Phoenix business owner Mahmoud Emadi-Dehagi demands that Telemundo reporter Julio Cisneros stop recording an immigration raid. (Credit: KNXV) (Video)

TV Reporter Assaulted Covering Immigration Raid

"A man was arrested for assaulting a Valley reporter and damaging his camera during an immigration raid Thursday," Hatzel Vela reported for KNXV-TV in Phoenix.

"Julio Cisneros, a Telemundo reporter, set up his camera on a sidewalk in front of Autofit, the Phoenix company raided by Maricopa County Sheriff's deputies.

"While he was shooting video, he noticed the business owner Mahmoud Emadi-Dehagi approaching him.

"Emadi-Dehagi was quick to start demanding Cisneros stop recording and delete the video.

" 'Delete what you record from me,' he told Cisneros, as he slapped the camera. 'Delete it. Delete it. You need to delete it.'

"Cisneros said, "OK," but continued recording.

"Emadi-Dehagi is seen once again hitting the camera and that's when Cisneros said a piece of the camera came off.

"Cisneros is glad an average citizen, who had just exited a public bus, saw what was happening and started defending him.

" 'You can't do that,' said the Good Samaritan.

" 'It's my property,' Emadi-Dehagi said.

" 'This is not your property. This is a sidewalk,' the Good Samaritan said. 'You can't do that though man.'

"Cisneros questions whether the heated immigration debate in Arizona may be contributing to such anger.

"He admits this is not the first time he has been harassed while out in public covering a story.

" 'When I do my standup, of course I have to do it in Spanish. That's my first language,' Cisneros said. 'And I hear people, you know, when they walk by they say go back to your country. This is my country.'

"Emadi-Dehagi was charged with a felony charge of criminal damage.

". . . Six people were arrested at the business and are believed to be in the country illegally," according to the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.

• Emily Arrowood, Media Matters for America: Anti-Immigrant Slur Makes Its Way To Fox News Sunday
  
  
• Emily Arrowood, Media Matters for America: Fox Pushes Yet Another Falsehood To Fearmonger Over Immigration Policy Change
  
  
• Gabriel Escobar, Dallas Morning News: Two cousins, a dream and a nightmare
  
  
• Janell Ross, Huffington Post: Jose Antonio Vargas, Left Out Of Obama's Major Immigration-Policy Shift, But Happy
  
  

When reporter Steve Roldan tried to talk to David Houston on a public road outside his Portland, Maine, home, Houston grabbed Roldan by the throat. (Credit: KSAZ/KUTP) (Video)

"You Cover a Lot of Crime and a Lot of Weird People"

"David Houston's sign that called the president a racist name and a pedophile drew the attention of the U.S. Secret Service but didn't get him in trouble with the law, police say. His televised confrontation with a reporter did," David Hench reported Saturday for the Portland (Maine) Press-Herald.

"Houston, 59, is free on bail after his arrest on a charge of simple assault against WGME-TV reporter Steve Roldan. Houston is accused of grabbing the reporter by the throat Thursday as Roldan asked him about the sign near Houston's home in Bridgton.

"Roldan has worked for the CBS affiliate for 20 months. Before that, he spent seven years reporting for a station in San Antonio, a high-crime city with 1.3 million people.

" 'You cover a lot of crime and a lot of weird people, and even in a city like that, I never had any physical encounter with anybody,' Roldan said Friday. 'People have made threats they're going to do this, do that. This is the first time somebody has actually done anything toward me.'

"Bridgton police learned of Houston's sign, erected on the lawn at the intersection of Fosterville Road and Route 107, when a resident complained about the offensive message Tuesday.

"The sign included a racial slur, accused President Obama of raping children and urged people to join a Bridgton version of the Ku Klux Klan, the white supremacist hate group with a history of violence against black people."

• Mark Blumenthal, Huffington Post: Race Matters: Why Gallup Poll Finds Less Support For President Obama
  
  
• Erika Bolstad, Miami Herald: Cristina Saralegui says she'll endorse President Barack Obama
  
  
• Beth Fouhy, Associated Press: Obama, Romney Ads Target News Shows
  
  
• Martin Lobel, Nieman Watchdog: Job destroying taxes? Ask pols, which ones are those?
  
  
• David Maraniss, Washington Post: How Obama became black
  
  
• Marisa Treviño, Latina Lista: Has Obama sewn up the Latino vote? 
  
  
• Peter Wallsten, Washington Post: President Obama bristles when he is the target of activist tactics he once used

Raves for Reporter's Book on First Lady's Ancestry

"A new book by New York Times reporter Rachel L. Swarns traces first lady Michelle Obama's ancestry to white slave-owners in Georgia, whose white descendants have mixed feelings about the revelation," Donovan Slack reported Monday for Politico.

" 'You really don't like to face this kind of thing,' said Joan Tribble, whose ancestors owned the first lady's great-great-great-grandmother, according to Swarns.

"Swarns used DNA tests and conducted more than two years of research for the book, 'American Tapestry: The Story of the Black, White and Multiracial Ancestors of Michelle Obama,' which is scheduled to be released Tuesday."

Reviewing the book Sunday in the New York Times Book Review, historian Edward Ball wrote, " 'American Tapestry,' a fascinating account of the first lady's family, corrects the omission of race from the Obama White House. No political memoir has ever looked or sounded like this one: the book spans several generations of Mrs. Obama's people and reads like a panorama of black life."

Swarns "has uncovered the story of an ordinary black American family, typical in so many details: generations of forced work on Southern farms; sexual exploitation; children born half white; attempts to flee slavery; emancipation at the end of a rifle barrel; terrorization by the Klan during Reconstruction; futility stirred in with pleasure and church in the 1900s; a stepladder into the working class — and finally, the opportunity that allowed for Michelle Obama's superior education and unlocked 150 years of bolted doors.

"The book is nonfiction, but with some 30 characters competing for space it's like a saga or perhaps a mini-series, minus the dialogue. . . ."

• Dawn Turner Trice, Chicago Tribune: First lady's ancestry an American story

New Black Networks Push Back Launch Dates

"When plans were revealed for a pair of start-up multicast networks targeting African-American viewers and competing with Bounce TV, the space looked as lively as any. But as the third quarter approaches, principals at the new concepts, KIN TV and Soul of the South, have realized just how hard it is to bring their channels to life," Michael Malone wrote Monday for the subscriber-only section of Broadcasting & Cable.

"Soul of the South had initially pegged the first quarter for its debut; network executives are now saying the first half of September. KIN TV, which no longer has MGM on board, is shooting for August with a modest launch group.

". . . Soul of the South's holdup, say its execs, is tied to the decision to launch its own master control operation, which they say will go live in Little Rock, Ark., in the next few weeks. 'We decided to step back and get a handle on technology and infrastructure,' says chairman/CEO Edwin Avent.

"Soul aims to set itself apart with a trio of newscasts — content coming from headquarters, from affiliates, and from a dozen or so bureaus around the South. With massive political spending targeting TV news come fall, the network has incentive to be on the air by then.

". . . KIN TV, meanwhile, is targeting a mid-August soft launch for five to 10 stations. 'We’re still very much alive,' insists CEO Lee Gaither.

"That's despite some big setbacks. Initially, MGM was said to be a distribution partner; now it's not. Some Fox-owned MyNetworkTV stations were lined up to air KIN, but a Fox representative says that's no longer the case. Gaither says former NBA star Charles Barkley remains a KIN partner. 'He's involved in every content decision,' says Gaither. (Barkley's management confirmed his role.)"

Knight News Challenge Awards $1.37 Million

"Ranging from an aggregator of mobile video streams of breaking news to a platform that coordinates community disaster recovery, six media innovation ventures were awarded more than $1.37 million as winners of the Knight News Challenge on Networks," the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation announced on Monday.

Among the winners is Mohamed Nanabhay, who was the head of online at Al Jazeera English, where he led the team that produced award-winning coverage of the Arab revolutions in 2011.

"With newsrooms stretched for resources, editors have to increasingly make difficult decisions about which stories get covered and promoted," the foundation said of Nanabhay's proposal. His project, Signalnoi.se, "aims to help, by tracking social engagement with the news — scanning social network activity to provide real-time information on what's resonating with readers. Editors are able to track their own — and competitors' — stories."

Ala. Public Television in Row Over Religious Videos

"Three members of an authority that helps raise money for Alabama Public Television quit this week after another commission fired two top network executives amid the possible addition of Christian-themed historical shows and a broader restructuring, officials said Friday," Jay Reeves wrote Friday for the Associated Press.

"The chairman of the Alabama Educational Television Commission, Ferris Stephens, said three of the five members on the Alabama Educational Television Foundation Authority resigned following the commission's decision earlier this week to terminate the director of Alabama Public TV, Allan Pizzato, and another executive.

". . . Commission members who spoke with The Associated Press confirmed the firings came as the panel considered a push by at least one member of the seven-person board to have the network air videos produced by WallBuilders, a Texas-based Christian group headed by evangelical historian David Barton that promotes the idea that the United States is a Christian nation based on the Bible."

J. Holland, a newly appointed member of the Alabama Educational Television Commission, "told Current.org, a blog about public broadcasting published by American University's communications school, that Pizzato and his staff had 'grave concerns' that the videos were inappropriate for public broadcasting because of their religious tint.' "

Black Men Get Good Press for Father's Day

Father's Day might be the only time of year when the preponderance of coverage of black fathers isn't about the dads who don't care for their children, end up incarcerated or otherwise fail to measure up.

