Journalists of Color Part of "Undercover" Database

"New York University has launched a database chronicling undercover journalism dating back to the 1800s," the university announced on Monday.

"The archive, 'Undercover Reporting,' includes an array of stories, ranging from the slave trade in 1850s to efforts to boycott Jewish-owned businesses in the U.S. in the late 1930s to treatment of soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in the 21st century."

"The database, www.undercoverreporting.org, is a joint endeavor of Professor Brooke Kroeger of NYU's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute and the university's Division of Libraries . . . "

Kroeger provided Journal-isms with this sampling of material in the project by or about people of color:

• Working with Migrants; Shadowing the Undocumented (several stories)
  
  
• "The Forgotten People" — Dale Wright — New York World Telegram & Sun
  
  
• Journalistic Acts of Race, Class, Ethnic and Gender Impersonation
  
  
• "The Underpaid and Under-Protected" — Chester Goolrick and Paul Lieberman — Atlanta Constitution
  
  
• "Enrique's Journey" — Sonia Nazario — Los Angeles Times
  
  
• "By a Back Door to the U.S." — Sandra Ochoa and Ginger Thompson — New York Times
  
  
• "Down & Out" — Neil Henry — Washington Post
  
  
• "The Crossing: A special report: A Perilous 4,000-Mile Passage to Work" — Charlie LeDuff — New York Times
  
  
• John Howard Griffin's "Black Like Me"
  
  
• Grace Halsell reportage. Halsell went undercover to report under a number of ethnic and racial guises.
  
  
• "At a Slaughterhouse, Some Things Never Die" — Charlie LeDuff — New York Times
  
  
• Antebellum Undercover
  
  
• "Blackbirding" — The Slave System's Just-as-Evil Twin?

After Small Unity Conference, a Debate Over Its Future

The fifth and smallest Unity convention concluded Saturday, but the absence of the National Association of Black Journalists, the inclusion of the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association and assertions that the two were related helped to reignite a discussion about Unity's future.

"Claims of black homophobia split UNITY minority journalist convention" was the headline on a piece by Tim Curran, a member of NLGJA, on the SiriusXM OutQ News Blog. "Is it time for UNITY to go?" asked Jeff Yang of the Wall Street Journal, a member of the Asian American Journalists Association.

Mark Fogarty, an associate, or non-Native member of the Native American Journalists Association, praised the students who covered the Unity convention.

Steven Thrasher, who is black and gay, and affiliated with both NABJ and NLGJA , interviewed NABJ President Gregory H. Lee Jr. for "On the NABJ/UNITY Split, Money, and NLGJA" in the Village Voice. Rafael Olmeda, a former president of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and of Unity, proposed on his blog that Unity meet again in 2014.

Here are two views, from Yang, who told Journal-isms that his piece had generated "a fair amount" of comment on Twitter and on the Unity convention site on Facebook, and from Vanessa Williams of the Washington Post, president of NABJ from 1997 to 1999.

. . . What We Have Right Now Is Largely Unworkable

By Jeff Yang

Given that UNITY as a standing organization has unfortunately turned into a trigger for political and economic dissent among its members, the basic purpose for its existence has been badly damaged.

The results were clear in this year's conference. Even setting aside the painful and obvious absence of NABJ from the proceedings, the event felt like the product of a divided and distracted partnership. In an ideal scenario, UNITY's staff would have recognized that the blunt controversies of the schism required both a strong focus on integration and social intermixing (to reemphasize the "unity" part of UNITY) and an active, transparent and open discussion of the concerns members had about the loss of NABJ and the future of the organization.

Neither of these needs was fulfilled. Instead, despite diverse and interesting programming at the panel level, the conference overall felt more disjointed and "separate" than any UNITY I've attended, and I've been to all of them. And because the "elephant in the room" topic of NABJ was never really engaged, it felt like the convention was trying to avoid it — not a good look.

Especially with NABJ having a huge stand-alone gathering in New Orleans in June, and with UNITY not being able to secure either of the presidential candidates to attend, despite both [presidential candidate Mitt] Romney and [Vice President] Joe Biden being in Vegas during the convention.

