TBABJ meeting Feb. 6 to discuss Haiti fundraiser
Want to help raise money for earthquake victims in Haiti?
TBABJ and Wine Mall in Tampa are sponsoring a silent auction on Feb. 27 to raise funds for the Red Cross that will benefit the people of Haiti.
If you've got a product or service to donate for the auction, or you just want to help out, come to our next meeting on Saturday, Feb. 6 at 11 a.m. at the Tampa Tribune, 200 S. Parker Street in Tampa.
We've got a host of other events we're planning for the year as well.
Questions?
Contact our membership chair, Nicole Hutcheson, at njhutcheson@gmail.com, or Camille C. Spencer, TBABJ president at camillecspencer@gmail.com.
See you on the 6th.
TBABJ and Wine Mall in Tampa are sponsoring a silent auction on Feb. 27 to raise funds for the Red Cross that will benefit the people of Haiti.
If you've got a product or service to donate for the auction, or you just want to help out, come to our next meeting on Saturday, Feb. 6 at 11 a.m. at the Tampa Tribune, 200 S. Parker Street in Tampa.
We've got a host of other events we're planning for the year as well.
Questions?
Contact our membership chair, Nicole Hutcheson, at njhutcheson@gmail.com, or Camille C. Spencer, TBABJ president at camillecspencer@gmail.com.
See you on the 6th.
TBABJ Meeting on Saturday, Jan. 9 in Tampa
Mon, Jan 4 2010 10:58 | Meetings, Announcements | Permalink
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
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
TBABJ chapter meeting at 11 a,.m. Saturday in Tampa
Wed, Nov 4 2009 05:02 | Meetings, Announcements | Permalink
Members and friends of the Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists
I know it has been a while. But we're holding the first of our last two meeting of 2009 and we would really like for you to join us.
We have a few really important things to discuss.
1) Elections. I'm planning on stepping down as chapter president, and we need to get a new election process started. we have other people who may want to shift or end their work as chapter officers, so we need as many people as possible who are interested in leading the chapter to step up.
2) Next year's events. We need to start taking about what we will do in 2010. Will we hold another Griot Drum Awards ceremony? Will we just hold the scholarship contest? If we're doing journalism awards, we will need to start in early 2010, so this is no idle matter.
3) Xmas party. Nicole Hutcheson has been pulling together plans for an Xmas party for the chapter as a reward to everyone's hard work on the convention this year. We'll be spending some money on the event, so we need to go over plans and make sure we're handling everything as cost effectively as we can. We also need to know if people would rather get together Dec. 10 or Dec. 17. please join us so you can have a voice.
Here's details on the meeting --
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).
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).
Hope to see you there!
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
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
Mark your calendars: membership meetings on Nov. 7 and Dec. 5
Fri, Oct 9 2009 03:35 | Meetings, Announcements | Permalink
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.
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.
Membership meeting at 10 a.m. Saturday (Sept. 19) in Tampa
Wed, Sep 16 2009 09:57 | Meetings, Announcements | Permalink
Members and friends of the Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists -- It's been a while since our last meeting. But six weeks after the national convention has left town, we've got a lot to celebrate and recount. Our party Aug. 7 at the Florida Aquarium drew nearly 1,500 people to become the largest private party ever held at the facility. And now that we've had some time to rest and rejuvenate, it's time to talk about what's in store for our future. We will hold our next meeting on Saturday, Sept. 19 at 10am at Perkins restaurant,
12650 N. Dale Mabry in Tampa. It's a few blocks south of Fletcher
Avenue. We have a room reserved under our group's name until 12:30,
when another party is scheduled to come in. So please try to get there
on time. We're going to talk a bit about how the fundraiser turned out. We also have been invited to participate in a meeting with African journalists at the University of South Florida in St. Petersburg; I'll be sharing details. We'll also decide what sort of projects the chapter should tackle in the months to come. I hope you can find time to join us. 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
TBABJ membership meeting at 10 a.m. Sept. 19 in Tampa
Tue, Aug 25 2009 08:26 | Meetings, Announcements | Permalink
First off, a huge thanks to everyone who helped out with our
fundraiser at the Florida Aquarium, registration or any other aspect
of NABJ. Your help is much appreciated.
