NABJLA's Third Annual Black Women In Media Discussion

Join us Saturday, Sept. 26 at 11 a.m. PT for our third annual Black Women in Media Discussion. We will be joined by Shani Hilton of the Los Angeles Times, Mimi Brown of Fox LA, Anita Bennett of the Black News Channel and Urban Hollywood 411, and Dr. Tykeia N. Robinson, co-host of the Gettin’ Grown podcast. Returning for the second year as moderator is NABJLA Boardmember Shar Jossell. 

Do note that registering for the event does not guarantee entrance. Only the first 100 registered people who login day-of will gain access to the Zoom room. All others can stream the event live on our NABJLA Facebook page.

More about our panelists: 

Anita Bennett

Anita Bennett is the Los Angeles correspondent for the Black News Channel. She is also the founder of entertainment website urbanhollywood411.com.

An Emmy Award-winning journalist, Anita has spent years covering news and entertainment in Los Angeles, including as a contributing editor Deadline.com, as senior editor of the Los Angeles Daily News, and as deputy editor and on-camera host at TheWrap. Prior to moving into entertainment coverage, Anita was a news reporter for L.A. Cityview 35 in Los Angeles.

Anita graduated cum laude from Howard University in Washington, D.C. with a Bachelors Degree in Communications. She is bilingual after having studied Spanish in Spain as a Fulbright Scholar. In 2018, she founded the website Urban Hollywood 411, to highlight African Americans in entertainment.

Mimi Brown

Mimi Brown is the host of FoxLA's Culture Conversations, a digital show launched by the station in the aftermath of George Floyd's murder.  She interviews nationally recognized lawmakers, activists, and others working to bring equality and racial justice to our country.

Mimi also works on FOX 11's signature show, Good Day LA, producing daily segments highlighting the latest in local and national news, entertainment, fashion, and fitness.

Mimi began her journalism career 14 years ago as a red carpet reporter for US Weekly Magazine, where she covered the Oscars, the Grammys and movie premieres, interviewing celebrities whose names you know.  Mimi is also the host of the podcast, "Becoming Dope with Mimi Brown."

She holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Howard University and a Master’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism from American University.

Mimi currently volunteers with several local community groups, mentoring young people and offering career advice.  She is also a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. 

Shani Hilton

Shani O. Hilton joined the Los Angeles Times as deputy managing editor in June 2019. Previously, she was at BuzzFeed News in New York City for six years, where she worked as vice president of news and programming, executive editor and deputy editor-in-chief. She oversaw the company’s news show programming and led efforts to diversify BuzzFeed News revenue through shows with a focus on live video, including “AM to DM” on Twitter and the documentary series “Follow This” on Netflix.

Hilton’s role also included structuring the news team, running special projects and managing a U.S. news staff of more than 200 award-winning journalists. She worked as an editor and oversaw tech, politics, national, entertainment and business coverage.

Prior to working at BuzzFeed News, Hilton was an editor and reporter at outlets including NBC Washington, Washington City Paper and the Center for American Progress. She grew up in Fontana and Stockton and studied journalism at Howard University in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Tykeia N. Robinson, Ph.D.

Tykeia N. Robinson, Ph.D., aka “Dr. Keia” is the Assistant Director of Research and Policy in the Office of Undergraduate STEM Education at the Association of American Colleges and Universities.  Her current work focuses on empowering institutional leaders to 1) understand & interrogate existing organizational challenges and disparities, and 2) craft customized strategic initiatives that meet organizational needs with excellence and equity. Dr. Keia also co-hosts the Gettin’ Grown podcast on the Loud Speakers Network, a show about navigating the transitions of adulting as young Black millennials. Gettin' Grown recently celebrated over 8.5 million listens and downloads since its inception in 2017.  Tykeia earned her Ph.D. in Higher Education from the University of Maryland College Park and is also the founder of "TeamTypingFast" (TTF), an online community of practice that prioritizes the wellness, success, and productivity of Black women academics, corporate professionals, and entrepreneurs. 

Shar Jossell (Moderator)

Shar Jossell is a media personality, journalist, and writer. She focuses on pop culture reporting and writes in the intersections of trans identities, race, and entertainment. Shar has previously served as a panelist on AfterbuzzTV & Black Hollywood Live, quickly becoming one of their most sought after personalities. She was named to Obvious Magazine's inaugural Visionaries list in 2020. 