So my feeling is we need to clean house and clear out the structures that are scar tissue preventing healing. That would first and foremost mean dissolving UNITY as a stand-alone organization, and converting the conference into one that is essentially planned on an ad hoc basis, in a format similar to the Olympics.

"Vision teams" would partner with professional conference planning/association management agencies (like www.kellencompany.com or www.smithbucklin.com) and bid competitively to win the right to develop, plan and stage UNITY on a quadrennial basis on behalf of participating organizations.

These would include any like-minded groups that represent underrepresented communities in journalism . . . so long as they contractually commit to take on the risk and responsibility of being a "sponsoring group," which would entail guaranteeing recruitment of a certain number of attendees and/or securing a certain amount of corporate funds.

Sponsoring groups would keep a fixed percentage of the revenues they deliver, ensuring that no group feels like it is being taken advantage of; groups that exceed their commitments would get a greater percentage of the net proceeds.

And groups would not be obligated to commit for more than one conference at a time.

The competitive bidding would generate greater innovation and engagement on the part of the planning teams, and reduce costs (which would be lower anyway without the overhead of a permanent staff and standing administrative expenses). Participating organizations would be free of the distraction of revenue splits and representation, because both of these would be directly proportional to what they commit to bringing to the table and what they ultimately deliver.

Maybe there are reasons this would be unworkable. Forming a new coalition every four years is hard.

But it's hard not to feel like what we have right now is largely unworkable too — especially if we can't resolve UNITY's split with NABJ.

. . . The Words "Journalists of Color" Made a Statement

By Vanessa Williams

One evening, way back when I was president of the National Association of Black Journalists, I and the three other Unity presidents were having dinner at a restaurant. The waiter, a white man, asked what brought us to town and we told him about Unity and our associations. He quipped: "Well, is there an association for white journalists?"

Why is it that some white people are uncomfortable with or threatened by people of color affirming their racial or ethnic identity?

NABJ member LZ Granderson was quoted in a New York Times article last week as saying NABJ's refusal to rejoin Unity after the name change risks making us look "intolerant and maybe even a bit dated."

I respect his opinion. Here's mine: The threat by the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association that its members — the majority of whom are white men — would not attend the convention unless Unity dropped the reference to race/ethnicity from its name makes that organization look insensitive and entitled.

The outgoing NLGJA president, David Steinberg, was quoted as saying, "The mission of Unity has always been the mission of NLGJA." Then why demand that an organization founded by people of color give up that reference to its history? Did NLGJA not trust Unity: Journalists of Color to advocate for its members, and was the name change some kind of loyalty oath?

The Unity board overwhelmingly approved it, so clearly it didn't bother most. After all, it's just a couple of words. But words have power. The words "Journalists of Color" made a statement, caught people's attention and made some, like the waiter, ask why the need for such a group. (Not to worry, we schooled him.)

Is the argument that those who opposed the name change are simply homophobic? But it's wrong to ask NLGJA why in the nearly 20 years that it has been pushing to join Unity, the percentage of journalists of color in its membership is less than 20 percent?

Michelle Johnson was quoted in the article as saying, "there are white guys in the organization who have also faced discrimination in the newsroom." No doubt. There are also some old, straight white guys, and certainly women, who could probably rightly claim age discrimination. Should Unity invite them to join as well?

If everybody who can stake a claim of discrimination can join, then what's the point of having a second all-purpose journalism organization? Would the fight for diversity be more effective if we all just joined the Society of Professional Journalists? (I think our waiter would endorse this idea.)

I'm not trying to be snarky here. These are the kinds of questions — and they are legitimate questions — as well as important issues involving finances and governance, that led me, as a member of the NABJ commission to examine reunification, to vote against it at this time. To all y'all who are clamoring for us to go back, my question is: "Go back to what?"

I don't believe that we should close the door on reunification. But I also don't believe we should go racing through the door without knowing what's on the other side. Right now everybody is tired and stressed — from trying to pull off the conventions and from the fresh round of coverage and social media discussion of the split. But next year we — meaning the Asian American Journalists Association, NABJ, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, the Native American Journalists Association and NLGJA — should find a way to have a discussion about the past and where we go from here.

