Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

8. Sports Journalists Become Part of the Story

From use of the "N-Word" to issues of domestic violence and racist words uttered by Donald Sterling, then-owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, social issues of the day routinely became sports reporting this year. And sports journalists sometimes became part of the news.

A leaked tape of Sterling making racist remarks to his girlfriend cost him ownership of the Clippers and put black commentators in the spotlight in a way rarely seen recently. At least two commentators related the owner's situation — his racial perspective went unchallenged for years within the NBA — to the low numbers of journalists of color or of reporters covering the "minority affairs" beat.

In one of several television appearances, the New York Times'William C. Rhoden said on CNN's "New Day" in May:

"Whenever I walk into a press box and I see no black reporters, or when I walk into a newsroom or any corporate office, and I see no black people, essentially the owners are saying the same thing [as Sterling]. They're just not getting caught. They're saying 'we don't respect you, black people, we're not gonna hire you.' One thing I would suggest a lot of the NBA players do, and black NFL players — when you get a chance, walk through your respective team offices and find out how many people that look like you are in the marketing department, in the sales department ... You will be stunned. So, let's not get so carried away by this, what's kind of like an easy fastball to hit, and really dig down into the systemic racism in your organizations — who, in fact, pay you a lot of money. I think this a great launching pad, but let's not just stop here at the easy part. . . ."

When the NFL considered penalizing players 15 yards if they used the N-word on the field, sports journalists who defended the players' right to use the word were excusing a vernacular that would not be allowed in their own workplaces. It wasn't just the N-word that was debated. After Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman undertook a fiery postgame rant in January, he was called a thug so many times that he and others wondered whether the T-word was becoming a euphemism for that other one.

In July, ESPN's Stephen A. Smithwas suspended for a week after a "First Take" segment about the NFL suspending Baltimore Ravens star Ray Rice for only two games for knocking out his then fiancee, now wife, at an Atlantic City hotel in February. Smith apologized for suggesting that women may "provoke" domestic violence.

Some suggested that NFL writers were too cozy with their sources. "Some of the nation's most experienced and dedicated football reporters have downplayed the Ray Rice scandal in their work. Why? Because they work for NFL.com,"Michael Hiltzik, a Los Angeles Times business columnist, wrote.

"Others, like Peter King of Sports Illustrated and Adam Schefter of ESPN, have been accused of uncritically taking the NFL's side in a case in which the league's actions continue to look worse. . . . They don't work directly for the league, but their careers are highly dependent on their image as NFL 'insiders.'"

In November, ESPN — which is, after all, a sports channel — aired a special on domestic violence.

In August, about 25 members of the Asian American Journalists Association, meeting at the AAJA convention in Washington, formed a Sports Task Force. The group also has a Facebook page and Twitter feed.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

9. NPR Cancels "Tell Me More"

The National Association of Black Journalists gave NPR its "Thumbs Down" award for 2014 over its cancellation of the multicultural show "Tell Me More" and NPR's elimination of 28 positions across its newsroom in an effort to cut costs.

The award was announced on Aug. 1, a day after "Tell Me More" ended its seven-year run before a live audience at its Washington studios. The show was canceled as part of efforts to resolve a $6.1 million budget deficit.

Jarl Mohn, the new president and CEO of NPR, said on "Tell Me More's" July 28 show that "I want us to be, by far, the leader in media and diversity."

NABJ President Bob Butler said in a release, "The importance of public media to make a concerted effort to be distinctive in its storytelling methods, to offer its audiences depth by featuring untold stories, and to as an end result diversify and expand audiences was best exemplified by a show like Tell Me More and how the program sought to operate. [NPR] has as two of [its] stated goals . . . to 'expand, diversify and engage our audiences' and 'grow net revenues.'

"One however cannot [supersede] the other and greater care should have been taken to preserve Tell Me More as an example of what NPR's new core should be and as . . . a representation of a truly superb way in which public media can embrace diversity.

"NABJ is mindful of NPR's other [initiatives] such as the Peabody award-winning 'Race Card Project' and ['Code Switch.'] These programs are worthy of praise and should be supported. Still the opportunity cannot be [lost] to encourage National Public Radio to live up to the [company's] full potential and be standard bearers and to be the company which in everything it does [shows] others in public media and media at large how to make sure journalism and media are inclusive and really do provide a service to the public. . . ."

Kinsey Wilson, then NPR's executive vice president and chief content officer, told Journal-isms in May that while economics was not the sole driver of the decision to cancel the show, "Tell Me More" was a $2.1 million a year operation that was losing $1.5 million annually. A show such as "Fresh Air" was raising 28 percent more — via corporate contributions, programming fees from member stations and philanthropic and foundation support — than it cost.

NPR promised a wider role for Martin, who was to appear on its most popular daily news shows, "Morning Edition" and "All Things Considered," conducting live events in partnership with member stations and remaining active in the digital space.

• New NPR Chief Has a Model for Diversity (May 9)

10. More Outlets Won't Use "Redskins" Name

As the year ended, the Federal Communications Commission ruled that "Washington Redskins" isn't a profane or obscene name and dismissed a request to deny the license renewal of a Virginia radio station that broadcast the word "Redskins."

Yet opponents of the NFL team name won victories in individual media outlets. Among them: the Seattle Times, the Detroit News, the Daily News in New York, NPR and the Washington Post editorial page.

The American Psychological Association called for the immediate retirement of all American Indian mascots, symbols, images and personalities by schools, colleges, universities, athletic teams and organizations.

Eradicating Offensive Native Mascotry, a group of Native parents and their allies from across the United States and Canada, said in December it had launched a grassroots effort to get Redface out of stadiums. Redface is a term for fans who wear stereotypical Indian costumes to games.