Most recently, she has guest co-hosted Crooked Media's "Keep It" podcast (Ira Madison III, Louis Virtel, Aida Osman), and has been a guest pundit on Luminary's "Hear To Slay" (Roxane Gay, Tressie McMillan-Cottom), and Maximum Fun's "FANTI" (Tre'vell Anderson, Jarrett Hill).

Shar has been featured on Buzzfeed, HuffPost, TMZ, Into, FOX Soul, That Grape Juice, and The Wrap--just to name a few. She's currently a rotating guest co-host on Channel Q Radio (Radio.com) and her show, the "Kiss & Tell Radio" podcast, available everywhere. Her bylines include ZORA, Bold Culture, & THEM. 

August 2020 | Making the Pivot: Journalist to Screenwriter

As part of our ongoing "Making the Pivot" series, join us Saturday, August 29 at 11 a.m. PT as we host screenwriter Cheo Hodari Coker (Marvel's "Luke Cage," "Notorious", "Lowriders" and "Creed II") in a one-on-one conversation about his former career as a hip-hop journalist and making the pivot to Hollywood. NABJLA President Tre'vell Anderson will moderate.

Do note that registering for the event does not guarantee entrance. Only the first 100 registered people who login day-of will gain access to the Zoom room. All others can stream the event on our NABJLA Facebook page. 

NABJ Congrats: Tre'vell Anderson Elected NABJ Region IV Director

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NABJLA President Tre'vell Anderson has been elected NABJ Region IV Director to represent the chapters of California, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

Anderson is an entertainment reporter, film critic, co-host of the podcast FANTI, and co-chair of NABJ’s LGBTQ+ Task Force.

June 2020 | Freelancing Ain't Free (Webinar)

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NABJLA President Tre'vell Anderson hosts writers Mikelle Street and Stephanie Smith-Strickland for a conversation about the business of freelancing. We'll be discussing everything from setting rate to contract negotiations and beyond.

Note: This webinar has limited capacity. While all can register, only the first 100 to login on the day-of will gain access. The webinar will be recorded and available for playback to dues-paying NABJLA members. 

Panelists:

Stephanie Smith-Strickland is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer and content strategist with a passion for music, fashion and lifestyle content. Her bylines include features for Highsnobiety, Vice, i-D, Complex, OkayAfrica, MTV and more. When she's not haphazardly trying to meet deadlines you can find her baking pastries and cakes. 

Mikelle Street is a Manhattan-based writer and editor. His work generally deals with queerness, Blackness, fashion, and subcultures, as well as the intersections therein. He is currently the Digital Director for Out Magazine. He previously served as the publication's Senior Editor across print and digital. Prior to this role he was a Style Editor at Maxim Magazine. Street's work has also appeared in The New York Times, Elle, Teen Vogue, Harper's, The Cut, Vice, GQ, Esquire, i-D, Allure, and many more. He is available for commission as a writer, speaker, moderator, panelist, and consultant.

NABJ-NAHJ August 2020 Virtual Convention Registration Now Open

Press release via NABJ

Registration for the first-ever NABJ-NAHJ Virtual Convention & Career Fair is now open!

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Click here to register. Preregistration discounts end on July 6. 

The convention and career fair will be held August 5-8, 2020. The theme remains “Power of the Past, Force of the Future,” as it ties into the current landscape of not only the nation but the journalism industry.

Overall more than 100 companies and organizations will join the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ), as the nation’s largest convention and career fair for journalists of color reconvenes in a state-of-the-art virtual environment. 

