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.

TBABJ Membership Meeting Oct. 11 in Tampa

Members and friends of the Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists:

We're meeting at 11 a.m. next Saturday -- Oct. 11 -- at The St. Petersburg Times Tampa office, 1000 N. Ashley Dr., Tampa.

This is a crucial meeting. We'll be taking about the Griot Drum Awards, which picked up the St. Petersburg Times, Tampa Bay & Co., Hill & Knowlton and WFTS-Ch. 28 as sponsors this week. We need to get more applicants for our $1,000 scholarships and more sponsors to ensure our banquet is profitable.

We should also start brainstorming what we'd like to do when the national convention comes here next year.

We have moved the date from its traditional spot, the first Saturday of the month, because I'm participating in a charity event tomorrow and couldn't attend. Hope to see you there!

Eric Deggans
President, Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists
Chair, NABJ Media Monitoring Committee
TV/Media Critic, St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times
http://www.tbabj.com
(727) 893-8521

Photos from UNITY-Tampa 2009 Kick Off Party

Better late than never, we have finally managed to grab hold of some pictures from our kicking Kick Off Party for the Tampa 2009 NABJ convention, held in Chicago on July 26 at the UNITY gathering.

DJ Funkmaster Flex kept the crowd on the dance floor during his entire set, and I'm still running into journalists of color from the Asian American and Hispanic journalists groups who are raving about our party.

Here's some shots, for those of you who couldn't see it for yourself, including local sax legend Eric Darius, who kicked off the party. For those of you who did attend, perhaps they will bring back fond memories...

TBABJ $1,000 scholarship deadline extended to Oct. 22

ATTENTION: Educators, high school students, college students and anyone who knows them:

The Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists (TBABJ) has extended the deadline for its 2008 Scholarship Contest to Oct. 22. That means students of color with some connection to the Tampa Bay area can apply for one of three different $1,000 scholarships we are awarding this year.

Go to the application form, which you can print out, by clicking here.

Please encourage all undergraduate college students and graduating high school seniors of color (African American, Hispanic, Asian, etc.) to apply for this contest by OCT. 22, 2008. Applications must be postmarked by this date to be considered.

This year, we will award three $1,000 scholarships to deserving minority college students who are pursuing careers in journalism. Our desire is to empower young journalists of color to join the ranks of the working press.

In addition to the scholarship, our 2008 winners will receive student membership in the National Association of Black Journalists and TBABJ for one year.

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 Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota, among other communities in the region. We expect our winners to attend TBABJ’s annual awards banquet in November.

Completed application packets must be postmarked by Oct. 22.

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

Good luck!

Eric Deggans
President, Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists
Chair, NABJ Media Monitoring Committee
TV/Media Critic, St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times
http://www.tbabj.com
(727) 893-8521

Application form for TBABJ $1000 Scholarship

2008 Student Scholarship Application -- feel free to print out and mail in!

Deadline: Applications must be postmarked by WEDNESDAY, OCT. 22, 2008!

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 2008-09 (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

TBABJ co-sponsors reception for NPR's Juan Williams Sept. 15

NPR and Fox News analyst Juan Williams will be the honored guest of a reception co-sponsored by the Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists on Sept. 15, when he comes to the Poynter Institute for Media Studies in St. Petersburg.

Juan will be speaking at Poynter as part of a fundraising "community conversation" panel called "Election 2008: Covering the Issues." The conversation starts at 6:30 p.m. and costs $25. But the meet-and-greet with Juan afterwards, starting at 8 p.m., is free to members and friends of TBABJ -- just tell the folks at the door you're with the organization.

The event is to be held next Monday, Sept. 15, at the Poynter Institute, 800 Third St. South, St. Petersburg.

Again, friends and members of the TBABJ will be able to attend the reception for free. Even if you're not a member, come by and spend time with us and leave with an application. Please email us if you plan to attend, though walk-ups are welcome. To attend the 6:30 p.m. presentation at Poynter, you must pay a $25 donation.

If you have any questions, feel free to email TBABJ president Eric Deggans or call 727-893-8521. This is an invaluable opportunity, especially for journalism students and those interesting in political reporting, to meet one of the highest-profile black journalists covering this year's elections.

Please join us for an interesting, revealing evening. And feel free to email or call me if you have any questions.

Eric Deggans
President, Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists
Chair, NABJ Media Monitoring Committee
TV/Media Critic, St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times
www.tbabj.com
(727) 893-8521