Most Popular "Journal-isms" Columns of 2014

1. Millions Changed Race or Ethnicity in Census(May 5)

2. Ben Bradlee Wrestled With Racial Issues (Oct. 22)

3. CNN, Cosby Lawyers in Scathing Duel Over Coverage (includes "T.J. Holmes Joins ABC News as Full-Time Co-Anchor") (Dec. 22)

4. Sudden Change of Editors at Ebony(April 23)

5. Media Share in Historic Thaw With Cuba (includes "N.Y. Times Departures Further Whiten Culture Section") (Dec. 17)

6. Bombshell Suit Against "White People" Magazine (Aug. 22)

7. How Did "No Angel" Line About Ferguson Victim Get Through? (Sept. 1)

8. Ken Bunting Dies; Ex-Seattle P-I Editor Collapses at Tennis (April 21)

9. Sterling Story Related to Whiteness of Press(May 2)

10. NABJ Executive Director Resigns (Jan. 20)

Source: Google Analytics. Includes only columns published in 2014.

• David Crary, Associated Press: 2014 Year In Review: Associated Press's top 10 stories of the year (Dec. 22)
  
  
• Tracie Powell, alldigitocracy.org: Year In Review: Journalism Ethics Took Major Hits in 2014
  
  
• Jason Zaragoza, altweeklies.com:'More Alt Than Ever': Alt-Weeklies 2014 Year in Review
  
  

Follow Richard Prince on Twitter @princeeditor

Facebook users: "Like""Richard Prince's Journal-isms" on Facebook.

Milwaukee Columnist Eugene Kane Leaving After 33 Years

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.After 33 years at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and the old Milwaukee Journal, more than 20 of them as a columnist, Eugene Kane is leaving the newspaper, he told readers at the end of his Sunday column. As reported in September, newspapers have laid off, reassigned or retired at least 21 black opinion writers since 2008 as the industry contracts.

Kane told Journal-isms by email on Thursday that his departure follows a July announcement that the newspaper's parent Journal Communications is merging with the larger E.W. Scripps Co. He also noted that Editor Martin Kaiser is leaving in February and that changes are expected with a new op-ed section.

"Many of the folks I've worked with for decades in my age/experience range also took buy-outs a few months ago and I figured it was a sign that the new company wanted severe cut-backs," Kane said.

"My only concern is that there are precious few Black folks covering the community these days in Milwaukee, none on Metro and James Causey," an op-ed columnist, "the only black voice left." As for the future, Kane said he "will be teaching a class at UW-Milwaukee this year and working on some other writing projects. Also, looking for that next chapter in life that can be as satisfying as the last one."

Kane began his career as a columnist with a humor column in the old Milwaukee Journal, then moved to a metro column in the merged Journal Sentinel. He took a buyout in 2012 but remained as a Sunday columnist.

He wrote last month about his experiences with Bill Cosby in light of the allegations of sexual misconduct by the comedian. "In 2004, I worked with Cosby to hold a community forum in Milwaukee at North Division High School centered on education and parental responsibility. The event came about because I had written a column in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel about Cosby's remarks at an NAACP event in Washington, D.C., months earlier that many took to be overly harsh and judgmental about low-income, poorly educated black people.

"My column criticized Cosby for the tone of his remarks. The next workday, I received a call from one of his representatives: "Mr. Cosby is going to call you in a half-hour about your column."

"As it turned out, Cosby didn't unload on me for my temerity to criticize him — just the opposite. He began a conversation with me that put his words in context, and we began to bond over the phone due to our mutual Philadelphia connections. . . ."

• Maynard Institute for Journalism Education: Eugene Kane | Mentor

$10 Million Grant to Aid Female Journalists

"In October, IP reported on the Howard G. Buffett Foundation's $4 million grant to the International Women's Media Foundation,"Joan Shipps reported Dec. 22 for Inside Philanthropy. "That was a lot of money, given how infrequently funders throw big support behind this focus area. But it turned out that Buffett wasn't done: He's now tossed another $10 million into the pot for women journalists. Wow.

"What's more, IWMF has hit the ground running since that first gift in October and has big plans for promoting women in journalism in 2015 and far into the future.

"With the latest $10 million in Howard G. Buffett support, the IWMF is implementing three areas of programming:

"The Courage in Photojournalism Award . . .

"The African Great Lakes Reporting Initiative . . .

"The Howard G. Buffett Fund for Women Journalists . . ."

New York Post Goes After "Shakedown Al"

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.The New York Post devoted its front page Sunday to the Rev. Al Sharpton. "Want to influence a casino bid? Polish your corporate image? Not be labeled a racist? Then you need to pay Al How Sharpton gets paid to not cry 'racism' at corporations ," the story by Isabel Vincent and Melissa Klein said.

"For more than a decade, corporations have shelled out thousands of dollars in donations and consulting fees to Sharpton's National Action Network. What they get in return is the reverend' supposed sway in the black community or, more often, his silence. . . "

Sharpton replied on the National Action Network website: " What is interesting is that the exact same story was done by the exact same New York Post writer on June 15, 2008 and was widely .. . ."

Meanwhile, a story by Luke Mullins in the January issue of Washingtonian magazine suggests that creating Sharpton's MSNBC show  "PoliticsNation" was part of an effort to win federal approval for Comcast's takeover of NBC. "In 2009 and 2010, Comcast gave $155,000 to an organization founded by the Reverend Al Sharpton, who ended up endorsing the merger," Mullins wrote. "The campaign paid off. In January 2011, Washington approved the deal. . . ."

• Joe Concha, Mediaite: Al Sharpton Arguably Now the Most Powerful Person in America

Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.