Highlighted virtual convention features include:

  • More than 90 workshops, panels, forums, and training opportunities 

  • A 3D career fair and exhibition hall featuring more than 70 companies armed with recruiters

  • The option for attendees to meet recruiters and managers live via video, phone and chat in their booths

  • The opportunity to build and share your professional profile and visual portfolio while also applying for job openings right at the virtual booths

  • An opening ceremony and reception co-produced with Walt Disney Parks and Resorts

  • At least 5 networking/happy hour receptions 

  • Three breakfast and luncheon events (the first 1,200 registrants will receive free meal delivery) 

  • The annual NABJ Sports Task Force Scholarship Jam featuring a celebrity DJ

  • The 2021 Houston Convention Kickoff party

  • The Newsmaker Plenary on the U.S. Presidential Candidates

  • The W.E.B. Du Bois Plenary powered by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative

  • Special sessions focusing on social justice, racism in America and COVID-19

  • Exclusive movie screenings and upfronts

  • The Innovation Bubble (featuring the latest from technology companies)

  • The Authors Showcase (featuring new creative works hitting shelves)

  • The Visual Task Force photo auction

  • And a whole lot more (including the option to build your own virtual swag bag to take advantage of partner offerings and save important information as you experience the virtual environment)

Low-cost registration options have been made available to assist attendees as we navigate through the impact of COVID-19. Student rates begin at $90. Professional member rates begin at $190, and nonmember/public rates begin at $250. Members experiencing financial hardships due to COVID-19 and other issues can apply for a hardship scholarship to attend the convention here.

Register now at NABJNAHJConvention.com

Media Contact: Press@NABJ.org

NABJLA Statement on #BlackAtLAT and the Los Angeles Times

 

The Los Angeles chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJLA) is greatly disturbed by recent revelations about the continued systemic racism experienced by Black reporters — past and present — at the city’s paper of record, the Los Angeles Times. We stand in solidarity with the Black reporters of the L.A. Times who have formed a Black Caucus within the L.A. Times Guild to express their discontent and demand accountability by the masthead. 

NABJLA is disheartened by the testimonials of Black former Los Angeles Times journalists recently released on social media under the hashtag #BlackAtLAT, many of whom are or were members of NABJLA.

While the Los Angeles Times has, over the last few years, been a supporter of our NABJLA scholarship program and chapter initiatives, that is not enough. The publication must undergo change in order to better serve the journalists within its newsroom as well as the broader community that yearns for a news media that is reflective of our culturally rich city, the broader Southern California region and beyond. In solidarity with the Black Caucus, we similarly demand the immediate hiring of more Black reporters, editors and visual journalists, particularly in the Metro section, as well as the correcting of alleged pay inequities.

Over the last couple of weeks, NABJLA has reached out on numerous occasions to offer resources and referrals to the Los Angeles Times' masthead to support its verbalized inclusion efforts. We have not yet received a response. Regardless, we continue to be a local resource to owner and executive chairman Patrick Soon-Shiong, executive editor Norman Pearlstine and the entire Los Angeles Times leadership. 

Media Contact:

nabjlaofficial@gmail.com

 

June 6: How They See Us | Black Male Media Project

Black men are under attack and need our voices. Join NABJ on June 6 at 2 p.m. ET for a virtual conversation: How They See Us.

This is an NABJ initiative designed to accurately reflect the contributions of Black males in the media, and promote networking, mentorship, and professional development of Black males working in the media.

This event is designed to take an honest look at how Black males are viewed in stories and within the newsrooms. It is a thought provoking conversation with Black men who have worked in and closely with the media and those exposed to the glaring light of media coverage. We explore how news shapes and reflects the way Black men are viewed and how to overcome obstacles presented when we understand How They See Us.

Click the button below to register for the Zoom webinar.

REGISTER HERE

May 2020 | Black Men Reporting on Black Men

An open, honest discussion on the challenges of reporting in times like these (full video above)

NABJLA Vice President jarrett hill and a panel of Black male journalists from across the country discuss reporting on race in the midst of horrific crimes committed against Black men, as part of NABJ's national Black Male Media Project.

Panelists include Trymaine Lee (Correspondent, MSNBC’s Into America), Eugene Scott (Reporter, The Washington Post's The Fix), Jamil Smith (Senior Writer, Rolling Stone), and Ernie Suggs (Race Reporter, Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

PANELISTS

Eugene Scott joined the Washington Post’s The Fix in September 2017 to report on the politics of identity in the Trump era.

Eugene brings deep expertise and a creative approach to this important subject, as well as a range of skills that will accelerate The Fix’s evolution into a rich, engaging multi-media blog. He joined the Post from CNN Politics, where he covered the 2016 presidential election and was the senior reporter on the website’s breaking news team. He’s a regular on-air contributor, providing analysis on MSNBC, CBS and NPR.

