TBABJ partners with St. Petersburg Times to offer $5,000 in scholarships this year

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Completed application packets must be postmarked by June 5.

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

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

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

Good luck!

Application for TBABJ/St. Petersburg Times 2009 Journalism Scholarships

2009 Student Scholarship Application

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

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

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

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

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


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

Permanent Address:_______________________________________________________

City:_________________________ State:________ Zip Code: ____________________

Permanent Phone Number:___________________ Personal E-mail:_________________

Present Address: __________________________________________________________

City:_________________________ State:________ Zip Code: ____________________

Present Phone Number:_____________________________________________________

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

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

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

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

Projected Graduation Date (mm/yy):__________________________________________

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

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

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

► Completed Application

► Essay

► Resume

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

Please also include one sealed copy of the following:

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

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


Mail applications to:

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

Membership meetings slated for May and June

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

May 15 deadline for pro scholarships to Tampa convention

Hi NABJ Family,

Friday, May 15, is the last day to apply for a professional scholarship to attend the national convention in Tampa. Click on this link for details:
http://www.nabj.org/programs/scholarships/2009scholarships/appinfo09.php

In other news, my alma mater, Florida A&M University, is looking for several adjunct professors, especially those with broadcast experience. You must have at least a master's degree in communications/

journalism or a national reputation. FAMU is in Tallahassee, Florida - north Florida. (Closest beach is in Panama City.) Email NABJ member at the J-school, dorothy.bland@famu.edu for details.

You may have heard the J-school had some issues with SACS accreditation over the use of adjunct staff. The NABJ board discussed this at our April Board of Directors meeting, and our president asked regional director, Ken Knight, to address this issue.

Since this is a concern for other HBCUs, we will investigate beyond FAMU. Feel free to email me privately if you have further questions about the J-school jobs. The J-school is housed in a relatively new state-of-the-art building.

Kathy Y. Times
NABJ Media Institute Chair.
NABJ VP-Broadcast
Anchor
Fox 40 News at 9
Jackson, MS

Reception with NABJ board at 6 p.m. April 17 in Tampa

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
.