It certainly seemed that way over the weekend. Instead, many media outlets went out of their way to transmit testimony about the successful ones, from those who know them best. The good feelings even extended to black men in prison. Yahoo News posted "Father's Day in Prison," a slide show about "Get on the Bus," an annual Father's Day event that brings children in California to visit their fathers in San Quentin State Prison. Photos were by Lucy Nicholson of Reuters.

• Alexandra Styron, New York Times: Thoughts on Fathers and Families
  
  
• Kunbi Tinuoye, theGrio.com: How black dads play an active role in their children's lives

Biden Outlines Campaign Focus on Middle Class

Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. laid out the Obama administration's case for re-election Wednesday before the National Association of Black Journalists, saying of Mitt Romney and the Republican congressional leadership, "I don't think they understand what's happening to ordinary people."

Noting that he was in New Orleans, home of James Carville, the "ragin' Cajun" Democratic strategist who famously said during Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign, "It's the economy, stupid," Biden said, "This is about more than the economy, it's about who we are."

He defined "middle class" as "a way of life. It's a point of view, it's a value system." Biden quoted his father as telling him, "Joey, a job is about more than a paycheck. It's about your dignity, your self-respect, your sense of self, your sense of community."

He contrasted those views with those of Republicans, whom he said had presented a "straight up, they're saying what they mean" approach this year. "No more compassionate conservatives."

Biden left without taking questions, a condition imposed by the White House, according to NABJ Executive Director Maurice Foster. Some journalists said NABJ should not have capitulated. "It was stupid," Kevin Merida, national editor at the Washington Post, told Journal-isms. "We're journalists."

Seated in the audience with his son and former wife, Tracy Martin, father of slain Florida teenager Trayvon Martin and a Democrat, told Journal-isms he approved of Biden's speech, singling out "the part about 'Romney is not from his neighborhood and he doesn't understand our neighborhood' " and agreeing that "Who doesn't want their kids going to college?" The Martins are scheduled for an NABJ panel Thursday.

Gene Demby of the Huffington Post filed this account of Biden's speech.

Romney declined an NABJ invitation, but his campaign announced that the candidate would address the NAACP convention in Houston, which runs July 7-12.

• HuffPost BlackVoices NABJ page
  
  
• NABJ Monitor student convention coverage

Unity Offers Discount to Those Recently Laid Off

"To offer further assistance to journalists who have been laid off, UNITY Journalists is offering a special discounted rate to people whose jobs have been lost during newsroom reorganizations since Jan. 1, 2012," the Unity alliance announced.

"The special registration rate for Recently Unemployed Journalists is $325, pending confirmation of the registrant's unemployment status. If you are interested in registering for UNITY at this price, you have until Friday, June 29, to submit your registration form."

The Unity pre-registration rate through June 29 is $400 for members of the Asian, Hispanic, Native American or lesbian and gay journalists associations, and $600 for non-members.

The Unity convention is scheduled for Aug. 1-4 in Las Vegas.

Asians Pass Latinos as Largest Group of New Immigrants

"Asian Americans are the highest-income, best-educated and fastest-growing racial group in the United States," the Pew Research Center reported on Tuesday.

"They are more satisfied than the general public with their lives, finances and the direction of the country, and they place more value than other Americans do on marriage, parenthood, hard work and career success, according to a comprehensive new nationwide survey by the Pew Research Center.

". . . Asians recently passed Hispanics as the largest group of new immigrants to the United States. The educational credentials of these recent arrivals are striking. More than six-in-ten (61%) adults ages 25 to 64 who have come from Asia in recent years have at least a bachelor’s degree. This is double the share among recent non-Asian arrivals, and almost surely makes the recent Asian arrivals the most highly educated cohort of immigrants in U.S. history."

In a statement from the Asian American Journalists Association Wednesday, AAJA National President Doris Truong said, "Pew's research reinforces the importance of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders as a segment our society that newsrooms need to pay attention to. It was disappointing to see a lack of diverse perspectives — especially from major news networks — in covering this story. AAJA is well positioned to help hiring managers find talented journalists who can connect with increasingly diverse communities."

• Other Asian American opinions (foundasian.org)


• Pew Research Center: Live Video: The Rise of Asian Americans

Firefighters Protest "Racist" Cartoon on Newspaper Layoffs

Harold Schaitberger, general president of the International Association of Fire Fighters,  branded as "racist" a cartoon in the Pensacola (Fla.) News Journal on the massive layoffs last week at newspapers owned in Alabama by Advance Publications.

Cartoonist Andy Marlette referenced the civil rights movement in Birmingham, Ala., in 1963, when young black protesters were blasted with fire hoses at the order of Eugene "Bull" Connor, commissioner of public safety.

In the cartoon, one white firefighter says to another, "Don't worry, since they laid off all the journalists in Alabama we can get away with this kind of stuff again."

• Nate Monroe, Pensacola (Fla.) News Journal: News Journal cartoon draws ire

Politico's Williams Suspended After Tweets, TV Comment

Joseph Williams, an African American reporter at Politico, was suspended after he suggested on television that Mitt Romney was comfortable only around white people and a conservative website published old tweets in which Williams ridiculed Romney.

"On MSNBC today, Williams made a remark suggesting Mitt Romney was only comfortable around white people," Dylan Byers wrote Thursday for Politico. "The video was first flagged by conservative website Washington Free Beacon. Breitbart.com ran the video and also flagged a series of tweets Williams had written that made fun of the Republican candidate, particularly in regard to his wealth.

" 'Regrettably, an unacceptable number of Joe Williams's public statements on cable and Twitter have called into question his commitment to this responsibility,' POLITICO's founding editors John Harris and Jim VandeHei wrote in a memo to the staff. 'His comment about Governor Romney earlier today on MSNBC fell short of our standards for fairness and judgment in an especially unfortunate way.' "

". . . POLITICO journalists have a clear and inflexible responsibility to cover politics fairly and free of partisan bias. This expectation extends to all of the public platforms in which we and our reporting and analysis appears, including cable TV and social media platforms like Twitter."

Ironically, in reporting on Romney's vice presidential prospects, VandeHei and Politico writer Mike Allen reported in May, "One Republican official familiar with the campaign's thinking said it will be designed to produce a pick who is safe and, by design, unexciting — a deliberate anti-Palin. The prized pick, said this official: an 'incredibly boring white guy.' "

Williams emailed Byers on Friday evening:

"I regret that this happened. I understand and respect John Harris' point of view — that I've compromised Politico's objectivity, and my own. At this point my suspension without pay is still indefinite, and I don't know what management has in mind as an appropriate sanction, so I can't object or appeal. Politico still employs me, but the review process hasn't started in earnest so my future remains unclear.

"Having covered the Shirley Sherrod firing and seen the fallout from James O'Keefe's brand of journalism, I'm not surprised a small group with internet access and an ambitious agenda can affect reporting and distort analysis of political news. It's quite unfortunate and incredibly frustrating, however, that I landed in the crosshairs this time, calling Politico's integrity into question and jeopardizing a job and a career that I love."

One tweet showed Williams commenting on this tweet: "Dad straps 4 kids to car hood and drives away, police say." Williams wrote, "told officers they were driving 'romney style.' "

In another, a message read, "Romney: 'Nothing particularly surprising that I've had the occasion to eat.' Williams retweeted it with the comment, "Jeeves knows my taste."

A third message read, "Either Ann Romney meant Mitt is flaccid or that when we 'unzip him' we'll find he's a dick." Williams retweeted it, adding, "Or both."

Harris did not respond to a request for comment. Williams emailed Journal-isms in response to a question, "Politico to my knowledge doesn't have written standards" for tweets or television appearances.

• John Nolte, breitbart.com: Politico Reporter Tweets Ann Romney Penis Joke

Editor Says Don't Believe Hype About LeBron Haters

As can be expected, the Miami Herald and the Plain Dealer in Cleveland had vastly different front pages Friday after LeBron James and the Miami Heat won the NBA Finals Thursday night. James was voted most valuable player.

The Plain Dealer played the game in the second most visible position under the headline, "LeBron: 3-time MVP now a champion."

In New Orleans for the convention of the National Association of Black Journalists, Debra Adams Simmons, editor of the Plain Dealer, told Journal-isms that the national perception that Northeast Ohio monolithically hates James for deserting the Cleveland Cavaliers is false.

Adams Simmons spoke Friday night at a reception sponsored by Hampton University.

"If you're young, black and you tweet, you didn't care," she said of James' decision to leave Cleveland for the Miami Heat. "Young people in Northeast Ohio, Akron people in Northeast Ohio and black people in Northeast Ohio tend to be Heat supporters. Many of these people wanted to see LeBron get his ring. The majority of African Americans wanted him to get his ring.

"The national media fell down on the job by presenting a singular reaction to the outcome. As the mother of 12- and 14-year-old boys who moved to Akron in 2003 [I saw that] my own sons wanted the Heat to win.

"The Plain Dealer has written that story."

Adams Simmons looked around the room. "What's disconcerting is the number of people in the room who drank the Kool-Aid that ESPN fed them," she said.

• Dan Le Batard, Miami Herald: Burden finally lifted for Pat Riley, LeBron James and Miami Heat
  
  
• Tom Reed, Plain Dealer: LeBron James' title unburdens him ... and Cleveland Cavaliers fans

Wickham to Start Communication School at Morgan

DeWayne Wickham, the USA Today and Gannett News Service columnist who is interim chair of the North Carolina A&T Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, is leaving to establish a school of communication at Morgan State University, Wickham said in a letter Thursday to Dr. Goldie Byrd, dean of the College of Arts and Science.

At Morgan State, concentrations in literature and language, creative writing and language arts, and minors in journalism or in film and digital storytelling now come under the English Department.

