Be part of the live studio audience for the National Press Photographers Foundation's Video Storytelling Workshop: 2010 Edition at The Poynter Institute on Saturday, Sept. 25. Veteran photojournalists will show you how to your make your stories more memorable and refine your videostorytelling.

In this full day of training, you'll learn how to find and develop memorable characters; how to make mundane stories -- like meetings and weather stories -- more interesting; how to work with sound; and how to anticipate moments in the field, even on tight deadlines.

Presenters include:

Darren Durlach, NPPA's 2009 Ernie Crisp Television News Photographer of the Year, and senior photojournalist at WBFF-TV in Baltimore
Lynn French, assistant chief photographer and veteran multimedia journalist at KPNX-TV in Phoenix
Jason Witmer, winner of numerous NPPA and Texas AP awards for his work as a solo video journalist for Chron.com in Houston
Joe Fryer, winner of four national Edward R. Murrow awards and a regional Emmy for best reporter in 2009, of KARE-TV in Minneapolis
Whether you're working in a team or as a solo journalist, you'll learn fresh approaches to make your packages -- both daily turns and long-form pieces -- more memorable. The Video Storytelling Workshop starts at 10 a.m. Eastern time on Saturday, Sept. 25, and is offered both live at The Poynter Institute and online through Poynter's NewsU. The host is Al Tompkins, Senior Faculty/Broadcast and Online at The Poynter Institute and author of the daily online journalism story idea column, Al's Morning Meeting, on Poynter.org.
Can't stay for the day? Your advance registration also gives you access to the video replays of each presentation when they become available at Poynter's NewsU.

The cost for this daylong workshop is just $55 for NPPA members or $35 for student members. Non-NPPA members pay just $65 for a full day of training. Sign up now to get these registration rates. Scholarships are available for members of AAJA, NABJ, NAHJ, NAJA, NLGJA and JAWS.

Come to Poynter for a day of training from some of the best in the industry. For more information and to register, go to Video Storytelling Workshop: 2010 Edition.

TBABJ to distribute $5,000 to minority journalism students,
including a first-ever graduate student scholarship award.


POSTMARK DEADLINE FRIDAY, SEPT. 10, 2010

Greetings! It is with great pleasure that the Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists announces its 2010 Scholarship Contest.

TBABJ is excited this year to distribute $5,000 to deserving students of color, pursuing a college degree in journalism. Because of growing demand, TBABJ will give away its first scholarship to a graduate journalism student this year for $1,000. In addition, two undergraduate students will each receive a $1,000 scholarship and one undergraduate student will receive a $2,000 scholarship.

Our desire is to empower young journalists of color to join the ranks of the working press. Please encourage all high school seniors, undergraduate and graduate students of color (African American, Hispanic, Asian, etc.) to apply for this contest by SEPT. 10, 2010. Applications must be postmarked by this date to be considered.

Scholarship winners will be announced this year during TBABJ’s Griot Drum Awards ceremony, taking place in Tampa Nov. 18, at the Dr. Blaise F. Alfano Conference & Banquet Center, 11606 McKinley Drive. To learn more about Griot Drum, visit www.tbabj.com.

Students currently enrolled in college or graduating high school seniors are encouraged to apply. Previous grand prize winners are NOT eligible. Applicants MUST have a connection to the Tampa Bay area, which includes Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota, among other communities in the region. We expect our winners to attend a reception before the Griot Drum ceremony and stay for the banquet.

Completed application packets must be postmarked by Sept. 10.

Questions? Contact Kevin Graham, TBABJ’s Scholarship Coordinator, at 813-857-4096 or contactkevingraham@gmail.com.

Good luck!



2010 Student Scholarship Application

Deadline: Applications must be postmarked by FRIDAY, SEPT. 10, 2010!

All materials become the property of TBABJ and will not be returned.

Incomplete applications will not be considered.


Last Name:_________________ Middle Initial:____ First Name:___________________

Permanent Address:_______________________________________________________

City:_________________________ State:________ Zip Code: ____________________

Permanent Phone Number:___________________ Personal E-mail:_________________

Present Address: __________________________________________________________

City:_________________________ State:________ Zip Code: ____________________

Present Phone Number:_____________________________________________________

Social Security Number:____________________ Are you a U.S. Citizen:___Yes ___No

If not, do you have legal documentation supporting your stay in the United States?______

School Classification for school year 2010-11 (i.e. freshman, sophomore, etc):_________

College or University:______________________________________________________
(High school seniors, please name your current school and the post-secondary institution you plan to attend.)

Projected Graduation Date (mm/yy):__________________________________________




II. Please consider the following topic in a 500-word essay:

Analyze the media’s coverage of a recent news story involving race, class or religion. Discuss how you would have covered the story.

Please enclose a photograph and FIVE collated copies of the following:

► Completed Application Cover Sheet

► Essay

► Resume

► Three to six examples of journalistic work (Broadcast journalists may submit a DVD but must note their role in each production, i.e. sound technician, lighting, writer, producer).

Please also include one sealed copy of the following:

► Official school transcript (Must be enclosed in an official school envelope and be stamped by your registrar’s or principal’s office).

► One to two letters of recommendation from faculty, employees or journalists familiar with your career goals.


Mail applications to:

Kevin Graham, Scholarship Coordinator
Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists
P.O. Box 172092
Tampa, FL 33672

NABJ Announces Philadelphia and Tampa Chapters

As Finalists for Professional Chapter of the Year

Washington, DC, May 14, 2010 -Today, The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) announced its finalists for Professional Chapter of the Year -- the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists (PABJ) and Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists (TBABJ). The winner will be announced this summer in San Diego at the 35th Annual NABJ Convention and Career Fair, the largest gathering of minority journalists in the country.

"Both chapters have made extraordinary contributions to NABJ and their home base," said NABJ President Kathy Y. Times. "I applaud the hard work of their members and leaders, and I'm grateful for all they do, especially during tough times."

PABJ was founded in 1973 by a group of courageous Philadelphia journalists, and it is NABJ's founding chapter. This is the second time in three years that PABJ has been a finalist, winning the honor in 2008. Over the past year, the chapter provided digital training that drew attendees from five states, participated in wide-ranging community service, and offered its members educational programming such as "PABJ @ the Movies," which highlighted the contributions by blacks in film.

"PABJ has always epitomized the finest aspects of NABJ," said Deirdre M. Childress, NABJ vice president-print. "From founders such as Chuck Stone, Joe Davidson, Sandra Long and Acel Moore, this tradition has extended 37 years to today's members who are focused on training, diversity and community service. PABJ remains a leader within our organization. I am proud to call it my home chapter."

Founded as the Suncoast Black Communicators, TBABJ became the Tampa Bay area's affiliate of the NABJ in 1990. TBABJ now represents journalists of color in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Sarasota, Pasco, Polk, Manatee, Hernando and Citrus counties in West Central Florida. TBABJ strives to help ensure diversity in media and accurate, balanced coverage of communities of color while serving as a resource for both established and aspiring communicators of African decent. Over the past year, TBABJ has been very active, including serving as the host to the NABJ National Convention, and offering a host of professional programming and community service projects, including a fundraiser for Haiti earthquake relief.

"TBABJ is such a hard working, close-knit chapter. We are truly honored to be in consideration for Chapter of the Year," said Region III Director, Kenneth Knight. "It would mean so much to win this award."

From those who blazed the trail to the ones who fight to make sure our stories are heard, even in the face of adversity, NABJ bestows 12 special honors on journalism organizations, professionals, educators and students committed to exemplary coverage of the black community. The Professional Chapter honor is awarded to an NABJ affiliate for its accomplishments during the eligibility period. Criteria includes, but is not be limited to, the number and size of scholarships awarded by the chapter, the number of new members who have joined the chapter and NABJ, and the chapters community activities and programs.

NABJ's 35th Annual Convention and Career Fair will take place July 28-August 1 in San Diego, Calif. For additional information, ticket sales, registration, please visit us at www.nabj.org, or contact Ryan Williams at rwilliams@nabj.org or (301) 405-0248.

# # #

Happy New Year, everyone!

To get the ball rolling for the coming year, TBABJ is holding its first meeting of the year on Saturday, Jan. 9 at 11 a.m. in the St. Petersburg Times' Tampa office, 1000 N. Ashley Drive in Tampa. We'll meet inside a conference room on the 7th floor.

This meeting is open to all TBABJ members, friends of the chapter, journalists, college students and anyone in the community wishing to partner with the chapter for events we will be holding in 2010.

We will be planning our events for the year at this meeting, so your input is greatly appreciated.

Lastly, anyone who needs to pay their membership dues ($25 per year annually) can bring a check or money order to the meeting.

Got questions?

Contact our membership chair, Nicole Hutcheson, at njhutcheson@gmail.com, or (813) 335-4115.

Hope to see you there!

Camille C. Spencer
TBABJ President
(248) 760-7561
camillecspencer@gmail.com

This message, from the National Association of Black Journalists:

Today and tomorrow, NABJ is offering a SALE to reclaim its Members. This a special discount for lapsed Members who maybe did not come to Tampa this year, forgot to renew or who in some cases, let their membership expire as their job outlook changed. This does not apply to everyone on this email, but if you know someone who has wanted to join or come back to NABJ - this is the week to do it.

Full membership is just $85 instead of $100 if you call the national office and mention this deal. There is $15 off for Student and Associate Members as well. The number is 301-445-7100.

One perk of the sale is that this will take care of your membership fee through the 2010 San Diego Convention and it will help to spread out the costs of heading to the West Coast next year. Our programming committee is already working on next year's theme and events.

So please consider this a homecoming message. And call the office to secure the best rate in at least three years!

Thanks Deirdre
NABJ VPPrint

Hello all!

The end of a great year for TBABJ is upon us. That said, we've got two
more upcoming meetings I hope you'll be able to attend. We've got a
Christmas party to plan and discussions on a forum we may host, so
your input would be greatly appreciated.

Mark your calendars for the following two dates:

-The next meeting will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7 at
Perkins Restaurant, 12650 N. Dale Mabry in Carrollwood. We have a room
reserved until 2 p.m. There's no cost as long as we come hungry and
order something. (FYI, for the St. Pete/South Tampa folks, I tried the
Perkins closer to I-275, but they wanted to charge us a fee).

-The final meeting of the year will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday,
Dec. 5 at the Times office in Tampa, 1000 N. Ashley Drive, on the
seventh floor in a conference room.

Hope you can make both of these meetings.

Questions? Call me at (248) 760-7561 or shoot me an e-mail to this address.

Take care,

Camille



Camille C. Spencer
membership chair, TBABJ
reporter, St. Petersburg Times
mobile: 248.760.7561
"If you can't fly, run. If you can't run, walk. If you can't walk,
crawl. But by all means, keep moving." - The Rev. Martin Luther King,
Jr.

Members and friends of the Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists:

The day we've been talking about for years is finally here. The National Association of Black Journalists convention is starting in Tampa today!