Stealing a quote from the excellent unconscious bias workshop at the NABJ conference in New Orleans: This is not rocket science; it's harder than rocket science.

Terry Baquet to Lead Times-Picayune Print Operation

The print operation of the Times-Picayune in New Orleans, scaled back to Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays as the operation emphasizes an online presence, will be directed by Terry Baquet, the paper's page one editor since 2000, the Times-Picayune announced on Sunday.

Baquet will also supervise the special New Orleans Saints section planned after each Saints game. The new arrangement begins Oct. 1.

Jim Amoss, the newspaper's editor since 1990, will lead both the digital news gathering and print production teams.

The Times-Picayune reported in June 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," Steve Myers of the Poynter Institute reported then.

Baquet is the younger brother of Dean Baquet, managing editor of the New York Times. They come from a family of restaurateurs in New Orleans.

"I'm sad to see my friends and colleagues lose their jobs," Baquet told Journal-isms by email. "But I love this paper. When I took this position, I was assured by the Newhouses, my new publisher Ricky Mathews and my editor Jim Amoss that this company remains committed to journalism — in print and on line. And I think this is the model that will keep The Times-Picayune strong."

• Steve Newhouse, Poynter Institute: Steve Newhouse explains Michigan transition, Times-Picayune future

Christina Norman Reassigned at Huffington Post

Christina Norman, chosen by Arianna Huffington a year ago to edit a revamped and renamed HuffPost BlackVoices after Norman was ousted as CEO of Oprah Winfrey's struggling OWN cable channel, has been reassigned from executive editor to editor-at-large, Huffington Post spokesman Rhoades Alderson told Journal-isms on Monday.

"As with our other editors-at-large like Rita Wilson, Michelangelo Signorile, Nico Pitney, and Lynn de Rothschild (HuffPost UK), Christina will be contributing blogs and helping set the overall direction for Black Voices, but not managing editorial on a day-to-day basis," Alderson said by email. "Miguel Ferrer remains managing editor for Black Voices and Latino Voices."

Norman left MTV in 2008 after nearly two decades. She was president of the MTV Networks flagship and before that, president of MTV's sister network VH1.

When Norman joined Huffington, she was to be responsible for creating new video programming across AOL, was expected to help lead two new women's sites within the Huffington Post Media Group and also to manage video.

After interviewing Huffington, David Kaplan wrote then for paidContent.org, "Huffington also explained Norman's hire as a personal one that is intended to send a message about the new HuffPo Women’s values.

"Norman will kick off her new role with an essay about the circumstances of departing as CEO of OWN. 'It's a great lesson for women, that when one door closes, another one opens,' Huffington said. 'There is enormous pressure on high-profile women to succeed, to constantly prove themselves. I met Christina in Los Angeles when she was the head of OWN. After she left, I asked her if she wanted to do something completely different.' "

News Director Out Over Remark on Homeless Indian

"The news director for Duluth television station Fox 21 resigned Monday after objections to what was called a racist Facebook post he made last week," Mike Creger reported early Tuesday for the Duluth (Minn.) News Tribune.

" 'Fox 21 general manager Jackie Bruenjes issued a statement Monday night saying she accepted Jason Vincent's resignation. 'Jason has elected to take a new job assignment,' she said.

"Attempts by the News Tribune to reach Vincent and Bruenjes were unsuccessful. It wasn't clear whether Vincent resigned from his position or if he also left the company, Red River Broadcast Co., based in Fargo, N.D."

". . . Bruenjes previously issued a statement Friday as word spread via social media about comments Vincent made on Facebook about a stranger he found in his yard Wednesday night: 'Add drunk, homeless, Native American man to the list of animals that have wandered into my yard.' "

British Papers Choose Between Bolt, Murray

In Britain, "With the London Olympics drowning out Syria's civil war and the continuing euro crisis, editors have been shouting for attention with front pages based entirely on celebrating Team GB's victory . . . until today," Roy Greenslade wrote for his blog on the Guardian website.