Eugene receiving his Masters from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and a bachelor’s in journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Jamil Smith is a Senior Writer at Rolling Stone, where he covers national affairs and culture. Throughout his career as a journalist and Emmy Award-winning television producer, he has explored the intersection of politics and identity, specializing in reported analysis and commentary about United States politics, social justice, and cultural identity.

After covering the 2016 election as a Senior National Correspondent for MTV News, his political and cultural commentary appeared in several outlets, including The New York Times, Esquire, and Washington Post. Most recently, he was both a weekly columnist for Huffington Post and contributing opinion writer for the Los Angeles Times.

In addition, Jamil wrote the cover story for Time magazine’s February 19, 2018 issue about the film BLACK PANTHER and its cultural significance. Last fall, he profiled former NAACP president Ben Jealous for The New Republic—where he once served as a senior editor.

Jamil graduated from The University of Pennsylvania and currently resides in Los Angeles.

Ernie Suggs earned his B.A. degree in English Literature from North Carolina Central University in 1990, where he was the editor in chief and sports editor of The Campus Echo. Upon graduation, he was awarded an internship by the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) to work for Gannett Newspapers. He returned to Durham, North Carolina in 1992, as a writer for The Herald-Sun.

In 1996, Suggs was awarded a fellowship by the Education Writers Association, which culminated in his award-winning, Pulitzer nominated series Fighting to Survive: Historically Black Colleges and Universities Face the 21st Century.

He was hired as a reporter at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 1997. In 2005, Suggs became the vice-president of the NABJ. He was chosen for the prestigious Nieman Fellowship at Harvard University in 2008, and in 2009, he joined the Nieman Foundation’s board. Suggs was given the Pioneer Black Journalist Award by NABJ in 2013.

Trymaine Lee is a Pulitzer Prize and Emmy Award-winning journalist. He is currently a correspondent for MSNBC. He covers social justice issues and the role of race, violence, politics and law enforcement in America. In 2020, Lee launched The Race Report, a special MSNBC series that explores the intersection between race and politics this election season. He also debuted Into America, a new podcast elevating the voices of voters and demonstrating how policy impacts the day-to-day lives of Americans. Lee was also among the contributors to the New York Times Magazine’s 1619 Project, which earned a 2020 George Polk Award for its exploration of the role of slavery in America and it’s enduring effects in contemporary American society.

Previously, Lee served as a reporter at The Huffington Post, where he is credited with helping elevate the shooting of Trayvon Martin to a national audience. Before that, he was at The New York Times, where his coverage of Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s sex scandal helped earn the newspaper a Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News. He also earned a Pulitzer Prize as part of a team that covered Hurricane Katrina for The New Orleans Times-Picayune

Lee earned two National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Salute to Excellence Awards for Digital Media in 2015 for his MSNBC coverage of the protests in Ferguson, MO. He received a 2018 Emmy Award for Outstanding News Discussion & Analysis for his reporting on gun violence and trauma in Chicago as part of a series and hour-long special produced by MSNBC’s All In with Chris Hayes.

May 2020 | Making the Pivot: From Journalist to Content Creator and Beyond

Full video above

NABJLA President Tre'vell Anderson is joined by three multi-hyphenates — Danielle Young (host and producer, formerly of Essence), Zach Stafford (host of Buzzfeed's "AM2DM") and Gia Peppers (host BET's "Black Coffee" and more) — to discuss their journalism journeys and advice for other communications professionals looking to explore content creation, hosting and other arenas.

Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter below!

NABJ-NAHJ Convention is Going Virtual

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via NABJ

Breaking news! 

We can now announce that the NABJ-NAHJ 2020 Convention & Career Fair will not be held in-person. We will have a virtual convention, an option that we have been exploring for weeks. Keep reading for more exciting information!

First, it’s important that you understand our strategy has always been to help keep our members safe and to avoid $1.3 million in hotel contract cancellation penalties. (That’s how much we would have lost if we had prematurely canceled our contract with the Marriott and Omni hotels.) Timing, legal counsel and other requirements, along with tough negotiations on the part of NABJ and Marriott, were all essential parts of getting to a final successful resolution for our members and attendees. 