If you're registered for the event, I'll look forward to seeing you around the convention site. We could still use your help as a volunteer; stop by the chapter's information table near the registration booths or email volunteer coordinator Ken Knight at kknight@tampatrib.com.

But even if you're not coming, there's still lots of ways you can get involved.

Our Beach Jam Friday night at the Florida Aquarium remains the best way get a taste of the convention, hosted by Tom Joyner and featuring Kid Capri as DJ. Tickets are only $15 and you can buy them in advance here at our Web site, to make admission easy.

We'll be setting up at the Aquarium at 5 p.m., so if you'd like to help set up the party, feel free to join us then. And if you work for a news organization, feel free to tell Tampa Bay what we're doing. Proceeds from the jam benefit our Griot Drum scholarships; this year we're giving out $5,000 to students of color majoring in journalism.

And keep an eye on our Web site for information as the convention progresses.

Let's show NABJ a great time in Tampa!

Eric Deggans
TV/Media Critic, St. Petersburg Times
Chair, NABJ Media Monitoring Committee
President, Tampa Bay Assoc. of Black Journalists
(727) 893-8521; (727) 642-8907 (cell)
www.TBABJ.com
Tickets on sale now
For the Tampa Assoc. of Black Journalists Beach Jam Fund Raiser, Aug. 7 at the Florida Aquarium, starring "flyjock" Tom Joyner and superstar DJ Kid Capri.
For more info or to buy ticks: http://beachjam.eventbrite.com/

TAMPA, FLA. – The Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists and St. Petersburg Times have selected four student journalists with Tampa Bay ties to receive $5,000 through the Griot Drum scholarship program.

Three students will receive a $1,000 scholarship and one will receive a scholarship for $2,000. TBABJ and the Times will honor the 2009 recipients during a reception on Thursday, Aug. 6, which takes place during the National Association of Black Journalists Convention, held this year in Tampa from Aug. 5 thru 9.

Funds for the scholarship were generously provided by the Times Publishing Co.'s foundation.

This year’s 2009 TBABJ Scholarship winners are: Raena Boston, a rising senior at the University of South Florida; Ashley Brandon, a rising senior at the University of South Florida; Carmel Delshad, a rising senior at the University of South Florida; and Eugenio Torrens, a rising junior at the University of Florida.

TBABJ will reveal which student earned the $2,000 award at a special reception at the group's suite in the Mariott Waterside hotel at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 6. More details on the event will be posted at www.TBABJ.com.

A committee of local journalists evaluated students based on applications that included resumes, work samples, school transcripts and an essay analyzing the media’s coverage of a recent news story involving race, class or religion.

The Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists strives to help ensure diversity in area media and accurate, balanced coverage of communities of color while serving as a resource for both established and aspiring communicators of African descent.

Founded as the Suncoast Black Communicators, the group became the Tampa Bay area’s affiliate of the National Association of Black Journalists in 1990. TBABJ now represents journalists of color in Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pinellas, Polk and Sarasota counties along the Suncoast of Florida.

Our amazing Beach Jam is only made possible by the generous donation from an amazing array of sponsors.

Even amid the challenges of today's economy, these companies stepped forward to help the TBABJ's mission of spreading diversity in media and improving coverage of people color. Please use the links below to learn more about these important corporate citizens.

Anyone interested in volunteering to stuff either NABJ convention bags or TBABJ bags for our Aug. 7 party at the Florida Aquarium should meet at the Tampa Convention Center at 10 a.m. on Saturday in rooms 10-12. The address is 333 S. Franklin Street.

Depending on how many volunteers we have, some folks will stay at the convention center to stuff NABJ bags, which will be stored there until needed. Everyone else will follow me to the St. Petersburg Times office in Tampa, 1000 N. Ashley Drive, Suite 700, to stuff TBABJ bags. (TBABJ's bags will be stored in an office there until the party on the 7th).

*IMPORTANT: Anyone who has TBABJ swag, i.e. coupons, visors, or any other items, please remember to bring all that with you on Saturday. If you end up staying at the convention center, see me so I can take whatever items you have so they will be included in the TBABJ bags.

We need all the help we can get, so your attendance for this would be greatly appreciated. The more people who come out, the less time this will take.

Sorry for any confusion.

Call or e-mail myself or Ken Knight, our treasurer, if you have questions. He can be reached at kknight@tampatrib.com.

Thanks!

Camille


--
Camille C. Spencer
mobile: 248.760.7561
membership chair, Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists
"If you can't fly, run. If you can't run, walk. If you can't walk, crawl. But by all means, keep moving." - The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Here's a handy menu for buying online:

Thanks to sponsor ExecuCar and SuperShuttle, attendees of the National Association of Black Journalists' Tampa convention next month can obtain a discounted rate for round trip travel from the airport to their hotel while also generating donations for the Tampa chapter!

Here's how it works: Book your transporation from the airport and back online, using the group discount code LDUQY. when you pay, you'll get a $4 discount on the ride and 5 percent of your fee with be donated back to the Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists!

More details on singing up and using the service follow below:

“Give Back” Discount Program

As part of a new partnership extended to your choosing Tampa to host your 2009 Event, SuperShuttle and ExecuCar are not only offering a $4.00 Off discount on ALL individual round trip transportation, but we are also donating 5% of all the services your convention uses back to the Beach Jam Fundraiser at the Florida Aquarium. Using SuperShuttle means SAVINGS and SUPPORTING!

Reservations
For fast and easy reservations log onto www.supershuttle.com or www.execucar.com

***As a valued guest, SuperShuttle is offering discounted rates (outlined above) on all individual prepaid roundtrip reservations booked through our website.

***Use Group Discount Code : LDUQY


• For Airport reservations call 800-Blue-Van (800-258-3826) or 727-572-1111.
• For Exclusive Vans, Charter Services or Sedan Service call 727-571-4225 or 727-571-4223

Tampa Airport Arrival Instructions
*With reservation

*Upon arrival at the Tampa International Airport, please proceed to baggage claim to pick-up your bags. The baggage wheels are divided by airlines, so make sure you search for your airlines baggage claim area.

* (Sedan Service will meet guest in baggage claim with sign reading guests name)

*Shuttle Service - After collecting your baggage, follow signs to Ground Transportation. SuperShuttle has a booth on the ground floor (near the glass entrance/exit doors).

*Check in with the reservation agent and give either your name or your confirmation number. If you find yourself slightly off track, the SuperShuttle agent will assist you. Tell them which hotel or office location you are traveling to and they will direct you to the next departing Shuttle.
*You may wait in the heated/air conditioned room near the agents’ booth. Please ensure that all of your luggage is accessible to the drivers to load prior to departure.

Click on each image to enlarge!

The TBABJ has called a special meeting for 11 a.m. July 25 at the St. Pete Times building in Tampa, 1000 N. Ashley Dr., Tampa.

To help everybody relax before the national convention next month, the TBABJ will hold a potluck lunch/informal social meeting at the home of chapter president Eric Deggans.

All you really have to bring is yourself and a good appetite. But if you want to bring a dish, please contact our membership chair Camille Spencer, to make sure you're not carting in the 5th bowl of potato salad (she's at cspencer@sptimes.com)

All are welcome; this is a great change to meet the TBABJ and hear about our major upcoming initiatives, including our scholarships, our fund raiser at the Florida Aquarium Aug. 7 and the national convention in Tampa.

The lunch starts at 11 a.m. July 11 at Eric's Home, 1835 2nd St. South, St. Petersburg, 33705 (basically, the corner of 19th Ave. south and 2nd St. south). Call 727-642-8907 if you get lost.

You can also see this listing on Facebook.

See you there!

Just a reminder -- we still need poets to step up for the TBABJ's Thid Poetry Slam this Thursday at Studio@620 in St. Petersburg!

(We can use an audience, too, so feel free to come even if you aren't ready to rhyme onstage)

Scheduled from 7:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. , the slam will be held at Studio@620, 620 First Ave. South, St. Petersburg. Host will be local poetry phenom, L.I.F.E.

Phone: 813-368-4955

Email:
sday@sptimes.com, deggans@sptimes.com

The Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists presents a prime opportunity for creative people to meet the top media and communications professionals in the area.

The Poetry Slam features performances by top area poets, a chance for unknowns to come in and compete and prizes for the best performers.

Top prize is $50, second prize is two free passes to the Florida Aquarium and the top four finishers will perform at the TBABJ's Aug. 7 Scholarship fund raiser at the Florida Aquarium, a featured party capping the National Association of Black Journalists' convention in Tampa.

Admission is $5 at the door -- Call or email in advance to perform.

Programing is heating up for the Tampa NABJ convention in August, as Disney brings a screening of its first cartoon to feature a black princess, The Princess and the Frog, to the gathering, featuring a performance by star Anika Noni Rose.

This year's "NABJ Presents" event is giving attendees a unique opportunity to see a sneak preview of Disney's new animated picture, "The Princess and the Frog" AND witness a special performance by Tony Award-winning star Anika Noni Rose!

Today marks the last day for pre-registration, so hop over to the NABJ site right now at www.NABJ.org and register for the convention. It's going to be an amazing party!

NABJ Presents... A MAGICAL EVENING WITH DISNEY
Thursday, August 6, 7:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts will also feature:
- the President Barack Obama animatronic at the newly reopened Hall of Presidents attraction at Magic Kingdom Park
- the American Idol Experience at Disney's Hollywood Studios
- Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex rebranding with ESPN

Steve Harvey will also introduce the student enrichment program, Disney's Dreamers Academy.

And don't forget, active members attending convention are eligible for up to four complimentary Disney Park Hopper passes valid Aug. 5-10. Inquire at the registration table in Tampa.

Register for the convention today! July 1 is the last day for the pre-registration rates.
http://www.facebook.com/l/;https://www.eshow2000.com/nabj/registration_information.cfm

View a complete list of convention events here: http://www.facebook.com/l/;https://www.eshow2000.com/nabj/conference_program.cfm


Eric Deggans
President, Tampa Bay Assoc. of Black Journalists
Chair, NABJ Media Monitoring Committee
TV/Media Critic, St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times
(727) 893-8521
www.TBABJ.com

If you haven't already registered for the National Association of Black Journalists 2009 convention in Tampa, you have just a day or so until the registration rates rise with the close of pre-registration tomorrow!

Times are tough for journalists all over. But the NABJ convention offers one of journalism's largest jobs fairs, days of workshops offering new skills, loads of big names for networking opportunities and lots of recreational events once the day's work is done.

There may not be a better opportunity for communications or media professionals of any ethnicity to reinvent themselves or gain new skills -- especially if you already live in the Tampa Bay area.

Please take the time right now to register at www.NABJ.org; if you are a member of our local chapter and a member of the national organization, there are still significant discounts available. There are also sponsorship opportunities available for our Aug. 7 fundraising party at the Florida Aquarium, starring nationally known DJ Tom Joyner.