"This time, national newspapers are split. Some prefer to highlight the success of Jamaica's wonder sprinter, Usain Bolt, for his record 100 metres success rather than Andy Murray's terrific gold-winning defeat of Roger Federer."

Meanwhile, "China's state media launched attacks Thursday on what it said were arrogant and [prejudiced] views of the country's athletes at the London Olympics," the Associated Press reported.

"After several days where Chinese competitors have been in the spotlight for winning golds, and drawing questions about doping and ethics, the official Xinhua News Agency and the People's Daily both accused the 'Western media' of making up stories."

"By doing so, the Western writers have demonstrated an arrogance and prejudice against Chinese athletes that has ignited widespread criticism from all around the world," Xinhua said in a commentary.

In the United States, many in cyberspace were focused on hair. "Black women's hair was already a hot topic on blogs and talk shows before Gabby Douglas vaulted onto the world stage at the London Olympics," Vanessa Williams wrote Friday for the Washington Post. "Then the rhetoric really started to sizzle, like a straightening comb on the back of your neck.

"After some viewers complained on Twitter that Douglas's hair looked unkempt, social media and the blogosphere erupted with incredulous condemnation of those shallow enough to focus on the 16-year-old’s coiffure vs. her graceful jumps and powerful twists."

• Wayne Bennett, the Field Negro: Bolt again, Serena's celebration offends, and another gun related tragedy in America.
  
  
• Tammerlin Drummond, Oakland Tribune: Newsflash: It's not about the hair
  
  
• Rochelle Riley, Detroit Free Press: Cut the criticism, cheer Gabrielle Douglas' win

Sikh Killings Receive Less Coverage Than Aurora's

"Two days after six people were killed at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin, the story has become just one item among many in the national news cycle  — a stark contrast to the flood of media coverage in the days following the theater shooting in Aurora, Colo., that killed 12," Dylan Byers wrote Tuesday for Politico.

"With the exception of CNN, which continues to broadcast much of its prime-time programming live from Wisconsin, the major networks have not sent their anchors to Wisconsin and have given significantly less coverage to the shooting. Moreover, the Sikh temple shooting has not launched the national mourning that followed the shooting in Aurora.

"To be sure, there are significant differences between the two events, beyond the number of victims. In Colorado, the suspect was still alive (adding the promise of a dramatic court appearance). In Wisconsin, the suspect was killed on the scene. The Colorado suspect had also rigged his apartment with explosives, shot up a place of public recreation, and provided the added flair of claiming to be 'The Joker.'

"But the relative dearth of coverage has not gone unnoticed. Riddi Shah, an editor at The Huffington Post, writes that 'if we don't ask why a small religious community in the Midwest was targeted by a 40-year-old white man, if we don't make this discussion as loud and robust as the one that followed the attack on Gabby Giffords or on those young people in Aurora, we're in danger of undermining what America stands for.' "

• Vijay Prashad, Counterpunch: Shooting at the Gurdwara: The Sense of White Supremacy

Obama Believes News Media Frustrate His Ambitions

" . . . While former President George W. Bush and his aides liked to say they ignored the Fourth Estate," President Obama "is an avid consumer of political news and commentary," Amy Chozick reported Tuesday for the New York Times. "But in his informal role as news media critic in chief, he developed a detailed critique of modern news coverage that he regularly expresses to those around him.

"The news media have played a crucial role in Mr. Obama's career, helping to make him a national star not long after he had been an anonymous state legislator. As president, however, he has come to believe the news media have had a role in frustrating his ambitions to change the terms of the country's political discussion. He particularly believes that Democrats do not receive enough credit for their willingness to accept cuts in Medicare and Social Security, while Republicans oppose almost any tax increase to reduce the deficit.

"Privately and publicly, Mr. Obama has articulated what he sees as two overarching problems: coverage that focuses on political winners and losers rather than substance; and a 'false balance,' in which two opposing sides are given equal weight regardless of the facts."