Joy Reid of MSNBC emcees the ceremonial swearing-in ceremony of the Congressional Black Caucus on Tuesday. The caucus has a record 46 newly elected members. (Credit: C-SPAN) (video)

Can the New Republican Congress Deal With Indian Issues?

"In our lifetimes, Indian Country has had a somewhat rocky romance with the Republican Party,"Philip Baker-Shenk and Paul Moorehead wrote last week for the Indian Country Today Media Network.

"Now, in the wake of the 2014 mid-term elections, Indian Country will once again be living with a Republican-controlled Senate and House. It's been 15 years since a Democratic president faced that reality. Last month's Republican wave put the GOP back in charge of the U.S. Senate with a solid 54-seat majority over 44 Democrats and two independents. That wave also gave the GOP a 247 to 188-seat majority in the U.S. House, its largest margin since 1928. . . ."

Baker-Shenk and Moorehead also wrote, "Yet Native American voters still tilt heavily Democratic at the ballot box. Many Tribal leaders appear to be much more comfortable with Democratic politicians than with Republican politicians. Democratic operatives more easily dismiss the anti-tribal views of some Democrats as harmless aberrations than do Republicans with their Indian-fighter outliers.

"As two guys who have worked for Republican friends and allies of Indian Country, we've asked ourselves — why is it that some Republican politicians still seem to get awkward when they step into Indian Country? . . ."

• Julian Hattem, the Hill: Ahead of FCC vote, Dems revive net neutrality bill
  
  
• Olivia Kittel, Media Matters for America: What The Media Should Know About Net Neutrality
  
  
• Eugene Robinson, Washington Post: Time for the GOP to pitch in
  
  
• Mark Trahant, indianz.com: Four reasons why Keystone XL Pipeline is a goner

U.S.-Based African Journalists in Nigeria to Watch Vote

"A delegation of journalists from the US-based National Association of African Journalists (NAAJ), who are concerned about a successful democratic transition and the entrenchment of democratic principles, has arrived in Nigeria for the national elections scheduled for February 14 and 28," the group said Wednesday in an announcement.

"Members of the 10-year-old organization will be in Nigeria throughout the elections, and also plan to conduct training sessions for Nigerian Journalists covering the elections.

"'The Nigerian elections are significant in many areas, especially with many people within and outside Nigeria concerned about transparency of the exercise in Africa's largest democracy and the security of the country in the face of relentless terrorist attacks by Boko Haram,'Eyobong Ita, NAAJ founding president and former two-term vice president/print of the Kansas City Association of Black Journalists said Wednesday after arriving in Lagos. 'We will focus on the transparency of the process and the freedom and fairness of the Nigerian press covering these elections.'

"Ita, a Nigerian-born former Assistant City Editor at Cox-owned Springfield News-Sun in Ohio, is joined by Ben Edokpayi, former editor of The Dixon (Calif.) Tribune and Oladimeji Abitogun, editor-in-chief of sharpedgenews.com. The final batch will join the NAAJ team about a week before the elections. . . ."

Sister2Sister to End Print Edition

Sister2Sister, a women's magazine that focuses on black Hollywood, will end its print edition so it can focus on its website, publisher Jamie Foster Brown told readers on Monday.

"MY DEAR SISTER2SISTER READERS after 26 years of 'Giving It To YOU Straight, No chaser'we have made the tough decision to cease printing our beloved and very informative Sister2Sister magazine due to the harsh economy and plan to focus on our website and other digital opportunities," Brown wrote on the publication's website. "Sister 2 Sister is a dream that became a reality…truly my life’s work and my joy. . . ."

A publicist for the magazine said in October that the publication was restructuring but had not filed for bankruptcy.

Is Outrage at Western Media on Boko Haram Misdirected?

Karen Attiah, the Washington Post's Opinions deputy digital editor, wrote Friday for the Post:

"'Why did the world ignore Boko Haram’s Baga attacks?' 

"'Terrorists killed 2,000 people in Nigeria. So why didn't the world care?' 

"'Boko Haram may have just murdered 2,000 people — so why aren't we talking about it?'" 

"In the past few days or so, I've seen a deluge of headlines very similar to the above. As someone who is both a journalist and a person with direct roots on the African continent, I understand the sentiment behind the headlines. Western media have a long and torrid history of treating Africa as a diseased, dirty and violent place in stories about the continent.

"Let's be honest: Sometimes Western journalists manage the spectacular feat of erasing African people from stories about Africa. Remember when '60 Minutes' went to Liberia to report on Ebola efforts and failed to interview a single Liberian on camera? Its report was prime example of what journalist Howard French calls 'Africa without Africans.'

"So this is not to absolve any journalist in the West reporting or writing on the continent of their duty to tell balanced and accurate stories. That said, in the wake of the Baga massacre, my current anger isn't toward ABC or CNN. My frustration is directed squarely at Nigeria's capital, Abuja.

"We should all be infinitely more incensed by the Nigerian leadership's lack of political will to come up with a comprehensive solution to Boko Haram's murderous assault on Nigerian citizens than about whether a major U.S network has temporarily helicoptered its crew into the country. . . ."

• 'Tope Oriola, Premium Times, Nigeria: Why the Media Ignores Boko Haram's Atrocities

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

N.Y. Times Asks Help on Gordon Parks Mystery

"The image is striking: A stone-faced African-American woman in a spotless maid's uniform cradles a white toddler while a stylishly dressed white woman sits nearby. Gordon Parks took the picture at the Atlanta airport in the spring of 1956,"James Estrin wrote Monday for the New York Times "Lens" blog.

Estrin also wrote, "We at Lens keep returning to this intriguing photo, which raises questions about race, class and relationships between women in the Jim Crow South. And every time we look at this rare color image, we want to know much more about these women.