Here's more details:

Active NABJ Members attending Convention are eligible for complimentary:
-one-day Park Hopper passes to Walt Disney World (max. 4)
-one pass and 15% discount for up to 4 more at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

The Florida Aquarium and Tampa Zoo are also great family activities.

BEACHES:
- Clearwater Beach
- Ben T. Davis Beach.
Check them out at http://www.facebook.com/l/;www.floridasbeach.com

NIGHTLIFE
Channelside Bay Plaza (walking distance from Convention Center)
A great spot for movies, restaurants, shopping, nightlife and more!
http://www.facebook.com/l/;http://www.channelsidebayplaza.com

Ybor City has some of the hottest dance clubs, outdoor patio bars, martini bars, live jazz and much more. It is just a short ride away on the TECO trolley, which leaves from the Tampa Convention Center
http://www.facebook.com/l/;www.ybor.org

Register for the convention now, before the rates go up July 1!
http://www.facebook.com/l/;https://www.eshow2000.com/NABJ/registration_information.cfm

Eric Deggans
President, Tampa Bay Assoc. of Black Journalists
Chair, NABJ Media Monitoring Committee
TV/Media Critic, St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times
(727) 893-8521
www.TBABJ.com

Miami, Fla.-Now is a time of transition for journalists and the Society of Professional Journalists South Florida is there to help.

For those who have been displaced from full time careers in journalism or for anyone who would like more control over their careers a freelance career may be just the thing for you. So come learn how to build a successful freelance career at a workshop featuring three successful local freelance journalists and editors.

Featured speakers are:

· Oline Cogdill who after 30 years left her full time position at the Sun- Sentinel where she worked on the features desk. She still reviews mystery fiction for the Sun-Sentinel. Her mystery fiction reviews appear in more than 250 newspapers and publication sites worldwide. She also writes author profiles, essays and blogs for Mystery Scene Magazine. She also is a freelance copy editor.

· Brett Graff is a freelance journalist who contributes to Glamour, Maxim, Ladies’ Home Journal, American Baby, Redbook, Good Housekeeping, Harper’s Bazaar and The Miami Herald. Prior to becoming a freelancer she worked as a correspondent for Reuters’ Miami bureau and as a staff writer covering real estate, business and government for Daily Business Review.

· Tristram Korten is a freelance journalist who covers regional conflicts and environmental issues throughout the Caribbean Basin and Latin America. He also writes travel and adventure stories. His work has appeared in such publications as The New York Times, Details Magazine, Salon.com, The Miami Herald and Men’s Journal. Previously he was a staff writer and columnist for the Miami New Times.

This important event will take place on Thursday, July 16 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the main branch of the Miami-Dade Public Library at 101 W. Flagler Street in downtown Miami. Parking is $5 including validation.

For more information please contact Alana Roberts at 702-523-4111 or aroberts27@gmail.com or visit www.spjsofla.net.

The Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists is presenting their third poetry slam, Off the Record III:A Spoken Word Event on July 9, from 7:30 p.m. to 12 a.m. at Studio@ 620, 620 1st. Ave. South, in downtown St. Pete.

We're bringing together some of the area's best poets and artists with some of the area's best-known journalists of color. This is our third time presenting such an event, and we're extending invitations to artists throughout the Tampa Bay area.

There's a $50 cash prize for first place, free passes to the Florida Aquarium for second place and the top four finishers will perform at the TBABJ's Aug. 7 Scholarship fund raiser at the Florida Aquarium, a featured party capping the National Association of Black Journalists' convention in Tampa. Prime opportunity to network, sell CDs and further your career.

"Off the Record, Again" ...your take on people of color, the news, life and more.

Admission is $5 at the door -- Call or email in advance to perform.

Click here to see our events listing on Facebook for more details:

Eric Deggans
TV/Media Critic, St. Petersburg Times
Chair, NABJ Media Monitoring Committee
President, Tampa Bay Assoc. of Black Journalists
(727) 893-8521
www.TBABJ.com

The TBABJ has a fan page on Facebook with lots of information and connections.

Here's the link:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tampa-Bay-Association-of-Black-Journalists/94147272940

Or click here to go direrctly there.

Become a fan today!

The Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists is pleased to announce a free seminar on multimedia journalism, on-air performance and career counseling, scheduled for 11 a.m. June 20 at the Tampa Tribune, 200 South Parker St., Tampa.

The core of the event will be a 90-minute session with trainers from Communication Research Enterprises, featuring journalist/professor Lillian Dunlap and voice coach/actor Jaye Sheldon.

"Making it powerful: Your Voice in Multi-Media Storytelling" focuses on acquiring skills to strengthen on-air and online performance. They will share excellent storytelling examples, lead the group through exercise
and send each participant home with new tools and tips.

The workshops leaders are:
Lillian R Dunlap, PhD (Journalist, former professor at University of Missouri, Affiliate at Poynter Institute).

Jaye Sheldon, MA (Voice Coach and Actor).

We'll also have an appearance by life/career coach Debbie Lundberg and someone from the Poynter Institue's Poynter Careers Web site.

The seminar is free and open to anyone who wants to learn -- please forward this email to any friends who may be working in media and facing layoffs, considering major transitions or trying to develop new skills.

Feel free to call or email if you have any questions...

Though this is a professional development seminar organized by the TBABJ, this seminar is free and open to anyone who wishes to attend. In particular, journalists of all ethnicities and experience levels are most welcome.


See you on June 20!


Eric Deggans

President, Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists

TV/Media Critic, St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times

http://www.tbabj.com/

(727) 893-8521

Members and friends of the Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists:

I'm writing to ask for your help in the most important event we'll undertake this year: the Aug. 7 scholarship fundraiser during the National Association of Black Journalists' national convention in Tampa.

Planned for the Florida Aquarium, the fund-raiser will serve as a showcase for the Tampa Bay area to the 3,000 attendees expected to show for the NABJ's convention -- typically the largest journalism convention in the country, period. The event will also be open to the general public, allowing for a unique mixing of local notables with journalism stars from across the country.

Past conventions have featured Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, George W. Bush, PBS anchor Gwen Ifill, radio personality Steve Harvey, actors Sam Jackson and Jennifer Hudson and civil rights leaders Rev. Jesse Jackson and Rev. Al Sharpton. We expect a similarly star-studded array of attendees this year.

Already, we have an amazing list of sponsors on board, including Hill & Knowlton public relations, AMSCOT financial, The New York Times Regional Media Group and Bright House Networks. But we're hoping to line up enough sponsors so that every penny of the cover charge we take in at the door can go straight to our scholarship fund.

That's where you come in.

Please contact me for information on sponsorship levels and details. I'm hoping you'll consider if you know any institutions which might benefit from placing their brand before our amazing audience. We have lots of different sponsorship opportunities -- from helping with entertainment to providing items for gift bags handed out at the event's end.

Please feel free to email or call with any suggestions or to get more information.

Thanks for your time. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Eric Deggans
President, Tampa Bay Assoc. of Black Journalists
Chair, NABJ Media Monitoring Committee
TV/Media Critic, St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times
(727) 893-8521
www.TBABJ.com

Given the increasing amount of job reductions and cutbacks at area media outlets, the TBABJ wants to help journalists of all ethnicities deal with changing times. As a result, we've put together a few initiatives.

*We have started a running list of open jobs on our Web site, TBABJ.com. Go to the site and click on the Jobs link on the right-hand side. This will provide a listing of all entries dealing with open jobs and job training.

*We are offering free multimedia training and career counseling at a special seminar June 20, led by consultant and Poynter Institute affiliate Lillian Dunlap. "Making it powerful: Your Voice in Multi-Media Storytelling" will focus on acquiring skills to strengthen on-air and online performance. We'll share excellent storytelling examples, lead the group through exercise and send each participant home with new tools and tips.

The workshops leaders are:
Lillian R Dunlap, PhD (Journalist, former professor at University of Missouri, Affiliate at Poynter Institute)
Jaye Sheldon, MA (Voice Coach and Actor). Other participats are TBA.
Location is TBA, but we will make an announcement very soon.

*We will open up our membership listserv to anyone interested in regular email updates about jobs and training. Simply email this address and we'll add you to the listserv so you can get regular updates on all the job listings we learn about and training seminars.

Again, all these resources are open to all media and communications professionals. We will also offer several opportunities to network and meet other area communications professionals, so check our Web site regularly.

If you have any other recommendations, please feel free to email or contact me at the information below. At a time of tremendous change and constriction in the industry, it's time for all of us to work together.

Eric Deggans
TV/Media Critic, St. Petersburg Times
Chair, NABJ Media Monitoring Committee
President, Tampa Bay Assoc. of Black Journalists
(727) 893-8521
www.TBABJ.com

Members and friends of the Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists:

Just a reminder -- TBABJ will meet at 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 6 at the St. Petersburg Times office in Tampa, 1000 N. Ashley Drive.

There's a lot to discuss, so I hope you can make it.

We're considering an event in mid-June for journalists who have been laid off or are considering a career transition.

We have a poetry slam planned for July 9, featuring a ton of local poets; this will also be a social where you can meet other journalists and artists from the community.

We are deep in fund-raising and planning for our Aug. 7 fund raiser at the Florida Aquarium, planned as part of the National Association of Black Journalists' national convention in Tampa from Aug. 5 to 9.

We also have a potluck meeting planned for Saturday, July 11, at my home in the Old Southeast neighborhood of St. Petersburg.

So please come visit with us on Saturday and learn more about how we're helping journalists of all ethnicities deal with these challenging times.

Feel free to call or e-mail me if you have any questions!

Eric Deggans
TV/Media Critic, St. Petersburg Times
Chair, NABJ Media Monitoring Committee
President, Tampa Bay Assoc. of Black Journalists
(727) 893-8521
www.TBABJ.com

The National Association of Black Journalists has named former St. Petersburg Times columnist Peggy Peterman to their Hall of Fame for her contributions to diversity in media and civil rights issues.

Mrs. Peterman, who retired from the paper in 1996, passed away at age 67 after a struggle with heart disease in 2004.

She was always an inspiration for journalists of color at the newspaper, earning her first job at the newspaper in 1965, after writing a lettter to the St. Petersburg Times complaining about how her 5-day-old son had to endure discrimination from a local diaper service and kids photographer.

She would eventually carve out a 31-year career at the newspaper, ranging across work as a reporter, columnist and editorial writer, mentoring young black journalists who would go on to work at news outlets across the country. She also led a local black history pageant and served as a minister, carrying her influence beyond journalism directly to the community.

Mrs. Peterman was always a personal inspiration as well, warmly welcoming me as a newbie journalist at the Times in 1995, despite the fact she already was an institution here.

I've always felt strongly that pioneers like Mrs. Peterman paved the way for the Barack Obamas of the world, urging the community to see issues of race in new and fairer ways so they were ready when a talented, qualified politician with a funny name and dark skin was on the ballot.

