Coming Thursday: the 2010 Griot Drum Awards & Scholarship Banquet

Can you believe that the 2010 Griot Drum Awards & Scholarship Banquet, the only locally-produced journalism awards program, is only three days away?

On Nov. 18, at the Dr. Blaise F. Alfano Conference & Banquet Center in Tampa, the nationally-recognized Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists will highlight the best coverage of people of color and honor tomorrow's multimedia communicators.

The evening begins at 6 p.m. with a reception. ESPN’s Jemele Hill, one of the few women of color serving as a national sports columnist and TV personality, will headline the 7 p.m. dinner and awards presentation. Since joining ESPN in November 2006, Hill has made regular appearances on SportsCenter, ESPN First Take, Jim Rome is Burning, and Outside the Lines.

Guests from all corners of the bay area are expected to attend this year’s ceremony, which will be hosted by WFLA-Ch. 8 morning anchor Rod Carter and include performances by the Gulfcoast Academy of Performing Arts (formerly the Soulful Arts Dance Academy) and Tampa musical prodigy Caleb E. Sanders.

The best part is that all of this only costs a mere $20 for TBABJ members, $25 for non-members and $200 for a table of 10.

So go to tbabj.com, click on the 'Donate' tab and get your tickets today!

TBABJ appreciates your support!

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Rodney Thrash
Co-chair, 2010 Griot Drum Awards & Scholarship Banquet
Cell: 770.367.9568 (Rodney Thrash) or 248.760.7561 (TBABJ President Camille C. Spencer)
E-mail: rod.thrash@gmail.com or TampaBayABJ@gmail.com

FOUR weeks until the 2010 Griot Drum Awards

We are a little more than four weeks away from the only locally-produced journalism awards program, the 2010 Griot Drum Awards & Scholarship Banquet!

On Nov. 18, at the Dr. Blaise F. Alfano Conference & Banquet Center in Tampa, the nationally-recognized Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists will highlight the best coverage of people of color and honor tomorrow's multimedia communicators.

The evening begins at 6 p.m. with a reception featuring local saxophonist Jonathan Milton. ESPN’s Jemele Hill, one of the few women of color serving as a national sports columnist and TV personality, will headline the 7 p.m. dinner and awards presentation. Since joining ESPN in November 2006, Hill has made regular appearances on SportsCenter, ESPN First Take, Jim Rome is Burning, and Outside the Lines.

More than 200 guests are expected to attend this year’s ceremony, which will be hosted by WFLA-Ch. 8 morning anchor Rod Carter and include performances by the Gulfcoast Academy of Performing Arts (formerly the Soulful Arts Dance Academy) and Tampa musical prodigy Caleb E. Sanders.

The best part is that all of this only costs a mere $20 for TBABJ members, $25 for non-members and $200 for a table of 10.

So go to tbabj.com, click on the 'Donate' tab and get your tickets today!

TBABJ appreciates your support!

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Rodney Thrash
Co-chair, 2010 Griot Drum Awards & Scholarship Banquet
Cell: 813.610.1268
E-mail: rthrash@sptimes.com or TampaBayABJ@gmail.com

And the 2010 Griot Drum finalists are ...

Congratulations to the following broadcast, new media and print professionals whose coverage of people of color earned them spots as finalists in the 2010 Griot Drum Awards contest!

The Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists (TBABJ) will announce winners on Nov. 18 at the Dr. Blaise F. Alfano Conference & Banquet Center, 11606 McKinley Drive, Tampa.

Tickets, which can be purchased at www.tbabj.com, are $20 for TBABJ members, $25 for non-members and $200 for a table of 10.

Look what that amount will get you: an opportunity to hobnob with bay area media influencers, a pre-banquet reception, a dinner, a keynote address by ESPN's Jemele Hill as well as performances by the Gulfcoast Academy of Performing Arts (formerly the Soulful Arts Dance Academy), Tampa musical prodigy Caleb E. Sanders and local saxophonist Jonathan Milton!

The master of ceremonies will be WFLA-Ch. 8 morning anchor Rod Carter.

So what are you waiting for? Click on the 'Donate' tab on the top right of the tbabj.com and get your tickets today!