I understand you may have been frustrated by updates that appeared to be vague, but the language was deliberate so as not to trigger an unnecessary catastrophic negative impact on our organization. To do so would have damaged our negotiations and put us in legal peril. You elected me to do what was in the best interest of NABJ. I am happy to say we have negotiated a deal that prevents NABJ from financial ruin. Thank you for trusting me. 

VIRTUAL CONVENTION, REFUNDS AND RESERVATION CANCELLATIONS

*Virtual Convention: The new dates for our virtual convention are August 5-9, 2020. We will have 85 plus sessions including meal events and online networking events. There are costs associated with a virtual conference so there will be registration fees offered at the best rates possible for our members and attendees. You will get more information next week on specifics of the conference including workshops and other programming offerings.

*Registration Refunds (3 options)

-You will be able to get full conference registration refunds by emailing the national office at membership@nabj.org.

-You can apply it to next year’s conference 

-You can donate it to fund student registrations 

*Hotel Registration Cancellations

Although NABJ is not involved in the hotel cancellation/hotel refund process, we know hotels have skeletal staffing because of COVID-19 so your experience could be a bit frustrating. That’s why we are talking to the hotel so that we can advise you on the most efficient way to get it done. You will be able to get a full refund and we will provide details next week.

BACKGROUND FACTS THAT WE CAN FINALLY SHARE

  1. We began preliminary discussions of a possible virtual conference the last week in February. In the first week of March, we began reviewing virtual models including one from a respected member in the academic arena.

  2. For weeks, we have been talking with a few partners/sponsors about the possibility of a virtual conference and those talks have been helpful in shaping the virtual options. 

  3. While the virtual option exploration was underway, we were also looking for alternate dates for an in-person convention but none were available because of the size of our conference. Also, it was likely that even a much later convention date this year would also have to be rescheduled. It was apparent that the feasibility of an in-person convention had dramatically diminished

  4. Legal counsel validated what we already knew. The only ways out of our contract

            to avoid the $1.3 million in damages were:

  • A forced cancellation brought on by government or other restrictions triggering force majeure circumstances

  • Negotiations with Marriott to release NABJ from this year’s contract

A government forced cancellation could have required us waiting possibly up to mid-June before informing members and partners of the status of the convention. Obviously that would not work for members, partners or staff on a number of levels. 

Here’s the bottom line: We are proceeding with a virtual convention. This is uncharted territory for NABJ. We are enlisting the help of professionals and companies that routinely do virtual conferences, but we’re also looking for members who have experience in the virtual convention space. We welcome your input. We’re in this together and will build an even stronger NABJ.

Thank you for your patience and your support!

Dorothy Tucker

NABJ President

@Dorothy4NABJ

April 2020 | Digital Check-In Recap

As in-person meetings are cancelled for the foreseeable future, we're launching a digital meeting series.

Catch up on what you missed during our first check-in here including chapter and national convention updates, future webinars and opportunities for freelancers or those out of work.

We’re here to be a resource in these difficult times. Contact us with any inquiries or opportunities for our members.

NABJLA - nabjlaofficial@gmail.com

President Tre’vell Anderson - anderson.trevell@gmail.com

Vice President Jarrett Hill - jarrett@jarretthill.com

Sign up for our newsletter at the bottom of our page for updates and future times we will be connecting and checking in on each other.

January 2020 | How Will AB-5 Impact Journalists?

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Happy New Year!

Join us on Saturday, Jan. 18 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for a conversation about the new bill AB-5 which has a major impact on the livelihoods of freelancers and contractors.

We will be meeting at the SAG-Aftra headquarters (5757 Wilshire Blvd.) where we will be joined by fellow journalists and advocates to answer all your questions about how to navigate this new legislation that limits the amount of projects/stories a freelancer or contractor can perform for a company. We will also discuss chapter elections and hot topics. NABJLA Vice President Jarrett Hill will moderate.

Panelists

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Juliana Jai Bolden
Digital media executive and journalist Juliana J. Bolden leads the creation of digital products, social media strategy, and the production of TV/film/digital content for such brands as Wells Fargo, the Emmys, AT&T, the Image Awards, Grey Goose, BlackTree TV, and served on the 2016 Democratic National Convention Committee Specialty Media team. She is the Editor/Developer for California Freelance Writers United-CAFWU. 

