2018 KCABJ Urban Student Journalism Academy March 29, 2018

2018 Urban Student Journalism Academy

June 25-July 6, 2018

at the Urban League of Greater Kansas City

1710 the Paseo Blvd.

Sponsored by The Kansas City Association of Black Journalists

 

KCABJ is a not-for-profit corporation registered with the Secretary of State of Missouri and affiliated with the National Association of Black Journalists.

 

About the Kansas City Association of Black Journalists

 

KCABJ was founded in 1981, and this year it celebrates its 37th anniversary as an organization of professional black journalists. This is the 33th KCABJ Urban Student Journalism Academy. Many graduates of the program are established in the field or are pursuing careers in journalism.

For more information about the academy or the Kansas City Association of Black Journalists call KCABJ Treasurer Bette Tate-Beaver at 816-241-9089 or KCABJ President Lewis W. Diuguid at 816-730-9194.

 

About The Urban League of Greater Kansas City

 

The Urban League of Greater Kansas City has been part of the national network of Urban Leagues since 1919. Its mission is to enable African-Americans and other disadvantaged persons to secure economic self-reliance, parity, power and civil rights.  The Urban League’s programs provide assistance to area residents to help them gain employment and build sustainable careers. The Kansas City Association of Black Journalists is committed to working with high school and college students to prepare them for careers in print and broadcast journalism or other communications fields. This year’s academy continues that tradition in the Urban League’s continuing education classroom.

 

The 2018 KCABJ Urban Journalism Academy is free to students. It is a commuter program and is conveniently located on a bus line in the Urban League’s newly remodeled high-tech classroom in the 18^th & Vine Jazz Heritage District. There is a mandatory orientation on Saturday, June 23. The location will be announced to those students selected for the program. Each student is responsible for his or her own transportation to and from the KCABJ academy each day. Class begins at 8 a.m. and ends at 3 p.m.

 

This academy is unique in our area because it is taught by journalists working for newspapers, television and radio stations, in public relations and new media in Greater Kansas City. Educators will add their knowledge to the instruction. Students will be:

— Assigned stories to report and write.

— They will work on computers.

— Shadow reporters.

— Study social media and its personal and population effects.

— Benefit from lectures from major newsmakers.

— Network with influential people.

— Produce their own newspaper and radio and television newscasts.

• Tour area media companies.

 

Every student who attends the academy leaves with enhanced reading, writing, analytical, communication and questioning skills. Teachers and parents have said teenagers and young adults have returned from the summer program energized and far more interested and able to learn than before.

 

Scholarships & Other Opportunities

Students selected for the academy will compete for scholarships offered by KCABJ. The awards go to the best students in the class. The class size will be limited to 12. Many of our graduates are award-winning journalists today.

To Apply

1. Write a one-page essay on the role people of color should have in journalism.
2. Send one sample of your writing — if possible something that has been published (e.g. an article in your school newspaper). We are seeking committed students who are not afraid of hard work and who already have a demonstrated interest in journalism.
3. Mail this completed application, your essay and writing sample by May 9, 2018, to KCABJ, P.O. Box 32744, Kansas City, Mo. 64171.

 

Academy Application

 

Name_____________________________________

 

Email:____________________________________

 

Male______ Female _______ Birth date_________

 

Address___________________________________

 

City_________________ State/ZIP _____________

 

Phone ____________________________________

 

School Name_______________________________

 

Year in School ______________________________

 

GPA_______________________________________

 

Journalism/English/Yearbook Teacher’s Name:

 

___________________________________________

 

In which area are you most interested? Rank

each 1, 2, 3 or 4 with your favorite being #1.

_____Newspaper              Television ________

 

______Radio                     Public Relations _____

 

List journalism and/or writing experience in courses you have taken or media companies

where you’ve worked:________________________________________________________

 

_________________________________________________________________________

 

On a separate sheet of paper list your career

goals and why you want to attend this academy.

 

Student signature_______________________________________

 

 

Signature of Parent/Legal Guardian_____________________________________________

 

 

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KCABJ Newsletter for March 2018 March 17, 2018

KCABJ Academy

Spring break and travel by KCABJ members delayed the March meeting until April.

By the Saturday, April 21 meeting, KCABJ will have set dates for the KCABJ Urban Student Journalism Academy. It will take place in early June after students have gotten out of school. The Urban League of Greater Kansas City has offered its continuing education classroom for adults to KCABJ for the two-week program.

The academy will include instruction by journalism professionals in the Kansas City area on print, broadcast and new media. The class in 2016 was canceled because of faculty illnesses and in 2017 because only one student signed up for the program.

Any efforts to enroll students in the program would be appreciated.

