Thanks to all of you who came out to the monthly meeting on May 22, 2007. For those of you who could not make it out, we've posted the meeting minutes below. Also we had a great time Thursday at the Mixer at Tutto Mondo. It was great to see all of you. And if you look at the announcements on the left side of the screen you'll notice that we have an Education & Race forum coming up on October 20, 2007 at the Levine Museum of the South from 1-3pm. Dr. Peter Gorman will be the main speaker. So please start spreading the word. If you are interested in volunteering during the event send us an e-mail at charlottejournalists@gmail.com.
May Meeting Highlights: May 22, 2007
I. Welcome/ Opening
- We began the meeting at 7:15pm with 8 people in attendance. 6 members and 2 new people, Barbara Pinson a reporter/anchor for WBTV and Richard Washington a producer from WBTV. Vice President of Print, Lena Warmack stood in for President, Melody Freeman who was out of town getting married. Lena Warmack also read the Treasurer’s report. Treasurer, Lindsay Pollack could not attend because she was sick.
II. Treasurer’s Report
- We currently have $1,325.94 in our account.
- That total comes after an $81 dollar reimbursement to Lena Warmack for food for the April workshop and $55 payment for the use of the library for the “Accessing the Media” workshop.
IV. Overview of the Board’s Goals for 2007
- Bervette Carree: Plans to institute an e-mail mentoring program for students at UNC-Charlotte.
- Alva Pearson: Plans to make the web work better for members and people interested in the organization. Wants to put job openings, discussion questions and possibly work with locally black owned businesses to advertise on the site.
- Lena Warmack: Wants to get the organization involved with volunteer
opportunities. She has talked to several organizations which are outlined in detail below.
III. Volunteer Opportunities
- CMS : Needs volunteers during lunch time or after school to help out
with reading and writing assignments.
- Able Center : Needs tutors to help out on nights and weekends with
people trying to get their GED.
- Rivens Scholarship Foundation : Needs volunteers to help tutor
grade school children on weekend.
IV. Recap of “Accessing the Media” Workshop
- Ken Lemon gave a quick summation of how the event turned out.
He said he was glad that this year participants got to take home helpful information. The event gave the public the chance to learn the ins and outs of the news business. He thanked everyone who donated food to the event.
V. Upcoming Events
- Education and Race Forum will be held on October 20, 2007 at the
Levine Museum of the South from 1pm to 3pm. The main speaker
will be Dr. Peter Gorman, Superintendent of CMS. The president of Gaston College and a student from UNC-Charlotte will also speak. CAABJ Member, Mary Curtis will be the moderator. Members still need to vote on the $100 budget. The Planning Committee will meet on Tuesday, May 29 at 7:30pm at Brixx Pizza on East Boulevard to further discuss details and preparation for the event.
CAABJ wants to hear from you. Every week we will post a new discussion question that pertains to what's going on in the media and the world at large. It's your chance to let your voice be heard. Just click on "comment".
May 28, 2007: Does a victim's race play a role in media coverage?
University of Tennessee student Channon Christian, 21, and her 23-year-old boyfriend, Christopher Newsom, were last seen by friends Jan. 6 in Knoxville as they left for a dinner date. Newsom's burned body was found the next day near a railroad track. Christian was found the day after that, stuffed in a trash can. Both had been raped repeatedly. Five people have been arrested for the crimes and await trial. More than a dozen e-mails have been sent to several Plain Dealer editors describing torture and mutilation in horrific detail and asking why this and other newspapers have not printed anything about this awful crime. Most of the e-mails carried accusations of "reverse racism" - the victims were both white, the alleged attackers were all black - saying that if the races had been reversed, this would have been a huge national story. The Associated Press moved at least a dozen stories about it - including five that were sent on the national wire and thus were available to any AP member paper. But it didn't appear in The Plain Dealer until yesterday, when we ran an AP story that summed up the complaints about the lack of national play. The reason for that is straightforward: Regrettably, rapes and murders are committed around the country every day. While this one was horrible for the victims and their families, the early reports about the attack were not different enough to make editors think that it was a story our readers needed to read.
May 26, 2007
May 13, 2007
May Meeting is Days Away!