"Next month, I will take on the responsibility of establishing a school of communication at Morgan State University," Wickham wrote. "This new school was approved by Morgan's board in 2008, and the university is now moving to bring it into existence. Morgan has given me the honor of conceptualizing this school and serving as its founding dean. . . . "

Morgan State officials did not respond to an inquiry seeking comment.

Ann Curry Admirers Petition to Keep Her on "Today"

"Ann Curry is reportedly being phased out of her co-anchor position at 'Today,' but a group of fans is trying to turn back the tide and persuade NBC otherwise with an online petition," Tim Kenneally wrote Friday for theWrap.com.

"The petition, posted on Change.org on Friday, has so far attracted 500 signatures from Curry loyalists intent on keeping her face on the morning airwaves.

" 'Dear Today Show at NBC,' the petition reads. 'We Love Ann Curry! Ann Curry Loves us and the Today Show!'

"The petition was launched by Phoenix. Ariz. resident Stephen Crowley, an Iraq war veteran who says he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and that Curry's presence on the 'Today' show has had a steadying influence on him."

• Jenna Goudreau, Forbes: Ann Curry's Exit: Behind The Scenes Of A Public Demotion
  
  
• Keach Hagey and Christopher S. Stewart, Wall Street Journal: 'Today' Is Just Part of Slip In the Stature of NBC News
  
  
• Tom Huang, Poynter Institute: How race factors into the conversation about Ann Curry’s possible ouster from 'Today' Show
  
  
• Jack Mirkinson, Huffington Post: Ann Curry: 'Am I Not Good Enough?'
  
  
• James Poniewozik, Time: Why Didn't Morning TV Love Ann Curry?
  
  
• Brian Stelter, New York Times: NBC Prepares to Replace Ann Curry on 'Today'

Blacks Disproportionately Hit at Times-Picayune

"African-Americans were disproportionately hit in last week's layoffs at The Times-Picayune, meaning the newspaper serving the majority-black city will become less diverse unless the difference is made up with new hires," Steve Myers wrote Wednesday for the Poynter Institute.

". . . The Times-Picayune reported that 84 of 173 people in the newsroom were laid off, a loss of 48.5 percent. According to a list I assembled (based on conversations with multiple people in the newsroom) 14 of 26 African-Americans in the newsroom lost their jobs — a 53.8 percent cut. That includes editors, reporters and administrative personnel.

"A 5.3 percentage-point difference may not appear to be much, but it erodes the newspaper's diversity. The Times-Picayune didn't participate in the latest ASNE census, but according to the list I assembled, the newsroom would have been 15 percent African-American before the layoffs. If no African-Americans are hired into the new operation, it would be 13.5 percent."

Vourvoulias-Bush Stepping Down at Fox News Latino

Alberto Vourvoulias-Bush, editor of the Fox News Latino website, is leaving at the end of the month for Rome, where his wife,author Jhumpa Lahiri, has been offered a residency this coming academic year, he has told colleagues.

". . . after mulling it over, we have decided that it is an opportunity too good to let pass," he said in a message.

Before being named to the new site in 2010, Vourvoulias-Bush had been corporate executive editor of impreMedia, overseeing such news products as El Diario/La Prensa and La Opinion. He had previously worked at Time magazine's Latin American edition, and was a research associate on Latin America for the Council of Foreign Relations.

Fox News Latino, a predominantly English-language website targeting Latinos, has developed an identity separate from the conservative Fox News Channel and website.

Black Publishers Choose William Tompkins as CEO

"The National Newspaper Publishers Association has announced the appointment of William Tompkins to the post of President and CEO of the 69 year-old trade organization. The appointment was made today during the NNPA's annual convention in Atlanta," Target Market News reported on Wednesday.

"The selection of Tompkins culminates a nine-month search conducted by Carrington & Carrington, Ltd. According to criteria that circulated throughout the industry, the new president will be charged with developing a new vision for the organization and implementing strategic plans and programs that serve the needs of the more than 200 Black community newspapers represented by NNPA. The trade group is commonly referred to as The Black Press of America."

"Tompkins, 55, currently heads his own consultancy firm, Williams Tompkins Associates, in Los Angeles. Before starting his company, Tompkins held positions at Eastman Kodak, including General Manager and Vice President of the Motion Picture Film Group and Chief Marketing Officer for the company's Entertainment Imaging division.

"Prior to joining Kodak, Tompkins spent 19 years at The Washington Post, last serving as Vice President of Marketing."

Off to Trinidad to Defend Press Freedom

Yvette Walker, night news director at the Oklahoman in Oklahoma City and Edith Kinney Gaylord Endowed Chair of Media Ethics at the University of Central Oklahoma, is filing reports for Journal-isms on the International Press Institute's World Congress that begins Sunday in Trinidad.

By Yvette Walker

Telling people you are going to Port of Spain can be confusing. No, I'm not headed to Spain, I'm going to Trinidad. The International Press Institute is holding its World Congress there beginning Sunday, and I'll be on a panel about Ethics and Social Media.

So, off to Port of Spain, Trinidad. I'm leaving a few days early to take advantage of a little sun and fun, and who wouldn't? Over the next few days, I'll be blogging about the country and the conference.

Trinidad and its sister island, Tobago, is just north of the northern tip of South America in the North Atlantic Ocean. It's closer to Venezuela than to Jamaica or even Puerto Rico, but it's still considered part of the Caribbean. Its working press are members of the Association of Caribbean Media Workers.

Its proximity to South America is important because certain South American countries are repressive in press freedom rights. Venezuela is ranked 117th of 179 countries on the press freedom index. Honduras, one of the worst countries for press freedom, is 136th.

By comparison, the United States is ranked 47th (dropping after responses to the Occupy protests). Finland is at the top of the list.

Wesley Gibbings, president of the Association of Caribbean MediaWorkers, said the World Congress will help the group shine a light on its work.

"Though we have generally escaped the worst impacts of impunity, violence and official aggression, Caribbean social communicators and journalists have not eluded the potentially muting impacts of self-censorship, unenlightened regulation and challenging economic, social and political circumstances," he said.

The IPI has defended press freedom for more than 60 years. It holds a World Congress every year. Alison Bethel McKenzie, executive director of the IPI, said in a statement: "The three-day IPI World Congress will examine the many challenges, concerns and opportunities facing the media not only in the Caribbean, but also in the rest of the Americas and around the globe."

. . . Day 2: Why Press-Freedom Congress Is in Trinidad

Upon arriving in Port of Spain, Trinidad, Wednesday night after 13 hours of travel, I was happy to arrive at the Hyatt Regency, check in and go to bed. But at check-in, Alison Bethel McKenzie, International Press Institute executive director, came and embraced me. Alison and I have known each other for years and worked together at the Detroit News many years ago. I sat with her and CNN International's Jim Clancy on the hotel veranda to chat about the upcoming World Congress.

Alison said the Congress is being held in the Caribbean at the overwhelming request of its delegations, especially that from Nigeria, one of its larger contingents. "The president of the Association of Caribbean MediaWorkers, Wesley Gibbings, is based here, and we have a strategic partnership with ACM. Plus they have a vibrant media, a free media, and the government was receptive. And so, that's why we chose Trinidad and Tobago," McKenzie said.

As I mentioned earlier, the islands of Trinidad and Tobago are just north of Venezuela, in South America. While the ACM boasts a free press, Venezuela's is not so free. That dichotomy isn't lost on McKenzie and the IPI.

"Usually the IPI Congress is only conducted in English; this year we're having translation into Spanish, and we have quite a representation from Latin America. We have Colombia, Argentina, Chile; we have quite a delegation from Venezuela. And a lot of our topics . . . one of our panel sessions, for example, focuses on the big three — Venezuela, Chile and Cuba, and their impact on the region at large."

McKenzie said the most dangerous places for journalists are in Latin America, led by Mexico and Honduras. "This is a perfect time to have it here, have a chance to engage the Caribbean, which is often ignored when you talk about press freedom and journalism ethics."

Clancy said of the decision to convene in Port of Spain, "This is an opportunity to come together with journalists, like myself, who are concerned about press freedom around the world. It's a unique opportunity . . . It's a very important time for us to discuss the challenges we face and the opportunities here in the Caribbean."

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NABJ Praises Raycom Media on Management Diversity

Raycom Media, Inc., an employee-owned company that owns and/or provides services for 48 television stations in 36 markets and 18 states, is praised by the National Association of Black Journalists in a new report that evaluates the management diversity at four national media companies.

The others are Allbritton Communications Co., Journal Broadcast Group and Sinclair Broadcast Group.

The four firms "employ 350 men and women in the positions of general manager, news director, assistant news director, managing editor, assignment manager, executive producer or web manager. However, only [10.85%] of these managers are people of color, a figure that is consistent in NABJ studies of other television newsrooms from previous years," according to the report, released Friday at the NABJ convention in New Orleans. "This includes 28 African Americans, 6 Hispanics/Latino Americans, 3 Asian Americans and 1 Native American." The general population was nearly 35 percent nonwhite in the 2010 Census.

The report continued: ". . . NABJ understands that a lack of diversity in management does not mean a station's coverage and hiring will be unfair. But it believes the workforce, including managers, that reflects the marketplace gives a station the best chance to air accurate coverage of communities of color.

"The concern is many of the stations owned by these companies fall short of that NABJ standard. 41 of these companies' 68 stations (60%) have no diversity in management at all, despite having stations located in diverse markets such as Memphis, Baltimore, Little Rock and Las Vegas.