NABJ News

The National Association of Black Journalists has extended until March 30 its early bird registration for its Aug. 1-5 convention in Detroit. The theme is “Driving Journalism, Technology and Trust.”

Roland S. Martin has been appointed NABJ vice president-digital.

NABJ is partnering with NBC to bring student and entry-level journalists a webinar to showcase opportunities on NBC while highlighting best-practices during the job search. Panelists include NBCUniversal Director of Talent Acquisition for Campus Programs Seldric Booker; and MSNBC Director of Booking Jesse Rodriguez. The Webinar time is 7:30 p.m.; the date is March 19. Register at https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN__L6V6WtMRLGgUIPv-hV3Ug.

ESPN and NABJ are offering a summer internship in memory of Stuart Scott for his contributions to sports journalism. Interested students may apply for the internship online. It includes a $3,500 scholarship on behalf of ESPN and the NABJ Sports Task Force. All applications must be submitted online by the deadline: April 16, 2018. To learn more and to apply, click here.

NABJ seeks a programs coordinator (“PC”) who has had hands-on convention and career fair, and event planning experience. The candidate must have experience in event planning, and have excellent organizing, and verbal and written communications skills. Review the complete job posting on NABJ.org now.

The National Association of Black Journalists celebrates the National Writers Union‘s (NWU) final settlement with Ebony Magazine on the payment of grievances of 45 freelance writers, editors and designers who are collectively owed $80,000. NABJ President Sarah Glover recognizes NWU’s win as a major step forward for the advocacy of journalists across the nation. NWU President Larry Goldbetter and members attended the 2017 NABJ Convention in New Orleans for fellowship and a meeting.

The NABJ 2018 Salute to Excellence award nominations has been extended to April 20. Each year, NABJ recognizes excellence in journalism and media covering the experiences and issues affecting African American/black communities. The Salute to Excellence National Media Awards competition is open to all media organizations and individuals involved in print, broadcast and/or digital journalism and media. Please submit your nominations here.

The NABJ Elections Committee is accepting filings for the 2018-2020 NABJ Board of Directors. The filing deadline is Monday, April 2, 2018 at 11:59 p.m. ET. The voting period is July 2 to August 3 online and during the #NABJ18 Convention. The offices up for election this year are:

• Vice President – Print
• Treasurer
• Parliamentarian
• Region II
• Region IV
• Academic Representative
• Media-Related Representative

Any member seeking a position on the NABJ Board of Directors, including incumbents, must submit a declaration packet to nabjelections@nabj.org by the filing deadline.

Each year, NABJ and our partners award scholarships to students pursuing careers in journalism, media and communications. Scholarships range from $1,500 to $10,000. Applicants must follow specific criteria/requirements for each scholarship. Please review carefully individual scholarship pages for criteria/requirements. All applications must be submitted online by the deadline: Apr. 16, 2018.

The National Association of Black Journalists commemorates the 50th Anniversary of the Kerner Commission Report published on Feb. 29, 1968. President Lyndon Johnson created the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, also known as the Kerner Commission, in honor of its chair, Governor Ott Kerner Jr. of Illinois. Following seven months of investigation of the 1960s race riots that took place across U.S. cities such Newark, Detroit, Chicago and Los Angeles, the commission issued a 426-page report intended to improve race relations in the future.

One element of the report included a scathing take on the media and its practices being a contributor to racial discord. The Kerner Commission summarized: “The press has too long basked in a white world looking out of it, if at all, with white men’s eyes and white perspective.”

The report’s recommendations to diversify newsrooms were ignored by many, but there were some organizations that acted. Newsday hired NABJ Founder Les Payne and five others, for example.

“Just as President Johnson largely ignored the Kerner Commission’s conclusion that white racism was driving the nation ‘toward two societies; one black, one white – separate and unequal’; most newspapers in the republic discounted its media recommendations that they must recruit, hire and fairly promote more blacks in order to better cover the news,” Payne wrote.

While NABJ’s 44 founders had already been consciously working toward equal opportunity in the media, and some organizing efforts started in Philadelphia in the early 1960s, the Kerner Report’s recommendations helped buoy the cause in living color, advance NABJ’s formation and propel its mission into motion.

NABJ is honored to share the thoughts of some of its founders on this important media diversity anniversary. NABJ Founders Les Payne, Sandra Dawson Long Weaver and Francis Ward share how the Kerner Report impacted their lives.

The Indianapolis Association of Black Journalists will host the NABJ Region II conference April 20-21 at the Hilton Garden Inn-Downtown Indy. We’re excited about seeing everyone and have a great program planned. We need your help, though, to make it a conference that truly represents our region. First, if you know of any potential panelists, please shoot me an email with name and contact information. We also welcome volunteers for the student critique/mentoring sessions. Check out the tentative schedule with session topics below. We’ll make program updates as needed.