The NABJ will officially induct Mrs. Peterman during a banquet Aug. 7 during its national convention in Tampa at the Tampa Convention Center. The Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists will continue the celebration that evening during a fundraising party at the Florida Aquarium in Tampa. The NABJ's national convention will be held from Aug. 5 to 9 at the Tampa Convention Center.

The celebration at the Times starts right now.

Here's the official release from the NABJ:

National Association of Black Journalists Announces 2009 Hall of Fame Inductees
Peggy Peterman, Earl Caldwell, Lynn Norment and Larry Whiteside to be honored at annual ceremony

WASHINGTON, D.C. April 27, 2009 --The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) will induct four outstanding journalists who made integral contributions to journalism and civil rights into its Hall of Fame at a ceremony to be held on Friday, August 7, 2009 at the 2009 NABJ Annual Convention and Career Fair in Tampa.

“These remarkable individuals endured great challenges so that black journalists today can have more freedom and professional opportunity,” said NABJ President Barbara Ciara. “As Hall of Fame inductees, their memory and accomplishments will be preserved and passed on to future generations.”

The NABJ Hall of Fame inductees were named at the organization’s April Board of Directors meeting in Tampa. The inductees are:

Peggy Peterman - St. Petersburg Times (Florida); (posthumous)

The 1989 NABJ Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Peterman spent 31 years in the newsroom of the St. Petersburg Times where she was a groundbreaking reporter, columnist and editorial writer. Peterman’s impact on the community stretched far beyond words. She generously devoted her time to the St. Petersburg community, where among many other activities she founded and directed a black history pageant, mentored young journalists and became a minister late in life. Peterman made it her ambition to help the public understand who and what the African-American family and culture was all about. After 20 years in news features, in 1994, she joined the Times editorial board and wrote about social, international and children’s issues. A scholarship at Florida A&M University is named in her honor. Peterman retired from the newspaper in 1996 and died in 2004 at the age of 67.

Earl Caldwell – Reporter and early Civil Rights Activist (New York)

As a reporter, Caldwell documented the Black Panthers from the inside in the 1970s, and became embroiled in a key Supreme Court decision clarifying reporters’ rights when the FBI tried to press Caldwell to be an informant. His career with The New York Times, New York Daily News and other papers spans more than four decades. He is also a founding member of the steering committee of the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education, as well as the Washington-based Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. Caldwell witnessed and chronicled some of the most important civil rights events of the past 40 years and was the only reporter present when Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. As a writer-in-residence, Caldwell is writing “The Caldwell Journals,” a serialized account of the black journalist movement spawned by the 1960s civil rights movement.

Lynn Norment – Editor, EBONY Magazine (Chicago)

Norment has written and edited for EBONY Magazine in Chicago since 1977. She has worked to guide young journalists while bringing objective, endearing reporting of the nation’s black artists and entertainers to EBONY readers for three decades. A native of Bolivar, Tenn., who helped de-segregate her local high school, Norment went on to receive a full scholarship at Memphis State University. Her writing talent and leadership traits were quickly evident to EBONY, which hired her after just two freelance assignments. Rising to the rank of managing editor, Norment has helped the sixty-year-old magazine to maintain a fresh voice and embrace new media, making her a well-respected leader in the industry. She has held numerous leadership positions for NABJ including chairperson for the 1997 Convention in Chicago which was attended by President Bill Clinton; chairperson for the 25th Anniversary; and a former vice-chair of the NABJ A&E Task Force.

Larry Whiteside – Reporter, The Boston Globe (Boston), (posthumous)

Whiteside, a 1999 NABJ Lifetime Achievement Award Winner and 2008 National Baseball Hall of Fame writer inductee, was the first African-American beat sports writer for The Boston Globe. Whiteside was also only the third African-American recipient of the J.G. Taylor Spink Award, given by the Baseball Writers' Association of America in 2008. Whiteside covered the Red Sox from 1973 to 1994, chronicling some of the team’s most notable moments in baseball history. He was an expert on Negro league baseball and one of the first sports writers to track baseball’s international play. "Sides” made four trips to Japan and two to Australia covering the sport. Whiteside started with the Kansas City Kansan in 1959. He moved on to the Milwaukee Journal to cover the Milwaukee Braves and Brewers as well as civil rights issues in the ‘60s. In 1971, Whiteside started The Black List to help sports editors find qualified black journalists to hire. Whiteside died in 2004 at the age of 69.

The NABJ Hall of Fame Banquet will also recognize Lawrence Kaggwa of Howard University as the organization’s Journalism Educator of the Year; Jamisha Purdy, also of Howard University, as its Student Journalist of the Year; and Leon Carter and Sandy Rosenbush of the Sports Journalism Institute, as recipient of the associations’ Legacy Award.

The NABJ Hall of Fame Awards recognizes black journalists who have made outstanding contributions to the journalism profession. Past inductees include Ida B. Wells, W.E.B. Dubois, John H. Johnson and Charlayne Hunter Gault. Last year’s class consisted of Charlie Cobb, Belva Davis, Vernon Jarrett and Les Payne.

The NABJ Convention is the largest gathering of minority journalists in the country. The NABJ Hall of Fame Inductions and Banquet will take place at the 2009 NABJ Annual Convention and Career Fair, August 5-9 in Tampa. For more information go to www.nabj.org.

It is with great pleasure that the Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists announces a partnernship with the St. Petersburg Times this year in awarding $5,000 in scholarships to deserving students of color, pursuing a college degree in journalism.

TBABJ and the Times will present one scholarship this year for $2,000 and three scholarships for $1,000.

Please encourage all high school seniors and undergraduate students of color (African American, Hispanic, Asian, etc.) to apply for this contest. Deadline is JUNE 5, 2009 . Applications must be postmarked by this date to be considered.

Our desire is to empower young journalists of color to join the ranks of the working press.

Scholarship winners will be announced this year during the National Association of Black Journalists 2009 Annual Convention and Career Fair, taking place in Tampa Aug. 5 - 9. To learn more about the convention, visit www.nabj.org .

Students currently enrolled in college or graduating high school seniors are encouraged to apply. Graduate students and previous grand prize winners are NOT eligible. Applicants MUST have a connection to the Tampa Bay area, which includes Hillsborough, Pinellas, Citrus, Hernando, Polk, Manatee and Pasco counties on the Suncoast of Florida.

We expect our winners to attend a reception in August at the NABJ convention.

Completed application packets must be postmarked by June 5.

Questions? Contact Kevin Graham, TBABJ’s Scholarship Coordinator, at 813-226-3433 or kgraham@sptimes.com .

The application is also attached to this e-mail. Please print and post it in a visible area or forward it to potential winners.

To learn more about TBABJ or how you can get involved, visit www.tbabj.com .

Good luck!

2009 Student Scholarship Application

Deadline: Applications must be postmarked by FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 2009!

All materials become the property of TBABJ and will not be returned.

All applicants must have some connection to the Tampa Bay area: Hillsborough, Pinellas, Citrus, Hernando, Polk, Manatee and Pasco counties on the Suncoast of Florida.

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Feel free to print out this page. Make sure you include all required items.


Last Name:_________________ Middle Initial:____ First Name:___________________

Permanent Address:_______________________________________________________

City:_________________________ State:________ Zip Code: ____________________

Permanent Phone Number:___________________ Personal E-mail:_________________

Present Address: __________________________________________________________

City:_________________________ State:________ Zip Code: ____________________

Present Phone Number:_____________________________________________________

Social Security Number:____________________ Are you a U.S. Citizen:___Yes ___No

If not, do you have legal documentation supporting your stay in the United States?______

School Classification for school year 2009-10 (i.e. freshman, sophomore, etc):_________

College or University:______________________________________________________
(High school seniors, please name your current school and the post-secondary institution you plan to attend.)

Projected Graduation Date (mm/yy):__________________________________________

II. Please consider the following topic in a 500-word essay:

Analyze the media’s coverage of a recent news story involving race, class or religion. Discuss how you would have covered the story.

Please enclose a photograph and five collated copies of the following:

► Completed Application

► Essay

► Resume

► Three to six examples of journalistic work (Broadcast journalists may submit a DVD but must note their role in each production, i.e. sound technician, lighting, writer, producer).

Please also include one sealed copy of the following:

► Official school transcript (Must be enclosed in an official school envelope and be stamped by your registrar’s or principal’s office).

► One to two letters of recommendation from faculty, employees or journalists familiar with your career goals.


Mail applications to:

Kevin Graham, Scholarship Coordinator
Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists
1000 N Ashley Drive, Suite 700
Tampa, FL 33602

The Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists has set its next two meeting locations and times.

We will meet at 11 a.m. May 2 at the Tampa Tribune, 200 S. Parker St., Tampa. We'll be in the South building in a first-floor conference room.

We will meet at 11 a.m. June 6 at the St. Petersburg Times Tampa offices, 1000 N. Ashley Dr., Tampa. Parking is sometimes a challenge -- we'll ask the security guard to let us mark in the lot directly behind the Times building, but you may have to park in the hotel's lot north of the building or the library's lot south of the building.

Anyone is invited to attend our meetings, especially if you are interested in our upcoming projects, which include a documentary screening in June, Poetry slam in July and fundraiser at the NABJ national convention in August.

Feel free to email me or call if you have any questions.

Otherwise, I look forward to seeing you at the meetings!

Eric Deggans
President, Tampa Bay Assoc. of Black Journalists
Chair, NABJ Media Monitoring Committee
TV/Media Critic, St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times
(727) 893-8521
www.TBABJ.com

Please make sure you register for the lowest rate possible for the National Association of Black Journalists convention in Tampa, scheduled for Aug. 5 to 9 at the Tampa Convention Center.

If you're not registered, you won't be able to attend the convention.

The early bird registration, where you can get the cheapest fees, has been extended to April 15. All registrants get a free admission to Busch Gardens and access to an amazing week of seminars, discussions and parties centered on media, communications, journalism and people of color.

And the cheapest rate is available for those who are members of both the Tampa Bay NABJ and the national organization.

Here's the link:

http://www.nabj.org/conventions/2009/index.html

Eric Deggans
TV/Media Critic
St. Petersburg (Fla.)Times
(727) 893-8521
http://blogs.tampabay.com/media

Our next TBABJ general membership meeting will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 4, at the Times office in Tampa, 1000 N. Ashley Drive.
We've got a lot on our plates for the next few months. So, we'll need as much participation as possible to make sure the national convention in August runs smoothly. We also need to get things off the ground for the Griot Drum scholarships.

Hope to see you there. Feel free to call or e-mail me if you have questions.

Take care,

Camille




Camille C. Spencer
membership chair, TBABJ
reporter, St. Petersburg Times
office: 813.909.4609
cell: 727.992.5203
www.tampabay.com

=

Here's a report on last Saturday's multimedia seminar from Asian American Journalists Association member Carol Lim, who attended and reported on the event for AAJA and was kind enough to send us a copy of the story:

The Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists presented its Third Annual Multimedia Seminar at the Tampa Tribune on Saturday, March 7th. A packed room of around 30 website producers, reporters, news staff from the
St. Petersburg Times, the Tampa Tribune, the Lakeland Ledger, TBO.com; Tampabay.com, WTSP-TV, WTVT-TV, WUSF-FM, educators, freelancers, and audio-visual suppliers heard speakers talk about the importance of
embracing multimedia to increase newspaper readership
and television viewership during an economy of
continuing newsroom layoffs.

