts by mainstream newspaper companies to target the Hispanic market by offering Latino products.

After protests from the Black press, the Times Co. decided not to market the Gainesville Guardian, a free weekly, as a “Black” newspaper.

Today it is marketed as an email newsletter “focused on Black-owned businesses, community engagement opportunities, spirituality, health, education, youth sports and more,” owned by the Gainesville Sun, owned by the USA Today Co., formerly the Gannett Co.

McCarter Returns as USA Today Interim Editor

Michael McCarter, interim editor of USA Today before and after the year-long editorship of Terence Samuel in 2023-24, is back in the interim job with the departure this month of Caren Bohan, who was named editor in chief in September 2024.

Monica Richardson, the senior vice president of USA Today, and like McCarter and Samuel a Black journalist, made the announcement to the staff on Dec. 9, Katie Robertson reported then for The New York Times.

Richardson said in the email that McCarter, “who oversees opinion teams across USA Today’s network, would lead the publication on an interim basis while the publication runs a national search for a permanent leader. The new role, Ms. Richardson said, would have the title vice president of news,” Robertson wrote.

According to his company bio, McCarter “oversees editorial strategy for the opinion teams and leads initiatives around Standards & Ethics across the USA TODAY Network, working with more than 2,000 journalists nationwide to uphold integrity and foster facts-first storytelling.“

McCarter was most memorably in this column in 2015, when, at the Cincinnati Enquirer as interim editor, he decided not to use a mug shot of an unarmed Black shooting victim, while the white suspect, a police officer, was shown in front of a flag. “You have to understand the power of images in situations like this,” he said.

Next Up on ‘CBS Evening News’: Tony Dokoupil

John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois signed off as co-anchors (video) of the CBS Evening News on Thursday, as the network retools its evening broadcast under new news division editor in chief Bari Weiss, as Deadline reported.

They are to be succeeded by Tony Dokoupil (pictured), co-host of CBS Mornings, who starts on Jan. 5.

Dokoupil, who is white — DuBois was one of the few Black journalists to become an evening news anchor — was most prominently in this column in October 2024, when the “CBS Mornings” host interviewed Black journalist and author Ta-Nehisi Coates over his then-new book “The Message,” and its portrayal of the Israel-Palestine issue.

“I don’t think you understand the shockwave that interview created, not because of what you said, but because of the way people felt like you were treated,” podcast host Trevor Noah later told Coates (pictured).

Dokoupil was reprimanded for violating the network’s editorial standards, but new CBS editor Bari Weiss, who has described herself in the past as a “Zionist fanatic,” publicly defended Dokoupil.

White House correspondent Weijia Jiang, who is also president of the White House Correspondents Association, anchored the “CBS Evening News” on Friday.

Meanwhile, Coates has joined Vanity Fair as a senior staff writer and will be reporting across spheres of power, the magazine announced last month. Coates is the Sterling Brown Endowed Chair in the English department at Howard University.

In addition, Adrienne Green, most recently a deputy editor at The New York Times Magazine, joins Vanity Fair as executive editor, and José Criales-Unzueta comes aboard as style correspondent.

Majority-Black Albany, Ga., Exemplifies Health-Care Ills

“ProPublica has published ‘Sick in a Hospital Town,’ an immersive, serialized investigation by Pulitzer Prize winning editor and reporter Ginger Thompson that asks the question: Why does the United States, with the most expensive and sophisticated health care system in the world, have a population that’s so sick?” the investigative website announced Dec.7.

“It’s accompanied by a podcast series on ProPublica Narrated, a brand new feed with our most important journalism.

“Thompson (pictured) spent the last five years reporting on Albany, Georgia, a majority African American city of 75,000 that rose to national attention as one of the world’s first hot spots during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thompson first traveled to Albany seeing the potential for a David vs. Goliath story — the opportunity to chronicle how the city’s lone hospital, Phoebe Putney Memorial, was responding to a crisis that was overwhelming health care systems everywhere.