• Michael Meyers, Huffington Post: Obama's Executive Order Puts Blacks In the Corner At the U.S. Department of Education

U.S. Turns "Blind Eye" to Imprisoned Ethiopian

"For months, Eskinder Nega's supporters in Washington, New York and around the world have been pleading for his freedom," Pamela Constable wrote Sunday for the Washington Post. "In petitions, blogs and speeches, they have hailed the prominent Ethiopian journalist, detained last fall on terrorism charges, as a courageous champion of democratic rights in a country that is systematically snuffing them out.

"But the government of Ethiopia — a major recipient of American aid and an important U.S. military ally in a volatile region of Africa — chose to ignore the appeals. In late June, it convicted Nega, 44, of crimes against the state, which included 'attempting to incite violence and overthrow the constitutional order.' On July 13, he was sentenced to 18 years in prison.

". . . Although Nega found a few champions on Capitol Hill, notably Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.), his high-profile case remains a source of tension and embarrassment to the Obama administration. The Meles government, despite its increasingly harsh treatment of domestic opponents, is a rare, reliable U.S. ally in a chaotic and impoverished region beset by ethnic strife and threatened by radical Islamic militancy."

Ilona Kelly, a representative of Amnesty International, said of the United States in the story, "Civil society is being decimated in Ethiopia, but the administration is turning a blind eye."

• Nathan Hurst, University of Missouri: Press Freedom Leads to Happiness, Environmental Quality, MU Study Finds
  
  
• Charles Thomas, WLS-TV, Chicago:  Obama has been quiet on Chicago violence

Should Erroneous Tweets About NAHJ Be Deleted?

On Tuesday, Sara Morrison of Columbia Journalism Review recapped "the biggest story of last week's UNITY convention" — the refusal of then-president Michele Salcedo of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists to allow a student journalist to live tweet during NAHJ's open board meeting.

The policy, reversed Saturday by the incoming NAHJ board, was in place to prevent "misinformation" from being spread, Salcedo said.

"She may have a point," Morrison wrote. The first two tweets by recent University of Houston graduate Nadia Khan, who was covering the meeting, "accused NAHJ and its Twitter handle, @NAHJ, of kicking her out of the meeting and refusing to allow anything but official minutes to be reported. These were followed by nine tweets that accused @NAHJSouthFl, or the South Florida chapter of NAHJ, of ousting her:

"Khan . . . was following UNITY News's policy to issue a correction but not delete erroneous tweets, she told CJR. UNITY News Deputy Editor David Plazas agreed, adding that he was 'very proud of the student for having acted very professionally despite the mistake.' Though NAHJ South Florida 'had every right to be upset,' Plazas said, 'We made a mistake and we certainly corrected it.' "

Frances Robles of the Miami Herald and NAHJ South Florida "said in an email that she disagrees with UNITY News's policy. Leaving erroneous tweets up where they can still be re-tweeted 'is preposterous and only fuels misinformation … Chapter president Pia Malbran and I argued this point with the UNITY News editors to no avail.' Robles added: 'I understand that people get hot and bothered when you delete tweets. But the few times that I tried not deleting a mistake, I watched how the mistake kept on living a new life through retweets.' "

"Robles did agree with UNITY News on other issues:

" 'I do not however believe that it makes any sense to spend three days training people on social media, and then issue a policy saying that these new tools can be used everywhere except in our own board meetings. That's nothing short of ridiculous and sends a terrible message. The rich irony of the student who was told not to tweet the board meeting turning around and tweeting nine mistakes that were damaging to the South Florida chapter is not lost on us. But we stand behind the student's right to live-tweet the board meeting.'"

Meanwhile, NAHJ announced that voting will continue in the contest for NAHJ secretary, which ended in a tie between Chris Ramirez and Sergio Quintana. The polls close on Aug. 21 at 5 p.m. Eastern time.

"KKK" Mark on Indian Found to Be Not What It Seems

The South Dakota Attorney General's Office says it found no evidence that staff of a Rapid City hospital mistreated a Lakota man who alleged that the letters "KKK" were carved into his stomach after heart surgery last year, KSFY-TV in Sioux Falls, S.D., reported on Monday.