". . . Raycom Media comes the closest to meeting NABJ's diversity index with 16% of its television newsroom managers being people of color, and 19 of the company's 32 stations having at least one person of color in station or news management."

Paul McTear, CEO of Raycom Media, is quoted as saying, ". . . With the majority of our stations being in small to medium markets it can be a struggle to attract managers of color. But we believe our internal management training and leadership classes, actively promoting managers from within and a continuing NABJ partnership will help in our efforts."

Raycom Media approached NABJ in 2011 for help in improving its overall newsroom diversity, the report said.

Bob Butler, NABJ's vice president for broadcast, said in the document, "in the 5 years we've been doing this report, this is the first time a television group has been so open and cooperative. I hope other companies follow Raycom's example."

• Convention coverage in NABJ Monitor, student project

Republicans Spurn NABJ Convention

June 22, 2012

Democrats Eagerly Accept Journalists' Invitations

Time Magazine Given NABJ's Thumbs Down Award

Politico's Williams Suspended After Tweets, TV Comment

Editor Says Don't Believe Hype About LeBron Haters

Wickham to Start Communication School at Morgan State

Ann Curry Admirers Petition to Keep Her on "Today"

Blacks Disproportionately Hit at Times-Picayune

Vourvoulias-Bush Stepping Down at Fox News Latino

Black Publishers Choose William Tompkins as CEO

Off to Trinidad to Defend Press Freedom

. . . Day 2: Why Press-Freedom Congress Is In Trinidad

Democrats Eagerly Accept Journalists' Invitations

The Republican National Committee and the putative GOP standard-bearer, Mitt Romney, have ceded the National Association of Black Journalists convention to the Democrats, rejecting invitations to send speakers or panelists that the Democrats eagerly accepted.

Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. addressed the convention Wednesday on its opening night, delivering his campaign's talking points. A Friday afternoon session, "A Working Journalist's Guide: Obama Administration Insiders You Need to Know," featured four press contacts in the Obama administration. Additionally, at least three representatives from the Obama reelection campaign were available to discuss the state of the campaign, also on Friday afternoon.

"We reached out consistently and vigorously to the Romney campaign asking that he appear," Sonya Ross, a Washington editor at the Associated Press who chairs the NABJ's Political Journalism Task Force, told Journal-isms.

"We also made overtures to the Republican National Committee. We wanted to make sure we reached both political parties to ask them to participate. The DNC," she said, referring to the Democratic National Committee, "came to us and asked us, 'Can we be there?' . . . We got no such overtures from the Republican National Committee.

"If the Republican National Committee wants to come tonight or Saturday or Sunday, we would love to see them."

The absence of Republican representatives, even as audience members, was evident in a Friday morning session, "Covering Race in the 2012 Elections," moderated by Jesse Washington, Associated Press writer on race and ethnicity. Panelists were Kevin Merida, national editor at the Washington Post, and Michelle Jaconi, executive producer of CNN's Cross Platform Programming Unit.

No one was present to articulate Romney or Republican views after Les Payne, a retired Newsday editor and columnist, asked whether in light of the media coverage of President Obama's ties to his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, journalists should be exploring Romney's views about Mormon tenets on race.

"Mitt Romney has not been pushed to do that," Washington told Payne. Merida agreed that the media have a responsibility to explore the issue. "You want to try to explain these people," Merida said of the candidates, "and give people everything that might help in their decision making." Audience members agreed, but none was the Republican operative who would have been expected to monitor such a panel had the party been at the convention.

The Mormon church has historically excluded African Americans, changing its policy only in recent decades. Early Mormon leader Brigham Young believed that Native Americans were cursed and said in an 1863 sermon, "Shall I tell you the law of God in regard to the African race? If the white man who belongs to the chosen seed mixes his blood with the seed of Cain, the penalty, under the law of God, is death on the spot. This will always be so."

In April, a Wisconsin voter took issue with Romney's faith in a campaign event.

"I guess a lot of people say that, you know, your Mormon faith may not be a concern in the election. But I think, it might be," Bret Hatch, a 28-year-old from Green Bay who is unemployed, told Romney then, Sara Murray reported in the Wall Street Journal.

"He began reading a verse he said was from Mormon scripture, prompting Mr. Romney to cut him off," Murray continued.

" 'I'm sorry, we're just not going to have a discussion about religion in my view, but if you have a question, I'll be happy to answer your question,' Mr. Romney said.

" 'I guess my question is, do you believe it's a sin for a white man to marry and procreate with a black?' Mr. Hatch said.

" 'No,' Mr. Romney said tersely, 'Next question.' "

Jack White, a contributor to theRoot.com and former Time magazine correspondent, asked at the NABJ forum, "How much do you think people know about what Mormons believe now? I haven't seen these stories. I don't think people understand what Mormonism is. We know about Obama's relationship with his white girlfriend" in his college days, White said in a reference to the new book "Barack Obama: The Story" by David Maraniss.

Jaconi said on the panel that the Mormon church "doesn't have the same values of transparency that other religions have and that journalists have," and that CNN's Belief Blog had just received access to the church for a documentary on Romney's Mormonism. "We'd been trying for over a year," Jaconi said.

Republicans have captured the white vote in every presidential election since 1972, and during the recent primary season, GOP candidates were criticized for their failure to reach out to African Americans.

Still, some GOP hopefuls have courted African Americans if only to appeal to white independents who believe that a president should be accessible to all segments of society.

And while the campaign turned down NABJ, it announced that the candidate would address the NAACP convention in Houston, which runs July 7-12.

Nevertheless, the NAACP is different from an organization of questioning journalists.

At the Unity convention in 2008, then-Sen. Obama made a last minute Sunday appearance after returning from an eight-day trip to the Mideast and Europe. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., then the presumed Republican nominee, skipped Unity for Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, to appear at Lance Armstrong's Livestrong Summit and Livestrong Presidential Town Hall on Cancer.

Tara Wall, who was hired in May as a senior communications adviser to the Romney campaign to handle outreach to African Americans, has not responded to emails and telephone calls from Journal-isms.

• Askia Muhammad, Washington Informer: Romney's Racist Theology? (April 20)

Time Magazine Given NABJ's Thumbs Down Award

Time magazine received the 2012 Thumbs Down Award from the National Association of Black Journalists Friday "for its lack of diversity within its reporting corps," NABJ announced at its convention in New Orleans.

"TIME Magazine once boasted a number of black correspondents, including Wallace Terry, Jack White, Janice Simpson, Sylvester Monroe," NABJ President Gregory H. Lee Jr. said in a statement.

"However the publication currently does not have a full-time black correspondent. Additionally, the magazine has eliminated blacks from major news coverage, including a special commemorative issue on the 10th anniversary of the [Sept. 11, 2001] terrorist attacks that depicted no African Americans. Also, the magazine recently lost its only black correspondent. We feel that TIME Magazine can do more to champion diversity, this is why we are bringing attention to TIME Magazine."

"That's why I'm here," Howard Chua-Eoan, news director of Time's magazine and website, told Journal-isms at the convention. Chua-Eoan said he was available to meet with potential hires, though he did not have a recruiting booth because Time decided to skip the NABJ career fair in favor of the Unity convention Aug. 1-4 in Las Vegas.

The Thumbs Down award is given annually for reporting, commentary or other content found to be racially insensitive, or for practices at odds with the mission of NABJ.

When Time published its 9/11 issue with no blacks depicted and was asked about the omission, Time spokeswoman Kerri Chyka said by email: "TIME is declining to comment at this time."

When Steven Gray left the Washington bureau in December as Time's only black correspondent, spokeswoman Ali Zelenko did not respond to requests for comment. When other staff changes were announced and no African Americans were included, however, Zelenko insisted, "diversity remains an important priority."

Politico's Williams Suspended After Tweets, TV Comment

Joseph Williams, an African American reporter at Politico, was suspended after he suggested on television that Mitt Romney was comfortable only around white people and a conservative website published old tweets in which Williams ridiculed Romney.

"On MSNBC today, Williams made a remark suggesting Mitt Romney was only comfortable around white people," Dylan Byers wrote Thursday for Politico. "The video was first flagged by conservative website Washington Free Beacon. Breitbart.com ran the video and also flagged a series of tweets Williams had written that made fun of the Republican candidate, particularly in regard to his wealth.

" 'Regrettably, an unacceptable number of Joe Williams's public statements on cable and Twitter have called into question his commitment to this responsibility,' POLITICO's founding editors John Harris and Jim VandeHei wrote in a memo to the staff. 'His comment about Governor Romney earlier today on MSNBC fell short of our standards for fairness and judgment in an especially unfortunate way.' "

". . . POLITICO journalists have a clear and inflexible responsibility to cover politics fairly and free of partisan bias. This expectation extends to all of the public platforms in which we and our reporting and analysis appears, including cable TV and social media platforms like Twitter."

Ironically, in reporting on Romney's vice presidential prospects, VandeHei and Politico writer Mike Allen reported in May, "One Republican official familiar with the campaign's thinking said it will be designed to produce a pick who is safe and, by design, unexciting — a deliberate anti-Palin. The prized pick, said this official: an 'incredibly boring white guy.' "

Williams emailed Byers on Friday evening:

"I regret that this happened. I understand and respect John Harris' point of view — that I've compromised Politico's objectivity, and my own. At this point my suspension without pay is still indefinite, and I don't know what management has in mind as an appropriate sanction, so I can't object or appeal. Politico still employs me, but the review process hasn't started in earnest so my future remains unclear.