CAABJ is staying on the move, but we need your help to keep the momentum going. So, come on out to Dilworth Neighborhood Grille on 911East Morehead Street on Tuesday, May 22nd at 7PM and bring your ideas to this month’s meeting. Also, if you have information on any media job openings please bring them to the meeting so that we can post them on the website. Our goal is to provide members with more services and events that you find helpful. The only way we can do that is if we hear from you. And after all the stress of sweeps and books you’ll definitely need some r and r. We invite you to join us May 24th at Tutto Mondo on 1820 South Boulevard for a few drinks, fun and fellowship. It’s totally a relaxed affair, just a way for us to unwind after a very hectic month. We look forward to seeing you there.
April 25, 2007
First 2007 Workshop -- What a Success!
We first want to thank all who came out and participated in CAABJ's 2nd Annual "Accessing the Media" workshop on April 21st, 2007. We believe those who attended not only learned how to better get their events and forums out to the public, but we in the media also learned how we can better service the public as a whole. Below you will find the handouts that were given to those in attendance. The information includes contact information for several members of the media. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to post them below or e-mail any of the members of the board and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Be on the lookout for more workshops and events from CAABJ in the coming months. Again we thank you.
If you simply want to inform the public about an upcoming event, send out your information to those news organizations that routinely list upcoming events in a community calendar format.
2. Find a News Angle
Make sure what you are pitching has some news value: connect it to an event or issue that is in the news or will make news. It can be as common as a battle over a zoning change or a fundraising drive for a homeless family.
a. It’s new, fresh, different or trendy.
b. It’s timely (if you win an important lawsuit, call today, not tomorrow)
c. It’s unusual.
d. It’s able to arouse deep human emotions – love, hate, fear, anger – that people can identify with. (ex. the closing of a long standing neighborhood diner.)
e. It’s of broad interest to consumers, investors and workers.
3. Determine which news outlets to approach, and how to approach them
Most people want coverage by the major papers and network television. Don’t ignore weekly community papers and smaller broadcast radio and television outlets, which are more likely to use your material. Read, watch and study as many local news organizations as you can.
4. Call the appropriate person
If the person is about a certain neighborhood, call a reporter that covers that area. Call the sports editor, not the city editor, for a sports-related story. When pitching an idea to television stations, make sure there is some visual element to your story. Television stations often need news on weekends or holidays; your event has a better chance of coverage if it’s held on a three-day weekend.
5. Watch your timing to ensure your chances of coverage
Before alerting the media, be prepared to handle reporters. If your event requires a press pass or ticket for admission, have them ready. If you have a speech, make a text of it available to reporters. Have the right spokesperson on hand to answer questions. Make sure someone is available after hours.
The News Release
A news release announces or reports an event that is taking place. It answers the typical media questions: who, what, when, where, why and how. Emphasized the “why;” it can convince a harried editor that your event is worth reporting.
Keep the release as short as possible. Releases for most major events, like fairs or rallies, can be told in one page. Major stories or issues may take more space. If the release is more than one page, just be sure to indicate the total number of pages included on each page.
Calling in advance will help you direct your release to the appropriate person, and will help you tailor your efforts to meet that person’s deadline and just may win you a valuable ally in publicizing your organization’s activities.
Mail, fax or email your release at least two weeks before your event. Follow up that effort with a telephone call to make the release was received. For television and radio, call three days before the event. For newspapers, call a week ahead.
Sample News Release:
============================================================
(Date):
Contact: (Name)
(Phone Number)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Area Students to Participate in Show-Me Body Walk
Can you imagine a better way to learn about the importance to good nutrition
and physical fitness for the body than to become a food, get inside and take a
walk around? That’s what children from (elementary school/districts) will be
doing on (day, month and date) from (start time) to (end time).
Children enter the Body Walk exhibit through the mouth, wearing tags
identifying themselves as a food item, such as a hamburger, slice of cheese
or carrot. They are “absorbed” through the intestines and travel through the
bloodstream to the heart, lungs, bones, muscles, skin and brain stations. At
every station, students will be engaged in learning activities checking their
heart rates, building strong bones, and testing flexibility and strength.
Body Walk was coordinated by the Missouri Governor’s Council on Physical
Fitness and Health, in partnership with the American Heart Association, the
American Cancer Society and University of Missouri Outreach and Extension.
Other organizations and corporations provided additional funding and support
for this project.
Ann Cohen, Body Walk Director for the Governor’s Council on Physical
Fitness and Health, said, “School children find this is the most exciting way to
learn about nutrition and health in an action-oriented, hands-on setting.
