January 2008 Meeting Minutes

Charlotte Area Association of Black Journalists
General Body Meeting – January 26, 2008

• Welcome and Introduction of members and attendees
- Introductions
• Financial report from treasurer
-$300 balance going into 2007
- Deposit - $82
- Balance - $432 (final balance to come after meeting)
- Board looking to add student membership prices
• Highlights accomplishments of 2007
- (Melody)
- Relaunched CAABJ in 2005
- Race and Education forum with P. Gorman
- Access to the Media
- Networking (Mixers)
- Scholarship – Year End Event
o Two goals for 2008
- Serve Charlotte Area Black Journalists
- Be more engaged with our members
- Ask for feedback to improve service to members
- Serve Community
o Why is CAABJ Important?
- Diversity initiatives, or lack of diversity, in newsrooms
- Need for African-American stories to be told and represented in the media
- Golfweek noose incident – relevance to CAABJ and NABJ
- Organizational responsibility
- Social responsibility and involvement in major stories, as an organization, releasing statements on relevant
issues
- Mini forums on Charlotte/national issues
- Gathering of African-American people making a change
- Allowing general public access to the media
- Networking resource
- Mentorship
- Personal and professional development
o Communication
- Forwarding emails to coworkers and interested journalists
- Feedback, ideas welcome ← send to CharlotteAABJ@gmail.com
- Will add more information to website in 2008
- Events, member news, spotlight members
* (Lena) Accepted into Group Study Exchange program – Taiwan. Visiting with Rotarians and journalists in
field and sharing with them American media experience. Egypt will be 2009 trip.
*Carlton Hargro/ Torrey Fiemster – honored with Urban League awards - Mentorship program
* JCSU email addresses inverted
* Brevette in touch with mentors and get started in 2008
o 2008 Events
- Sign Up sheet circulated
- CIAA Mixer (CIAA Jumpstarter) - Feb 26, 2008
* Tuesday of CIAA week
* Handed out flyers
* Distribute to interested and fellow journalists
* Will be atTutto Mundo, close to Pewter Rose/Sunset Club/McIntosh’s Steakhouse
* Appetizers provided
* 4 people needed at 6pm
* Melody to make personal calls
- Assume people don’t know about CAABJ and meeting, get them informed and involved.
- Access to the Media 2008
- CAABJ Summer Cookout
- The Black and Brown Vote
* Election year – how CAABJ can be involved
* Need volunteers, committee members
* Will discuss over next few months
* Partnership with Hispanic Journalist Association
- Scholarship Event
*Bigger scholarship, more scholarships in the future
o 2008 Membership
- Please make sure you’ve filled out application either in hard copy or online.
o No GB meeting in Feb
- Committees begin to meet in Feb
o Spread word about CAABJ
- Forward all emails!