"Having covered the Shirley Sherrod firing and seen the fallout from James O'Keefe's brand of journalism, I'm not surprised a small group with internet access and an ambitious agenda can affect reporting and distort analysis of political news. It's quite unfortunate and incredibly frustrating, however, that I landed in the crosshairs this time, calling Politico's integrity into question and jeopardizing a job and a career that I love."

One tweet showed Williams commenting on this tweet: "Dad straps 4 kids to car hood and drives away, police say." Williams wrote, "told officers they were driving 'romney style.' "

In another, a message read, "Romney: 'Nothing particularly surprising that I've had the occasion to eat.' Williams retweeted it with the comment, "Jeeves knows my taste."

A third message read, "Either Ann Romney meant Mitt is flaccid or that when we 'unzip him' we'll find he's a dick." Williams retweeted it, adding, "Or both."

Harris did not respond to a request for comment. Williams emailed Journal-isms in response to a question, "Politico to my knowledge doesn't have written standards" for tweets or television appearances.

• John Nolte, breitbart.com: Politico Reporter Tweets Ann Romney Penis Joke

Editor Says Don't Believe Hype About LeBron Haters

As can be expected, the Miami Herald and the Plain Dealer in Cleveland had vastly different front pages Friday after LeBron James and the Miami Heat won the NBA Finals Thursday night. James was voted most valuable player.

The Plain Dealer played the game in the second most visible position under the headline, "LeBron: 3-time MVP now a champion."

In New Orleans for the convention of the National Association of Black Journalists, Debra Adams Simmons, editor of the Plain Dealer, told Journal-isms that the national perception that Northeast Ohio monolithically hates James for deserting the Cleveland Cavaliers is false.

Adams Simmons spoke Friday night at a reception sponsored by Hampton University.

"If you're young, black and you tweet, you didn't care," she said of James' decision to leave Cleveland for the Miami Heat. "Young people in Northeast Ohio, Akron people in Northeast Ohio and black people in Northeast Ohio tend to be Heat supporters. Many of these people wanted to see LeBron get his ring. The majority of African Americans wanted him to get his ring.

"The national media fell down on the job by presenting a singular reaction to the outcome. As the mother of 12- and 14-year-old boys who moved to Akron in 2003 [I saw that] my own sons wanted the Heat to win.

"The Plain Dealer has written that story."

Adams Simmons looked around the room. "What's disconcerting is the number of people in the room who drank the Kool-Aid that ESPN fed them," she said.

• Dan Le Batard, Miami Herald: Burden finally lifted for Pat Riley, LeBron James and Miami Heat
  
  
• Tom Reed, Plain Dealer: LeBron James' title unburdens him ... and Cleveland Cavaliers fans

Wickham to Start Communication School at Morgan

DeWayne Wickham, the USA Today and Gannett News Service columnist who is interim chair of the North Carolina A&T Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, is leaving to establish a school of communication at Morgan State University, Wickham said in a letter Thursday to Dr. Goldie Byrd, dean of the College of Arts and Science.

At Morgan State, concentrations in literature and language, creative writing and language arts, and minors in journalism or in film and digital storytelling now come under the English Department.

"Next month, I will take on the responsibility of establishing a school of communication at Morgan State University," Wickham wrote. "This new school was approved by Morgan's board in 2008, and the university is now moving to bring it into existence. Morgan has given me the honor of conceptualizing this school and serving as its founding dean. . . . "

Morgan State officials did not respond to an inquiry seeking comment.

Ann Curry Admirers Petition to Keep Her on "Today"

"Ann Curry is reportedly being phased out of her co-anchor position at 'Today,' but a group of fans is trying to turn back the tide and persuade NBC otherwise with an online petition," Tim Kenneally wrote Friday for theWrap.com.

"The petition, posted on Change.org on Friday, has so far attracted 500 signatures from Curry loyalists intent on keeping her face on the morning airwaves.

" 'Dear Today Show at NBC,' the petition reads. 'We Love Ann Curry! Ann Curry Loves us and the Today Show!'

"The petition was launched by Phoenix. Ariz. resident Stephen Crowley, an Iraq war veteran who says he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and that Curry's presence on the 'Today' show has had a steadying influence on him."

• Jenna Goudreau, Forbes: Ann Curry's Exit: Behind The Scenes Of A Public Demotion
  
  
• Keach Hagey and Christopher S. Stewart, Wall Street Journal: 'Today' Is Just Part of Slip In the Stature of NBC News
  
  
• Tom Huang, Poynter Institute: How race factors into the conversation about Ann Curry’s possible ouster from 'Today' Show
  
  
• Jack Mirkinson, Huffington Post: Ann Curry: 'Am I Not Good Enough?'
  
  
• James Poniewozik, Time: Why Didn't Morning TV Love Ann Curry?
  
  
• Brian Stelter, New York Times: NBC Prepares to Replace Ann Curry on 'Today'

Black Media Team Up to Seek Advertising Dollars

"Note to marketers: Television advertising is not postracial," Amy Chozick wrote for Monday's editions of the New York Times.

"That's the message that a newly formed consortium of the country's largest African-American media outlets wants to send to marketers, who have largely shunned black media in favor of placing ads on general outlets.

"On Monday, BET Networks, Black Enterprise, Johnson Publishing (the publisher of Ebony and Jet magazines), the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters and others will join with media-buying agencies to introduce a campaign intended to educate advertisers about the importance of black media and its increasingly deep-pocketed audience.

"Called #InTheBlack (using the Twitter hash tag), the campaign will begin with print advertisements in major newspapers (including The New York Times) and trade magazines like Broadcasting & Cable and Adweek. It will expand to a long-term joint effort that includes social media and direct outreach to marketers.

"The initiative comes at a time when advertisers have poured money into Spanish-language TV and radio in an effort to reach the growing Hispanic population. Black audiences, meanwhile, have largely been overlooked, despite projected buying power of $1.2 trillion by 2015, a 35 percent increase from 2008, according to the Selig Center for Economic Growth at the University of Georgia. . . . "

The coalition's news release lists the participants: "BET Networks has partnered with HuffPost BlackVoices, Black Enterprise, Burrell Communications, Cable Advertising Bureau, Essence Communications, GlobalHue, Inner City Broadcasting Company, KJLH Radio [Los Angeles], Johnson Publishing Company, National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters, Nielsen, North Star Group, National Newspaper Publishers Association, One Solution, Radio One, TV One, Interactive One, Reach Media, Steve Harvey Radio, TheGrio, The Root, The Africa Channel, UniWorld Group, Vibe Media and Walton Isaacson to create a history making black media and marketing consortium."

• In the Black website

FCC Urged to Investigate "Demise of Black Radio"

"A group of black media organizations on Monday will deliver a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski, demanding that the FCC look into the demise of black radio in America, and the impact it has had on urban communities," Joy-Ann Reid reported Monday for theGrio.com.

"The letter, and the drive behind it, were sparked by the change in formatting of longtime urban radio station KISS-FM in New York, to sports talk. The change happened after Disney took over the station this spring, ending the decades-long rivalry between that station and WBLS for the adult urban market in New York by merging the stations, and handing the 30-year-old KISS frequency over to ESPN Radio.

"Similar changes have taken place in cities like Miami, where one of just three urban radio stations, The Beat FM, switched from urban 'adult contemporary' to Spanish-language pop. And in many major cities, there are just two, or even one, urban-themed radio stations left. And the number of black-focused talk radio stations is even smaller, particularly after black-owned radio network Radio One essentially exited the black news-talk market in 2007 and 2008."

The letter is signed by Paul Porter, on behalf of Industry Ears, along with Color of Change, which has been active in recent social media campaigns against former Fox News host Glenn Beck and conservative radio shock jock Rush Limbaugh; Joseph Torres of the media reform group Free Press; Brandy Doyle of the Prometheus Radio Project; Todd Steven Burroughs, a lecturer in the Communication Studies Department at Morgan State University; and Jared Ball, Morgan State professor and radio commentator.

When Anthony Shadid died in February, the Oklahoman in Oklahoma City produced a video on the life of its native son. (Video)

Shadid's Cousin Implicates N.Y. Times in His Death

"Ed Shadid, the cousin of dead New York Times foreign correspondent Anthony Shadid, caused a stir over the weekend when he claimed in a speech that Anthony pre-emptively blamed the Times for his death in Syria, telling his wife: 'If anything happens to me, I want the world to know that the New York Times killed me,' " John Cook reported Monday for Gawker.com. "In an interview with Gawker, the surviving Shadid confirms the account and says the Times knew a trip to Syria was too dangerous, but sent him anyway.

"In his speech at the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee's convention on Saturday, which was initially reported on Twitter and later by Politico, Shadid said that his cousin didn't want to go on the reporting trip to war-torn Syria that led to his death, reportedly from an asthma attack, in February. On the night before he left for Syria, Ed said, Anthony was 'screaming and slamming on the phone in discussions with his editors.' In his last telephone call with his wife, Ed says, Anthony gave his 'haunting last directive that if anything happens to me I want the world to know the New York Times killed me.' "

Anthony Shadid's widow Nada Bakri, a Times reporter, issued a statement via Twitter, Gawker reported.

"I do not approve of and will not be a part of any public discussion of Anthony's passing. It does nothing but sadden Anthony's children to have to endure repeated public discussion of the circumstances of their father's death."

The New York Times rebutted Ed Shadid's assertions, Dylan Byers reported for Politico:

" 'Anthony's death was a tragedy, and we appreciate the enduring grief that his family feels,' New York Times spokesperson Eileen Murphy told POLITICO. 'With respect, we disagree with Ed Shadid's version of the facts. The Times does not pressure reporters to go into combat zones. Anthony was an experienced, motivated correspondent. He decided whether, how and when to enter Syria, and was told by his editors, including on the day of the trip, that he should not make the trip if he felt it was not advisable for any reason.' "

In addition, Matt Pearce reported for the Los Angeles Times, "Confirmation from the family has been noticeably absent."

