By Journal-isms
Supreme Court Strikes Down Louisiana Abortion Restrictions
The Supreme Court on Monday struck down a Louisiana abortion law, a victory for abortion rights advocates concerned that the conservative court would break with past rulings to rein in protections that emerged from the landmark decision in Roe v. Wade.
Tennessean Fires Advertising Manager
“The Tennessean newspaper and Gannett, its parent company, fired an advertising manager on Monday, a day after the newspaper published a full-page ad from a biblical prophecy group claiming ‘Islam’ would detonate a bomb in Nashville,” Aimee Ortiz reported for The New York Times.
Joy Reid to Join MSNBC
MSNBC is not commenting on a report by the Wall Street Journal, updated Wednesday, that “MSNBC is expected to tap political analyst Joy Reid to anchor a 7 p.m. daily news and opinion program filling the vacancy created at the cable news channel when Chris Matthews resigned abruptly in March.” The information for the story by Joe Flint, picked up by other outlets, was attributed to “people familiar with the matter.”
YouTube Established $100M Fund
“YouTube has established a $100 million fund to support black creators and artists utilizing the Google-owned video platform,” James Pearce reported June 15 foe IBC365, an online community platform. “The multiyear fund is dedicated to ‘amplifying and developing the voices of Black creators and artists and their stories,’ according to CEO Susan Wojcicki,” Pearce wrote.
Webb Named VP for CPB
Jacquie Gales Webb, who has “managed grants that have touched the lives of many Americans, including StoryCorps’ Mobile Booth and One Small Step projects, WGBH’s WORLD Channel, [and] the Urban Alternative music format,” has been “named as Vice President, Radio of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting,” CPB announced on Monday. Webb is “responsible for developing and implementing strategies to strengthen the ability of public radio stations to create high-quality, multiplatform content and to grow their audiences.”
Harjo Recovering from COVID-19, Twice
“Suzan Shown Harjo has been at the forefront of every major Indian Country battle,” Acee Agoyo reported Monday for indianz.com. “From protecting sacred sites to addressing cultural appropriation and racist mascots, the Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient has seen it all and has been celebrated for her role in advancing tribal causes.” Over the last two months, she’s tested positive not once, but twice, for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. But as she spoke via phone from the nation’s capital, Harjo sounded as strong as ever. She said she has been asymptomatic, meaning she hasn’t experienced a high fever, shortness of breath or any of the conditions associated with the virus. ‘I feel fine,’ Harjo told Indianz.Com on Sunday. She repeated her assessment: “I feel fine.”
Disruptors With Hill and Champion on Vice TV
“Jemele Hill and Cari Champion both worked at ESPN,” Brian Steinberg wrote Wednesday for Variety. “Now they have a new chance to band together. The pair will host a new weekly talk show, ‘Disruptors with Jemele Hill and Cari Champion,’ slated to debut this summer on Vice TV. Over an initial order of eight episodes, the show aims to unpack the biggest topics and headlines of the week from the worlds of culture, politics, sports and business.”
Tirado Files Suit
Linda Tirado, a journalist “who was covering the recent rioting in Minneapolis alleges in a lawsuit that law enforcement blinded her in one eye with a nonlethal projectile fired at her despite her declaring in words and documentation that she was a member of the news media,” Paul Walsh reported June 16 for the Star Tribune in Minneapolis.
Peart Promoted With FOX News
“FOX News Channel (FNC) has promoted Patricia Peart to Vice President of Weekend Booking, effective immediately,” the network announced Wednesday. “In this capacity, she will continue to manage the network’s weekend breaking news coverage as well as oversee guest booking across all FNC’s weekend programming, reporting to David Clark, Senior Vice President of Weekend News and Programming.”
Robin Washington Calls Out Jewish Organizations
Robin Washington, veteran journalist whose portfolio includes host/producer, Wisconsin Public Radio, is calling out Jewish organizations who have supported Black Lives Matter movements. “Yet not a single one of those organizations has made a serious effort to fully empower African-American Jews within the Jewish community,” Washington, who has helped organize black Jews, wrote. “And not a single one has a Black Jew on its board of directors. Nor do 48 out of the 51 member groups in the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. The only two that do are the American Sephardi Federation (which by definition is inclusive of Jews of African descent) and the Union for Reform Judaism, which has a single Black Jewish member among its massive board of more than 250.”
The Washington Post Has Job Openings
The Washington Post, which has promised a major effort toward diversity and inclusion, including more than a dozen new positions focused on race, has posted job openings on its website, including one for managing editor for diversity and inclusion.
Sinclair Brodcast Group to Launch Headline News Service
Sinclair Broadcast Group announced June 17 that it will be launching a headline news service scheduled to premiere in early 2021. “As part of this effort, the company also announced it will be hiring 25 new positions to staff this new initiative . In the initial phase, the headline news service will air weekday mornings from 6:00 – 9:00 a.m. across Sinclair’s CW and MY network affiliates, as well as on STIRR, Sinclair’s free, over-the-top streaming platform.”
Garcia Joining NBC News
“NBC News Digital announced today that Michelle Garcia is joining NBC News as the new editorial director for NBCBLK — NBC News’ African-American news vertical on NBCNews.com,” A.J. Katz reported Friday for adweek.com. The NBC announcement said, “Michelle was most recently a deputy editor at Vice.com, where she managed the issues desk and its team of 12 covering health policy, the environment, the economy, and identities, including a lengthy investigation into the Flint water crisis. She has also been managing editor of Out magazine, senior editor for race and identities at Vox.com, identities editor at Mic.com, and managing editor of Advocate.com
Journalism Event to be Virtual in September
The Society of Professional Journalists and Radio Television Digital News Association’s joint convention this year will be virtual due to the coronavirus, the groups announced. The virtual conference is planned for Sept. 12 and 13 in lieu of the in-person Excellence in Journalism event that was scheduled for Washington, D.C.
Ocasio-Cortez Easily Wins Primary
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., easily won her primary , defeating Michelle Caruso-Cabrera, her Wall Street-backed challenger and former CNBC correspondent, Latino Rebels reported Wednesday.
Franklin to Join New York Times Book Review
MJ Franklin will be joining the New York Times Book Review as an assistant preview editor, “where he will be working with the Book Review editorial team to assign and edit fiction and nonfiction reviews,” the Times announced Tuesday. “MJ will help cover literary fiction, memoir and essays, and he’ll lead our coverage of the booming young adult category.
Barbados Investigating Photojournalist Killing
Authorities in Barbados must thoroughly investigate the killing of photojournalist Christoff Griffith and ensure that those responsible are held to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. “Griffith is the first journalist CPJ has recorded as killed in relation to his work in Barbados. On June 22, in St. Michael, southwest Barbados, an unidentified man attacked and killed Griffith, a photojournalist working with The Nation newspaper. Griffith had traveled to the area to cover a crime scene; he arrived before police, and was killed by the suspected perpetrator of the original crime.
AP Photographer Bompengo Has Died
John Bompengo, who covered Congo’s political turmoil as a freelance photographer and video journalist for The Associated Press over the course of 16 years has died, relatives said Sunday,” Krista Larson reported for the AP on Monday. “He was 52. The cause of death was complications due to the coronavirus. Bompengo had contributed to AP since 2004, including coverage of the Ebola outbreak in northern Congo, in 2018.