To get the ball rolling for the rest of the year, we will hold our
next meeting on Saturday, Sept. 19 at 10am at Perkins restaurant,
12650 N. Dale Mabry in Tampa. It's a few blocks south of Fletcher
Avenue. We have a room reserved under our group's name until 12:30,
when another party is scheduled to come in. So please try to get there
on time.
If you have any questions, call or e-mail me.
Hope to see you there!
Take care,
Camille Spencer
fundraiser at the Florida Aquarium, registration or any other aspect
of NABJ. Your help is much appreciated.
To get the ball rolling for the rest of the year, we will hold our
next meeting on Saturday, Sept. 19 at 10am at Perkins restaurant,
12650 N. Dale Mabry in Tampa. It's a few blocks south of Fletcher
Avenue. We have a room reserved under our group's name until 12:30,
when another party is scheduled to come in. So please try to get there
on time.
If you have any questions, call or e-mail me.
Hope to see you there!
Take care,
Camille Spencer
membership chair
Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists
--
Camille C. Spencer
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.
--
Camille C. Spencer
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.
NABJ convention is finally here in Tampa!
Wed, Aug 5 2009 06:53 | Meetings, Announcements | Permalink
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/
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/
Volunteers need to help stuff bags for TBABJ and NABJ at 10 a.m Saturday
Wed, Jul 29 2009 08:24 | Meetings, Announcements | Permalink
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.
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.
Special meeting at 11 a.m. July 25 in Tampa
Sun, Jul 12 2009 11:14 | Meetings, Announcements | Permalink
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.
As we get closer to the NABJ convention in Tampa, starting Aug. 5 and our own super-sized fund raiser Aug. 7 at the Florida Aquarium, we'll need to meet for finalizing details and planning our next couple of weeks' work.
There will be lots of opportunities to volunteer and help out, so please feel free to join us, even if you haven't been active for a while or are not a member. Here's you chance to learn how the group works from the bottom up - helping at the ground level with one of our most ambitious projects.
Hope to see you in a couple of weeks!
Eric Deggans
President, TBABJ
Chair, NABJ Media Monitoring Committee
TV/Media Critic, St. Petersburg Times
(727) 893-8521
Potluck lunch/social meeting July 11 in St. Petersburg
Sun, Jul 5 2009 11:52 | Meetings, Announcements | Permalink
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!
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!
Pre-registration for 2009 NABJ convention in Tampa ends tomorrow (July 1)
Tue, Jun 30 2009 08:05 | Meetings, Announcements | Permalink
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
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
Free Multimedia training and career counseling June 20 in Tampa
Thu, Jun 11 2009 04:50 | Meetings, Announcements, Jobs | Permalink
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
Free jobs listings and multimedia training seminar June 20
Fri, Jun 5 2009 06:30 | Meetings, Announcements, Jobs | Permalink
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
*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
TBABJ meeting Saturday June 6 in Tampa
Wed, Jun 3 2009 07:50 | Meetings, Announcements | Permalink
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
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
Membership meetings slated for May and June
Wed, Apr 15 2009 08:11 | Meetings, Announcements | Permalink
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
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
Reception with NABJ board at 6 p.m. April 17 in Tampa
Fri, Apr 10 2009 03:40 | Meetings, Announcements | Permalink
Members and friends of the Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists:
To prepare for August's national convention, the board of the National Association of Black Journalists is meeting here in Tampa next week, from Wednesday to Sunday.
To bring members together with the national board, the TBABJ will hold a get-together at 6 p.m. Friday, April 17 at The Columbia Cafe inside the Tampa History Center, 801 Old Water St. #1905, Tampa.
The History Center is basically just east of the St. Pete Times forum near Channelside downtown.
We will have some free food and drink for attendees.
We'd love for members and friends to stop by and meet the board. We do have a limited amount of food on hand, so please RSVP with me to let me know if you are coming. I would particularly ask executive board members and those heading special projects for us make a special effort to attend.
Feel free to call or email me if you have any questions. Otherwise, I hope to see you Friday...
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
.