"So we are turning to you, dear readers, to help unravel this mystery. We particularly ask those of you who like history and research, as well as those who are just plain nosy, to help us crowd-source the stories of the people in this photo. Let's use the comments section of this post to share what we find out and help each other in our joint search. You can also e-mail us at lensnytimes (at) gmail.com. . . ."

The Times had published 104 comments by Friday.

• Eliza Berman, Time: A Lost Story of Segregated America From LIFE’s First Black Photographer

Greg Anthony Called Too Much of a Liability After Arrest

"Around dinner time on Friday night, the upper management for CBS Sports and Turner Sports learned that basketball broadcaster Greg Anthonyhad been arrested inside a room at a hotel in downtown Washington, D.C., as part of an undercover operation targeting prostitution,"Richard Deitsch reported Monday for Sports Illustrated.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view."Obviously, it was shocking news for both networks. According to the Washington Post, Anthony will be arraigned in court for the misdemeanor charge Feb. 3 and the maximum penalty, if convicted, is 180 days in jail. Working quickly and in conjunction with each another, executives at both places agreed on what they had to do heading forward. The following morning, Anthony was suspended indefinitely from his college basketball and NBA analyst jobs. . . ."

Deitsch also wrote, "There are some who would argue the punishment is too harsh and perhaps it is. But Anthony forced the hand of his bosses and CBS and Turner Sports brass could not afford to have him as part of its college coverage during the NCAA tournament. In addition to calling games, CBS Sports and Turner Sports announcers perform high-profile public appearances at these events. Having Anthony there with solicitation charges over him is a PR headache few networks are going to endure.

"There's also the advertiser element. Some brands would be very uncomfortable with Anthony calling games in the near-term. There was very little debate between the top executives at both networks regarding the decision: Anthony is a talented broadcaster and well-liked at both places but he is not indispensable. . . ."

Fox News Apologizes for False Reports on Muslims

"Fox News took time out of four broadcasts on Saturday to apologize for four separate instances of incorrect information that portrayed Muslims in a negative light,"Brian Stelter reported Sunday for CNN.

"Several of the cases involved incendiary comments about 'no-go zones' in Europe, where Islamic law supposedly supersedes local law and where non-Muslims fear to go. Other media outlets have accused Fox of exaggerations and falsehoods, and even British Prime Minister David Cameron mocked one of the assertions. On Saturday, Fox apologized morning, noon and night.

"Jeanine Pirro issued the final correction of the day, at 9:10 p.m., for something her guest Steve Emerson said a week earlier: that Birmingham, England is a 'totally Muslim city where non-Muslims don't go in.' Emerson was ridiculed for his comments, and he subsequently apologized. . . ."

• Wayne Bennett, the Field Negro: FOX NEWS is a "no-go zone".
  
  
• Editorial, New York Times: An Inclusive French Republic
  
  
• Thomas Grove, Reuters: Thousands Rally Against Charlie Hebdo Cartoons In Russia's Chechnya Region
  
  
• Phillip Morris, Plain Dealer, Cleveland: Killing in the name of God and religion must stop
  
  
• Leonard Pitts Jr., Miami Herald: Religion not exempt from free speech
  
  
• Sara Smyth, Daily Mail: Murders and rapes going unreported in no-go zones for police as minority communities launch own justice systems 
  
  
• Poh Si Teng and Ben Laffin, "Lens" blog, New York Times:The Jihadist in Our Family (video)
  
  
• Matt Wilstein, Mediaite: CNN Reporter Confronts Jindal for 'Exaggerating' Muslim 'No-Go Zones' 
  
  
• DeWayne Wickham, USA Today: 'Charlie Hebdo' crosses the line

It's "Safe to Say" NBC Is Through With Cosby

"The Bill Cosby chapter appears to be officially over at NBC,"Cherie Saunders reported Friday for EURweb.com.

"NBC Entertainment Chairman Robert Greenblatt delivered the final nail in the coffin Friday morning at the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour. Asked if it's safe to say that NBC will never do another project with Bill Cosby, he answered, 'Yes, that’s safe to say.' 

"NBC had been developing a multi-generational family sitcom with Cosby at the center, but the project was pulled after multiple women came forward with sexual assault allegations against the actor. Netflix also pulled its planned Cosby standup special and TV Land stopped airing reruns of 'The Cosby Show.'

"The good news is — if there is any good news — unlike Netflix which had a special to run, or the 'Cosby' episodes that were running on a network, we were developing a script that we never even got a first draft of. So it wasn't something that was imminently going forward or even into production. I guess I can only say that I'm glad that we’re out from under that. . . . ."

• Serge F. Kovaleski and Colin Moynihan, New York Times: Well Before Scandals, Cosby’s Wife Faulted Media Treatment of Blacks (Jan. 20)

Taliban Threatens Journalists Who Don't Toe Its Line

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.The International Federation of Journalists and the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists said Thursday they "strongly condemn threats made to a Peshawar-based journalist and media rights activist by the Taliban."

Both groups "call on the Pakistan Government to take immediate steps to ensure the safety of this journalist and the entire media profession in Pakistan.

"Recently, the Taliban's central spokesperson Ihasan Ullah Ihsan issued death threats to Zia ul Haq, the Peshawar-based assistant general secretary of the PFUJ and news bureau chief of ARY News. Ihsan, using an international mobile number . . . called Haq's personal mobile and warned him of severe consequences if ARY News continues to not propagate the Taliban’s views and the PFUJ continues its opposition of the Taliban.

"The IFJ and the PFUJ is seriously concerned about the safety of Haq and urge the Government of Pakistan, and the Interior Ministry, to [provide] security to Haq. . . .