THE FINALISTS

Shoshana Walter, The Ledger, Lakeland, one category

Starla Vaughns Cherin, The Florida Courier, Tampa, three categories

Merissa Green, The Ledger, Lakeland, one category

Jenise Morgan, The Florida Courier, Tampa, one category

Charles W. Cherry II, The Florida Courier, Tampa, two categories

Joyce Nanette Johnson, Citilife Magazine, St. Petersburg, one category

Demorris A. Lee, St. Petersburg Times, Clearwater, two categories

Colleen Jenkins, St. Petersburg Times, Tampa, one category

Stephanie Hayes, St. Petersburg Times, St. Petersburg, one category

Michael Kruse, St. Petersburg Times, St. Petersburg, one category

Justin George, St. Petersburg Times, Tampa, one category

Michael Wilson, The Ledger, Lakeland, one category

Scott Wheeler, The Ledger, Lakeland, one category

Mark L. Schreiner, WUSF, Tampa, two categories

Lissette Campos, Randy Wright, Frank Barrera and Jennifer McVan, WFTS-Ch. 28, Tampa, one category

Jackie Callaway and Matt McGlashen, WFTS-Ch. 28, Tampa, one category

Staff, WEDU-Ch. 3, Tampa, one category

Jennifer McVan, Felicia Burton, Gregg Wyckoff, WFTS-Ch. 28, Tampa, one category

Nancy Ryan, Chris Smith and Peter Masa, WFLA-Ch. 8, Tampa, one category

Fred Bellet, Tampa Tribune, Tampa, one category

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Rodney Thrash
Co-chair, 2010 Griot Drum Awards & Scholarship Banquet
Cell: 813.610.1268
E-mail: rthrash@sptimes.com

TBABJ thanks the sponsors of its 2010 Griot Drum Awards and Scholarship Banquet

Our fifth Griot Drum Awards and Scholarship Banquet is only made possible by generous donations from an amazing array of sponsors.

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

Platinum level sponsors
The New York Times Regional Media Group



The Nielsen Company




Bright House Networks


ValpakDirect Marketing Systems


The St. Petersburg Times/Times Publishing Co.



The United Way of Tampa Bay



The Scripps Howard Foundation



Gold Level Sponsors


Clear Channel Radio

Tucker/Hall

The News Service of Florida

WUSF Public Media

Silver Level Sponsors

Publix

Fox 13/WTVT-Ch. 13

View the official Griot Drum Awards promo and buy your tickets!

ESPN's Jemele Hill to keynote Griot Drum Awards

ESPN national columnist Jemele Hill has been confirmed as keynote speaker for the Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists' fifth annual Griot Drum Awards and Scholarship Banquet.

Hill will headline the event, scheduled at 6 p.m. Nov. 18 at the Dr. Blaise F. Alfano Conference & Banquet Center, 11606 McKinley Drive in Tampa. The TBABJ will award $5,000 in scholarships along with honors to area journalists who have excelled in covering people of color.

As one of the few women of color serving as a national sports columnist and TV personality, Hill serves as a powerful example of media diversity. She joined ESPN in November 2006 as a national columnist, making regular appearances on SportsCenter, ESPN First Take, Jim Rome is Burning, and Outside the Lines.

Before joining ESPN, Hill worked as a columnist for the Orlando Sentinel and covered sports for Detroit Free Press and Raleigh News & Observer.

In 2007, Hill won the first annual McKenzie Cup, in tribute to groundbreaking sports editor Van McKenzie, at the annual Poynter Media Summit. She also received an honorable mention in the 2007 edition of Best American Sports Writing.

Griot Drum sponsors include the St. Petersburg Times, The Nielsen Co., Bright House Networks, WTVT-Ch. 13, Tucker/Hall public relations, and the New York Times Regional Media Group.

Tickets are $20 for TBABJ members and $25 for non members or $200 for a table of ten, and can be purchased online at TBABJ.com.

Contact: Eric Deggans (727) 893-8521; deggans@sptimes.com

2010 Griot Drum Awards tickets now available online!

Tickets are now on sale for the Griot Drum Awards & Scholarship Banquet, the signature event of the nationally-recognized Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists!

Held each November, it is the only locally-produced journalism awards program that honors coverage of people of color.

The 2010 installment of Griot Drum will be held Nov. 18 at the Dr. Blaise F. Alfano Conference & Banquet Center, 11606 McKinley Drive, Tampa.