TBABJ membership meeting at 11 a.m. April 4
Tue, Mar 17 2009 02:26 | Meetings, Announcements | Permalink
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
=
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
=
Third annual TBABJ Multimedia Seminar begins at 11 a.m. March 7 in Tampa
Sun, Feb 15 2009 06:15 | Meetings, technology, Announcements | Permalink
The Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists is pleased to announce its third annual seminar on blogs and multimedia journalism.
This year's event is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday March 7 at the Tampa Tribune, 200 S. Parker St. Tampa. Head to the south building and tell the security guard in the lobby what event you're attending. We'll be around the corner in a small conference room.
The 2009 seminar features:
* Nathalie Voirin, managing producer for the Tampa Bay version of Gannett's Metromix Web site and a managing producer for CBS affiliate WTSP-Ch. 10. Nathalie works on Metromix from the center of WTSP's newsroom, navigating the mix of traditional TV journalism, online reporting and new school entertainment coverage.
* 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.
* Ken Knight, multimedia reporter for the Tampa Tribune/TBO.com/WFLA-Ch. 8. Ken assembles daily reports from Tampa neighborhoods for all of Media General's platforms in the Tampa Bay area.
* Eric Deggans, TV/Media Critic, St. Petersburg Times. Eric's blog, The Feed, has become a bit of laboratory for his many efforts at multimedia work, from showcasing video of a TV anchor's arrest to using Twitter, Facebook and MySpace to leverage audiences to his blog at the Times Web site.
* Demorris Lee, reporter, St. Petersburg Times. Demorris has completed a number of multimedia projects after completing a fellowship at the Knight Digital Media Center.
During the discussions, we will talk about ways to think about expanding traditional journalism work to multimedia platforms, the advantages and challenges of blogging for journalists, the resources available for those who hope to learn more about this kind of work and examples of quality work done on different platforms.
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.
Feel free to email back at this address or call my office at the number below for more information...And see you on March 7.
Eric Deggans
President, Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists
TV/Media Critic, St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times
(727) 893-8521
TBABJ Meeeting at 11 a.m. Saturday in St. Petersburg
Wed, Feb 4 2009 08:49 | Meetings, Announcements | Permalink
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
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
Membership meeting at 3 p.m. Saturday, two more scheduled
Thu, Jan 22 2009 09:10 | Meetings, Announcements | Permalink
Members and friends of the Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists:
It's always a struggle to get started in a New Year, and I apologize for taking so long to reach out to you regarding the activities of the local chapter. TBABJ officers met early this month by telephone, but our membership meeting has been delayed by lots of busy stuff occupying officers in early 2009.
I'm happy to announce, however, that we have settled on dates and times for our next three meetings: the first is scheduled at 3 p.m. Saturday -- Jan. 24 -- at The St. Petersburg Times Tampa office, 1000 N. Ashley Dr., Tampa. We plan to schedule our February meeting at 11 a.m. Feb. 7, in the Times building in St. Petersburg, 490 1st Ave. South, St. Petersburg.
Our March meeting will be, as it has been over the past two years, a multimedia seminar, featuring several speakers offering tips on how to turn traditional TV and print reports into award-winning multimedia presentations. We hope to schedule this meeting for 11 a.m. March 7 at the Tampa Tribune, as we have in the past. But that date and time has not yet been confirmed.
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.
I'm also pleased to announce that St. Pete Times reporter Camille Spencer has agreed to take over as membership coordinator, relieving former coordinator Demorris Lee. Demorris has a lot on his plate leading the student projects for the NABJ convention in Tampa this year, so it's great that Camille could step up and help give him some breathing room. If you have any questions about your membership, please feel free to contact Camille or myself.
As always, these will be crucial meetings. We are planning events for the national convention in early August and deciding which projects we can take on for the rest of the year. we particularly need help securing sponsorships for a fund raiser we will hold on Aug. 7 during the convention.
Please try to make one of our next two meetings if you have any ideas on how we can proceed there.