Everywhere Body Walk visits, children have come away with a better
appreciation of how their bodies work and the choices they need to make to
keep them healthy.”
For more information on Body Walk, contact (coordinator’s name) at
(telephone).
Do's & Don'ts
Some tips for building and keeping good media relations:
DO: Give as much information as possible.
DO: Double check times and addresses, give directions if necessary
DO: Cultivate relationships with reporters and editors in both print and broadcast media.
DO: Always list a contact person and contact telephone number.
DO: Have people on hand to deal with media inquiries during your event
DO: Consider how you can make your event o issues appeal to the masses
DO: Consider yourself a resource. You may be asked to help with issues unrelated to your organization’s events.
DON’T: Exaggerate; you will lose credibility. Let the facts speak for themselves. If you want to state opinions, attribute them to somebody or use direct quotes.
DON’T: Promise something you cannot deliver (listing celebrities if they have not confirmed they will be there.)
DON’T: Badger reporters or editors. If they want to pursue the story, they will call you back.
DON’T: Lie: if you do, you’re certain to destroy a critical link to the coverage you want.
DON’T: Try to spin the story. Good reporters will get both sides of a story and trying to hide something will encourage them to see it out with even more determination
DON’T: Ask a reporter to read a story back to you, or to send you a copy of the story in advance of its date of publication.
About CAABJ
The Charlotte Area Association of Black Journalists is an affiliate chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists, a non-profit organization focused on establishing strong ties among African-Americans working in the media and expanding and balancing the media's coverage of the African-American community and experience.
About NABJ
The National Association of Black Journalists is an association of journalists, students and media-related professionals that provides programs and services to benefit Black journalists worldwide. NABJ is committed to increasing Black employment in the media, to increasing the number of Blacks in management positions, to providing professional development and training for Black journalists, to sensitizing media to the importance of fairness in coverage and fairness in the workplace and to encouraging Black journalists to become entrepreneurs. NABJ also provides informational and training services to the general public.
Media Contact Information
WSOC Whistleblowers
(704) 335-4924
(704) 335-4736
wsoctv.com
WSOC Action Nine
(704) 335-4738
(704) 335-4736
wsoctv.com
WSOC Community Cal.
(704) 335-4824
(704) 335-4736
wsoctv.com
The Shelby Star
Alan Jenkins, Managing Editor
(704) 484-7000 x125
(704) 484-0805
alanjenkins@shelbystar.com
The Charlotte Observer
Newsroom
704 358-5040
WBTV
Newsroom
704-374-3698
Fox Charlotte
Newsroom
704-372-1800
Charlotte Magazine
Main Line
704-335-7181
Creative Loafing
Main Line
704-522-8334
704-522-8088
Pride Magazine
Main Line
704-375-9553
704-375-9550
Charlotte Area Association of Black Journalists
P.O. Box 31024
Charlotte, NC 28231
http://caabjournalists.blogspot.com/
Secrets to Accessing the Media
Your Guide to getting your stories covered
Six Steps to Generate Coverage
Your Guide to getting your stories covered
Six Steps to Generate Coverage
1. Decide what kind of coverage you want.
If you simply want to inform the public about an upcoming event, send out your information to those news organizations that routinely list upcoming events in a community calendar format.
2. Find a News Angle
Make sure what you are pitching has some news value: connect it to an event or issue that is in the news or will make news. It can be as common as a battle over a zoning change or a fundraising drive for a homeless family.
What makes a story “newsworthy?”
a. It’s new, fresh, different or trendy.
b. It’s timely (if you win an important lawsuit, call today, not tomorrow)
c. It’s unusual.
d. It’s able to arouse deep human emotions – love, hate, fear, anger – that people can identify with. (ex. the closing of a long standing neighborhood diner.)
e. It’s of broad interest to consumers, investors and workers.
3. Determine which news outlets to approach, and how to approach them
Most people want coverage by the major papers and network television. Don’t ignore weekly community papers and smaller broadcast radio and television outlets, which are more likely to use your material. Read, watch and study as many local news organizations as you can.
4. Call the appropriate person
If the person is about a certain neighborhood, call a reporter that covers that area. Call the sports editor, not the city editor, for a sports-related story. When pitching an idea to television stations, make sure there is some visual element to your story. Television stations often need news on weekends or holidays; your event has a better chance of coverage if it’s held on a three-day weekend.