The evening begins at 6 p.m. with a reception featuring local saxophonist Jonathan Milton. ESPN’s Jemele Hill, one of the few women of color serving as a national sports columnist and TV personality, will headline the 7 p.m. dinner and awards presentation. Since joining ESPN in November 2006, Hill has made regular appearances on SportsCenter, ESPN First Take, Jim Rome is Burning, and Outside the Lines.

More than 200 guests are expected to attend this year’s ceremony, which will include performances by the Gulfcoast Academy of Performing Arts (formerly the Soulful Arts Dance Academy) and Tampa musical prodigy Caleb E. Sanders. Area high school seniors and college students will be given financial support to pursue their education in the field of journalism.

Proceeds from ticket sales will help TBABJ fund those scholarships. Tickets are $20 for TBABJ members, $25 for non-members and $200 for a table of ten.

Click on the 'Donate' tab on the top right of the tbabj.com and get your tickets today!

See you Nov. 18!

Best,

Rodney Thrash
Staff writer, St. Petersburg Times
Co-chair, 2010 TBABJ Griot Drum Awards
Office: 727.445.4167
Cell: 813.610.1268
E-mail: rthrash@sptimes.com

Griot Drum Scholarship deadline extended to Oct. 10

Do you know a journalism student of color with a tie to the Tampa Bay area?

Might they want some serious $$ for school this year?

They now have until October 10 to do something about it.
...
The Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists have extended our Griot Drum Scholarship deadline to Oct. 10. We are giving away $5,000 in scholarships, including one award for graduate students.

Because of growing demand, TBABJ will give away its first scholarship to a graduate journalism student this year for $1,000. In addition, two undergraduate students will each receive a $1,000 scholarship and one undergraduate student will receive a $2,000 scholarship.

Our goal: to help young journalists of color join the ranks of the working press. Please encourage all high school seniors, undergraduate and graduate students of color (African American, Hispanic, Asian, etc.) to apply for this contest by OCT. 10, 2010.

Applications must be postmarked by this date to be considered. Scholarship winners will be announced this year during TBABJ’s Griot Drum Awards ceremony, taking place in Tampa Nov. 18, at the Dr. Blaise F. Alfano Conference & Banquet Center,
11606 McKinley Drive.

To learn more about Griot Drum, visit www.tbabj.com. Students currently enrolled in college or graduating high school seniors are encouraged to apply. Previous grand prize winners are NOT eligible.

Applicants MUST have a connection to the Tampa Bay area, which includes Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota, among other communities in the region. We expect our winners to attend a reception before the Griot Drum ceremony and stay for the banquet.

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

Tickets now on sale for the 2010 Griot Drum Awards & Scholarship Banquet!

Tickets are now on sale for the Griot Drum Awards & Scholarship Banquet, the signature event of the nationally-recognized Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists!

Held each November, it is the only locally-produced journalism awards program that honors coverage of people of color.

The 2010 installment of Griot Drum will be held Nov. 18 at the Dr. Blaise F. Alfano Conference & Banquet Center, 11606 McKinley Drive, Tampa.

The evening begins at 6 p.m. with a reception featuring local saxophonist Jonathan Milton. ESPN’s Jemele Hill, one of the few women of color serving as a national sports columnist and TV personality, will headline the 7 p.m. dinner and awards presentation. Since joining ESPN in November 2006, Hill has made regular appearances on SportsCenter, ESPN First Take, Jim Rome is Burning, and Outside the Lines.

More than 200 guests are expected to attend this year’s ceremony, which will include performances by the Gulfcoast Academy of Performing Arts (formerly the Soulful Arts Dance Academy) and Tampa musical prodigy Caleb E. Sanders. Area high school seniors and college students will be given financial support to pursue their education in the field of journalism.

Proceeds from ticket sales will help TBABJ fund those scholarships. Tickets are $20 for TBABJ members, $25 for non-members and $200 for a table of ten.

Please complete the order form and return with the total amount to the address listed below.

See you Nov. 18!

Best,

Rodney Thrash
Staff writer, St. Petersburg Times
Co-chair, 2010 TBABJ Griot Drum Awards
Office: 727.445.4167
Cell: 813.610.1268
E-mail: rthrash@sptimes.com

TICKET ORDER FORM

Name _________________________________

Number of tickets _________________

Address _________________________________

Total enclosed _________________

Telephone _________________

E-mail _________________________________

Return to:
Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists
c/o Rodney Thrash
710 Court Street
Clearwater, Florida 33756

Griot Drum Awards FAQ

GET OUT THOSE MEDIA AWARD SUBMISSIONS!

The Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists (TBABJ) is accepting entries for the 2010 Griot Drum Awards, which honors the best coverage of people of color.

Winners will be announced in November at the 2010 Griot Drum Awards ceremony.

Who is eligible?
Any individual or news organization in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Citrus, Hernando, Manatee, Pasco, Polk or Sarasota counties can enter materials published, broadcast or presented between Jan. 1, 2009 and Dec. 31, 2009. The contest is open to journalists of all ethnicities. Entrants do not have to belong to TBABJ.

How can I enter my work?
All entries must be postmarked by August 2, 2010. Any entry postmarked after that date will be disqualified. Entries should be mailed to: Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists c/o Rodney Thrash, Griot Drum Awards Co-chair 710 Court Street, Clearwater, Fla., 33756 Faxed or e-mailed entries will not be accepted. See following post for information on entry categories.

Is there a fee?
The cost per entry is $25 for non-TBABJ members and $10 for members. Checks or money orders should be made out to the Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists and should be attached to each entry form. Checks covering more than one entry from an organization should be made out for the total amount, and a separate note should be attached detailing the exact entries covered by the fee. Cash will not be accepted.

What can I submit?
Entries must focus on subjects concerning people or communities of color and have been broadcast, presented or published within the Tampa Bay area. Individuals and news organizations may submit as many entries as desired. However, only one category is allowed per entry. Entering the same work in more than one category is permitted, for a fee. For example, the cost to enter an entry in two categories is $50 for non-members/$20 for members; three, $75/$30; and so on. Entries will not be returned.

How can I submit my work?
Newspaper. Entries with loose clippings, poster boards or ringed binders will be disqualified. Entries are best delivered on 8.5” x 11” sheets, either photocopied into this form (preferred) or cut up and taped down. Entries also may be mounted on pressboards. If submission is a series, it must be limited to no more than seven stories. PLEASE be sure to use the correct category number (See attached rules and categories).

Television. Entries can be submitted on VHS TAPES or standard DVDs only. A series should be entered on one tape and be limited to no more than five stories. Do not use color bars. A five-second slate is permitted. PLEASE be sure to use the correct category number.

Radio. Entries must be on a cassette tape or CD. PLEASE be sure to use the correct category number.

New Media. Entries must be submitted on CD, DVD, flash drive or by providing Internet links, with no more than one entry per storage unit. PLEASE be sure to use the correct category number.

Photo/Graphics. Entries may include original copies of work, in color. PLEASE be sure to use the correct category number. Incomplete entries will be disqualified. Judging and Winners Entries will be judged by National Association of Black Journalists chapters in other parts of the country, so the contest is open to chapter members and officers of TBABJ, except those serving on the awards committee. Broadcast entries will be judged based on content, production value and impact.

Print entries will be judged on content, readability and impact.
The top three entries in each category selected by judges will be recognized at the awards ceremony in November. The top winner will receive a plaque. Awards will be presented to individuals, groups or organizations.

Judges may elect to choose less than three entries in a category or none at all. More Questions? Call 813.610.1268, or e-mail me at rthrash@sptimes.com.

Best, Rodney Thrash
Co-chair, 2010 Griot Drum Awards
Staff writer, St. Petersburg Times

Rules and Categories for the Griot Drum Awards

The Griot Drum Awards – Rules and Categories
The Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists is calling for entries to its Griot Drum Awards – an awards ceremony designed to honor the best journalism on issues related to people of color in the Tampa Bay area.

Rules and Eligibility
Entries must have been published within the Tampa Bay area, including Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, and Sarasota counties.

Submissions will be grouped by media and circulation numbers. Entries must have been published between January 1, 2009 and Dec. 31, 2009. Entries must be postmarked and sent to TBABJ by August 2, 2010. Only one category is allowed per entry. But numerous entries [each with its own entry fee] are permitted.

Each entry must be accompanied by an entry fee of $25 for non-chapter members and $10 for chapter members. Entries must involve issues or concerns related to people of color, especially African Americans. Entries will be judged by other National Association of Black Journalists chapters in other parts of the country, so the contest is open to chapter members and officers of TBABJ, except those serving on the awards committee.

The contest is open to journalists of all ethnicities. Entrants do not have to belong to TBABJ; awards will be presented to individuals, groups or organizations. Instructions for submitting in each category must be followed; each entry must have its own separate entry fee, though entrants can write a single check for all fees.