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
(727) 893-8521
Membership meeting at noon Saturday in Tampa
Wed, Dec 3 2008 04:26 | Meetings, Announcements | Permalink
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
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
Membership meeting at 11 a.m. Nov. 8
Thu, Oct 30 2008 04:12 | Meetings, Announcements | Permalink
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
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
TBABJ Membership Meeting Oct. 11 in Tampa
Fri, Oct 3 2008 03:39 | Meetings, Announcements | Permalink
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
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
Photos from UNITY-Tampa 2009 Kick Off Party
Better late than never, we have finally managed to grab hold of some pictures from our kicking Kick Off Party for the Tampa 2009 NABJ convention, held in Chicago on July 26 at the UNITY gathering.DJ Funkmaster Flex kept the crowd on the dance floor during his entire set, and I'm still running into journalists of color from the Asian American and Hispanic journalists groups who are raving about our party.
Here's some shots, for those of you who couldn't see it for yourself, including local sax legend Eric
Darius, who kicked off the party. For those of you who did attend, perhaps they will bring back fond memories...
Darius, who kicked off the party. For those of you who did attend, perhaps they will bring back fond memories...
TBABJ co-sponsors reception for NPR's Juan Williams Sept. 15
Mon, Sep 8 2008 11:50 | Meetings, Announcements | Permalink
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 Meeting Saturday at Kizmet Cafe in St. Petersburg
Sun, Aug 31 2008 08:38 | Meetings, Announcements | Permalink
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
Chapter meeting at 11 a.m. Saturday (Aug. 16) in Tampa
Tue, Aug 12 2008 08:00 | Meetings, Announcements | Permalink
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
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
Tentative Schedule for Tampa Kickoff Party today at UNITY in Chicago
Sat, Jul 26 2008 11:18 | Meetings, Announcements | Permalink
(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.
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.
TBABJ meeting at 5 p.m. on Thursday at UNITY in Chicago
Mon, Jul 21 2008 06:16 | Meetings, Announcements | Permalink
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
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
TBABJ Conference Call at 6 p.m. Monday (July 7) to Talk UNITY
Sun, Jul 6 2008 10:00 | Meetings, Announcements | Permalink
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
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
Update on TBABJ plans and needs for UNITY convention next month
Sat, Jun 28 2008 11:26 | Meetings, Announcements | Permalink
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 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
Special Membership Meeting at 11 a.m. Saturday June 28
Mon, Jun 23 2008 02:39 | Meetings, Announcements | Permalink
Members and friends of the Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists: We're meeting at 11 a.m. this Saturday -- June 28 -- at a new spot: Papitos Cuban Cafe & Bar in Tampa.
This is a crucial meeting. We have moved the date from its traditional spot, the first Saturday of the month, because the first Saturday in July falls on July 4 weekend, and we really need as much attendance as possible.
We are sponsoring the final party of this year's NABJ convention as part of the larger UNITY gathering, which means we have a lot to accomplish. We have 1,000 goodie bags to fill, we need to pick up entertainers such as Eric Darius and DJ Ekin at the airport and get them to their rooms and the evening's festivities, we need to hand out raffle tickets at the party for a stay at the innisbrook resort and more.
We really need anyone who will be in Chicago and wants to help the local chapter to show for this meeting. It will probably be our last general membership meeting before everyone heads to Chicago for the July 26 party. I'd like to find out who will be in Chicago and who we can count on to help out. So if you can't make Saturday's meeting, please send an email with contact info and when you'll be around so we can get you involved.
Hope to see you there!
This is a crucial meeting. We have moved the date from its traditional spot, the first Saturday of the month, because the first Saturday in July falls on July 4 weekend, and we really need as much attendance as possible.
We are sponsoring the final party of this year's NABJ convention as part of the larger UNITY gathering, which means we have a lot to accomplish. We have 1,000 goodie bags to fill, we need to pick up entertainers such as Eric Darius and DJ Ekin at the airport and get them to their rooms and the evening's festivities, we need to hand out raffle tickets at the party for a stay at the innisbrook resort and more.
We really need anyone who will be in Chicago and wants to help the local chapter to show for this meeting. It will probably be our last general membership meeting before everyone heads to Chicago for the July 26 party. I'd like to find out who will be in Chicago and who we can count on to help out. So if you can't make Saturday's meeting, please send an email with contact info and when you'll be around so we can get you involved.
Hope to see you there!
