Joy Reid to Host Own Show on MSNBC

J-Student's Response to "MLK Black Party" a Hit in Arizona

"When Ja’han Jones first saw a photo of students at Tau Kappa Epsilon’s 'MLK Black Party' on Facebook Monday evening, the first thing he felt was anger,"Sophia Kunthara wrote Thursday for the Downtown Devil, a student-run online publication at Arizona State University. "But it wasn’t until he read Martin Luther King Jr.'s Letter from Birmingham Jail the next morning that he decided to write on his blog the widely circulated open letter to the brothers of Tau Kappa Epsilon.

"Jones' letter questioned the actions of Tau Kappa Epsilon members who threw a party on Martin Luther King Jr. Day where party guests dressed in baggy clothing and drank out of watermelon cups. Jones and Phoenix African-American community leaders said on Tuesday that the party mocked African American culture.

"Jones, the president of the African American Men of Arizona State University, did not expect his post to garner much attention. His posts usually get around 20 views.

"As of midday Wednesday, the letter amassed more than 25,000 views from people across the country and had more than 100 comments."

Jones is a senior journalism student and a founder of the student chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists. The fraternity has been suspended.

Jones' letter said, "I am concerned . . . that your legacy is enduring an almost-irreparable damage, and further, that you've demonstrated a willingness to endure this damage for meager laughs and degradation at the expense of the African American community . . . Why would a man degrade himself to such lows — degrade his organization to such lows — for such paltry praise. . . ."

Meanwhile, the Phoenix New Times published a letter Thursday defending the fraternity members from Michael Meyers, who is black and president and executive director of the New York Civil Rights Coalition, which Meyers co-founded in 1986.

"'Whether I see something wrong is not the issue,' Meyers says. He believes their actions are protected by the First Amendment, so they shouldn't be punished by a public university. Plus, he says that he didn't find it particularly racist, anyway,"Matthew Hendley reported.

"'If their party was racist, so what?' Meyers says. 'It was a party. I mean, where is our sense of humor?' . . . "

AP Says Zimmerman Painting Copies One of Its Photos

"The Associated Press has demanded that George Zimmerman halt the sale of one of his paintings because the news agency says it directly copies an AP photo," the news service reported Friday.

"Zimmerman's painting depicts Jacksonville-based prosecutor Angela Corey holding her thumb and fingers together. An apparently made-up quote Zimmerman added to the piece reads, 'I have this much respect for the American judicial system.' Corey's office prosecuted Zimmerman for the 2012 shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. Zimmerman was acquitted of second-degree murder last summer.

"Zimmerman's brother, Robert Zimmerman Jr., posted an image of the painting Wednesday on Twitter and tweeted a day later that they were in negotiations with possible buyers. . . ."

Affordable Care Act Could Be Boon for Local TV Ad Revenue

"Wells Fargo Securities' Marci Ryvicker tracks political ad spending more closely than anyone on Wall Street, so I was pleased to see her weigh in this morning on what’s ahead for 2014,"David Lieberman, financial editor of deadline.com, wrote Thursday.

"She expects about $1.5B to be spent on public policy and issue ads, up from $1B in 2010. . . . . But about a third of the issue spending likely will be used to debate the Affordable Care Act, likely to be an issue in at least 15 states. Opponents of Obamacare have so far spent five times as much as supporters. Total spending on ACA-related ads could go as high as $1B: Insurers may spend an additional $500M, but it would be seen as healthcare advertising, not issue advertising."

Meanwhile, Charles Ornstein reported Wednesday for ProPublica, "After months of hype and hysteria, insurance policies purchased under the Affordable Care Act went into effect on New Year's Day, and journalists have largely pivoted from writing about the problems of HealthCare.gov to how the law is actually working for consumers.

"Some journalists don't have to look very far. That’s because they are the story, too.

Ornstein also wrote, "reporters across the country have been telling their stories — and they seem to square with the broader experiences of the public. . . ."

• Fannie Flono, Charlotte (N.C.) Observer: Invest in children to aid U.S. health care (Jan. 16)
  
  
• Bob Ray Sanders, Star-Telegram, Fort Worth, Texas: Arrogant Texas leaders invite scrutiny from federal government