Road Trip

Industry troubles raise ethical concerns for conventions

// August 21st, 2009 // No Comments » // 2009 NABJ Conference, The Road

Media professionals attending an industry conference this month received $5 gift cards from McDonald’s encouraging them to “enjoy your favorite burger on us”.

Complementary duffle bags handed to journalists at the event held flyers from Coca-Cola repudiating reports that the sweeteners in its products are unhealthy.

The messages were paid for by sponsors of the National Association of Black Journalists convention, held this year in Tampa, Fla. Media giants like The McClatchy Company, Cox Enterprises and Gannett Company have traditionally been the top-tier supporters of the journalism industry’s major annual conferences. But not this year. Increasingly, convention sponsors are outsiders – companies that are not part of the media, but are frequently covered by it. (more…)

Journalist Eric Deggans on Overcoming Homophobia

// August 18th, 2009 // No Comments » // 2009 NABJ Conference, The Road

Eric Deggans, TV/media critic, St. Petersburg Times

Audio: How I Stopped Using the F-Word

Read the print story here.

Black LGBT Journalists and Advocates Tackle Race’s Homo Rep

// August 18th, 2009 // 2 Comments » // 2009 NABJ Conference, The Road, Video

Nadine Smith had just spent the last three years trying to defeat a ballot initiative that would prevent her and her girlfriend, Andrea Hildebran, from taking the next step. So last November when the Florida Marriage Protection Amendment, which defined marriage as occurring between a man and woman, passed by only two percentage points she knew exactly whom and what to blame. (more…)

A Tampa Bay Area Author recalls a segregated Florida in his new book

// August 17th, 2009 // 2 Comments » // 2009 NABJ Conference

“…four rows of two-story apartments that stretched about a block. The units on the front row had a sidewalk. The ones on the two back rows had dirt roads. The Neck was a muddy hell when it rained…”

Archie Boston, 66, professor emeritus at California State University Long Beach, reads aloud from his newest book, Lil’ Colored Rascals in the Sunshine City.

Archie Boston reads from his book, Lil' Colored Rascals in the Sunshine City

“I grew up in Saint Petersburg, Florida on the south side of town in the colored section. My family lived in Robinson Court. We called in “The Neck.”

Boston’s book is about a mischievous group of friends nicknamed Flea Parrot, Stitches, and Billy-Billy-Goat-Goat. He recounts the tales of all children, including playing hooky from church and sneaking into movie theaters. But, set in the time period of 1948-1958, the book also chronicles his growing up in a segregated city before the Civil Rights era.

Lil' Colored Rascals in the Sunshine City is Archie Boston's second book, detailing his growing up in a segregated Florida

(more…)

Slim Showing at the Career Fair: Attendees Share Their Thoughts

// August 14th, 2009 // No Comments » // 2009 NABJ Conference, The Road

By Maya Pope-Chappell

Every year, thousands of black journalists descend on a major city in the U.S. to build skills, network and have fun. This year’s NABJ (National Association of Black Journalists) Convention was held in Tampa Florida and emphasized personal and professional reinvention in a rapidly changing industry. Just over 1900 people were in attendance at this years convention compared to 1700 in 2007*. Although numbers were up, attendance at the Career Fair were obviously slim. (more…)