Media Mixes During Enjoyable Evening

The Charlotte Area Association of Black Journalists (CAABJ) held their annual Media Mixer on February 23 to mark the start of CIAA Week in Charlotte. The eventful evening was held at Tutto Mondo and attracted dozens of journalists and professionals from public relations, marketing, and other communications fields.

It was a great time to mingle and network and while there was a little shop talk, most left their work--and worries--behind. CAABJ hosts a few social mixers throughout the year, but its events calendar is also filled with workshops and community events.

Tiffany Hilson and Ayofemi Kirby

Jessica Munday, Brandon Burney, and Rahman Kahn

Ramona Holloway and Sondra Hines

Mary Curtis and Trey Harmon

Adria Collis and Nicole Carter

CNN to Host Town Hall at JCSU

Below is an excerpt of what The Charlotte Observer reporter Tonya Jameson wrote on her "That's Wassup!" blog yesterday.

Johnson C. Smith University will be featured in CNN's upcoming series "Black In America 2," which examines African American life.

Anchor Don Lemon will moderate a town hall forum during the CIAA tournament next Thursday. The event is open only to current students and faculty.

Part of the town hall meeting will be featured in CNN's follow-up to last year's series "Black In America." Segments of the series aired on the network, but most of it was on the web site.

CNN staff also will tour the campus and interview students. Lemon plans to talk to students about journalism.

Click here for Jameson's full column.

National Media Awards Call for Entries

The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) announces its 2009 Salute to Excellence Awards Call for Entries. Print, broadcast and online media entries submitted by journalists from throughout the United States will compete for the only national media awards program exclusively devoted to coverage of African and African American themes. The contest is open to all journalists and entries will be judged on content, creativity, innovation and relevance to the black community. Deadline for Award Entries is Feb. 23.

NABJ's awards are distributed to large and small-market circulation newspapers and magazines, online media, broadcast networks and market television and radio stations. Only work performed from January to December 2008 is eligible for nomination.

2008 winners included documentary work from CNN on the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.; reports from The Philadelphia Inquirer on suburban policing; a WRGB-TV Albany profile on New York Gov. David Paterson; commentary by Miami Herald columnist Leonard Pitts, Jr.; an NBC Nightly News profile on educator Ron Clark; and the Detroit Free Press' profile of legendary singer Aretha Franklin.

Nominees are announced in June. Winners will be announced at the Salute to Excellence Awards Gala scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 8 in Tampa, Florida. The awards gala is held during NABJ's Annual Convention and Career Fair, planned Aug. 5-9 at the Tampa Convention Center.

The entry fee is $75 per submission for members and $100 for non-members. Checks, money orders or credit card payments must accompany each entry. Log onto www.nabj.org to download a Call for Entries packet. For questions regarding the NABJ Salute to Excellence Awards competition or gala, contact Ryan Williams, NABJ director of programs and professional development, at (301) 445-7100, ext. 113 or rwilliams@nabj.org.

CAABJ Member Writes Obamas Cover Story

Pick up the February/March issue of Heart & Soul magazine to read CAABJ member Mary C. Curtis's cover story on President Barack and First Lady Michelle Obama. It's a "love story" for the love-themed issue. Click here for details.