George Curry, a friend to Gerald Boyd and his co-founder of the Greater St. Louis ABJ and director of their first high
school workshop, former Bob Knight Award winner, former Washington correspondent for the Chicago Tribune, now editor of the National Newspaper Publishers Association is right in Washington .
-----Original Message-----
From: FOR THE MINORITIES AND COMMUNICATION DIV. OF AEJMC [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of LILLIE
FEARS
Sent: Monday, November 27, 2006 4:54 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Losses of Boyd, Bradley, Setbacks for Diversity? Ladies, this would be a great way to integrate these topics (memorials) into our programming---that is to get a luncheon speaker who can cover each person. I just hope we include the great John H. Johnson in the tributes. Remember he passed right in the middle of our convention in San Antonio.
Lillie
From: FOR THE MINORITIES AND COMMUNICATION DIV. OF AEJMC [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Camilla Gant
Sent: Monday, November 27, 2006 3:49 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Losses of Boyd, Bradley, Setbacks for Diversity?
Anita,
This is a great idea, but unfortunately, I have already committed all of MAC's programming chips. Alternative venues might be pursuing a refereed research presentation or nominating a Scholastic Journalism/MAC luncheon speaker to address the issue, including a tribute to Boyd, Bradley, and other trailblazers as well as a critical discussion of the import of advancing diversity excellence in the newsroom.
Camilla
At 08:48 AM
11/27/2006 -0800, Anita Fleming-Rife wrote:
Camilla,
At the August convention, MAC sponsored a session titled, "Elders in the Field," which celebrated the lives of Thomas C. Fleming, Samuel Yette and Clint Wilson. It may be a worthwhile idea to have a session this year that focuses on these trailblazers (Boyd and Bradley). Perhaps, we could think about it as a mini-plenary--is that possible?
"George L. Daniels" <[log in to unmask]> wrote: 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.
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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?
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. <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Alabama
Anita Fleming-Rife
I lift up mine eyes from whence cometh my help. . . .
Want to start your own business? Learn how on Yahoo! Small Business. Camilla Gant, Ph.D.
Faculty Assistant to the President
Associate Professor
Department of Mass Communications & Theatre Arts
University of West Georgia