FAMU Alumni, Faculty and Students Leave Imprint on NABJ Convention

Florida A&M University (FAMU) faculty, students and alumni left their imprint on the recently completed National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Convention and Career Fair in Chicago.

School of Journalism & Graphic Communication (SJGC) Dean Mira Lowe said students benefited from the networking and workshops at the five-day event.

“I am thrilled that this year, we were able to support six SJGC students in attending the NABJ conference. For many of them, this was their first time going to the convention. From the career fair to the various workshops and receptions, they took it all in. Going to NABJ not only expanded their immediate knowledge about the industry, but it helped them to forge relationships that will last a lifetime,” said Lowe, who was a panelist, along with former SJGC Division Director Dorothy Bland, Ph.D., on the session “Next Gen Impact on Media and the Local News Scene.” 

SJGC alumni played key roles in various aspects of the Convention and Career Fair. Alumna Tia Mitchell served as the program co-chair of the convention, which attracted more than 4,100 participants, the largest NABJ Convention attendance in the organization’s 49-year history. Mitchell is the Washington correspondent for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

SJGC alumna Georgia Dawkins produced her fifth NABJ Hall of Fame Luncheon. This was the 10th year Dawkins was an event producer for NABJ.

Alumna Kathy Times, former FAMU Office of Communications director and CEO of Yellow Brick Media Concepts, led the NABJ Leadership Academy, a day and half of workshops for 12 NABJ managers who are aspiring media executives.

SJGC alumna Jessica Larché was among those who were honored and received the prestigious National Association of Black Journalists Salute to Excellence award in the Television – March 16 & Below: Feature: Short Form category for her story, “Virginia Historians Shine Light on Lesser-Known Black History at Bacon’s Castle in Surry County.” Larché is a news anchor and reporter for WTKR-TV in Norfolk, Virginia.

 

On Saturday afternoon, the last full day of the convention, three alumni, Rod Carter, Marlon A. Walker, and Leon Tucker participated on a panel, “Disappearing Act: Where Have All the Black Male Journalists Gone?” to discuss the shortage of Black male reporters and editors in America’s newsrooms.

Carter, a CBS 17 News anchor in Raleigh, North Carolina, was recently appointed secretary of the NABJ Board of Directors. Tucker is director for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Gannett, while Walker is managing editor/Local the Marshall Project.

Walker said the issue about the shortage of Black journalists needs to be addressed.

“The panel was at 3 p.m., Saturday. That we were beyond standing room only, tells me about the interest and the engagement,” Walker said. “What is it going to take to recruit Black men in the newsroom? It’s important to have us there.”