"In a letter to the Interior Minister, Mr Chaudhry Khan, the IFJ Asia Pacific said: 'We also want to notify to you and the Government of Pakistan that Pakistani journalists have been continuously receiving death threats from the Taliban and living under the continuous danger of being attacked or killed for performing their duties as journalists.' . . ."

• David Bauder, Associated Press: CNN's Cooper says he was mistaken on Muslim zones
  
  
• International Federation of Journalists: IFJ calls for release of Japanese journalist in Syria
  
  
• Justin McCurry, the Guardian, Britain: Mother of Japanese Isis hostage Kenji Goto makes tearful appeal
  
  
• Tony Norman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Facts don't support no-go zone fears
  
  
• Mari Saito, Reuters: Islamic State deadline on Japanese captives passes with no word on fate
  
  
• Thomas Sowell, westernjournalism.com: Europe Is Paying The Price For 'Diversity,' And America Will Soon Follow
  
  
• J.K. Trotter, Gawker: The NYPD Is Patrolling Gawker Because of the Charlie Hebdo Attack
  
  
• Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press: Students at MSU write short guide to Muslims

Jim Moss, 72, Realized Dream of Becoming Publisher

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view."Jim Moss, who as publisher of the Times Herald-Record from 1996 to 2006 devoted much of his life to bettering the community the newspaper served, died Tuesday,"Steve Israel reported Friday for the Times Herald-Record in Middletown, N.Y.

"Moss, one of the only black publishers of a major American newspaper, was 72. The cause of his death was throat cancer.

"Moss, who lived in a Town of Newburgh home overlooking the Hudson River, led the Record during a time of transition from print to digital. Yet, even as the industry changed, he remained committed to community journalism, twice hiring the ultimate community journalist, the late Mike Levine, as executive editor. Moss spent a lot of money to cover that community – even sending reporters and photographers to faraway places such as India and Mexico to cover stories with local connections. . . ."

Israel also wrote, "Early in Jim's career, he was inspired by his relationship with Donald Graham, who was, at that time, the publisher of The Washington Post. I remember Jim saying to me that his dream was to be a newspaper publisher. He set out to make that dream a reality, and achieved it as one of the first African-American publishers of a daily newspaper in the country. Newspapers were Jim's passion, his life and his legacy."

Sheldon Scruggs wrote for the Times Herald-Record in 2007,"Moss was born and raised in Norfolk, Va. He graduated from American University in 1967 with degrees in government and public administration. After teaching for two years, he joined the Washington Post Company in 1969 and worked in sales. He stayed there for 11 years.

"In 1980-81, Moss was the director of advertising for Black Enterprise magazine in New York City. Then he worked for the Knight-Ridder Newspaper organization. Within two years, he became the president and publisher [of] the Centre Daily Times in State College, Pa.

"When Moss became the publisher of the Record, he was one of a handful of black publishers of major newspapers in the country. . . ."

Wonder to Produce Series on Underground Railroad Love

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Adapting former Detroit News columnist Betty DeRamus' 2005 book "Forbidden Fruit: Love Stories From the Underground Railroad,"NBC announced that it is producing "Freedom Run," an eight-hour miniseries about love stories on the Underground Railroad, Esther Zuckerman reported Friday for Entertainment Weekly.

Stevie Wonder is executive producer. DeRamus' book is also being developed as a stage musical, with Wonder composing the score, Zuckerman wrote.

DeRamus left the Detroit News temporarily to write "Forbidden Fruit," published by Atria Books, a division of Simon & Schuster. She took a buyout in 2006 after 17 years at The News.

"The book is mostly about enslaved and free black people who went to extraordinary lengths to stay together, fighting bloodhounds, bounty hunters, wolves, mobs and traitors," DeRamus said in the press material. "I'm talking about people like John Little, who carried his wife to freedom, and Joseph Antoine, a free black man who became a slave to stay with his wife, and James Smith, who searched for his enslaved family for 17 years. Many African Americans don't want to confront this part of American history. It's too drenched in pain.

"I wanted to write a book about slavery that would stress triumph as well as tragedy, achievement as well as suffering and love in a time of hate. I wanted young African Americans, in particular, to understand that our slave ancestors did far more than transform scraps of tossed-away food into delicacies and turn field hollers and chants into powerful music."

"Forbidden Fruit" was named one of Black Issues Book Review's "best history books" of 2005. She followed up in 2009 with "Freedom by Any Means: Con Games, Voodoo Schemes, True Love and Lawsuits on the Underground Railroad."

• Jennifer Schuessler, New York Times: Eric Foner Revisits Myths of the Underground Railroad

Fallen Journalist Reinvents Herself as Successful Poet

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view."Sometimes, the words come to her on the Garden State Parkway or on the Outerbridge Crossing, snippets of verse that capture a flash of light, an eruption of color, a piercing cry,"Rachel L. Swarns wrote Sunday for her column "The Working Life" in the New York Times.

"She recites the words aloud, burning them into memory, as she steps out of the faculty parking lot at the College of Staten Island and climbs the stairs to her second-floor office.

"She recites the words because she wants to hear how they hit the air, to feel how they roll off the tongue, to know if they are discordant shards or melodious fragments of a sonorous whole.

"Where's that girl going? Past slant sag porches, pea shuck, twangy box guitars begging under purple dayfall.

"She is Patricia Smith, Staten Island’s literary sensation, a poet, an English professor and a star on the national stage. Last month, she won the Rebekah Johnson Bobbitt National Prize for Poetry, awarded by the Library of Congress to luminaries such as James Merrill, Louise Glück and Mark Strand. In April, she won a Guggenheim Fellowship in poetry.

"'Extraordinary,' Lee Papa, the interim chairman of the English department at the College of Staten Island, said last week.