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JoBeth McDaniel

JoBeth McDaniel, American Society of Journalists and Authors First Amendment Chair, is a nonfiction author and longtime magazine journalist who is also a plaintiff in the ASJA/NPPA lawsuit against new CA law AB5.

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Jim Manley
Jim Manley is an attorney at Pacific Legal Foundation, where he litigates in defense of free speech, economic liberty, and property rights. For more than a decade, he has been fighting to protect and expand freedom through strategic litigation and policymaking.

Alisha Grauso

CA Freelance Writers United

November 2019 | All Hands on Deck

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NABJLA board

Join us at our last meeting of the year on Nov. 16 at 11 a.m. for special announcements, a recap of our Media Summit and a discussion on hot topics.

We’d like to have everyone join us this month as we look ahead to developing special events in the interest of our members for 2020. 

Please arrive on time at SAG/AFTRA's Cagney Meeting Room on the first floor (5757 Wilshire Blvd). Free parking can be accessed behind the SAG-AFTRA building, off of Curson and Masselin Ave. Pull a ticket and we will validate.

We look forward to seeing everyone there!

 

Pat Harvey Marks 30th Year of Reporting News in L.A.

Read the Los Angeles Sentinel’s piece on Harvey below.

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When Pat Harvey joined KCAL-TV in 1989, little did she know the massive impact she would have on broadcast journalism or the countless lives she would affect.

She arrived with an impressive resume, which included stints as an original anchor of CNN Headline News and later anchoring CNN’s Daybreak newscast. Moving next to news anchor at Chicago Superstation WGN, Harvey’s investigative reports on the high number of women dying from faulty pap smears led to legislation to regulate cytology labs in the state.

Since arriving in Los Angeles, Harvey made an even greater impression through her insightful and factual story telling about people and issues that connect with the city’s population and beyond. For example, in 1990, she was a reporter on a series on the end of the civil war in El Salvador and interviewed a child who lost both legs after stepping on a mine. Harvey’s report persuaded Loma Linda Hospital to fly the girl to L.A. to receive free prosthetics.

These types of stories – those that have a major effect on people’s lives – are what Harvey said she has treasured the most during her long career in L.A. And based on the multiple awards and honors she has received; it appears that her viewers and colleagues recognize her gift as a broadcast journalist.

“I love my job and connecting with people and hearing from them. That makes me feel good and feel that I am doing what I am supposed to be doing,” she said.

Doing her job has resulted in a cache of memorable stories for Harvey, who recalled the time in 1990 that Nelson Mandela visited Los Angeles after his release from prison. Since KCAL News was relatively new, she didn’t get to meet Mandela, but she did cover his appearance at the Coliseum.

“There was a huge concert and we were on the roof and I met the late Stan Chambers, who was on KTLA. For me, being a newbie, that was very special,” remembered Harvey.

“Fast forward to 1994, I went to South Africa to cover the first all-race election and I met Nelson Mandela in an elevator. I didn’t have my cameraman with me at the time, but I was able to put my hands on him and our story was incredible,” she said.

Harvey and her associates encountered some volatile situations due to the violence surrounding the election. After arriving in Johannesburg and retrieving their luggage, a bomb exploded in the baggage claim area and another bomb went off in the downtown area. “But, for some reason, I didn’t feel any fear,” said Harvey. “We just immediately went to work to try and capture those images and tell the story.”

Another notable occurrence that she holds dear was the opportunity to expose L.A. race relations following the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017 and the tragic consequences of a death and many people injured. Harvey moderated a televised discussion featuring the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sentinel executive publisher Danny Bakewell, Sr., Rabbi Marvin Hier of the Simon Wiesenthal Center and the late LAUSD superintendent, Michelle King.

“I was very excited that we were able to do that and that CBS decided to take what had happened and really open up about it and hear from people who have really made a difference give their different viewpoints about what happened there in Charlottesville and what we can do in society to come together. I was very happy about that. That really put it out front because that particular incident affected everyone,” she said.