Meanwhile, the Native American Journalists Association asked NBC to apologize for host Matt Lauer using the term "Indian giver" on the "Today" show, saying the term was offensive.

Parts of Indian Country had described the case of Vernon Traversie as a hate crime that deserved more attention from the mainstream media. However, the Attorney General's office said its investigations found that the marks were the result of a skin reaction to the medical grade tape used to secure tubes that remain in place after surgery.

On Wednesday, NAJA urged that "mainstream media be mindful of wading into the controversy.

". . . A May story from the Associated Press stated, 'Like those spotting the Madonna in a water stain, Traversie's advocates are staunch believers,' and while the language has not been used in recent AP stories, it appears to have had a lasting effect. . . ."

In voicing its concern over "language used by several mainstream media outlets recently that evoked stereotypes and falsehoods about Native Americans and their history," NAJA also cited the case of Jason Vincent, a now-former Fox 21 news director in Duluth, Minn. On his Facebook page, Vincent compared a Native American man who had crossed into his yard to 'an animal.' "

"Also [disconcerting] to NAJA was Matt Lauer jokingly calling Meredith Viera an 'Indian giver' during NBC's TODAY show coverage of the London Olympics. The term invokes a stereotype and inaccuracy about our history that is offensive to Native people. It should not be used on a national news program, even in passing reference. NAJA asks that NBC and Lauer apologize for the comment."

Sal Mendoza Named NBCUniversal Diversity V.P.

"NBCUniversal announced that Sal Mendoza has been named Vice President of Diversity & Inclusion, reporting to Craig Robinson, Executive Vice President, Chief Diversity Officer," NBCUniversal announced on July 31.

"In this new position, Mendoza will be responsible for the development of long-term strategies in the areas of workforce, community investment and management of the NBCUniversal employee resource groups, with a focus on enhancing the company’s diverse and inclusive environment.

"Mendoza comes to NBCUniversal from Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, where he most recently served as VP, Global Diversity and Inclusion."

Heart & Soul Owes Writers $150,000, Union Says

In May, Clarence I. Brown, president and CEO of the group that acquired Heart & Soul magazine and along with it outstanding debts to its writers, said he he anticipated that the financial matters would be settled in 30 to 45 days.

That hasn't happened, according to Hannington Dia, writing Wednesday for NewsOne.

Referring to the National Writers Union, Dia wrote, "While the efforts of Katti Gray, Pamela Johnson, and Sheree Crute eventually resulted in their compensation, along with a few others this May, the magazine not only paid many up to a year late, but it still owes around $150,000 to at least a dozen more freelancers as of press time, with $100,000 of the monies being owed to editors alone, according to the NWU.

". . . So with multiple freelancers airing grievances for contracts, many of which remain unresolved, what happens next? Larry Goldbetter, president of the NWU, says legal action is imminent, 'We had a couple of agreements with Heart and Soul,' said Goldbetter from the NWU's headquarters. 'We've offered other ways to resolve this thing, but they haven't come across with any money in quite some time. So if we don't reach a significant agreement soon, then we're going to court. You can't have a situation where writers produce, people make money off it, it gets published, and they don't get paid. That's just completely unacceptable — besides being illegal.' "

Media Question Gabby Douglas Continually About Race

"Gabby Douglas needs to avoid letting others set her narrative for her," read the headline over a column from Sally Jenkins of the Washington Post. "Douglas is black, her coach is Chinese. She's living with a white family in Iowa, and her captain on the USA gymnastics team is Jewish and danced to a gold medal in the floor exercise to Hava Nagila.

"Douglas genuinely doesn't see color — it's not her first thought. Yet she was drilled incessantly with questions about being a woman of color in gymnastics. How can she get more African American children to pay attention to gymnastics, she was asked? 'I can't control that,' she said tonelessly.

"Perhaps her most baffled moment came when she was asked what she saw when she walked into a gymnastics class for the first time. She replied evenly that she saw a lot of talented athletes. That answer wasn't good enough. Did she ever think because she was African American and didn't see many other black gymnasts that she couldn't succeed at it?"