"It is all the more extraordinary if you consider her story.

"Patricia Smith, the nationally acclaimed poet, is also Patricia Smith, the disgraced former journalist who plunged into a black hole of her own making in 1998.

"She was a columnist for The Boston Globe, a Pulitzer Prize finalist and a lauded wordsmith who resigned after admitting that she had invented characters and quotes in a scandal that prompted self-examination at newspapers across the country.

"Since then, she has salvaged a successful writing life from the ashes and quietly closed the door on her past. There is no mention of her years in journalism on her faculty bio page or on her personal website. . . ."

N.Y. Times' Vega Moves from Race Beat to the Bronx

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view."In recent months Tanzina Vega showed how varied and powerful a national beat focusing on race could be: She explored the psyches of minority gun owners, looked at school discipline and how it varies by ethnicity, and was tear-gassed in Ferguson while covering the events there,"Wendell Jamieson, metropolitan editor of the New York Times, and Dean Chang, his deputy, wrote to Times staffers on Monday.

"But as we've told many a Foreign correspondent, you don't need to travel abroad to find adventure: The Metro desk can accommodate you right here in New York. So too is it true that all the issues of justice, race and inequality play out in the five boroughs just as they do elsewhere, perhaps even more so. And nowhere are they more evident, and in technicolor, than in our teeming courtrooms.

"So we're excited to announce that Tanzina, who first worked for The Times as a Metro stringer and graduated next door at CUNY, will return and open up our first full-time Bronx courthouse beat. . . ."

Times spokeswoman Eileen Murphy did not respond to an inquiry about the status of the national race beat.

Interviewing the Homeless

Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.

Audra D.S. Burch of the Miami Herald interviews U.S. Army veteran Howard Bowen Heffner, who lives under an expressway, for a story on Miami's biannual count of the community's homeless population. (Credit: Al Diaz/Miami Herald)

"Empire" Becomes First Black Drama Hit on Broadcast TV

"Just three weeks into its run, Fox's new drama 'Empire' has been extremely impressive,"Diego Vasquez reported Wednesday for medialifemagazine.com.

"The 9 p.m. Wednesday program has surpassed 'How to Get Away with Murder' as the season’s No. 1 show. Heck, it's the No. 1 program on all of broadcast among 18-49s.

"And it's the first No. 1 drama in 21 years to see ratings gains from its second to its third week.

"But perhaps the most significant thing about 'Empire' is its cast. It's the first African-American drama to become a hit on broadcast.

"While there have been successful black comedies, such as 'The Cosby Show' and 'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,' there has never been a hit drama with largely black leads. . . ."

Mary Mitchell, writing Monday in the Chicago Sun-Times, was not impressed.

"The support for 'Empire' and shows like it reflect how desperate black viewers are for TV programming starring blacks," Mitchell wrote.

"Network producers certainly ought to take notice of that.

"Still, I can't ignore that 'Empire' is a modern 'blaxploitation' movie, or that it portrays the African-American family at its worst.

"Maybe the show will surprise me later on.

"But the best I can say about it now is that a lot of talented black actors are finally getting paid."

Japan, Jordan Scramble as Hostage Deadline Passes

"Japan and Jordan scrambled on Friday to find out what had happened to two of their nationals being held by Islamic State, after a deadline passed for the release of a would-be suicide bomber being held on death row in Amman,"Suleiman Al-Khalidi and Elaine Lies reported Friday for Reuters.

"Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said every effort was being made to secure the release of journalist Kenji Goto.

"'We are gathering and analyzing information while asking for cooperation from Jordan and other countries, making every effort to free Kenji Goto,' he told a parliamentary panel. . . ."

The International Federation of Journalists added, "On social media, people across the globe have united in the call for Goto to be freed. The Facebook page I Am Kenji has garnered over 40,000 likes, with photos and messages of support coming in from across the globe. . . ."

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Michel du Cille recalled the photographs he took of the crack epidemic when he worked for the Miami Herald. (video)

Do Black Photographers Contribute to Stereotypes?

Michel du Cille, the prize-winning Washington Post photojournalist who died at 58 on Dec. 11 of an apparent heart attack, expressed misgivings about whether his photographs of African Americans were accurate portrayals or merely adding to stereotypes.

Du Cille and other veteran black photographers think aloud about that question in "What Is News? Most Black Men Are Not Criminals!," a 20-minute video by Craig Herndon, a retired Post photographer and former professor of multi-media studies at Howard University.

"It's ready as an educational short or a promo for the larger project," Herndon messaged Journal-isms. "I made it available to photo educators last year, when it won an honorable mention at AEJMC, VISUAL JOURNALISM division," referring to the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.

Herndon said he is seeking the views of other veteran African American photographers to add to the project. Those interested may contact him via the Comments section, below, and the message will be forwarded.

NPR Gives Platform to Critic of "White" Public Radio Voice

An essay by Chenjerai Kumanyika, reported in this column Wednesday, complained that "Journalists of various ethnicities, genders and other identity categories intentionally or unintentionally internalize and 'code-switch' to be consistent with culturally dominant 'white' styles of speech and narration."

The essay caught the attention of NPR, which gave him a platform Thursday to discuss the issue.

"Of course, it's not just about what potential journalists face," said Kumanyika, who is African American. "It's also about the audience and the mission of public radio. Different hosts with different voices tell different kinds of stories, and vocal styles communicate important dimensions of human experience. What are we missing out on by not hearing the full range of those voices?

"Let me give you an example of what I'm talking about. My wife and I spent some time in Ferguson, Mo., in August and November of 2014. I was standing on the block where Darren Wilson killed Michael Brown and I asked one young man why he thought there had been such an uprising in Ferguson. He reminded me that Michael Brown's body had laid in the street for four-and-a-half hours before being picked up.