• Steve Myers, Poynter Institute: Anthony Shadid's widow won't say whether New York Times to blame for his death
  
  
• Alysia Santo, Columbia Journalism Review: Reporting from the battlefield, uninsured

Reporter Fired for Fabrications in 25 Stories

"Paresh Jha, an award-winning reporter for Hearst Newspapers' New Canaan News in Connecticut, has been fired for fabricating sources and quotes in at least 25 stories over the nearly two years he worked at the weekly," Craig Silverman reported Friday for the Poynter Institute.

"The paper announced his firing in a report published on its website just before 5:30 p.m. on Friday.

" 'We have found 25 stories written by Paresh Jha over the last year and a half that contain quotes from nonexistent sources,' said David McCumber, editorial director of the Hearst Connecticut Media Group.

"He went on to say, 'When confronted, Jha admitted that he had fabricated the names and the quotes.' "

• Craig Silverman, Poynter Institute: Fabricator Paresh Jha likely made up entire articles, not just sources

Creators Pledge Diversity in "Newsroom," "Fit to Print"

"The highly-buzzed new cable series from Aaron Sorkin is a workplace drama that takes a look at the erratic world of a nightly news broadcast," according to blackactors.net. "Despite all of the marketing and advertising efforts pushing the white stars of the show, we've learned there are actually a few black characters you should know about.

"Terry Crews (The Expendables) will appear in the second half of the season in the role of the lead character’s bodyguard, Adina Porter ('True Blood') and Chris Chalk ('Homeland') will play newsroom staffers."

"The Newsroom" premiered to an audience of 2.1 million viewers at 10 p.m. on Sunday, making it one of HBO's top debuts in recent years, Andrea Morabito reported Monday for Broadcasting & Cable and Multichannel News.

Meanwhile, "Fit to Print," a documentary described as a film "that takes the viewer on a behind-the-scenes journey through the current upheaval in the U.S. newspaper industry," includes interviews with Latino and African American newsroom employees "on the topics of diversity in the newsroom," according to Adam Chadwick, the former New York Times copy editor who is spearheading the production.

Chadwick named Gary Caesar of the New York Times, Linn Washington Jr. of the Philadelphia Tribune, syndicated columnist Ruben Navarrette Jr. of San Diego and Mc Nelly Torres of the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting. "The thing is, we are editing the film now, and though I hope to include everyone, I can't guarantee it," Chadwick told Journal-isms by email.

The film is in post-production and still seeking funding.

• Eric Deggans, Tampa Bay (Fla.) Times: HBO puts The Newsroom pilot online for free; judge Aaron Sorkin's work for yourself
  
  
• Patrick Gavin, Politico: Documentary: Newspapers aren't going extinct

American Indians Said to Be Taking Control of Imagery

Writing Sunday in Indian Country Today about "American Indians and the Mass Media," a new book edited by Meta G. Carstarphen and John P. Sanchez, Mark Fogarty asked Sanchez, a Yaqui/Apache and an associate professor at Penn State University, "What is the most positive thing you learned about American Indians and the media — and the most negative?"

"The most positive aspect is that American Indians are taking control of the imagery and the very identity of American Indian cultures and no longer allowing non-American Indians to shape American Indian cultures without challenge," Sanchez replied. "The least positive aspect is that many people in the American media believe that American Indians are still a people who have not evolved beyond the 18th-century image of buckskins, beads and feathers, living in tipis and riding horses every day."

Fogarty wrote that the book's "15 chapters, by such well-known commentators as Mark Trahant, Roy Boney Jr. and Paul DeMain, are well researched and meticulously footnoted. This methodical approach could well have dragged the book down. Instead, it illuminates both the portrayal and the journalistic clout of American Indians in media today. And in that, there is something for the general reader."

NABJ Honors Black Louisiana Sports Figures

"In the 1950s, R.L. Stockard integrated the Baton Rouge State-Times and the New Orleans States-Item, bringing a black voice to Louisiana sportswriting. On Friday, he was honored at a convention hosting hundreds of black journalists for his role as a pioneer," Alex Cassara wrote Saturday in the Times-Picayune in New Orleans.

"Stockard was one of eight black, Louisiana athletes, coaches and journalists that received recognition at the National Association of Black Journalists' Sports Task Force Sam Lacy Pioneer Awards at the Riverside Hilton as part of the association's convention taking place in New Orleans this weekend.

"Joining Stockard as honorees were the late [Grambling] football coach Eddie Robinson, Texas Rangers Manager Ron Washington, Brooklyn Nets Coach Avery Johnson, former college basketball coach Harold Hunter, former UNO volleyball player Javonne Brooks-Grant, Dillard basketball coach Bernard Griffith and former WDSU sportscaster Ro Brown."

• Chris Ariens, TVNewser: Two Ailes Apprentices to Help Cover NABJ for FNC (June 21)
  
  
• Wayne Bennett, the Field Negro: No Mitt for the NABJ.
  
  
• Akilah Bolden-Monifa, HuffPost BlackVoices: The National Association of Black Journalists Convention Explained
  
  
• Michaelle Bond, American Journalism Review: How Changes at a Newspaper Are Unifying a City
  
  
• Kiratiana Freelon, Storify: Sports Taskforce Mentor Breakfast
  
  
• Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation: GLAAD and NABJ LGBT Taskforce Tackle Advocacy in the Newsroom
  
  
• Nakia Hill, HuffPost BlackVoices: My First Day at NABJ — 2012
  
  
• Bomani Jones blog: A 25 Point Recap of The NABJ12
  
  
• Sherri Williams, Storify: #NABJ12 Maynard Institute lunch on Media Depictions of Black Males
  
  
• WSB-TV, Atlanta: Monica Pearson honored by fellow journalists
  
  

Back to Business at Press-Freedom Conference

Yvette Walker, night news director at the Oklahoman in Oklahoma City and Edith Kinney Gaylord Endowed Chair of Media Ethics at the University of Central Oklahoma, is filing reports for Journal-isms on the International Press Institute's World Congress that began Sunday in Trinidad.

By Yvette Walker

Spotted at the International Press Institute World Congress in Port of Spain, Trinidad: Milton Coleman, senior editor of the Washington Post. Other U.S. journalists of color scheduled as panelists include John Yearwood, world editor for the Miami Herald, and Jacqueline Charles, Caribbean correspondent for the Herald. Among the U.S. journalists here are Jim Clancy of CNN International and David S. Rohde of Thomson Reuters, who was given the IPI's World Press Freedom Hero award Monday night at an award dinner.

* * *

Here's a bizarre fact from Trinidad: Native people love Kentucky Fried Chicken. There are 42 KFCs on this island alone, and sales reportedly are higher here than in any other place that sells the chicken.

I decided to do a taste test, having been told that the 11 famous herbs and spices taste different from what I'm used to in the States. Yes, I'm breaking my diet just for you, dear readers.

And the verdict is: The original recipe is pretty similar, in my opinion. I did not get the spicy, and that might be what some people are referring to when they say the taste is different. Another difference, KFC delivers here. OK, back on a proper eating regimen!

* * *

Attendees have been treated to fun activities as well as to sobering pronouncements about the violence and harassment faced by journalists around the world every day.

At the welcome reception, we went to an open-air club, Woodbrook Carib Playboyz Panyard, where we were treated to local fare, East Indian dancing and drumming, and a steel drum band. Attendees danced, ate and had a great time.

Monday morning it was back to business. A session on "the big three," Mexico, Cuba and Venezuela, brought us to the terrible fate of many reporters, editors and bloggers. Davan Maharaj, editor and executive vice president of the Los Angeles Times, moderated the panel of four women: Catalina Botero, special rapporteur for freedom of expression of the Organization of American States; Cenovia Casas, editor in chief of El Nacional in Venezuela; Marjorie Miller, Associated Press Latin America and Caribbean editor, based in Mexico; and Marcela Turati, journalist for Proceso in Mexico.

The panel generally agreed that Mexico was the worst offender of the three, with its cruel torture and killings. However, one panelist cautioned that Honduras has a high number of deaths per capita and for deaths among journalists.

In an interview afterward, I asked Miller why Americans should care about Mexico and Latin America. She said, "Most of the violence is around drug trafficking to the U.S. market . . . A couple of the cartels aren't just trafficking in drugs, but they're trafficking in people coming to the United States, so it's part of the U.S. economy."

Miller continued, "You're going to have an economic impact, a violence impact, and legal . . . You want Mexico to be a healthy state, a strong state. You don't want the institutions of Mexico to be run by the cartel. It's not good for Mexico and it's not good for the U.S."

Maharaj reminded the audience that Latin America's fight for a free press should concern us all. ". . . At the end of the day, we depend on openness to do our work, which is serving the public's right to know," he said.

Follow my reports at #IPIWoCo2012

• Editorial, Trinidad Express: A timely World Press conference
  
  
• International Press Institute: IPI-Organised Workshop Offers Caribbean Journalists Tips on Covering Corruption
  
  
• International Press Institute: IPI World Congress Opens with Roll-Call of 72 Journalists Killed
  
  
• International Press Institute: Media in a Challenging World — A 360 Degree Perspective

Ann Curry Delivers Teary Goodbye

"Sorry I Couldn't Carry the Ball Over the Finish Line"

Ann Curry bid a teary farewell to her "Today" co-hosting job Thursday morning, saying, "For all of you who saw me as a groundbreaker, I'm sorry I couldn't carry the ball over the finish line, but man, I did try."