“What she found instead was how COVID-19 was just the latest in a long list of health crises to hit the city. The hospital dominates the city’s economy and politics, yet residents of Albany have some of the highest rates of treatable diseases. The story explores why — and in doing so reveals the mechanics of the U.S. health care system’s dysfunction as a whole.

“ProPublica and Theater of War Productions brought the story to life through a recording of the text with actors Eric Berryman, Myra Lucretia Taylor, Dael Orlandersmith, Amy Ryan, David Strathairn and Frankie Faison. The narration of ‘Sick in a Hospital Town’ was directed by Bryan Doerries, features an original score by Teese Gohl, is mixed by David Herman, and produced by Marjolaine Goldsmith.”

NABJ’s Tre’Vell Anderson Helps Lead Trans Journalists

Tre’Vell Anderson, who in 2023 became the first transgender candidate for president of the National Association of Black Journalists – and won 34 percent of the vote — has become executive director of the Trans Journalists Association.

“Yes, this is a full-time role. I continue to freelance regularly,” Anderson (pictured) said by email Saturday. “I also continue to host and produce podcasts and other efforts through my social curation and media production house Slayzhon.”

Anderson is a Los Angeles-based podcast host, self-described “independent journalist and authoress,” two-term NABJ regional director and co-chair of NABJ’s LGBTQ+ Task Force.

“At the TJA, we’re building a future of journalism where stories about trans people are just, ethical, and informed by our leadership,” Anderson messaged. “We’re fostering the careers of gender expansive journalists, and training and educating the broader industry on best practices that’ll lead to coverage that is accurate and nuanced. That includes developing resources like our recently released Trans News Initiative — a tool that tracks and analyzes news coverage of trans communities.

The association, which Anderson says has more than 580 members, was featured in an article published Dec. 12 by Editor & Publisher, “How the Trans Journalists Association is pushing for accuracy, safety and fair coverage.”

Orlando’s Chet Glover, Active Among Black Journos, Dies at 71

Chester “Chet” Glover (pictured,) described by an admirer as “THE guy who knew everyone and was always willing to help in any way,” died suddenly Dec. 14 in an Orlando, Fla., hospital after returning to Orlando from a pleasure trip to South Africa, his niece, Michelle Hall, told Journal-isms Saturday. He was 71.

“It is with deep sorrow and a heavy broken heart that we must share that our beloved long time (NABJ) National Association of Black Journalists & Central Florida Association of Black Journalists Executive Board member Chester ‘Chet’ Glover has gone on to glory” the Central Florida group announced.

Orlando’s WESH-TV described Glover as “a beloved community leader in Orlando who began his career as a news assistant and went on to serve as a legislative aide for multiple politicians. . . .

“Glover began his career at the Orlando Sentinel in 1984. He later served as a legislative aide to former state Rep. Alzo Reddick and Congresswomen Corrine Brown and Val Demings. He was also an active member of the Central Florida Association of Black Journalists.”

Despite Attacks, African Journalist Vows to Press On

In accepting the 2025 International Center for Journalists’ Knight International Journalism Award in November, Nigerian journalist Philip Obaji Jr. credited victims of Russian atrocities in Africa for motivating him continue his dangerous work. “Their courage keeps me going, even when the risks feel overwhelming,” he said. Obaji, a correspondent for The Daily Beast who has been beaten and imprisoned for his work, vowed to keep reporting: “I won’t stop telling these stories, no matter how many soldiers or paramilitaries try to stand in my way.” (Credit: ICFJ/YouTube)

Short Takes

  • Dec. 30 services have been announced for Charles Robinson III, the award-winning Maryland Public Television journalist who, according to Travis Mitchell, MPT senior vice president and chief content officer, died Dec. 15 at age 69 on his way to an interview.
  • On Dec. 12, its 50th anniversary, the National Association of Black Journalists said it launched the NABJ Jubilee Endowment Campaign, “the most ambitious capital campaign in our organization’s history. Over the next four years, we aim to raise $15 million to build a permanent endowment that will secure NABJ’s long-term sustainability and expand our capacity to recruit, train, support, and elevate the next generation of Black journalists.”