"Of course, I had heard this before in the news, but this young brother made me feel it. No one was there to translate. Instead, he carefully told the story his own way. I felt the weight of Michael Brown's body and the weight of so many other young lives in this young man's voice.

"So what do we do? We really have to think about who is the public in public media. The demographics of race and ethnicity are changing in the United States. The sound of public media must reflect that diversity, so get on it. It's time to make moves. . . ."

Those moves should include the seemingly ever-longer underwriting announcements, which a professional actress more often than not delivers in a crisp, upbeat, white-sounding voice. They do little to advance NPR's articulated goal of a network that "sounds like America."

• Paul Farhi, Washington Post: Does public radio sound too 'white'? NPR itself tries to find the answer.
  
  
• Scott Simon with Gene Demby, NPR "Weekend Edition Saturday": The Infinite Whiteness Of Public Radio Voices (Jan. 31)

Japan, Jordan Scramble as Hostage Deadline Passes

"Japan and Jordan scrambled on Friday to find out what had happened to two of their nationals being held by Islamic State, after a deadline passed for the release of a would-be suicide bomber being held on death row in Amman,"Suleiman Al-Khalidi and Elaine Lies reported Friday for Reuters.

"Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said every effort was being made to secure the release of journalist Kenji Goto.

"'We are gathering and analyzing information while asking for cooperation from Jordan and other countries, making every effort to free Kenji Goto,' he told a parliamentary panel. . . ."

The International Federation of Journalists added, "On social media, people across the globe have united in the call for Goto to be freed. The Facebook page I Am Kenji has garnered over 40,000 likes, with photos and messages of support coming in from across the globe. . . ."

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Michel du Cille recalled the photographs he took of the crack epidemic when he worked for the Miami Herald. (video)

Do Black Photographers Contribute to Stereotypes?

Michel du Cille, the prize-winning Washington Post photojournalist who died at 58 on Dec. 11 of an apparent heart attack, expressed misgivings about whether his photographs of African Americans were accurate portrayals or merely adding to stereotypes.

Du Cille and other veteran black photographers think aloud about that question in "What Is News? Most Black Men Are Not Criminals!," a 20-minute video by Craig Herndon, a retired Post photographer and former professor of multi-media studies at Howard University.

"It's ready as an educational short or a promo for the larger project," Herndon messaged Journal-isms. "I made it available to photo educators last year, when it won an honorable mention at AEJMC, VISUAL JOURNALISM division," referring to the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.

Herndon said he is seeking the views of other veteran African American photographers to add to the project. Those interested may contact him via the Comments section, below, and the message will be forwarded.

Nigeria Urged to Ensure Access for Foreign Journalists

The Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday that it had called on Nigerian authorities to ensure that international journalists are allowed access to cover the country's elections this month.

"Nigeria's presidential and parliamentary elections are scheduled for February 14, while state elections are set for February 28. President Goodluck Jonathan is seeking re-election amid an insurgency by the radical Islamist group Boko Haram, which has taken over territory in the country's northeast. International observers have called on Nigeria to ensure a free and fair election, while some analysts have warned of low turnout amid fears of violence, according to news reports," the press freedom group said.

It also reported, "Geoffrey York, Johannesburg-based correspondent for the Canadian daily newspaper Globe and Mail, wrote on Twitter last week that Nigeria had blocked at least 40 journalists from entering the country to cover the elections. The Foreign Correspondents Association of Southern Africa issued a statement on Friday saying many of its members had been denied visas or accreditation.

"Journalists at one international news outlet — who asked that the outlet not be named as it continues to seek access to cover the elections — told CPJ that it had made eight different visa requests from locations including Paris, London, Nairobi, Dakar, and Johannesburg. All of the applications, submitted between December 2014 and January 2015, had been delayed by embassy officials requesting additional paperwork, the outlet said.

"However, some international journalists have been granted access. Journalists from The New York Times, BBC, and the Netherlands-based television channel RTL Nieuws told CPJ they had visas approved.

"Difficulty in getting visas may be compounded by discrepancies in the application process from embassy to embassy and between embassies and the Nigeria Immigration Service. . ."

A delegation of journalists from the U.S.-based National Association of African Journalists arrived in Nigeria last month.

• BBC: Boko Haram crisis: Chad kills 'more than 200' in Nigeria
  
  
• Benjami Edokpayi, alldigitocracy.org: Who Reports the African Perspective?

Al Jazeera Examines Commercialization of Blackness

Commemorating Black History Month, Al Jazeera America "will launch #Branding Black, a new month-long, social media campaign that raises important questions about the line between multicultural marketing and the commercialization of 'blackness,'" the network announced.

”Does #BrandingBlack celebrate diversity or perpetuate stereotypes? Throughout February, Al Jazeera America will deepen the conversation around these issues by creating a transmedia experience, delivering meaningful and culturally relevant videos, analysis and opinions across broadcast and social media. #BrandingBlack will take the conversation 'to the people' by engaging social media influencers to cultivate a provocative and in-depth discussion using the #BrandingBlack hashtag."

One scheduled vehicle is "Real Money with Ali Velshi," which airs Fridays at 10:30 p.m. ET, repeating at 1 a.m. ET.

For this coming Friday, a synopsis reads, "Nike just released its 2015 'Black History Month' edition of Nikes. The Vice President of Nike, Michael Jackson, said the collection 'honors and celebrates athletes and leaders who have influenced global culture and paved the way for the next generation.' The shoes honor various famous black athletes.

