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August
2002
We
Must Support
NYABJ and NABJ
At the recent National Association
of Black Journalists’ 27th
annual convention in Milwaukee there
was a lot of debate about where the
organization stands and where it
should be. Members returned from the
convention to find a New York Times’
story the following morning entitled “Identity
Crisis for Journalist Group.”
The article highlighted NABJ’s
struggle to maintain its founding
values – getting more black
journalists into newsrooms – while
opening its doors to a media industry
that is becoming more and more
diverse.
It’s true. We’re having trouble
finding a good middle ground. But the
article was often one-sided.
The reporter, Felicity Barringer,
wrote about the convention workshops,
arguing that “some of the most popular
focused not on becoming better at
journalism, but on leaving it –
sessions that focused on how to become
a Hollywood screenwriter, how to get
into marketing and how to produce
daytime talk shows.”
This was
my seventh NABJ convention and even a brief
review of its schedule
shows that the professional
development workshops overwhelmingly
focused on improving journalistic
skills. As an attendee it’s hard to
believe that the ones Barringer cited
were the “most popular” in a program
that offered so much.
What the
article did underscore is a feeling
among members that NABJ should do more
advocacy to open doors in an industry
that does not do enough to include us.
If
nothing else, the interest of our
members in other types of media
illustrates that frustration. More
journalists should examine the reasons
behind our departure from journalism
instead of merely stating the fact.
The NABJ
leadership has had meetings with
companies on improving diversity
efforts but we have to continue to do
push top executives and be loud about
it. We also have to consistently do our own polling
and surveys.
NABJ’s
growing pains prove there is a need
for members to do more to support and
influence the direction of the
organization.
Here in
New York, members complained to me
about the choice of Milwaukee as a
city and about the lack of newsmakers
at the convention. I always responded by
asking, “Are you a member?” or “Have
you offered your input?” Whether you
thought Milwaukee was appealing or
not, it was a cozy city that gave NABJ
an opportunity for introspection.
During
the convention, NABJ Executive
Director Tangie Newborn revealed that
our membership had dropped form 3,004
to 2,670, a 12 percent decline. As
black media professionals we have to
do more to support the organization
that is at the forefront of our
advancement. And we have to offer that
support nationally and locally.
In
Milwaukee, New York journalists
sometimes asked me, “Should I become a
member of the NABJ and NYABJ?”
The
answer is clearly yes.
Quite
often folks who are affiliated with
both organizations are confused about
the advantages of membership in each
group. Some don’t see the point of
paying the dues for both and most
times choose one or the other.
To truly
enjoy the benefits that the national
organization and a local chapter can
offer, I encourage black media
professionals to join both. I like to
think of it in religious terms. You
may attend a weekly service in your
neighborhood, but also attend a
national convention once a year where
you keep your finger on the pulse of
what congregations are doing across
the country.
Some
members think that NABJ only offers a
convention once a year, but NABJ
provides members with year-round
support. It is the
lead ship in a fleet of vessels that
advocate for black media professionals
and push for an inclusive environment
through which we can obtain jobs. NABJ
pushes these issues nationally, while
we at NYABJ push them locally. NABJ is
the national resource and NYABJ is the
local one.
Even a
brief visit to
www.nabj.org will give you a sense
of the wide scope of the organization.
NABJ organizes a media institute to
help journalists improve their
reporting, writing and analytical
skills, provides a job bank for
members, and offers a range of
scholarship and student internship
programs. But most
importantly, as we do here in the New
York metro area, NABJ serves as a
critical link between black
journalists in all corners of the
country. The convention is the best
example of our solidarity.
Locally,
NYABJ provides networking events,
professional development workshops,
student mentorship programs, forums
with newsmakers, job information, and
a host of other services. In New York,
we are strongest advocate for the
advancement of black media
professionals. We steer employers to
candidates and advise universities on
how to bolster the number of black
media professors on their faculties.
I’ve been
an NABJ member since 1994, when I
first became a journalist. I’ve been
an NYABJ member since 1997 when I took
a job as a reporter for Newsday.
Both
organizations have been invaluable
to me. I’ve improved professionally
and personally and been able to offer
help to aspiring journalists. I love
both organizations for the role they
play in keeping our often untold stories
at the forefront locally and nationally.
Warmest
Regards,
Errol
Cockfield
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