Indigenous Journalists Association board members in Malaysia: From left, Angel Moore (Cree, Peguis First Nation), Bryan Pollard (Cherokee Nation), Eden Fineday (Cree, Sweetgrass First Nation), Joseph Lee (Aquinnah Wampanoag) and Sunnie Clahchischiligi (Diné) Credit: IJA)

  • Board members of the Indigenous Journalists Association, attending the Global Investigative Journalism Conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from Nov. 20 to 24, released a reporting guide on indigenous identity fraud and presented a panel discussion on the issue. ”The release of the guide online was far reaching, and positive feedback was immediate, with responses from other journalists, academics, and law firms,” IJA said Wednesday.

  • In New York, “Fifty-one ethnic and community media outlets, who publish in 14 different languages, have issued an urgent appeal to Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, calling for the immediate restoration of city advertising commitments that have collapsed under the [Eric] Adams administration,” the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism reported Thursday. “The group, coordinated by the Center for Community Media (CCM) at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY and URL Media, warns that the ethnic and community media ecosystem cannot survive another four years of neglect from City Hall.”
  • “Just as many young Americans watched the events of Sept. 11, 2001, and felt compelled to join the military, I watched the aftermath of Fred Hampton’s death and was moved to become a journalist,” N. Don Wycliff (pictured), retired editorial page editor of the Chicago Tribune, wrote for the Philadelphia Inquirer. His piece was published Dec. 4, the 50th anniversary of Hampton’s assassination. Hampton, chairman of the Illinois Black Panther Party, “was killed in what the Chicago police described as a ‘shootout’ between them and members of the party at the group’s West Side headquarters,” Wycliff continued, “Eventually, it became clear that there had been no ‘shootout’ at all, but a shoot-in by the police. The clincher was a front-page photo in the Dec. 12 editions of the Chicago Sun-Times under a headline that read, ‘Those ‘bullet holes’ aren’t.’ . . .  What all of this demonstrated to me was the power of journalism to expose truth, to lay bare hidden facts for examination by citizens of a democracy. And after seeing it done, I knew I wanted to do it, too.” Wycliff recently published a memoir, “Before the Byline: A Journalist’s Roots.”
  • “Since pandemic-fueled anti-Asian hate surged in 2020, Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander advocates have mobilized to make AAPI history mandatory learning through legislation or state education boards,” Terry Tang reported Dec. 12 for the Associated Press. “Today, most AAPI adults want educators to teach history through the lens of racism, slavery and segregation, according to a 2024 survey. There have been some successes, with around a dozen states passing statutes requiring curriculum. Beyond well-known events, classes are diving into topics like stereotypes of South Asians and Vietnamese refugees. But as efforts arise, so has disagreement among Asian Americans. . . .”

“The Wall Street Journal has decided to have two deputy editors in chief as it seeks to advance its newsroom strategy,” Ray Schultz reported Nov. 23 for MediaPost. “Aja Whitaker-Moore (pictured) and David Crow have been named to the title, wrote Emma Tucker, editor in chief, in a memo to the staff. “Whitaker-Moore joins from Axios, where she served as editor in chief in charge of national, local and pro newsrooms. Whitaker-Moore joined Axios in 2020 as managing editor. . . . Crow is the Journal’s current executive editor.”

  • A Cheryl Smith (pictured) Soldiers Without Swords Scholarship is to be awarded to its first recipient in the Fall 2026 semester, 50 years after Smith, “a celebrated journalist, publisher, and mentor” first set foot on the campus, Keka Araujo reported Dec. 2 for Black Enterprise. Smith was honored Oct. 17 as the first representative of the Black press to be inducted into the Thelma Thurston Gorham Distinguished Wall of Fame at Florida A&M University’s (FAMU) School of Journalism and Graphic Communication. “The tribute was immediately followed by Smith’s commitment to the next generation: a $25,000 donation to establish a new student scholarship fund.”

 

Loading

Related posts

BET, TV One Channel Viewers’ Pain Over Trump Win

richard

Sex Accusations Against Smiley Detailed

richard

Congress’ Latinos Eye N.Y. Times Diversity

richard

Leave a Comment

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