• Workshop
• NABJ
• AAJA
• NAHJ
• NAJA
President's Message
 Anita K. Parran
|
We're baaack! Back to KC and you from the Big D and the annual National Association of Black Journalists convention. Your KCABJ entourage (See KC People) were joined by more than 2,500 attendees.
We participated in council meetings, attended numerous workshop sessions, networked with colleagues, made new contacts and celebrated with outstanding comrades who were honored. And, yes, there were the requisite parties in the ballrooms and suites.
The first meeting out of the box was of the Council of Presidents. The issues discussed: NABJ elections; NABJ proposed amendments; chapter audit insights; chapter officer training; local membership only vs. national-and-local membership status and soliciting and getting more support from the national organization
. However, the plenary sessions were of great significance. National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice starred in the first major all-member event, which was guided by NABJer and PBS diva Gwen Ifill. Predictably, Dr. Rice represented the Bush White House when ``spin'' was necessary on the weapons of mass destruction issue and other topics. Nothing new there. However, coverage of her appearance was great for NABJ, which made local and national news headlines.
One of the real highlights of the convention, however, was the first public appearance by Gerald Boyd, former managing editor of The New York Times. His representation of the Jayson Blair scandal set the record straight and included his adamant denial that he was mentor to the plagiarist and con man. Gerald, all graciousness and candor, answered audience questions for more than 30 minutes after he finished sharing his prepared remarks.
This winner of the 2001 NABJ Journalists of the Year award maintained his cool demeanor throughout, though some of us were choking with emotion surrounding the scandal and Gerald's presence. To him I say, "Courage!''
Another panel plenary titled ``Ethics, Diversity Initiatives and African Americans in Journalism'' took place, and Gerald's former boss, New York Times Publisher Arthur Sulzberger was put on the hot seat. He was joined by Karen Dunlap, dean of faculty and president-designate of the Poynter Institute; Peter Bhatia, president of the American Society of Newspaper Editors and executive editor of The Oregonian; Paula Madison, president and general manager of KNBC; and Steve Rossi, president of the newspaper division of Knight Ridder.
During that raucous plenary, moderator Stanley Crouch, writer and critic zinged and zapped each panelist. He peppered them with anecdotes and civil rights history that made the record breaking 109-degree heat in Dallas look cool. Unfortunately, the panelists did not respond positively enough to the issue of diversity in the newsroom -- and more importantly diversity in upper management. A vapid panel discussion about diversity? Yep, you better believe it.
My longtime pal, George Curry, was honored as "Journalist of the Year'' for his international exploits and wowed the audience during the mega dinner with an imitation of the Rev. Jesse Jackson. GEC, as I call him, hosted a private party off site. KCABJ Secretary Kia Breaux and I trekked over to get Curry's latest book (The Best of Emerge) and enjoy the live music, food and cocktails. GEC will be in Kansas City in early October and made a commitment to "do whatever we want'' with KCABJ if asked. I will.
Sooo, gentle readers, we survived the heat and are back: energized, enthusiastic and pleased with our journey to the Big D. And looking forward to the rest of our year!
28th Annual NABJ Convention
Gerald Boyd's speech at the NABJ convention was among the events that made headlines nationwide. Boyd resigned as managing editor of The New York Times earlier this year following the discovery that Jayson Blair, a 27-year-old Times reporter, had plagiarized and made up many stories before he resigned from the newspaper. Boyd's speech was his first public statement about the Blair controversy, which resulted in the resignations of Boyd and The Times' top editor, Howell Raines. Boyd, the first black managing editor in the paper's history, accepted some of the responsibility for the Blair fiasco, however he also made it clear that he was not a mentor to Blair as some publications had alleged.
Another major news event at the convention was a speech by National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice. She said the U.S.-led war in Iraq was justified despite authorities so far finding no weapons of mass destruction. Bush administration officials had used the Iraqi threat of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons as justification for invading Iraq and ousting the government of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
During the convention the NABJ membership also elected new officers. Herbert Lowe is the new president. Bryan Monroe is vice president/print, Barbara Ciara is vice president/broadcast, John Yearwood is treasurer and Sarah Glover is secretary. Melanie Burney is parliamentarian, Angela McClendon is the associate representative and Caleb Wilkerson is NABJ's student representative. Check out http://www.nabjconvention.org for more election information.
The NABJ Monitor covered the convention. Kara Edgerson, a KCABJ Urban Student Journalism Workshop graduate in 2002-03 and KCABJ scholarship winner, was among the reporters who worked for the Monitor. Former NABJ Treasurer Glenn E. Rice of The Kansas City Star was instrumental in helping her obtain that position. Call Lewis Diuguid at (816) 234-4723 to borrow his copies of the Monitor to check out what went on at the convention.
Nex year's gathering will be the UNITY: Journalists of Color convention Aug. 4-8, 2004, in Washington, D.C. It will be the nation's third Unity Convention. The first two were held in Atlanta in 1994 and Seattle in 1999. The one in D.C. promises to be unforgettable.
Party with KCABJ
The KCABJ '80s party on July 26 at Niecie's Lounge was a big success. Everyone had a great time thanks to the team effort involved in the planning. Jenee' Osterheldt, KCABJ member and organizer of the fund-raiser, said: "There were moments when I thought it wouldn't come together, but you all kept me motivated, and everything went off well. It was a nice effort, and thanks to Glenn (Rice) for finding the place and working the door. Thanks to everyone for hustling those tickets." The event ended up generating some capital for KCABJ.
More KCABJ Awards
In other KCABJ news, the organization has renewed its nonprofit status with the state of Missouri.
A news budget has been developed, and the stories from the KCABJ Urban Student Journalism Workshop have undergone one of the final edits. They move on to KCABJ member and Kansas City Star copy editor Pamela Spencer who will edit them and lay them out for the 2003 KCABJ Journal, which will be available at 2 p.m. Nov. 15 at the 12th Annual KCABJ Media Awards program at the Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Heritage Center.
Dozens of print and broadcast entries have been received for the 2003 KCABJ Media Awards. KCABJ President Anita Parran has agreed to lead the judging on the print entries. KCABJ Treasurer and Media Awards Chair Lewis Diuguid will again pick the judges for the broadcast entries. This year, entries have been received from three daily newspapers that publish in the Kansas City area. What seemed unusual was no television stations submitted entries.
NABJ News
NABJ is asking members to give their opinions of the organization in a membership survey that is being conducted online. You can find it at https://66.100.225.189/nabj/index.asp# . You will need your NABJ membership identification number to register your views.
NABJ reported before the Aug. 6-10 convention in Dallas that the organization ended its fiscal year 2002 with a substantial balance. KCABJ members can call Lewis Diuguid at (816) 234-4723 for more details.
Condace Pressley, NABJ president, sent out an e-mail bulletin to NABJ members who were canceling their reservations at the Hyatt Regency Reunion hotel to take rooms at other hotels. The other hotels lowered their rates to lure business away from the convention hotel. That, however, stood to hurt NABJ financially because NABJ entered into a contract with the Hyatt for a specific number of nights. ``If NABJ fails to meet this guarantee, at the end of the convention NABJ must pay the Hyatt for the room nights you reserved but did not use,'' Pressley wrote. ``Members who have canceled reservations at the Hyatt may be helping themselves but are hurting NABJ. Please do not do this. The cost to the association could be in the tens of thousands of dollars.... Remember it's the organization that matters.''
Jobs and More
KC People
2003 Kansas City Association of Black Journalists
P.O. Box 32744, Kansas City, Mo. 64111