Eric Deggans, St. Petersburg Times Media Critic, hosted the 3 hour seminar. Deggans talked about blogging and Twitter, a new social networking website, similar to Facebook. Deggans discussed how he uses Twitter to network socially and professionally, monitor emails, and blog about news stories.
"Twitter is making yourself self-sufficient (as a journalist)...assembling people, who are interested in you. It's your brand," said Deggans.

Nathalie Voirin, Metromix Managing Producer of the Gannett website, and Managing Producer at WTSP-TV, discussed how Metromix and TampaBays10 Connects helps the station bring in stories from the community and citizen journalists.
"It was scary to us at first," said Voirin.
She said in covering the missing NFL-former USF football players boating last Saturday, it was important to update the website first while 1 person was twittering and another person was blogging this story.
Voirin also stressed the importance of being proficient in multimedia to tell a story, finding good stories, getting the basics down on audio and video. She noted that multimedia skills can make a difference in who management keeps and lets go when downsizing in this economy.
"Everyone at 10 is boning up on mulitmedia skills and what's on the horizon," said Voirin.

Demorris Lee, St. Petersburg Times Reporter, showed a Super Bowl slide show with natural sound and soundbites.
"What is prohibiting us from telling a story on different platforms? Do we know how to, the language?" Lee asked.
He challenged journalists to not be afraid of multimedia and encouraged them to become more skilled in this area.
Lee also talked about the tools, cameras, recorders, and computer programs used for multimedia journalism.
"We have to think multimedia. That's where the industry is going." Lee said.

Boyzell Hosey, St. Petersburg Times Director of Photography, spoke about the anxiety in the news industry.
" We're trying to figure out how to do it (multimedia)," Hosey said. He noted that today's journalism school graduates are very proficient in multimedia.
"The tools and opportunities in photojournalism are incredible " he added.
"The challenge is how to balance and blend journalism with the company's bottomline and bring advertisers to the websites," Hosey said.
Most videos are 2 minutes or less on Times website.
Hosey recommended the Flash and Photoshop computer programs to help journalists learn the basics of interactive graphics.

Ken Knight, Tampa Tribune Multimedia Reporter, talked about community journalism.
"As reporters decrease, we are looking more to citizen journalists," said Knight.
Knight says the Tampa Tribune have community websites to enourage people to participate, to send their videos and photographs.
"Its important to engage the community," said Knight.
Knight added that it's a growing trend; as readership and viewership declines.
"This will rejuvenate people's interest in the news." Knight said.
By using SNAP, Tampa Tribune website users can create their own online photo albums to share with family and friends.
Knight also said today's reporters are being asked to do more--shoot video, photos, and edit.

For more information about this group, check out their website at www.TBABJ.com.
Special thanks to Eric Deggans for contibuting to this report. Deggans also is president of TBABJ.

Carol Lim
Asian American Journalists Association
Florida Chapter Member
Tampa, Florida
clim@ij.net

* Boyzell Hosey, director of photography for the St. Petersburg Times. Boyzell has guided the Times through making its photojournalists the focal point of multimedia efforts, from shooting and editing video for online reports to training print reporters on capturing images for their own blogs and newspaper stories.

These are the Tampa Bay area journalists honored in the TBABJ's fourth annual Griot Drum Awards for quality coverage of issues relating to people of color. These winners were announced at the Griot Drum Awards and Scholarship Banquet, held Nov. 20 at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies in St. Petersburg.

TELEVISION
TV1- Spot News
First Place: "Dr. MLK Parade," ABC News.

TV2-Non-Deadline Reporting
First Place: "Freedom Riders," Dennis Hollingsworth, WTSP-TV 10.
Second Place: "HIV Affects Community," Susan Casper & Matt McGlashen, WFTS-TV
Third Place: "Artist Paints History," Matt McGlashen, Ginny Diaz & Brendan McLaughlin

TV3-Investigative/Series
First Place: "Taking Action Compilation" by Matt McGlashen and Jackie Callaway.

TV5-Community/Public Affairs
First Place: A Gulf Coast Journal with Jack Perkins, segment profiling John Jordan "Buck" O'Neil, WEDU-TV.

TV6- Documentary
First Place: "Central Avenue Remembered," WEDU-TV.

PRINT -Over 100,000 circulation
P1-Deadline/Spot News Reporting
First Place: "Jury spares Steele's life" by Jamal Thalji, Molly Moorhead and Julia Kumari Drapkin, St. Petersburg Times.
Second Place: "Apartment Fire" by Carrie Pratt, St. Petersburg Times

P2-Investigative Reporting
First Place: "A Chase, an outcry, then shots in the dark" by Tom Lake, Molly Moorhead, Jamal Thalji, Julia Kumari Drapkin, St. Petersburg Times.
Second Place: "Costly Mistakes" by Thomas Lake, St. Petersburg Times

P3-Features
First Place: "Mom's Call to Action" by Sara M. Hoye,: Mom's Call to Action, The Tampa Tribune.
Second Place: "In Defense of his Confederate Pride" by Stephanie Garry, St. Petersburg Times
Third Place: "A Man of Action" by Michelle Bearden, The Tampa Tribune

P4-Community/Public Affairs:
First place: "Fraternizing with the enemy" by Rodney Thrash, St. Petersburg Times.
Second Place: "In the mix" by Sarah M. Hoye, The Tampa Tribune
Third Place: "Video shows CW at its worst" by Demorris Lee, St. Petersburg Times

P6- Sports Feature
First Place: "A Question of Loyalty" by Anwar Richardson, The Tampa Tribune.
Second Place: "Family Blessings" by Nicholas Williams, The Tampa Tribune.

PRINT - Under 100,000 circulation
PP2-Investigative Reporting
First place: "American Recession, Black Depression: What Must We Do?" by Charles Cherry II, Florida Courier.

PP3-Features
First Place: "United Front" by Wade Tatangelo, Creative Loafing.
Second Place: "Here Comes the Neighborhood" by Alex Pickett, Creative Loafing
Third Place: "Revving up interest in new invention" by Charles Cherry II, Florida Courier

PP4- Community/Public Affairs
First Place: "Complete System's Failure" by Jenise Morgan, Florida.

PP6-Sports Feature
First Place: "New name, same winning spirit" by Charles Cherry II, Florida.

PP7- Commentary
First Place: "Black colleges deal with 'mission creep'" Charles Cherry II, Florida Courier.

PP8- Criticism
First place: "Numbers Man" by Megan Voeller, Creative Loafing.

PHOTO
P1-Deadline/Spot News
First Place: "Relatives devastated" by Fred Bellet, Tampa Tribune.

P2-Features First Place: "Comfort" by Lara Cerri, St. Petersburg Times.
Second Place: "Friends" by Lara Cerri, St. Petersburg Times
Third Place: "Prayer Services" by Carrie Pratt, St. Petersburg Times

P3-Sports News
First Place: "Strong Finish" by Fred Bellet, Tampa Tribune.

P4-Sports Feature
First Place: "Athlete of the Year" by Fred Bellet, The Tampa Tribune.
Second Place: "Muddcat" by Fred Bellet, The Tampa Tribune

P6-Graphic or Photo Illustration
First Place: "A Night on the Town" by Lara Cerri.

P7-Photo Illustration
First Place: "The Iraq War: What would MLK say?" by Charles Cherry II, Florida Courier.
Second Place: "Happy Workers" by Carrie Pratt, St. Petersburg Times

NEW MEDIA
NM1- Best Multimedia News Story
First Place: "In the Mix" by Sarah M. Hoye, The Tampa Tribune.
Second Place: ""An Anthem Story" by Joseph Brown III, The Tampa Tribune

Members and friends of the Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists:

Our next meeting is scheduled for 11 a.m. Feb. 7, in the Times building in St. Petersburg, 490 1st Ave. South, St. Petersburg.

We had a very productive executive board meeting last month, where we set a tentative schedule of events for the coming year, including a public forum in may, a poetry slam in July and a multimedia seminar next month.

Now we need to make them happen. Please feel free to come to our meetings whether you are a member, a lapsed member, or just an interested person. Our membership meetings are open to all.

Anyone who is interested in being part of the multimedia presentation, please contact me at this email address or using the information in my signature below.

Our goal is to make meetings more predictable by holding them on the first Saturday of each month at 11 a.m., scheduling them a month or two in advance so you and we can plan for them better.

IMPORTANT NOTE: You don't have to be a member or a person of color to attend our meetings -- if you're interested in networking with journalists of color or getting involved with our activities, we want you in the house. It doesn't matter how long it's been since you were last at a meeting, whether or not you are a member, or whether you're even a journalist.

If you'd like to help make area media more accurate and diverse, we'd love to have you at our meetings.

Hope to see you Saturday or soon....and feel free to check out http://www.tbabj.com/ for updates!

Eric Deggans
President, Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists
Chair, NABJ Media Monitoring Committee
TV/Media Critic, St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times
http://www.tbabj.com/
(727) 893-8521

Members of the Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists and friends:

We'll be meeting at noon Saturday at a new spot, the Piccadilly restaurant on Dale Mabry in Carrollwood, at 11810 N. Dale Mabry Hwy. I have to schedule the meeting so late because i have to make two kids' soccer games that morning; I hope it isn't a problem.

This will be our last meeting of the year, scheduled to go over the results of our latest Griot Drum Awards dinner, our Christmas Party and brainstroming ideas for the national convention coming to Tampa next year. We need to decide soon what we will do as a local fundraiser,. so bring some ideas.

Feel free to call or email is there are any problems. Otherwise, I look forward to seeing you Saturday.

Here's the info on the restaurant again:Piccadilly Cafeteria - www.piccadilly.com11810 N Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa - (813) 963-1660

Eric Deggans
President, Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists
Chair, NABJ Media Monitoring Committee
TV/Media Critic, St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times
http://www.tbabj.com
(727) 893-8521

These photos were taken by membership chair Demorris Lee. They document, from right to left and top to bottom: dancers from the Soulful Arts Dance Academy; host Deiah Riley with friends; St. Petersburg Times consumer affairs reporter Ivan Penn accompanying his wife, vocalist September Penn, in a gospel song; Poynter visual journalism guru and ordained pastor Ken Irby delivering the invocation; ABC Action News anchor Wendy Ryan; keynote speaker Mark McEwen and 10 Connects reporter Tammy Fields; Central Avenue Remembered star and Tampa's poet laureate James Tokely.

Members of the Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists and friends:

We'll be meeting next week, at 11 a.m. on Saturday Nov. 8, at a old spot: the Perkins Restaurant at 612 N. Dale Mabry Hwy., just south of I-275, in Tampa, 33609.