Last week, Tom Huang described Curry as "biracial (Japanese-American)" in an essay for the Poynter Institute headlined, "How race factors into the conversation about Ann Curry's possible ouster from 'Today' Show."

". . . as the son of Asian immigrants, I've felt an instinctive pride as I've watched Curry's slow and steady climb up to one of network news' most high-profile jobs," wrote Huang, an editor at the Dallas Morning News.

Doris Truong, national president of the Asian American Journalists Association, said in statement, ". . . We hope that NBC News keeps diversity at top of mind as it makes on-air assignments for 'Today,' especially considering that Asian Americans are the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population."

In a story breaking the news that Thursday would bring Curry's farewell, Susan Page wrote in USA Today, "Curry's new multiyear contract with NBC has her leading a seven-person unit with a ticket to cover the world's biggest stories, from the civil uprising in Syria to the plight of the poor in America. She'll produce network specials and pieces for NBC Nightly News, Dateline, Rock Center — and Today — and she'll occasionally fill in as anchor on Nightly News and elsewhere."

On the air, Curry said, "They're giving me some fancy new title . . . We're going to go all over the world and all over this country. We're being given a chance to do all of the stories all of us got into journalism to do."

As Curry fought back tears, her "Today" colleagues Matt Lauer, Al Roker and Natalie Morales recalled some of Curry's stories. But Lauer noted that Curry would be at the Summer Olympics and praised her as having "the biggest heart in the business."

NBC News president Steve Capus told Page, "We had a many-year run in first place in total viewers, and it got snapped, but since then, every week in the past month we've started a new streak. This isn't about streaks; it's about consistent performance, and we want to continue to build the Today Show."

Page, who interviewed Curry on Wednesday, added, "Still, there's no question a decline over the past year in ratings for Today — a huge profit center for the network — put in motion the changes that Curry is set to announce on the air this morning.

" 'There's nobody complacent around here,' Capus says. 'We're aggressive and we're going to continue to evolve the broadcast, and this is one of the moves, but it's not the only move in response to all of that.' He declined to describe what other changes are ahead, including who will take Curry's place and when."

Brian Stelter reported Tuesday in the New York Times, "NBC News officials are in negotiations to have Savannah Guthrie, a relatively new face at the 'Today' show, replace Ann Curry as the show's co-host." [June 28]

• Merrill Knox, TVSpy: NBC's Natalie Morales Handles 'Today' Affiliate Teases
  
  
• Michael Malone, Broadcasting & Cable: Many NBC Affiliates Would Prefer Curry in New Role 
  
  
• Regina R. Robertson, Essence: Hey, 'Today' Show: I Vote for Tamron Hall
  
  
• "Today" Show: Ann Curry announces new role at NBC News

Court Upholds Key Provision on Health Care; CNN, Fox Get It Wrong

"The U.S. Supreme Court upheld a key provision of the health care law championed by President Barack Obama, the so-called individual mandate that requires people to have health insurance," CNN reported on Thursday, correcting its initial report that the individual mandate had been struck down.

". . . The importance of the decision cannot be overstated: It will have an immediate and long-term impact on all Americans, both in how they get medicine and health care, and also in vast, yet-unknown areas of 'commerce.' "

The initial failure of some networks to get it right, as seen in this screen grab of the CNN report captured by Daily Kos, led to this comment from Newsday writer Lane Filler: "Finally, with today's Supreme Court decision, a decades-long battle is over: 'Dewey Beats Truman,' is no longer the biggest major screw-up in American media history."

Even President Obama, who was watching the cable reports, thought at first that the individual mandate was struck down, according to Jake Tapper of ABC News. "Senior administration officials say the president was calm," Tapper wrote.

By Thursday afternoon, Michael Hastings was reporting for BuzzFeed, "News staffers at the cable network CNN, long the gold standard in television news, were on the verge of open revolt Thursday after CNN blew the coverage on the most consequential news event of the year."

The mistake was due to the complexity of the ruling. Unlike many institutions, the Supreme Court does not issue embargoed copies of its pronouncements so that reporters can digest them before going public. A similar situation occurred in the Bush v. Gore ruling in 2000, declaring Texas Gov. George W. Bush, the Republican, winner of the disputed election over Vice President Al Gore, the Democrat.

As David G. Savage reported for the Los Angeles Times, "The decision came on a 5-4 vote, with the court's four liberal justices joining with the chief justice.

"On one hand, [Chief Justice John G.] Roberts [Jr.] agreed with the law's conservative critics who said Congress does not have the power to mandate the purchase of a private product such as health insurance.

"But the Affordable Care Act does not impose a true legal mandate on Americans, he said. It simply requires those who do not have health insurance by 2014 to pay a tax penalty.

"And that is constitutional, Roberts said. 'The federal government does not have the power to order people to buy health insurance,' he wrote in the majority opinion. 'The federal government does have the power to impose a tax on those without health insurance,' he added."

CNN issued this statement after its initial report: "Correction: The Supreme Court backs all parts of President Obama's signature health care law, including the individual mandate that requires all to have health insurance." It followed with a more complete statement that said, ". . . CNN regrets that it didn't wait to report out the full and complete opinion regarding the mandate.  We made a correction within a few minutes and apologize for the error."

Dylan Byers reported for Politico:

". . . On television, on its website, and in breaking news alerts, CNN announced that the individual mandate had been struck down. CNN political reporter John King described it as "a dramatic blow to the policy and to the President, politically." Fox News, too, announced that the Court had found the individual mandate 'unconstitutional.' "

"Moments later, SCOTUSblog, the wires, and other television networks were reporting just the opposite.

" 'The mandate is constitutional. Chief Justice Roberts joins the left of the Court,' SCOTUSblog announced even as CNN and Fox were still announcing defeat for President Obama's signature bill. Since realizing its mistake, CNN and Fox have issued corrections across their formats. On television, anchors on both networks cited the confusion of the ruling as they changed their reports."

The initial reports were repeated by other broadcasters who depended on the networks. In Washington, Diane Rehm, host of a talk show that originates at the NPR affiliate, WAMU-FM, apologized to listeners for the misinformation and read this message from one: "I was in tears when I read that the law was overturned. Then I was in tears when I heard you say otherwise."

It was a busy morning for Jesse J. Holland of the Associated Press, the only black journalist regularly assigned to the high court.

"Let's see:" Holland said by email. "Today I handled the opinions that were not health care (the stolen valor case), I was the liaison between the two of us here at the court and the main bureau where the story was filed (I was the one on the phone who told them which news alert to file in conjunction with the person who wrote the main story, Mark Sherman,) I wrote the tweets on our official AP_Courtside twitter site (which I always do), I read the dissent and pulled the relevant quotes for the story, and I'm writing the scene story from the notes from the reporters inside the courtroom and outside the building. (And I'm doing the Google hangout session at 4 p.m. to take questions from the public."

"And all of this on my birthday!"

NAACP Chairman Roslyn M. Brock issued this statement on the health care decision:

"The Supreme Court made a crucial decision today to uphold the core provisions of the Affordable Care Act. The NAACP has long supported the full and complete implementation of this law. Access to quality, affordable health care is a civil and human right that should not be reserved for the wealthy or the few. The 32 million American men, women and children covered under this law can now breathe easier.

"Many serious health issues are preventable. But far too often, patients who lack health insurance – especially patients of color – enter medical facilities late in the progression of their diagnosis. This sad reality is costing lives and costing American taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars in unnecessary health care bills. States can now move forward in implementing health care reform with the knowledge that the Affordable Care Act is not going anywhere anytime soon." [Jan. 28]

Impact of Court's Ruling on Immigrant Women Overlooked

"Underreported in the Supreme Court's recent ruling on Arizona's immigration law SB 1070 and a pending decision on President Obama's health care reform due Thursday is the impact these decisions will have on the lives of immigrant women," Jessica González-Rojas and Miriam Yeung wrote Wednesday for New America Media.

". . . this week brings with it a measured victory, as anti-immigrant extremism in the states seems to have finally 'jumped the shark.' In a 5-3 decision, the Supreme Court rejected the overreach of Arizona's anti-immigrant law, affirming such legislation violates our Constitution, as well as our national values and national interests. The court joins millions of Americans in rejecting these divisive and unworkable policies.

"That's the good news.

"The bad news is that the most dangerous provision of SB 1070 remains intact — at least for now. The 'Papers, Please' provision requires police to ask proof of legal status for anyone they believe to be in the country illegally.

"This policy will undoubtedly contribute to racial profiling and harassment in Arizona, leave immigrant women more vulnerable to crimes like intimate partner violence and less likely to seek needed services like prenatal care, and contribute to an overall environment of stigma and bias against immigrant woman and all women of color living in Arizona.

"The impact on Native American communities is particularly disturbing: people who have lived in Arizona for thousands of years are now having their legal presence questioned because of this ill-conceived policy."

• Melissa Bynes Brooks, politic365.com: What Happens to the Poor If SCOTUS Repeals 'Obamacare?'
  
  
• Jonah Most and Hannah Palmer, New America Media: Arizona Ruling Will Be Felt Nationwide
  
  
• Ruben Navarrette Jr., Washington Post Writers Group: Last word yet to be heard
  
  
• Eugene Robinson, Washington Post: A big win for the Obama administration
  
  
• Mark Trahant blog: Supreme Court's affirmation of 'ObamaCare' means a fundamentally different debate; Indian Health Care Improvement Act is permanent
  
  
• Mark Trahant, indianz.com: Day before tomorrow — thoughts on Supreme Court
  
  
• Alex Weprin, TVNewser: Jorge Ramos Appears on 'ABC World News'

Suspended Reporter Sees Right-Wing Smear Campaign

"The reporter suspended from Politico for comments about Mitt Romney said on Wednesday that he had been the target of a deliberate right-wing smear campaign," Jack Mirkinson reported for the Huffington Post.