• Diane Brady, BloombergBusinessweek: Gabby, Serena, and the Perils of Sports Pioneers
  
  
• Toni Fitzgerald, medialifemagazine.com: Univision remains solid against Games
  
  
• Leonard Greene, New York Post: Jewish gal shows up IOC with a gold salute to Munich 11
  
  
• David Hinckley, Daily News, New York: American gymnast Gabby Douglas a huge hit on NBC website, earning more clicks than swimmer Michael Phelps
  
  
• Julianne Malveaux, TriceEdneyWire.com: Victories and Stereotypes
  
  
• Diane Pucin, Chicago Tribune: The marketing of Gabby Douglas
  
  

Bay Area Radio Reporter George Harris Dies at 61

"George Harris, a KCBS radio reporter, who covered the South Bay and several other beats, including anchoring as well, passed away Monday night due to kidney failure. He was only 61," Rich Lieberman wrote Tuesday for the Rich Lieberman Report, referring to the San Francisco Bay area.

"Harris began his stint at KCBS in 1987. Highlights of his career included coverage of the Mt. St. Helens explosion, the Loma Prieta Earthquake, the East Bay Hills Fire and the riots in South Central Los Angeles."

Longtime colleague Bob Butler wrote on Facebook, "I was the morning editor for several years when George was the morning reporter. George and I would sometimes get together for 'lunch' after getting off at 11am. Sometimes lunch would last until nearly dinner time. But no matter how late he stayed out George would always show up at 5am, ready to go. He was unflappable on the air and was known as the best breaking news reporter in the Bay Area. When George was on the story, you didn't have to worry."

The website of America's Blood Centers described how blood donations saved Harris' life in 2002 after he was struck by a van.

Saundra Smokes, Syracuse Columnist, Dies at 57

"Saundra Smokes, the award-winning columnist and editorial writer whose articles often spurred debate across Central New York, died this morning at Crouse Hospital," Paul Riede wrote Wednesday for the Post-Standard in Syracuse, N.Y.

"Smokes, 57, who had battled diabetes for several years, collapsed in her Eastwood home Monday and was rushed to the hospital. The cause of death was cardiac arrest.

Smokes wrote Journal-isms in 2009, "I worked at the newspaper for 18 years, then left for eight years before returning in 2003. I write editorials (my second stint on the editorial board; was first woman and person of color to sit on the board). I've also been a columnist, feature writer and copy editor. (I was supposed to return to full-time column writing in 2003, but liked the anonymous nature of editorials). I wrote a syndicated column for United Feature Syndicate for seven years and contributed columns to USA Today."

Riede's obituary continued, "Her death came as a shock to friends and relatives, said Gina Ogden, a former colleague at The Post-Standard and close friend.

" 'Sandi as a person touched a lot of lives, as a Christian touched a lot of lives and as a journalist touched a lot of lives,' Ogden said. 'She loved to laugh. She was witty, she was fun, she was smart.'

"Smokes started her career at the Herald-Journal in 1977 and held a variety of reporting and editing positions in the newsroom. She left the newspaper twice to pursue other endeavors, including a nationally syndicated column. She was back as an editorial writer for The Post-Standard in 2009 when Smokes accepted a buyout offer so she could spend more time with her two nieces and her nephew, for whom she had accepted guardianship."

Debra Adams Simmons, editor of the Plain Dealer of Cleveland, told Journal-isms, "Sandi was the first journalist of color I worked with at my first newspaper, the Syracuse Herald-Journal, where I began working one week after graduating from Syracuse University in 1986.

"This is devastating news," Adams Simmons said. "Sandi brought a sense of place to the journalism she produced in Syracuse that was unmatched. She understood the culture and rhythm of the city, she identified with the people and she appreciated the nuances that distinguish Syracuse from other places. Hers was a passionate and courageous voice — especially for those most often unheard."

• WHEN Taps Local Columnist for Saturday Talk Show (June 28)