It will be an important meeting. We'll be taking about final preparations for our Griot Drum Awards scholarship banquet and awards ceremony, which will feature keynote speaker Mark McEwen, former anchor of CBS This Morning, and host ABC Action News anchor Deiah Riley.

At this stage, we need to sell tickets and make sure the event is full. So please let me know if you plan on coming and stop by the meeting with ideas for selling tickets. Price is $30 for members and $35 for non-members.

We'll also be talking about our Christmas Party, tentatively scheduled for Dec. 11. And brainstroming ideas for the national convention coming to Tampa next year. We need to decide soon what we will do as a local fundraiser,. so bring some ideas.

Feel free to call or email is there are any problems. Otherwise, I look forward to seeing you Nov. 8.


Eric Deggans
President, Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists
Chair, NABJ Media Monitoring Committee
TV/Media Critic, St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times
http://www.tbabj.com
(727) 893-8521

The Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists would like to invite you to the premiere journalism event in the Tampa Bay area: the Fourth Annual Griot Drum Awards dinner.

Scheduled for 7;30 p.m. Nov. 20 at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies in St. Petersburg, the Griot Drum Awards honors journalists in several categories, highlighting those who have excelled in coverage of issues important to people of color. Proceeds will fund our scholarships to aspiring young journalists of color.

Our keynote speaker this year is Mark McEwen, former anchor of CBS This Morning. Our 6 p.m. opening reception will feature a meet-and-greet with McEwen, who is touring the country speaking on his book about recovering from a stroke while working as a news anchor in Orlando.

We would love for you to join us. Tickets are $30 for TBABJ chapter members and $35 for non-members, or $300 for a table of ten.

Please feel free to contact me with any ticket orders, or print out the form below.

We're looking forward to seeing you next month!


Eric Deggans
TBABJ President



TICKET ORDER FORM
Name­­­­­­­­­­­­­­_________________________________ Number of tickets______________
Address________________________________ Total enclosed_________________
Telephone_______________________________ email_____________________

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:


Contact: Eric Deggans, TBABJ President, (727) 893-8521 (w); (727) 642-8907 (cell)

The Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists is pleased to announce finalists for its fourth annual Griot Drum Awards.

Winners and categories will be named at the awards banquet Thursday, Nov. 20, 2008 at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies, 801 Third St. South, St. Petersburg.

An opening cocktail reception starts at 6 p.m.; the banquet will begin at 7:30 p.m.Tickets for the event are priced at $30 each for association members and $35 each for non-members. Media organizations or individuals can purchase a ten-seat table for $300.



Our keynote speaker will be Mark McEwen, former anchor of CBS This Morning, and our host will be WFTS-Ch. 28 morning anchor Deiah Riley. Contact chapter president Eric Deggans for more information or to order tickets.



The finalist list:


Matt McGlashen, WFTS-Ch. 28, five categories.


Dennis Hollingsworth, WTSP-Ch. 10, one category.


Susan Casper, WFTS-Ch. 28, one category.


Ginny Diaz, WFTS-Ch. 28, one category.


Jackie Callaway, WFTS-Ch. 28, one category.


Brendan McLaughlin, WFTS-Ch. 28, two categories.


Spencer Briggs, WEDU-Ch. 3, one category.


Tom Lake, St. Petersburg Times, two categories.


Jamal Thalji, St. Petersburg Times, two categories.


Molly Moorhead, St. Petersburg Times, two categories.


Julie Kumari Drapkin, St. Petersburg Times, two categories.


Stephanie Garry, St. Petersburg Times, one category.


Demorris Lee, St. Petersburg Times, one category.


Rodney Thrash, St. Petersburg Times, one category.


Carrie Pratt, St. Petersburg Times, three categories.


Lara Cerri, St. Petersburg Times, three categories.


Sarah Hoye, Tampa Tribune, three categories.


Michelle Bearden, Tampa Tribune, one category.


Anwar Richardson, Tampa Tribune, one category.


Nicholas Williams, Tampa Tribune, one category.


Fred Bellet, Tampa Tribune, four categories.


Joseph Brown III, Tampa Tribune, one category.


Charles Cherry II, Florida Courier, six categories.


Wade Tatangelo, Creative Loafing, one category.


Alex Pickett, Creative Loafing, one category.


Megan Voeller, Creative Loafing, one category.

Members and friends of the Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists:

We're meeting at 11 a.m. next Saturday -- Oct. 11 -- at The St. Petersburg Times Tampa office, 1000 N. Ashley Dr., Tampa.

This is a crucial meeting. We'll be taking about the Griot Drum Awards, which picked up the St. Petersburg Times, Tampa Bay & Co., Hill & Knowlton and WFTS-Ch. 28 as sponsors this week. We need to get more applicants for our $1,000 scholarships and more sponsors to ensure our banquet is profitable.

We should also start brainstorming what we'd like to do when the national convention comes here next year.

We have moved the date from its traditional spot, the first Saturday of the month, because I'm participating in a charity event tomorrow and couldn't attend. Hope to see you there!

Eric Deggans
President, Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists
Chair, NABJ Media Monitoring Committee
TV/Media Critic, St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times
http://www.tbabj.com
(727) 893-8521

ATTENTION: Educators, high school students, college students and anyone who knows them:

The Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists (TBABJ) has extended the deadline for its 2008 Scholarship Contest to Oct. 22. That means students of color with some connection to the Tampa Bay area can apply for one of three different $1,000 scholarships we are awarding this year.

Go to the application form, which you can print out, by clicking here.

Please encourage all undergraduate college students and graduating high school seniors of color (African American, Hispanic, Asian, etc.) to apply for this contest by OCT. 22, 2008. Applications must be postmarked by this date to be considered.

This year, we will award three $1,000 scholarships to deserving minority college students who are pursuing careers in journalism. Our desire is to empower young journalists of color to join the ranks of the working press.

In addition to the scholarship, our 2008 winners will receive student membership in the National Association of Black Journalists and TBABJ for one year.

Students currently enrolled in college or graduating high school seniors are encouraged to apply. Graduate students and previous grand prize winners are NOT eligible. Applicants MUST have a connection to the Tampa Bay area, which includes Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota, among other communities in the region. We expect our winners to attend TBABJ’s annual awards banquet in November.

Completed application packets must be postmarked by Oct. 22.

Questions? Contact Kevin Graham, TBABJ’s Scholarship Coordinator, at 813-226-3433 or kgraham@sptimes.com.

Good luck!

Eric Deggans
President, Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists
Chair, NABJ Media Monitoring Committee
TV/Media Critic, St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times
http://www.tbabj.com
(727) 893-8521

2008 Student Scholarship Application -- feel free to print out and mail in!

Deadline: Applications must be postmarked by WEDNESDAY, OCT. 22, 2008!

All materials become the property of TBABJ and will not be returned.
Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Last Name:_________________ Middle Initial:____ First Name:___________________

Permanent Address:_______________________________________________________

City:_________________________ State:________ Zip Code: ____________________

Permanent Phone Number:___________________ Personal E-mail:_________________

Present Address: __________________________________________________________

City:_________________________ State:________ Zip Code: ____________________

Present Phone Number:_____________________________________________________

Social Security Number:____________________ Are you a U.S. Citizen:___Yes ___No

If not, do you have legal documentation supporting your stay in the United States?______

School Classification for school year 2008-09 (i.e. freshman, sophomore, etc):_________

College or University:______________________________________________________
(High school seniors, please name your current school and the post-secondary institution you plan to attend.)

Projected Graduation Date (mm/yy):__________________________________________
II. Please consider the following topic in a 500-word essay:

Analyze the media’s coverage of a recent news story involving race, class or religion. Discuss how you would have covered the story.

Please enclose a photograph and five collated copies of the following:

► Completed Application

► Essay

► Resume

► Three to six examples of journalistic work (Broadcast journalists may submit a DVD but must note their role in each production, i.e. sound technician, lighting, writer, producer).

Please also include one sealed copy of the following:

► Official school transcript (Must be enclosed in an official school envelope and be stamped by your registrar’s or principal’s office).

► One to two letters of recommendation from faculty, employees or journalists familiar with your career goals.


Mail applications to:

Kevin Graham, Scholarship Coordinator
Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists
1000 N Ashley Drive, Suite 700
Tampa, FL 33602

NPR and Fox News analyst Juan Williams will be the honored guest of a reception co-sponsored by the Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists on Sept. 15, when he comes to the Poynter Institute for Media Studies in St. Petersburg.

Juan will be speaking at Poynter as part of a fundraising "community conversation" panel called "Election 2008: Covering the Issues." The conversation starts at 6:30 p.m. and costs $25. But the meet-and-greet with Juan afterwards, starting at 8 p.m., is free to members and friends of TBABJ -- just tell the folks at the door you're with the organization.

The event is to be held next Monday, Sept. 15, at the Poynter Institute, 800 Third St. South, St. Petersburg.

Again, friends and members of the TBABJ will be able to attend the reception for free. Even if you're not a member, come by and spend time with us and leave with an application. Please email us if you plan to attend, though walk-ups are welcome. To attend the 6:30 p.m. presentation at Poynter, you must pay a $25 donation.

If you have any questions, feel free to email TBABJ president Eric Deggans or call 727-893-8521. This is an invaluable opportunity, especially for journalism students and those interesting in political reporting, to meet one of the highest-profile black journalists covering this year's elections.

Please join us for an interesting, revealing evening. And feel free to email or call me if you have any questions.

Eric Deggans
President, Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists
Chair, NABJ Media Monitoring Committee
TV/Media Critic, St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times
www.tbabj.com
(727) 893-8521

TBABJ Members and friends --

We're meeting at 11 a.m. Saturday (Sept. 6) at one of our newer spots: Kizmet cafe in St. Petersburg.

As usual, we have a lot going on. We are considering organizing a reception at the Poynter Institute for Fox News and NPR pundit Juan Williams, who is appearing at the Institute on Sept. 15.

We have also been asked to co-host a public forum featuring Hillsborough Supervisor of elections Buddy Johnson. It's a great opportunity to give people of color in Hillsborough a chance to learn about new voting technology and discuss recent controversies. Currently, we're talking about Sept. 25 for the date, but we have yet to secure the participation of our previous forum partners, the Hillsborough NAACP and CAIR.

We also have to start lining up sponsorships for the Griot Drum Awards banquet, scheduled for Nov. 20. And, of course, the national convention in Tampa is less than a year away.

Here's the address: Kizmet 1101 1st Avenue NORTH, Saint Petersburg, FL 33705 (727) 821-1078.

Hope to see you there!

Eric Deggans
President, Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists
Chair, NABJ Media Monitoring Committee
TV/Media Critic, St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times
http://www.tbabj.com/
(727) 893-8521

TBABJ Members and friends:

Our next meeting is scheduled for 11 a.m. this Saturday, Aug. 16, at the Golden Corrall restaurant, 6942 WEST HILLSBOROUGH AVENUE 33634 (813)882-9805.