5. Watch your timing to ensure your chances of coverage
Select a good time and day for your event. Avoid scheduling the event on a day when some other major event is happening, like an election. Instead, consider scheduling it on a weekend or holiday. Consider scheduling your event in the morning, when reporters have plenty of time to meet a deadline.
6. Be prepared for coverage
6. Be prepared for coverage
Before alerting the media, be prepared to handle reporters. If your event requires a press pass or ticket for admission, have them ready. If you have a speech, make a text of it available to reporters. Have the right spokesperson on hand to answer questions. Make sure someone is available after hours.
The News Release
A news release announces or reports an event that is taking place. It answers the typical media questions: who, what, when, where, why and how. Emphasized the “why;” it can convince a harried editor that your event is worth reporting.
Keep the release as short as possible. Releases for most major events, like fairs or rallies, can be told in one page. Major stories or issues may take more space. If the release is more than one page, just be sure to indicate the total number of pages included on each page.
Calling in advance will help you direct your release to the appropriate person, and will help you tailor your efforts to meet that person’s deadline and just may win you a valuable ally in publicizing your organization’s activities.
Mail, fax or email your release at least two weeks before your event. Follow up that effort with a telephone call to make the release was received. For television and radio, call three days before the event. For newspapers, call a week ahead.
Sample News Release:
============================================================
(Date):
Contact: (Name)
(Phone Number)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Area Students to Participate in Show-Me Body Walk
Can you imagine a better way to learn about the importance to good nutrition
and physical fitness for the body than to become a food, get inside and take a
walk around? That’s what children from (elementary school/districts) will be
doing on (day, month and date) from (start time) to (end time).
Children enter the Body Walk exhibit through the mouth, wearing tags
identifying themselves as a food item, such as a hamburger, slice of cheese
or carrot. They are “absorbed” through the intestines and travel through the
bloodstream to the heart, lungs, bones, muscles, skin and brain stations. At
every station, students will be engaged in learning activities checking their
heart rates, building strong bones, and testing flexibility and strength.
Body Walk was coordinated by the Missouri Governor’s Council on Physical
Fitness and Health, in partnership with the American Heart Association, the
American Cancer Society and University of Missouri Outreach and Extension.
Other organizations and corporations provided additional funding and support
for this project.
Ann Cohen, Body Walk Director for the Governor’s Council on Physical
Fitness and Health, said, “School children find this is the most exciting way to
learn about nutrition and health in an action-oriented, hands-on setting.
Everywhere Body Walk visits, children have come away with a better
appreciation of how their bodies work and the choices they need to make to
keep them healthy.”
For more information on Body Walk, contact (coordinator’s name) at
(telephone).
Do's & Don'ts
Some tips for building and keeping good media relations:
DO: Give as much information as possible.
DO: Double check times and addresses, give directions if necessary
DO: Cultivate relationships with reporters and editors in both print and broadcast media.
DO: Always list a contact person and contact telephone number.
DO: Have people on hand to deal with media inquiries during your event
DO: Consider how you can make your event o issues appeal to the masses
DO: Consider yourself a resource. You may be asked to help with issues unrelated to your organization’s events.
DON’T: Exaggerate; you will lose credibility. Let the facts speak for themselves. If you want to state opinions, attribute them to somebody or use direct quotes.
DON’T: Promise something you cannot deliver (listing celebrities if they have not confirmed they will be there.)
DON’T: Badger reporters or editors. If they want to pursue the story, they will call you back.
DON’T: Lie: if you do, you’re certain to destroy a critical link to the coverage you want.
DON’T: Try to spin the story. Good reporters will get both sides of a story and trying to hide something will encourage them to see it out with even more determination
DON’T: Ask a reporter to read a story back to you, or to send you a copy of the story in advance of its date of publication.
About CAABJ
The Charlotte Area Association of Black Journalists is an affiliate chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists, a non-profit organization focused on establishing strong ties among African-Americans working in the media and expanding and balancing the media's coverage of the African-American community and experience.
About NABJ
The National Association of Black Journalists is an association of journalists, students and media-related professionals that provides programs and services to benefit Black journalists worldwide. NABJ is committed to increasing Black employment in the media, to increasing the number of Blacks in management positions, to providing professional development and training for Black journalists, to sensitizing media to the importance of fairness in coverage and fairness in the workplace and to encouraging Black journalists to become entrepreneurs. NABJ also provides informational and training services to the general public.