Papitos Cuban Cafe & Bar
5305 Ehrlich Road Tampa, FL 33625
(813) 849-7675 phone
Direction from St. Petersburg -- take I-275 into Tampa, take SR-60 W/CYPRESS ST. exit, EXIT 39B towards the Veterans Expressway, take the Veterans Expressway to Ext. 10 (Ehrlich Rd.) head east on Ehrlich Rd. to the address, which should be on the westbound side of the street. you can also take I-275 to Dale Mabry northbound, make a left at Ehrlich Rd. and head west to the restaurant.
Direction from St. Petersburg -- take I-275 into Tampa, take SR-60 W/CYPRESS ST. exit, EXIT 39B towards the Veterans Expressway, take the Veterans Expressway to Ext. 10 (Ehrlich Rd.) head east on Ehrlich Rd. to the address, which should be on the westbound side of the street. you can also take I-275 to Dale Mabry northbound, make a left at Ehrlich Rd. and head west to the restaurant.
Eric Deggans
President, Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists
Chair, NABJ Media Monitoring Committee
TV/Media Critic, St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times
(727) 893-8521
Membership Meeting at 11 a.m. Saturday in St. Petersburg
Wed, Jun 4 2008 09:39 | Meetings, Announcements | Permalink
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
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
TBABJ Forum Draws Crowd, Media Coverage
Here's a report from TBABJ president Eric Deggans on the group's May 29 public forum:
On May 29, before a crowd of about 60 people at Hillsborough Community College in Tampa, I led a discussion on how the media has covered race and religion that took a turn into a conflict about evangelist Bill Keller and some of his more incendiary comments about Islam.
Keller had agreed to appear at the forum, which was co-sponsored by the Council on American Islamic Relations, so he knew some criticsm was coming. But most of the attendees took visible umbrage at Keller's unwillingness to back away from statements such as Islam was a "1,400-year-old lie from the pits of hell" and calling the Prophet Mohammed a "murdering pedophile."
Keller says his words are backed by the bible. Other pastiors onstage, including Arthur Jones from Bible Based-Fellowship in Tama, disagreed. Jones and Keller also disagreed on the notion that black ministers may be held to more media scrutiny or pay a bigger price for controversial statements than white evangelicals. In fact, the only thing all those on our panel could really agree on, was that media outlets weren't covering any of this particularly well. See Keller's caustic assessment of the forum -- in which he says lynching was a "pretty accurate description" for how he was treated by the crowd -- on his own website here. I was struck by how entrenched some perspectives were. Even after I noted how a study showed that white people judge racial progress by looking at how far we've come and black people judge racial progress by how far we need to go -- asking how we bridge that divide -- Jones and Keller proceeded to echo the same thoughts is slightly different ways.
Questioners from the crowd tended to talk about "the media" as if we were all one big ball of an organization, with little distinction between print, network TV, cable TV, talk radio and the Internet. But each platform works indifferent ways, presenting different challenges -- so how can one criticsm fit them all?
What also seemed obvious: while the public is hungry for a media structure which delivers "The truth," increasingly, there is no such thing in modern life. Particularly, regarding complex issues such as religious faith, race prejudice, Palestinian history, anti-American sentiment in the Middle East and the role of the Muslim faith in terrorism, there often is no definitive "truth."There is, instead, a collection of reports from a variety of sources -- each with their own set of values, advantages and shortcomings. And, increasingly, it falls to the news consumer to be selective and wide-ranging in the news sources they regularly consume -- their media diet, as I've written about before -- to make sure they get a balanced view.
As is often the case, I left last night's forum excited by the conversation, but concerned because we rarely seem to move beyond this point. Here's hoping this time might be different.
Here's also some more coverage: WMNF-FM did a story, along with the St. Petersburg Times and area Fox affiliate, WTVT-Ch. 13.
I wish more of our own members had decided to watch this forum -- too often, we create these great opportunities for discussion for the community, but can't get any of our own members to take advantage...
TBABJ Joins With NAACP, CAIR and HRC for May 29 Public Forum
Fri, May 16 2008 12:04 | Meetings, Announcements | Permalink
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.
TBABJ Membership Meeting at 11 a.m. May 10
Tue, Apr 29 2008 08:22 | Meetings, Announcements | Permalink
TBABJ Members and friends:
Our next meeting is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday, May 10, at the Golden Corrall restaurant, 6942 WEST HILLSBOROUGH AVENUE 33634 (813)882-9805.