Judges have the right to choose not to present an award in any category. Finalists will be announced before the awards ceremony, but winners will not be announced until the awards ceremony. Entries will not be returned.

Judging: Entries will be judged by an affiliate chapter of the NABJ. Broadcast entries will be judged based on content, production value and impact. Print entries will be judged on content, readability and impact. Television Instructions: Entries can be submitted on VHS TAPES or standard DVDs only. A series should be entered on one tape and be limited to no more than five stories. Do not use color bars. A five-second slate is permitted. PLEASE be sure to use the correct category number. Category number is indicated directly in front of the category name.

TV-1 Spot news: Live and/or packaged coverage of a story on which the reporter had no more than a 24-hour deadline.
TV-2 Non-Deadline Reporting: News story or feature, non-deadline.
TV-3 Investigative/Series: Investigative story or series of no more than five non-deadline stories on a single subject.
TV-4 Investigative Reporting: In-depth, original reporting by an individual or team of reporters.
TV-5 Community/Public Affairs: Regularly scheduled program, which presents an issue of public interest.
TV-6 Documentary: In-depth coverage of a serious issue that cannot be thoroughly covered in a regularly scheduled newscast.
TV-7 Sports News: Analysis or commentary on a news event or issue.

Print [Circulation 100,000 or more)
Instructions: Entries with loose clippings, poster boards or ringed binders will be disqualified. Entries are best delivered on 8.5” x 11” sheets, either photocopied into this form (preferred) or cut up and taped down. Entries also may be mounted on pressboards. If submission is a series, it must be limited to no more than seven stories. PLEASE be sure to use the correct category number [See attached rules and categories].

Category number is indicated directly in front of the category name.
P-1 Deadline/Spot news Reporting: Breaking news story on which the reporter had no more than a 24-hour deadline.
P-2 Investigative Reporting: In-depth, original reporting by an individual or team of reporters.
P-3 Features: Any news feature, profile, review or analytical piece on a specific topic or issue, including arts and entertainment.
P-4 Community/Public Affairs: Story which presents an issue of public interest.
P-5 Sports News: Any news article or series devoted to a sports topic or issue.
P-6 Sports Feature: Any feature article or series devoted to a sports topic or issue.
P-7 Commentary: Any editorial, opinion column or commentary article, or cluster of related pieces on a specific topic or issue.
P-8 Criticism: Any arts criticism including analysis and reviews for fine arts, pop music, television movies and any other artistic areas.

Print [Circulation below 100,000]
Instructions: Same as print above 100,000.
PP-1 Deadline/Spot news Reporting: Breaking news story on which the reporter had no more than a 24-hour deadline.
PP-2 Investigative Reporting: In-depth, original reporting by an individual or team of reporters.
PP-3 Features: Any news feature, profile, review or analytical piece on a specific topic or issue, including arts and entertainment.
PP-4 Community/Public Affairs: Story which presents an issue of public interest. PP-5 Sports News: Any news article or series devoted to a sports topic or issue. PP-6 Sports Feature: Any feature article or series devoted to a sports topic or issue.
PP-7 Commentary: Any editorial, opinion column or commentary article, or cluster of related pieces on a specific topic or issue.
PP-8 Criticism: Any arts criticism including analysis and reviews for fine arts, pop music, television movies and any other artistic areas.

Radio Instructions: Entries must be on a cassette tape or CD. PLEASE be sure to use the correct category number. Category number is indicated directly in front of the category name.
R-1 Spot News Reporting: Live and/or packaged coverage of a news story on which the reporter has no more than a 24-hour deadline.
R-2 Features Reporting: Issue oriented story, that can also be a profile, human interest, slice-of-life or humorous story.
R-3 Documentary/News Series: In-depth coverage of a serious issue that cannot be thoroughly covered in a regularly scheduled newscast.
R-4 Investigative Reporting: In-depth, original reporting by an individual or team of reporters.
R-5 Public Affairs: Story which presents an issue of public interest.

Application for 2010 Griot Drum Scholarship

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


POSTMARK DEADLINE FRIDAY, SEPT. 10, 2010

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

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

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

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

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

Completed application packets must be postmarked by Sept. 10.

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

Good luck!



2010 Student Scholarship Application

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

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

Incomplete applications will not be considered.