We usually meet on the first Saturday of each month, but the UNITY convention was exhausting for many of us and I wanted to give everyone a chance to get back to their lives a bit. Unfortunately, we also have several projects which need to advance soon, so we can't take too much of a breather. Among them:

-- Hillsborough County's bureau of elections wants to co-sponsor a public forum on the new voting machines with us, CAIR, HRC and the NAACP. So we'll need to talk a bit about how that might work.

-- We have extended the deadline for our Griot Drum scholarships because our first go at soliciting applicants didn't yield much response. We'll need to plan a new strategy for spreading the word.

-- We have set Nov. 20 as the date for our Griot Drum awards dinner, so we need to work on organizing that event.

-- The South Florida NABJ chapter needs us to judge its awards contest, in exchange for judging ours. So Camille Spencer is seeking members to help with the judging, and we need to schedule that.

And we need to congratulate each other on a very well done kickoff party presented during UNITY last month.

I'm hoping you'll join us Saturday and lend your sweat equity to our effort.

Here's directions: Obviously, in Tampa, you can just get on 580/Hillsborough Ave. from any major artery and drive west to Town N' Country.Take I-275 to Route 60 north to ext. 4: Hillsborough Ave. turn left (west) on hillsborough and look for the restaurant.

As always, call or email if you need to discuss anything beforehand.

Eric Deggans
President, Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists
Chair, NABJ Media Monitoring Committee
TV/Media Critic, St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times
(727) 893-8521

(Warning: this timeline is subject to change)

3 p.m. – TBABJ chapter members meet to stuff goody bags at Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers, at NABJ presidential suite, room 826.

6 p.m. – TBABJ members meet at the site of the Salute to Excellence banquet to distribute free raffle tickets for our Innisbrook Resort weekend getaway drawing. Location: Chicago ballroom, Sheraton Hotel and Towers.

9 p.m. – Workers will transform the Chicago ballroom into the space for the kickoff party. TBABJ members will set up our tables to sell t-shirts and collect business cards/or distribute raffle tickets for the Innisbrook drawing.

10 p.m. – Workers will conduct a soundcheck for the kickoff party featuring Eric Darius and Men of Note vocal group. Headliner Funkmaster Flex is not expected to arrive with his crew until 11 p.m.

10:30 p.m. – Doors open to the Chicago ballroom for the kickoff party.

10: 45 p.m. – The kickoff party begins with a short performance by the Men of Note vocal group from Busch Gardens. Tampa chapter president Eric Deggans will serve as Master of Ceremonies. After the vocal performance, staffers from the Tampa convention and visitors bureau will announce that Busch has joined as a major sponsor and will provide one free admission to each NABJ 2009 registrant.

11 p.m. – Eric Deggans will announce that sponsor Sheila Johnson has donated a vacation package at Innisbrook Resort for us to raffle, and will draw a winner’s name.

11:05 p.m. – Saxophonist Eric Darius begins his set. Will perform for 30 minutes.

11:40 p.m. – Funkmaster Flex takes the stage for a three-hour show.

1:45 a.m. – Tampa chapter members begin distributing goody bags to guests leaving the party.

Members and friends of the Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists:

After months of planning and anticipation UNITY week is finally here!

We're going to have a great time at the convention in Chicago, but the Tampa chapter also has a lot of work to do in preparing for our kickoff party Saturday.

To help get organized, we're going to meet up in Chicago a few days early, on THURSDAY at 5 p.m. in the lobby of the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers in downtown Chicago. Already, we've had lots of amazing efforts from members, from helping snag a video interview with kickoff party guest Winky Wright (who had to drop out of the party at the last minute), to folks getting an amazing amount of giveaways for the goody bags we'll hand out at the party.

Our onsite meeting in Chicago has been pushed back one day from the date we originally announced, to help more people to attend. Even if you haven't stopped by any meetings in Florida, please feel free to join us in Chicago on Thursday to lend your ideas and support.

You can also check out our Web site to keep abreast of any updates. I'll try hard to post any significant news there. And I'm always reachable by cellphone at 727-642-8907.

Looking forward to seeing you in Chi-town! Here's the address:

Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers
301 East North Water Street
Chicago, IL 60611
Call 1-877-242-2558 for Reservations
Main 1-312-464-1000

Eric Deggans
President, Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists
TV/Media Critic, St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times
www.TBABJ.com
(727) 642-8907

Members and friends of the Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists --

As promised, I have set up a conference call for 6 p.m. Monday (July 7) for chapter members to conduct final discussions before meeting in Chicago for the UNITY conference and our kickoff party there July 26.

So an unlimited number of members can sit in on the call, I've set up an account with the FreeConnect.com teleconferencing service. The only catch here, is that you must call a 218 number, in Duluth, Minn. in order to be part of the call. I've already checked, and it shouldn't cost more than a standard long distance call to that state.

So I would like everyone who is interested in helping us with final preparations for Chicago to please call 218-339-2699, and enter the conference code 394638. that should gain you entrance into our conference line.

If there is a problem, please call me on my cellphone at 727-642-8907. I have information on using the St. Pete Times conference call system as a fall back. But it only can accomodate eight lines, and I worry that may not be enough.

I hope to update you all on talent for our party, items for the goody bags, flyers to promote the events and more. If you have taken responsibility for any aspect of the event, please make an effort to be on the call or contact me with an update that UI can pass along to everyone else.

Hope to talk with you soon tomorrow. Feel free to call or email anytime if you need to speak sooner...

Eric Deggans
President, Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists
Chair, NABJ Media Monitoring Committee
TV/Media Critic, St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times
www.tbabj.com
(727) 893-8521

Members and friends of the Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists:

We're getting down to the wire in planning our kick off party for the 2009 convention, scheduled july 26 in chicago. We've had a lot of developments in the past week and we've made some plans, so here's what we know:

Currently, we have smooth jazz saxophonist Eric Darius, prizefighter Winky Wright and Busch Gardens' vocal group Men of Note confirmed to appear. The NABJ is also working with a new sponsor to bring several big-name performers to the party; we will release those names when the performers are confirmed.

We are making 100 t-shirts to promote the chapter, with plans to sell them at the kick off party and elsewhere. Any chapter member who volunteers during the convention will get one free shirt (it isn't much, we know, but's its better that what you usually get...)

We have several tasks we will need to complete at the UNITY convention before the party. So if you will be attending UNITY and would like to help the chapter, please send me your contact information -- email, hotel location, cellphone -- so we can contact you in Chicago. We are asking chapter members to meet at 5 p.m. July 23 (Wednesday) at the registration desk of the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and towers. There, we will find a good location to meet and go over the tasks to come that week.

We will need help stuffing the 1,000 goody bags Busch Gardens has provided for the party. Right now, we're planning to meet Saturday afternoon to place items inside. We also need to solicit items from Tampa Bay area business to place inside the bags. If you know of any companies which might provide items to place inside the bags, please let me know, so we can contact them.

We will raffle off a golf outing at Innisbrook Resorts which includes a two night stay at the luxury resort and a round of golf. We won't be charging for the tickets, but winners must be present at the kickoff party to collect the prize. We will need volunteers to help distribute raffle tickets throughout UNITY -- especially during the two big meal events, the hall of fame luncheon and salute to excellence banquet. Please let me know if you're willing to help there.

We have planned a conference call for 6 p.m. July 7 to update everyone on our progress. If you would like to participate, please let me know, and I'll send you the call-in number to be part of the conference. I ask particularly that all TBABJ executive board members try to be on the call.

Let me know if you have any questions about the details I've related here. There will be more details to come in short order.


Eric Deggans
President, Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists
Chair, NABJ Media Monitoring Committee
TV/Media Critic, St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times
http://www.tbabj.com/
(727) 893-8521

We're meeting at 11 a.m. Saturday (June 7) at a different spot: Kizmet cafe in St. Petersburg.

As usual, we have a lot going on. We need to complete plans for the kick off party to the 2009 convention, scheduled for July 26 in Chicago this year. We've got to decide about t-shirts and other merchandising we're putting together for the event.

We've just had a public forum on race, religion and media and are already developing plans for a forum in September or October on voting. And we have Griot Drum Awards coming up in November.

Here's the address: Kizmet 1101 1st Avenue NORTH, Saint Petersburg, FL 33705 (727) 821-1078.

Hoep to see you there!

Eric Deggans
President, Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists
Chair, NABJ Media Monitoring Committee
TV/Media Critic, St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times
http://www.tbabj.com/
(727) 893-8521

Free public forum at 7 p.m. May 29 in Tampa:

From the furor over Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s connection to presidential candidate Barack Obama to the controversy over the detention and prosecution of Muslim students from Tampa on charges of transporting explosives, issues of race and religion stand at the heart of the biggest media stories of this year.

So that people in the Tampa Bay area can speak out about the issue and directly address journalists who cover these issues, the Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists has joined the Council on American Islamic Relations, the Tampa/Hillsborough Human Rights Council and the Hillsborough County branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People for a free public forum. Join us for discussion on:

RACE, RELIGION & MEDIA: ARE WE GETTING THE COVERAGE WE DESERVE?

The event will be held on Thursday May 29, 2008, 7 p.m. in the Student Services Auditorium at the Hillborough Community College’s Dale Mabry Campus, 4001 Tampa Bay Blvd., Tampa. Admission is free and all are invited to attend. Participants include:

*Arthur Jones, pastor, Bible Based Fellowship Church and friend of Rev. Wright
*Ahmed Bedier, civil rights activist, president Tampa/Hillsborough HRC
*Bill Keller, evangelist, LivePrayer.com
*Michelle Bearden, religion reporter, Tampa Tribune/WFLA-Ch. 8/TBO.com
*Otis Anthony, host, Sunday Forum, WMNF-FM
*Ken Irby, Visual journalism Group Leader & diversity director, Poynter Institute

The event will feature a discussion among the panel, moderated by TBABJ President Eric Deggans, TV/Media Critic for the St. Petersburg Times. The panel will also take questions from the audience.

TBABJ, founded in 1990, is a non-profit affiliate of the National Association of Black Journalists, representing dozens of journalists of color throughout the Florida Suncoast.

Established in 1994, The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3), grassroots civil rights and advocacy group. CAIR is America's largest Islamic civil liberties group, with regional offices nationwide and in Canada. The national headquarters is located on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C.

First organized as a Tampa branch in 1917, the Hillsborough County Branch NAACP seeks to remove barriers of racial discrimination through normal democratic processes, informing legislatures of the importance of enacting laws securing civil rights and their executives of their statutory, administrative or inherent authority to end discrimination.

Contacts:
For the HRC, Ahmed Bedier, 813-731-9506, bedier@gmail.com.
For the TBABJ, Camille Spencer, 727-992-5203, camillecspencer@gmail.com.
For CAIR, Donnie Ali, 813-514-1414, dali@cair.com.
For the NAACP, Curtis Stokes, Curtis.Stokes@53.com.