We usually meet on the first Saturday of each month, but I will be out of town Saturday, and I have lots of information to deliver about our ongoing projects. We'd love to see you atthe meeting because we have several intiatives under development, including:
1) Busch Gardens has come on board as a sponsor of the kickoff party for the 2009 national convention, which is wonderful news. We're hoping to get their help in getting people hyped for the trip to Tampa and we're confident their involvement will convince everyone a good time is waiting for them here in Tampa.
2) We have rescheduled our public forum for May 29, titled Race, Religion and Media: Are We Getting the Coverage We Deserve? The forum is a co-sponsorship with the Council for American Islamic Relations, the Hillsborough NAACP and the Human Rights Campaign and is scheduled for the Dale Mabry campus of Hillsborough Community College. Currently, panelists include A mentor of Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Arthur Jones, local evangelist Bill Keller, former CAIR spokesman Ahmed Bedier and local activist/radio personality Otis Anthony. We're hoping for help getting to a couple more attention-getting panelists and finishing up details.
3) We're also finalizing details for a keynote speaker at our Griot Drum Awards, tentatively scheduled for November of this year. The decision to accept enries for the awards part of the event earlier this year helped, our entries went up a bit, and we're hoping to pull together a wonderful program. We also are still accepting applications for several $1,000 scholarships to be awarded during the banquet.
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
President, Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists
Chair, NABJ Media Monitoring Committee
TV/Media Critic, St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times
(727) 893-8521
TBABJ Meeting April 5 at Kizmet in St. Petersburg
Sat, Mar 22 2008 10:04 | Meetings, Membership, Announcements | Permalink
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
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
TBABJ Multimedia Workshop March 8 in Tampa
The Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists is pleased to announce its second annual seminar on blogs and multimedia reporting.
Scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday March 8 at the Tampa Tribune, 200 S. Parker St. Tampa, the seminar will feature contributions from Ken Knight, TBABJ Treasurer and multimedia editor for the Tampa Tribune/WFLA-Ch. 8/TBO.com; Demorris Lee, reporter for the St. Petersburg Times; Eric Deggans, TBABJ president and creator of The Feed media blog; and Steve Echevarria, feature writer for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and developer of a national panel on blogging for the National Association of Black Journalists.
During the panel discussion, we will talk about ways to think about expanding traditional journalism work to multimedia platforms, the advantages and challenges of blogging for journalists, the resources available for those who hope to learn more about this kind of work and more...
Though this is a professional development seminar organized by the TBABJ, this seminar is free and open to anyone who wishes to attend. Our first session last year was well attended, and we hope to do better in 2008.
In particular, journalists of all ethnicities and experience levels are most welcome. Feel free to email back at this address or call my office at the number below for more information...
Eric Deggans
President, Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists
TV/Media Critic, St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times
http://www.tbabj.com/
(727) 893-8521
Scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday March 8 at the Tampa Tribune, 200 S. Parker St. Tampa, the seminar will feature contributions from Ken Knight, TBABJ Treasurer and multimedia editor for the Tampa Tribune/WFLA-Ch. 8/TBO.com; Demorris Lee, reporter for the St. Petersburg Times; Eric Deggans, TBABJ president and creator of The Feed media blog; and Steve Echevarria, feature writer for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and developer of a national panel on blogging for the National Association of Black Journalists.
During the panel discussion, we will talk about ways to think about expanding traditional journalism work to multimedia platforms, the advantages and challenges of blogging for journalists, the resources available for those who hope to learn more about this kind of work and more...
Though this is a professional development seminar organized by the TBABJ, this seminar is free and open to anyone who wishes to attend. Our first session last year was well attended, and we hope to do better in 2008.
In particular, journalists of all ethnicities and experience levels are most welcome. Feel free to email back at this address or call my office at the number below for more information...
Eric Deggans
President, Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists
TV/Media Critic, St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times
http://www.tbabj.com/
(727) 893-8521
Membership Meeting 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb.9
Mon, Feb 4 2008 06:51 | Meetings, Membership, Announcements | Permalink
Our next meeting is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 9, at the Golden Corrall restaurant, 6942 WEST HILLSBOROUGH AVENUE 33634 (813)882-9805.