"Speaking to radio and Current TV host Bill Press, Joe Williams, who was punished for saying on MSNBC that Mitt Romney is more comfortable around 'white folks,' said that there had been a 'selective prosecution' against him by conservative websites like The Daily Caller and the late Andrew Breitbart's Big Media.

"Williams told Press that he is still 'in limbo' with Politico, and is in negotiations about his future there.

"Speaking about the comments that got him suspended, Williams said that he 'probably should have selected my words more carefully.' But he defended the broader point he had been making, and said that he thought people had understood what he meant. Asked by Press if he should apologize to Mitt Romney for saying he felt more at home with white people, Williams said, 'If I apologize for that there are going to be many other people who will have to as well.'

". . . Press also asked Williams, who is African American, about a comment he made on Twitter saying that racism is 'the secret sauce in the Politico s--tburger.' Williams said that the tweet, which he made weeks before his Romney comments, had been mistakenly posted to his public feed, rather than in a direct message.

" 'Twitter is a medium that rewards ... lack of thought,' he said. 'I was in a very irritated place. I vented in a public place and that was a huge mistake.' He later said, though, that Politico has 'a lot of questions' to deal with in terms of its staff diversity."

Betsy Rothstein of FishbowlDC reported that Tucker Carlson, editor-in-chief of the Daily Caller, called Williams a nut.

Writing Wednesday about responses to Williams' remarks from editors at Breitbart.com and the Daily Caller, Rothstein said that Carlson, "who has sparred with reporters at Politico for years and repeatedly tied Politico to MSNBC to brand the publication as left wing, remarked, 'Supposedly objective White House correspondent accuses GOP candidate of racism on the basic of no evidence? Seemed like a pretty obvious story to us,' he wrote by email. 'By the way, Williams made those comments in public, on Twitter, so I'd hate to think it took our piece to get his bosses to notice he's a nut, though that's what he claims.' "

NBC Stations' Rules: Don't Post What You Wouldn't Air

"While people typically delineate their personal and professional digital lives, there is little distinction between the two — at least as far as social media is concerned — for the news staffs at the 10 NBC-owned stations," Diana Marszalek reported Tuesday for mediaite.com.

"For the last year or so, the NBC Owned Television Stations have required individuals who work in their newsrooms — from interns and production assistants to reporters and anchors — to follow the company rules governing social media use, regardless of whether they are using the platform to promote news or their personal lives.

"That means news staff is prohibited from tweeting, posting or distributing via other social networking means 'anything that compromises the integrity and objectivity of you or NBCUniversal,' even using a personal account, says Kevin Keeshan, ombudsman for the station group.

" 'We ask them to think and use common sense,' he says. 'Don't post anything we're not prepared to broadcast.' "

• Tommy Christopher, mediaite.com: Joe Williams' 1st Interview Since Politico Suspension: 'I Gave (Breitbart.com) The Rope, They Did The Hanging'
  
  
• Betsy Rothstein, FishbowlDC: Did Politico's Joe Williams Just Bury Himself?

Another Female Journalist Attacked in Tahrir Square

"The story sounds hideously like another — one of a chaotic, predatory attack on a woman journalist in Cairo's Tahrir Square," Lauren Wolfe wrote Tuesday for the Committee to Protect Journalists.

"Clothes torn from her body, hundreds of men surging to grab her breasts and claw at her. A woman wondering, 'Maybe this is how I go, how I die.' It has been almost a year and a half since CBS correspondent and CPJ board member Lara Logan endured an attack like this. Now, an independent journalist and student named Natasha Smith reports that it has happened to her.

"Smith reported the attack on her blog today, describing how a horde of men descended on her Sunday night, pulling her limbs and throwing her around as she tried to protect her camera. She said she soon lost her camera, her backpack, and began to pray: 'make it stop.'

" 'They were scratching and clenching my breasts and forcing their fingers inside me in every possible way,' Smith wrote. 'So many men. All I could see was leering faces, more and more faces sneering and jeering as I was tossed around like fresh meat among starving lions.'

"In Cairo to film an independent documentary on women's rights and abuses against women in Egypt since the revolution, according to her website, Smith shared an account of her attack that is eerily parallel to Logan's. . . "

"Like a Reunion of People Who Love Bill (Raspberry)"

Retired Washington Post columnist William Raspberry, right, receives a tribute from the Post newsroom Tuesday at a roast and benefit for his BabySteps foundation, which nurtures parents and preschoolers in Raspberry's hometown of Okolona, Miss. With Raspberry are his wife, Sondra, center, and son, Mark.

More than 200 journalists and other community people went to the Washington Post building for the tribute, which raised more than $35,000, according to Walt Swanston, veteran journalist, diversity consultant and one of the organizers. Attendees paid $100 if they were members of a journalism organization; $250 if not. Many who could not attend contributed nonetheless.

Raspberry, 76, a 1994 Pulitzer Prize winner, is suffering from a recurring prostate cancer, Sondra Raspberry said. Juan Williams, Fox News commentator and master of ceremonies for the event, said of the occasion, "It's like a reunion of people who love Bill and love the Washington Post." Local columnist Courtland Milloy Jr. filed a column from Okolona about the Baby Steps program that appeared in Wednesday's print edition. Donald Graham, Washington Post Co. CEO, was honorary co-chair of the event.

• More photos

K.C. Star Looks for Six Traits to Describe Suspects

The Kansas City Star's stylebook says to be "especially cautious about identifying criminal suspects by race or ethnicity when the overall description of the person is vague," public editor Derek Donovan wrote on Sunday.

"It clarifies that skin color should be included when the description also includes height, weight, hair color, approximate age and one other distinguishing element such as a noticeable physical attribute (but not eye color — a strange rule, in my opinion), clothing or a vehicle.

"It allows for two exceptions:

• "When the person has one particularly distinctive physical characteristic, fewer details are acceptable, but race should be included: 'an Asian man about 5 feet 8 inches tall with a wooden left leg.'
  
  
• "Stories about serial or most-wanted criminals may give much less detail because 'a reader will want even superficial information to help him or her decide how to respond to potential threats.'

"Vague descriptions such as 'a black man in his mid-20s' describe thousands of people in the Kansas City area. I hope that people who don't belong to a minority will appreciate that pointing out unhelpful aspects of one's appearance are as offensive as noting the person's religion, political views or alma mater.

"I understand the reasoning behind The Star's guidelines," Donovan wrote, pointing out that the Star doesn't always follow its guidelines, "but I also think readers who find them too restrictive have a point as well. Some descriptions can still be useful with fewer than six attributes."

From Observer to Panelist at Press-Freedom Meeting

Yvette Walker, night news director at the Oklahoman in Oklahoma City and Edith Kinney Gaylord Endowed Chair of Media Ethics at the University of Central Oklahoma, is filing reports for Journal-isms on the International Press Institute's World Congress that began Sunday in Trinidad.

By Yvette Walker

On Tuesday, I appeared on a panel at the IPI World Congress: "Online Media and Ethics in a Changing Media Landscape." Fascinating stuff. I discussed the Trayvon Martin case as it related to how the information circulated via online media and social media. Kwame Laurence, online editor (now focusing more on sports) at the Trinidad Express, discussed comments and moderating commenters.

My points were that the original print story by the Orlando Sentinel was too small to attract the attention the story later received, and that the incident didn't become national and international news until bloggers chimed in, a change.org petition to charge George Zimmerman garnered hundreds of thousands of signatures (now millions) and the iconic hoodie photo was widely shared on social media.

The session flew by and there were great questions and comments, especially from Jacqueline Charles of the Miami Herald, who had just come from the National Association of Black Journalists convention in New Orleans. Charles pointed out that the Martin family mentioned the varying photos of Trayvon that circulated and said they did not intend to manipulate his public persona.

["Trayvon had a baby face," his mother, Sabrina Martin, said at the convention of charges that the family was releasing photos that made her son look younger. "The most recent photos we had were the horseback riding and the Hollister shirt. We're not trying to hide anything. He was a teenager. He was our son." The Rev. Al Sharpton, who appeared with the family at the Thursday session, told the NABJ audience, "Families never plan to be victims." Many journalists forget that victims and their families did not expect to be public figures but treat them as though they did and are, Sharpton said.]

There is much we could have talked about. I did not get a chance to say that there were great examples of analysis, including columns by Charles M. Blow of the New York Times, and from Kelly McBride, senior faculty, ethics, reporting and writing at the Poynter Institute, among others.

Final sessions of the day included "Moving from the Newsroom to the State House (and Back Again)" and "Covering the Environment."

The three-day Congress ended Tuesday night with a closing ceremony at the Diplomatic Center in Port of Spain. I left this beautiful island Wednesday, with thanks to the International Press Institute and to the talented journalists from around the world I was fortunate to meet.

• Steven M. Ellis, International Press Institute: Free Expression Rapporteurs Issue Joint Declaration
  
  
• Steven M. Ellis, International Press Institute: Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Promises to Initiate Review of Nation’s Defamation Laws (access from home page)
  
  
• Kejan Haynes, Trinidad Express: 'State-owned media means misinformation'
  
  
• Naomi Hunt, International Press Institute: Ka-Ching!: Avoiding Manipulation through Government Advertising
  
  
• Trinidad Express: Tears for slain journalists