It is with great pleasure that the Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists announces its 2008 Scholarship Contest.

All high school and undergraduate students of color (African American, Hispanic, Asian, etc.) are eligible to apply for this contest. Deadline is Oct. 22, 2008. Applications must be postmarked by this date to be considered.

This year, we will award three $1,000 scholarships to deserving minority college students who are pursuing careers in journalism. Our desire is to empower young journalists of color to join the ranks of the working press.

In addition to the scholarship, our 2008 winners will receive student membership in the National Association of Black Journalists and TBABJ for one year.

Students currently enrolled in college or graduating high school seniors are encouraged to apply. Graduate students and previous grand prize winners are NOT eligible. Applicants MUST have a connection to the Tampa Bay area, which includes Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota, among other communities in the region. We expect our winners to attend TBABJ’s annual awards banquet in the fall.

Completed application packets must be postmarked by Oct 22.

Questions? Contact Kevin Graham, TBABJ’s Scholarship Coordinator, at 813-226-3433 or kgraham@sptimes.com.

Members and friends of the Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists:

We're meeting at 11 a.m. April 5 at a new spot: the Kizmet cafe in St. Petersburg.

As usual, we have a lot going on. We need to further plans for for the kick off party to the 2009 convention, scheduled for July 26 in Chicago this year. We're also organizing our next public forum, which we will present with the NAACP and Council on American-Islamic Relations as co-sponsors.

We also need to discuss the fast approaching Griot Drum Awards, since we have extended the deadline for entries to March 28.

Hope to see you there! Here's the address:

Kizmet 1101 1st Avenue South, Saint Petersburg, FL 33705 (727) 821-1078 Dining Guide: St Petersburg Restaurants

Eric Deggans
President, Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists
Chair, NABJ Media Monitoring Committee
TV/Media Critic, St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times
http://www.TBABJ.com
(727) 893-8521

Get out those media awards submissions, because it's not too late to send in entries for the Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists (TBABJ) Griot Drum awards.

These awards, open to journalists of any ethnicity, honor quality coverage of people of color or issues affecting them. They are also the Tampa Bay area's only local journalism awards contest, focused on honoring achievement in the state's largest media market.

The deadline has been extended until March 28. Entries must be postmarked by that date.

See attached forms for entry information. Or go to the Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists web site at www.TBABJ.com.

Got questions? Call or e-mail Camille C. Spencer, awards coordinator, at 727-992-5203 or camillecspencer@gmail.com.

Best,

Camille C. Spencer-- Camille C. SpencerReporterSt. Petersburg Timeswww.tampabay.com727.869.6229 (office)727.992.5203 (cell)

PBS host Gwen Ifill will be the honored guest of a reception co-sponsored by the Tampa
Bay Association of Black Journalists Feb. 15, when she brings her show Washington Week to St. Petersburg's Mahaffey Theater.

After the 3 p.m. taping, which includes a half-hour local show to be aired on WEDU-Ch. 3 after her national version, Ifill will come to the Poynter Institute for Media Studies for a fundraising appearance. Her meet-and-greet reception co-sponsored by TBABJ will follow that appearance, starting at 7:15 p.m. at the Poynter Institute, 800 Third St. South, St. Petersburg.

Friends and members of the TBABJ will be able to attend the reception for free. Please email us if you plan to attend, though walk-ups are welcome. To attend the 6 p.m. presentation at Poynter, you must pay a $25 donation.

If you have any questions, feel free to email TBABJ president Eric Deggans or call 727-893-8521.

The group has set its next membership meeting for 11 a.m. Saturday Jan. 12, at the same place where meetings earlier this year have been held:

Carrollwood Sweet Tomatoes
14703 North Dale Mabry Hwy. (At Ehrlich Rd./Bearss Ave.)
Tampa, FL 33618-2025,
Phone: 813-960-5220


For Mapquest directions, click here.

This meeting will be important for several reasons. We're going to make plans for all our events for the coming year, we're going to talk some more about the kick off party in Chicago in July for the 2009 NABJ convention in Tampa, we're going to talk about soliciting entries for our Griot Drum Awards by the end of the month, we're going to confirm some new officers for the group and if we're lucky, we'll see some black journalists who are new to the area stop by to meet everyone.

Please join us -- I know its tough to make a meeting at the beginning of the year, but we really need to pull together on some of these projects and get organized before the year gets too far away from us.

Thanks in advance for your efforts...

Eric Deggans
President, Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists
Chair, NABJ Media Monitoring Committee
TV/Media Critic, St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times
http://www.tbabj.com
(727) 893-8521

Here's a piece from St. Petersburg's black newspaper, The Weekly Challenger:

Dr. George Curry Keynotes Tampa Bay Association Of Black Journalists Griot Drum Awards
by Joyce Johnson
The Weekly Challenger
Originally posted 11/20/2007

ST. PETERSBURG - The Third Annual Griot Drum Awards and Scholarship Dinner, presented by The Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists, was recently held at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies on Thursday, November 15.

These awards honor the achievements of journalists who have written exemplary articles that not only gave information about people of color, their community, and issues that affect them, but also brought insight and thought provoking introspection to that subject matter. The TBABJ also awards an annual scholarship to an undergraduate minority student who is pursuing a career in the field of journalism.

This year there were 15 awards. Among recipients were: Kevin Graham, St. Petersburg Times, for his story “Martin Lee Anderson Autopsy Results”; Nicole Johnson-Hutcheson, also of the St. Petersburg Times for her story “In Mines Depth, South Africa Women Find Equality,” Willie Allen J., for his photo essay on Winky Wright “Life Outside the Ring,” and several staff members from 89.7 FM. Winner of the $1000.00 scholarship was Kistal Roberts. Ms. Roberts is from Ft. Lauderdale and is studying media management at U.S.F in Tampa.

To see more, click here.

Here's an excerpt from my blog for the St. Petersburg Times:

George Curry's Challenge to Black Journalists: Be a Thermostat

It's hard to explain what it feels like to be part of an amazing movement.

But, facing a crowd of journalists, students and community notables gathered at the Poynter Institute Thursday for the Griot Drum Awards, it felt like standing at the crest of a giant wave.

Sponsored by the Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists, the Griot Drum Awards featured honors for 15 area journalists who have excelled in covering people of color. We also gave away a $1,000 scholarship and gathered together a host of people committed to the idea of boosting diversity in journalism.

Our keynote speaker George Curry made the biggest impact, explaining how journalists of color must "reject rejection" and fight to excel in an industry which often seeks to marginalize them. He spoke of his longtime friend, now-deceased former New York Times managing editor Gerald Boyd, and how his career was unfairly cut short because of inaccurate rumors that he mentored serial plagiarist and fabricator Jayson Blair. Both men were black, so a connection was made and Boyd's career never survived it.

Most of all, Curry radiated confidence and conviction, recalling how he got a job at Washington bureau chief for the Chicago Tribune when the St. Louis Post-Dispatch refused to send him there. When an editor put him on the night shift to break his confidence, he wrote his first book during the days.

For more, click here.

We're convening at the Good Luck Cafe in Ybor City -- See You There!

Click the invite to see a larger image...

The group has set its next membership meeting for 11 a.m. Saturday Dec. 1, at the same place where meetings earlier this year have been held:

Carrollwood Sweet Tomatoes
14703 North Dale Mabry Hwy. (At Ehrlich Rd./Bearss Ave.)
Tampa, FL 33618-2025,
Phone: 813-960-5220


For Mapquest directions, click here.

This meeting will be important for several reasons. We're going to talk about our Dec. 8 winter party at 6 p.m. in the Good Luck Cafe in Ybor City.

We're also going to talk about the Saturday closing party we need to plan for the NABJ convention next year, our growing need for officers to serve he chapter and a preliminary report on the success of our Griot Drum Awards caremony.

Please join us -- I know its tough to make the end of the month meetings, but we really need to pull together on some of these projects and get organized before the Xmas holiday pulls us all apart.

Thanks in advance for your efforts...

Eric Deggans
President, Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists
Chair, NABJ Media Monitoring Committee
TV/Media Critic, St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times
http://www.tbabj.com
(727) 893-8521

The following journalists were honored with awards at the Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists’ Griot Drum Awards banquet Thursday, Nov. 15, 2007 at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies in St. Petersburg.

Print: Deadline/Spot News – Kevin Graham, St. Petersburg Times, “Martin Lee Anderson Autopsy Results.”

Print: Investigative Reporting – Nicole Johnson-Hutcheson, St. Petersburg Times, “In Mines’ Depth, South African Women Find Equality.”

Print: Features – Jeff Klinkenberg, St. Petersburg Times, “Courage and Convictions.”

Print: Community/Public Affairs – Kevin Graham, St. Petersburg Times, “Science Museum Seeks Slave Ship series.”

Print: Sports Feature – Dave Scheiber, St. Petersburg Times, “Hate in the Stands.”

TV: Non-Deadline Reporting – Nerissa Prest, WTVT-Ch. 13, “Lower 9th Ward.”

TV: Community/Public Affairs: – Diane Egner, “Manzanas y Peras”

Radio: Spot News – Bobbie O’Brien, WVSF 89.7 FM NEWS, “Students Focus on Non-English Speakers.”

Radio: Features Reporting – Ezzard Bryant Jr., WVSF 89.7 FM NEWS, “NWC: The Rare Show.”

Radio: Documentary/News – Bobbie O’Brien, WVSF 89.7 FM NEWS, “Just Elementary: The Journey Continues.”

Radio: Investigative Reporting – Bobbie O’Brien, WVSF 89.7 FM NEWS, “Testing English Learners.”

Radio: Public Affairs – Bobbie O’Brien, WVSF 89.7 FM NEWS, “Attitude Plus: Election Listing Post.”

Photo: Features - Willie J. Allen, Jr., St. Petersburg Times, “Inspiration.”

Photo: Sports Features - Fred Bellet, Tampa Tribune, “Body English.”

Photo Essay - Willie Allen, Jr., St. Petersburg Times, “Life Outside the Ring”

In our continuing quest to serve you better, the TBABJ board has contracted with a California-based company, Webhead Labs, to present a new home in cyberspace for the Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists.

Besides offering a sleeker design, this version of our Web site offers more information, including a more comprehensive calendar of events, downloadable membership and ticket request applications and lots of pictures from our past events.

Of course, this also means our MySpace page and Freewebs site, both nice alternatives to paid designs, will be dormant. Any past information likely will remain, but new information -- especially meeting notices and information on our many projects -- will now appear here.

There's even an RSS Feed option so you can tell your web browser to automatically notify you whenever our page is updated!

I'm hopeful this will become an informative and bustling hub for the chapter's projects. And, as always, if you have any problems or questions you can feel free to email me at TampaBayNABJ@aol.com or my personal address digdog@aol.com.

Welcome to TBABJ's new Internet home!

Eric Deggans

TBABJ chapter president/TVand Media Critic, St. Petersburg Times