"It's a marketing ploy that enrages civil rights activist Van Jones. He believes the single greatest disservice we can do for African Americans — especially low income kids — is keep the dream alive for millions of kids hoping to get an NBA job when there are only 15 slots — vs millions of jobs available if kids were taught STEM (STEM is a curriculum based on the idea of educating students in four specific disciplines — science, technology, engineering and mathematics — in an interdisciplinary and applied approach.)

"What message are corporations sending to black youth in America with 'Black History Month' branding, and is it the right message? . . ."

• Mary Mitchell, Chicago Sun-Times: Black history should not be forgotten

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Domestic Worker Wins Fellowship for Her Photography

"For the past 10 years, 27-year-old Xyza Cruz Bacani has been working as a domestic worker for a wealthy Chinese family in Hong Kong,"Michael Zhang reported Jan. 23 for petapixel.com. "On her days off, she brings her camera onto her city’s sidewalks and captures impressive street photos.

"Yesterday, Bacani's life took a dramatic turn: she was announced as a recipient of the 2015 Human Rights Fellowship by the Magnum Foundation, a prestigious scholarship that will give her the opportunity to study in an intensive, six-week-long program at New York University in NYC.

"The experience will equip her in creating 'effective visual stories with the aim of advancing Human Rights' in her home country."

Zhang also wrote, "More recently, Bacani used her camera to document a women's shelter for abused domestic workers. The images from that project helped her win the Magnum fellowship.

"The photographer says she hopes to become a professional photojournalist and return to the Philippines for her future photography work — photos that she hopes will help change her home country for the better."

Delay in Nigerian Elections Laid to Boko Haram

"Boko Haram's latest victim may just have been Nigeria’s national election,"Karen Attiah contended Sunday for the Washington Post.

"At least on first glance, it would appear that way. On Saturday evening, Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced its decision to postpone Nigeria's national election scheduled for February 14th.

"These elections were widely expected to be Nigeria’s closest electoral contest yet, between the increasingly unpopular Goodluck Jonathan's People's Democratic Party (PDP) and retired General Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressive's Congress (APC). These elections represent a serious challenge to Jonathan's PDP, which has won every election since 1999.

"The reason for the delay? According to INEC, Nigeria’s security services say they need at least six weeks to launch a major offensive against the Boko Haram insurgency in the northern part of the country, that they could not guarantee security for the February elections. The new date for the presidential elections is set for March 28th. State elections will be held on April 11th.

"Seriously? . . ."

Meanwhile, Buhari, a former military ruler, was asked why his government had jailed reporters Tunde Thompson and Nduka Irabor for publishing reports that it considered embarrassing to government officials.

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Buhari replied, "We said we cannot stop the press from criticizing people or institutions. But please, let them have investigative journalism.

"Let them try and verify facts before they accuse government of offence and others of misdemeanor to spoil their names and reputations. We never held any secret tribunal. The tribunals, six of them throughout the country, we got the intelligence community, Navy, Army, Air Force, Police, national security organisations, to form the investigative panel that based on documentation, people were charged, military tribunals, they were tried, . . ."Segun Adio reported for Nigeria's Daily Times.

Time Inc. Workers Rally Around Laid-Off, Ill Co-Worker

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view."While there has been a steady parade of people out of Time Inc., not all leave with a golden parachute,"Keith J. Kelly reported Thursday for the New York Post.

"David Barbee worked 10 years as a researcher and mail deliverer until he was laid off last May.

"Two months later, in July, he was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer that quickly spread to his liver.

"Just when he thought he had beaten the cancer after an operation in December to remove the cancerous liver and another in late January to remove cancerous colon tumors, Barbee learned he was going to be evicted from his apartment.

"Now a brigade of former People people, spearheaded by former Research Director Robert Britton and former Executive Editor Jeannie Parks, have come to the aid of their former colleague.

"They started a website site for him on Gofundme.com that has raised over $21,000 since it went live on Jan. 31. . . ."

The figure was up to $36,280 on Monday night.

The gofundme site calls Barbee "the best known, best liked, and most helpful person in the entire Time & Life Building in recent years," and adds, "David, who is 44, was born totally blind, with glaucoma and cataracts.

"At age 2, the cataracts were removed, and since then he has been legally blind. He will always have glaucoma, which has to be closely monitored. His father died of cancer when David was 3. He had a great Mom, who made him work harder than the other kids, in order to keep up with the other kids. His Mom was shot and killed when he was 13. His grandmother took over; she died when he was 15. His sisters and aunts finished raising him. . . ."

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

NAHJ Board Member Sees "Afro-Latina" Identity as Gift

"The first time I was called a 'nigger,' it was by white Latinos. I was 8 years old,"Yvonne Latty, who teaches journalism at New York University, wrote Wednesday for the Huffington Post's BlackVoices and LatinoVoices sites.

"The memory is really painful and defining. Back in the 1970s there wasn't a name for what I was. I was a kid whose mom was a light-skinned Dominican and whose dad was a darker-skinned Jamaican.

"I was darker than both of them.

"I did not understand my identity . . ."

Latty, a board member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, also wrote, "In my world most Latino journalists are light-skinned, most Latinos in corporate America are light-skinned, and most Latinos in media are light-skinned. Afro-Latinos are the ones being left out when a New York Times article states that Latinos are checking the 'white' box on the census.

"In May Telemundo and MSNBC anchor José Díaz-Balart was on an MSNBC segment to discuss the controversial New York Times article and was asked if there is a race problem within the Latino community. He said there is not, which reinforced just how invisible we are. And to top it off, the segment did not have one Afro-Latino guest. Speaking on our behalf were African Americans.

"But having a name for my identity, 'Afro-Latina,' has been a gift to me. . . ."

• Daisy Rosario, "Latino USA," NPR: SOMOS: Afro-Latino (audio) (Jan. 23)