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

Permanent Address:_______________________________________________________

City:_________________________ State:________ Zip Code: ____________________

Permanent Phone Number:___________________ Personal E-mail:_________________

Present Address: __________________________________________________________

City:_________________________ State:________ Zip Code: ____________________

Present Phone Number:_____________________________________________________

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

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

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

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

Projected Graduation Date (mm/yy):__________________________________________




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

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

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

► Completed Application Cover Sheet

► Essay

► Resume

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

Please also include one sealed copy of the following:

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

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


Mail applications to:

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

TBABJ and Times Publishing Co. announce winners of the 2009 Griot Drum scholarships.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Former St. Pete Times columnist Peggy Peterman named to NABJ Hall of Fame

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The celebration at the Times starts right now.

Here's the official release from the NABJ:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lynn Norment – Editor, EBONY Magazine (Chicago)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Winners in the TBABJ's 2008 Griot Drum Journalism Awards

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photos from the 2008 Griot Drum Awards

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

TBABJ Thanks 2008 Griot Drum Awards Sponsors

Despite a financial picture that often seems less than rosy these days, a host of local companies and organizations came together this year to make our Griot Drum Awards a reality. This is our space to thank them for their continued and most appreciated support.

TITLE SPONSOR
The St. Petersburg Times
The Poynter Institute

DIAMOND LEVEL
Tampa Bay & Company
Bright House Networks

New York Times Regional Media Group

PLATINUM LEVEL
St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area Convention and Visitors Bureau
Hill & Knowlton
10 Connects - WTSP-Ch. 10

SILVER LEVEL

Fox 13 - WTVT-Ch. 13

Tickets now on sale for Griot Drum Awards!

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

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

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

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

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

We're looking forward to seeing you next month!


Eric Deggans
TBABJ President



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

Finalists named for 2008 Griot Drum Awards

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:


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

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

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

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



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



The finalist list:


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


Tom Lake, St. Petersburg Times, two categories.


Jamal Thalji, St. Petersburg Times, two categories.


Molly Moorhead, St. Petersburg Times, two categories.


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


Stephanie Garry, St. Petersburg Times, one category.


Demorris Lee, St. Petersburg Times, one category.


Rodney Thrash, St. Petersburg Times, one category.


Carrie Pratt, St. Petersburg Times, three categories.


Lara Cerri, St. Petersburg Times, three categories.


Sarah Hoye, Tampa Tribune, three categories.


Michelle Bearden, Tampa Tribune, one category.


Anwar Richardson, Tampa Tribune, one category.


Nicholas Williams, Tampa Tribune, one category.


Fred Bellet, Tampa Tribune, four categories.


Joseph Brown III, Tampa Tribune, one category.


Charles Cherry II, Florida Courier, six categories.


Wade Tatangelo, Creative Loafing, one category.


Alex Pickett, Creative Loafing, one category.


Megan Voeller, Creative Loafing, one category.

ABC Action News anchor Deiah Riley confirmed as Griot Drum Awards host

ABC Action News morning and noon anchor Deiah Riley has been confirmed as Mistress of Ceremonies for the Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists' fourth annual Griot Drum Awards.

Deiah has anchored the Tampa ABC affiliate’s morning newscasts since 2003, when she came to town from WXIA-TV in Atlanta, where she anchored that station's award-winning 5 p.m. news broadcast.

Born and raised in the Panhandle, Deiah graduated from Bethune Cookman College in Daytona Beach with a degree in mass communications, working at stations in Phoenix, Arizona, Mobile, Alabama and Montgomery, Alabama.

Scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Thursday Nov. 20 at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies in St. Petersburg, the Griot Drum Awards is the Tampa Bay area's biggest local journalism awards contest. This year, the TBABJ will award honors in 23 categories while also bestowing several $1,000 scholarships.

The evening begins with a 6 p.m. opening reception, featuring a meet-and-greet with our keynote speaker, former CBS This Morning anchor Mark McEwen.Sponsors include the St. Petersburg Times, ABC Action News, WTSP-Ch. 10, WTVT-Ch. 13, Tampa Bay & Company, the New York Times Regional Media Group and the Poynter Institute.

Tickets are still available for the event, priced at $35 each for non-members and $30 each for members; the Poynter Institute is located at 801 Third Street South, St. Petersburg. Feel free to call 727-893-8521 to register your order or email here; walkup purchases are possible, but seating may be limited.