Harvey’s intuitive work has resulted several honors such as the Genii Award for excellence in TV broadcasting from American Women in Radio and Television – Southern California chapter, the Joseph M. Quinn Lifetime Achievement Award from the L.A. Press Club, “Best News Anchor” from the Associated Press and the Hollywood Women’s Press Club for ethics in journalism.

Her 23 Emmy Awards include recognition for her reports on basketball great Earvin “Magic” Johnson a decade after he was diagnosed with HIV and a multi-part series from East Africa on the AIDS epidemic and the brutal centuries-old practice of female genital mutilation. In addition, she’s received five Golden Mic awards and was inducted into the National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame.

Despite her busy career and abundance of accolades, Harvey still devotes considerable time to volunteer activities with organizations like the NABJ-L.A. chapter, Special Needs Network and MLK Community Hospital.

“I also enjoy donating and handing out food for Jackson Limousine’s Thanksgiving Turkey Giveaway and still look forward to working with my dear friend, Sweet Alice Harris with Parents of Watts, for her Thanksgiving and Christmas giveaways,” she noted.

Harvey is active with the Good News Foundation, a group comprised of four other fellow newswomen in Los Angeles. The organization awards scholarships to future broadcast journalists and raises funds to help various charities. During Harvey’s tenure as co-chair, the nonprofit built a library for the Downtown Women’s Center, a computer lab for School on Wheels and a playground in South L.A.

Crediting her father and mother as her role models, Harvey said that observing them while growing up in Detroit inspired both her community service involvement and her career choice.

“My folks were middle-class parents and were very involved with the community, schools, PTA, scouts and all of those things. My mother wrote everybody – the mayor, city council, the White House – and she got answers,” said Harvey.

“I think the reason I got into journalism was because of the things that my parents cared about and the things that I would hear them discuss and talk about. I realized that maybe I could have a career talking about these kinds of things or doing reports that could really impact people.”

Her realization became reality in a big way for Harvey, who holds title of being L.A.’s longest prime-time anchor at one station. And while she’s reached the 30-year mark, she shows no sign of slowing down.

“I feel so blessed to be here 30 years,” said Harvey. “It doesn’t feel like it’s been that long and to me, that only means that I am still energized and I still have some things to say!”

Special Event: Images of Black Women in Media 2019

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The Los Angeles chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJLA), on Saturday, Sept. 21 at 11:00 a.m., is hosting their second annual “Images of Black Women in Media" event, a panel discussion centering on the experiences and images of Black women in news and entertainment. Our panelists include actress Yvette Nicole Brown, Entertainment Tonight's Nischelle Turner and the Los Angeles Times' Angel Jennings. Entertainment reporter and podcast host Shar Jossell (Kiss and Tell Radio) will serve as moderator.

Tickets are only available at the door. Tickets are $5 for non-members, with all proceeds going to our scholarship program. Tickets are free for NABJLA dues-paying members.

Parking, which is free, can be accessed behind the SAG-AFTRA building, off of Curson and Masselin Aves. Pull a ticket and we will validate. Be advised to allot extra time for parking as construction is taking place. We will begin promptly at 11 a.m.

Panelists:

Angel Jennings is a staff reporter for the Los Angeles Times, where she has covered South Los Angeles since 2011. She writes about the societal forces that are remaking the city’s historically black neighborhoods and impacting black Angelenos. This past year, she has told this story while examining the life and legacy of rapper and activist Nipsey Hussle.

Nischelle Turner is an Emmy Award-winning correspondent and weekend co-host for four-time Emmy Award-winning show ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT. She is also a contributor for CNN where she is featured in entertainment segments on CNN Newsroom, New Day, CNN Tonight and more. Turner often lends her voice to entertainment and political news of the day, along with joining their coverage on the Grammys, Golden Globes and Oscars.

Yvette Nicole Brown Yvette Nicole Brown is an actress and host who's has appeared in numerous commercials, television shows, and films throughout her career. She starred as Shirley Bennett on the NBC comedy series Community, had a recurring role on the Nickelodeon sitcom Drake & Josh, and, in 2018, assumed a supporting role on Mom. In 2019, Brown wrote the independent feature Always A Bridesmaid, a romantic comedy set for a fall release. Brown was recently elected to the 2019-2021 SAG-AFTRA National Board.

NABJLA

P.O. Box 91818

Pasadena, CA 91109