Media Contact Information
WSOC Whistleblowers
(704) 335-4924
(704) 335-4736
wsoctv.com
WSOC Action Nine
(704) 335-4738
(704) 335-4736
wsoctv.com
WSOC Community Cal.
(704) 335-4824
(704) 335-4736
wsoctv.com
The Shelby Star
Alan Jenkins, Managing Editor
(704) 484-7000 x125
(704) 484-0805
alanjenkins@shelbystar.com
The Charlotte Observer
Newsroom
704 358-5040
WBTV
Newsroom
704-374-3698
Fox Charlotte
Newsroom
704-372-1800
Charlotte Magazine
Main Line
704-335-7181
Creative Loafing
Main Line
704-522-8334
704-522-8088
Pride Magazine
Main Line
704-375-9553
704-375-9550
Charlotte Area Association of Black Journalists
P.O. Box 31024
Charlotte, NC 28231
http://caabjournalists.blogspot.com/
April 14, 2007
Get Ready! CAABJ's First Community Event!
The calls have been pouring in from people in the community who want to be a part of this year's Media Access Workshop! We want to make sure CAABJ members are there in full force.
So come on out to the West Boulevard Library on 2157 West Boulevard on Saturday, April 21st. We'll start our day with a brief general body meeting at 11 a.m. After we've handled some housekeeping we will set up for our Media Access Workshop which will begin at noon.
Please be sure to invite a friend, and a new potential member for CAABJ! We've included the invitation below. Pass it around. But remember, get people to R.S.V.P. because space is limited!
We look forward to seeing everyone there!
President : Melody Freeman, WCNC-TV, Inc., mfreeman@wcnc.com
VP-Print: Lena Warmack, The Charlotte Observer, mailto:lwarmack@charlotteobserver.com
Treasurer: Lyndsay Pollard, The Charlotte Observer, lpollard@charlotteobserver.com
Secretary: Alva Pearson, WCNC-TV, Inc., apearson@wcnc.com
Parliamentarian: Jarvis Holliday, Charlotte Magazine, mailto:jarvis.holliday@charlottemagazine.com
So come on out to the West Boulevard Library on 2157 West Boulevard on Saturday, April 21st. We'll start our day with a brief general body meeting at 11 a.m. After we've handled some housekeeping we will set up for our Media Access Workshop which will begin at noon.
Please be sure to invite a friend, and a new potential member for CAABJ! We've included the invitation below. Pass it around. But remember, get people to R.S.V.P. because space is limited!
We look forward to seeing everyone there!
President : Melody Freeman, WCNC-TV, Inc., mfreeman@wcnc.com
VP-Print: Lena Warmack, The Charlotte Observer, mailto:lwarmack@charlotteobserver.com
Treasurer: Lyndsay Pollard, The Charlotte Observer, lpollard@charlotteobserver.com
Secretary: Alva Pearson, WCNC-TV, Inc., apearson@wcnc.com
Parliamentarian: Jarvis Holliday, Charlotte Magazine, mailto:jarvis.holliday@charlottemagazine.com
March 28, 2007
CAABJ is on the move!!!
Details from the March 27th Meeting:
· We now have a total of 21 members. That’s almost double last year’s membership.
· We now have a total of 21 members. That’s almost double last year’s membership.
· 8 new members to report: Ken Lemon, April Bethea, Fannie Flono, Vashti Cromwell, Sharon White, Deedee Strickland, Chris Harrington and Celeste Smith.
· Membership fees are back to regular price. $50 for full membership, $35 for associate membership and $20 for students.
· Also, the NABJ 32nd Annual Convention is coming up on August 8 through the 12th. This year’s convention will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada. Now that CAABJ is an official affiliate of NABJ, members qualify for a 10% discount. Log onto www.nabj.com for an application.
· CONGRATULATIONS!!!
-- Mary Curtis took first place honors in commentary writing at the Chuck Stone Salute to Excellence Awards at NABJ’s Region III conference in Montgomery, AL.
-- Fannie Flono is getting a major lifetime achievement award on Saturday, March 31st. She will be officially inducted into NABJ’s Region III Hall of Fame.
· “Accessing the Media” event April 21st, 2007 at 12pm at the West Branch of the Mecklenburg County Library.
· Our next meeting is April 21st, 2007 at 11am before the “Accessing the Media” event.
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