Some of us are just learning this morning about yesterday's passing of former New York Times Managing Editor Gerald Boyd.     This comes as a double-punch after just losing 60 Minutes’ Ed Bradley a few weeks ago.

 

Both of these men were trailblazers.  In writing about this on my blog today, I linked to so many of the tributes to Boyd, who not only was a major champion for diversity in the newsroom, but also of journalism education, working recently with Columbia University School of Journalism.

 

I know we’re days away from the AEJMC Winter Meeting  (New Orleans) and that division heads are already reviewing the various proposals, I think Washington, DC is the ideal place for the MAC Division and/or the Commission on the Status of Minorities to sponsor a type of symposium or session that both commemorates the accomplishments of these men who’ve passed on but also addresses the recent demise of at least two other top editors at major newspapers.  

 

What does this mean for efforts to diversify the ranks of American news organizations? 

 

Earlier this month, the National Association of Black Journalists posted a statement about the resignations of Dean Baquet and Debra Adams Simmons expressing its concern about what these actions means for diversity.

 

There certainly should be a way for us as journalism faculty to help students learn more about the legacies of Boyd and Bradley, while preparing them for the leadership challenges that can short-circuit signature leadership roles for any journalist, minority or otherwise.   

 

In a manuscript some of my UGA colleagues and I recent submitted about internal labor markets and newsroom diversity, I made reference to the growing number of minority journalists who are leading daily newspapers (Greg Moore at Denver Post, Ronnie Agnew at Jackson Clarion Ledger, Otis Sanford at the Memphis Commercial Appeal, Bennie Ivory at the Lousville Courier Journal).    Pardon the cliche, but in many ways it seems like we're in the best of times and (with these recent developments) the worst of times too.    Maybe our diversity discussion has to really shift because of what's happening at newspapers nationwide?  Or should it? 

 

I post this on the MAC list in hopes of generating some discussion and perhaps interest.

 

Our MAC Vice Head and Program Chair Camilla Gant would be the one to take any action should that be in order.

 

George Daniels

U. Alabama