It's an important meeting, because we have lots of important events developing.
1) We will actively begin planning the kick off party for the national NABJ convention coming to Tampa in 2009. NABJ executive director Kareen Freeman is coming to Tampa Feb. 12 and 13, and we hope to have a promising plan and list of potential sponsors for her to consider. The party goes down July 26 in Chicago, so we don't have much time. Please come with fresh ideas and as much information as you can assemble.
2) We have tentative plans for our second annual multimedia workshop, to be held on the day of our March membership meeting, March 1. So far, we're hoping the roster of speakers will include Sarasota Herald-Tribune features writer Steve Echevarria, Media General multimedia reporter Ken Knight, St. Petersburg Times reporter Demorris Lee (fresh from a fellowship on multimedia reporting) and yours truly. We'll firm up plans and figure out the where and when Saturday.
3) TBABJ is co-sponsoring a reception honoring PBS host Gwen Ifill when she comes to St. Petersburg to tape her Washington Week show on Feb. 15. The reception is at 7:15 p.m. in the Poynter Institute for Media Studies in St. Petersburg, and is free to TBABJ members and friends; just email or contact us to let us know you're coming, though walk-ups are fine,too. WEDU-Ch. 3 also encourages any TBABJ members to come to Gwen's taping at 3 p.m. in the Mahaffey Theater. Admission is also free there, though you have to contact WEDU for tickets.
4) We are accepting applications for this year's Griot Drum Awards. We decided to put out our call for entries now to make it easier for news organizations which are already entering Pulitzers and other big competitions to include us. If you're on our mailing list, you sould have already gotten an email about the contest -- please pass it along to co-workers and enter yourself!
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
Eric Deggans
President, Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists
Chair, NABJ Media Monitoring Committee
TV/Media Critic, St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times
(727) 893-8521
TBABJ Sponsoring Feb. 15 Reception for PBS Host Gwen Ifill at Poynter Institute
Fri, Jan 25 2008 10:56 | Meetings, Announcements | Permalink
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.
TBABJ Membership Meeting at 11a.m. Saturday Jan. 12 in Tampa
Fri, Jan 4 2008 08:51 | Meetings, Announcements | Permalink
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
TBABJ Xmas Party 6 p.m. Dec. 8 in Ybor City!
Mon, Nov 26 2007 04:43 | Meetings, Announcements | Permalink
We're convening at the Good Luck Cafe in Ybor City -- See You There!
Click the invite to see a larger image...
Click the invite to see a larger image...
TBABJ Membership Meeting at 11 a.m. Saturday in Tampa
Mon, Nov 26 2007 04:36 | Meetings, Announcements | Permalink
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
Monthly Meeting Summary: November 2007
Held at the Golden Corral restaurant on Nov. 3, this meeting mostly featured talk on the upcoming Nov. 15 Griot Drum Awards ceremony.
More details to come when the meeting minutes are processed.
Current TBABJ Officers & Contact Info
Mon, Oct 22 2007 06:07 | Meetings, Announcements, Jobs | Permalink
President -- Eric Deggans, TV/Media Critic, St. Petersburg Times; email - digdog@aol.com; phone: (727) 893-8521. Also serves as chair of National Association of Black Journalists' Media Monitoring Commitee.
Vice President -- Sherri Day, Religion Writer, St. Petersburg Times; email - sday@sptimes.com; phone: (813) 226-3405.
Treasurer -- Ken Knight, Multimedia coordinator, Tampa Tribune/WFLA-Ch. 8/TBO.com; email - kknight@tampatrib.com; phone: (813) 228-8888. Also serves as Region III director for the National Association of Black Journalists.Secretary -- Patty Allen-Jones, retired reporter, Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Send all Chapter correspondence to:
Eric Deggans
c/o St. Petersburg Times
490 !st Ave. South
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
Send all Membership correspondence to:
Demorris Lee
c/0 St. Petersburg Times
710 Court St.
Clearwater, FL 33756
Send all Chapter correspondence to:
Eric Deggans
c/o St. Petersburg Times
490 !st Ave. South
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
Send all Membership correspondence to:
Demorris Lee
c/0 St. Petersburg Times
710 Court St.
Clearwater, FL 33756
