You didn’t see the story today on the state’s cutback in services on the front page in the Trib or Sun-Times but you can read it in La Raza. For thousands in Illinois, thousands who rely on others’ help and who,because of age or income or illness, cannot get the services they need except for the state’s support, this news matters.
And that is what is good when a paper la Raza realizes it and helps others do the same.
You are walking on a street. You know the man in the car repair store, and the two women in the bakery, and the old man in the grocery who smiles everyday to you, and who has been there for ever, and the shoe repair man who never has business but who is always happy, and you see one, no, two, no 10 people you know well from the neighborhood, and you see another 20 who you think you know and then you notice a few who must be new to the neighborhood and you study their faces and you wonder who they are and you keep staring and wondering as you walk on the street in your neighborhood that you know and that defines you and this is what a local newspaper, a radio station, a media connection does and can do when it talks to us in the places where we live – we look around us, as we walk in the crowd we know.
Read this small article in the New York Times and follow the video and I think you’ll get the message.
You want a picture of a parade in your neighborhood? You read your local paper. You want to know what’s doing at the new restaurant? And how about at the high school? You read your local newspaper.
It makes sense and that’s what this report says. While national papers are looking at the edge of the cliff and wondering how much time they have, local newspapers are hanging on in places long forgotten by the large newspapers.
The first thing each week when the Defender arrives I read Lou Ransom’s column but this week my eyes hit on the one by Earl Ofari Hutchinson and they stayed there.
It was about the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.
And when I was done this is what I said.
I said to myself that this is good writing, good thinking and a good thing I saw it because the words were nailed in, nailed in so strong they pulled you along, and because it reminded me that this kind of writing comes from people who love words and know how to use them, people who care about ideas and what they can do to people and a community and from a paper that serves its community and that’s what the Defender does.
Read it and tell me what you think.
It’s virtually the other story about the American news media. While mainstream news media is shedding its audience, the ethnic news media is gathering up its followers.
What’s the proof. Here are the results of a survey done for New America Media. The poll looked only at Hispanics, African-Americans and Asian Americans so the support for the ethnic media is clearly much larger.
The poll found that:
1. The number of adults reached by the ethnic news media has grown by 16 percent since 2005.
2. Spanish language radio and print now reaches 85 percent of all Latinos in the U.S.
3. Chinese language television stations and newspapers now reach 70 percent of all Chinese adults in the nation, up from 55 percent in 2005.
4. Korean-language newspapers are read by 64 percent of all Korean adults in the U.S., up from 46 percent four years ago.
5. English language publications aimed at Filipino and Indian readers are followed by 60 percent of the folks in these communities today.
6. Two-thirds of the nation’s African-American community listen to radio stations oriented toward them.
What’s going on here? Here’s my idea. People are turning to the news media that reflects them and their values, the news media that gives them stories they can’t find elsewhere. Like a good friend of mine explains why she reads only certain Polish newspapers in Chicago. “They have news I won’t find elsewhere.”
So, when you are out talking to advertisers, remember to hold up these facts. What they say is that there’s an appetite that is growing, and maybe advertisers and local officials need to realize this.
They walk up and down in front of the hotel. There are speeches and cheers. And the next day’s story in the Sun-Times didn’t talk about the strikers but the latest legal wrangling by the union.
What about the strikers six years later? What about the maids and bartenders and others who took second jobs or floated from one low-paying job to another to get by?
What about the people who couldn’t speak good enough English to find another decent paying job though they had worked for years at the Congress Hotel?
There is a human story here that maybe only the ethnic news media can see. A story about resilence, about standing up for what you think is right. Standing up when your suffering only grows because of it.
Or a story about the painful search for a decent job when you are on the low-wage ladder and your language limitations and middle age makes it difficult for you to get your footing again? So you keep tumbling downward.
Or a story about what unions mean for immigrants and minorities. Or just a video about why someone who earns $8.83 an hour making up beds would put up such a fight?
You are walking up Cicero and see a new store. Hmph. Good for the neighborhood. It’s doing good. But what’s up next?
You see there’s a new doctor on Devon. He’s from Hyderabad, too. He tells you there’s a new Hyderbadi restaurant nearby and that a lot of his patients are doing well in their jobs but he worries about business along the avenue.
You stop in the super-mercado and stare. That’s whathisname, the councilman whose aunt came from Jalisco too and who has visited your son’s school. But what about word that the school might close. You worry.
This is why your turn to your newspaper or radio station or television. You want to know what’s happening in your life. And when the ethnic news makes that connection; when it makes people turn to it because they know it is their connection, then it is on solid ground.
Heed this advice from Mike Smith, head of the Media Management Center at Northwestern University.
People want to see themselves and their values in their news media, he says. They want to see live their lives, their pictures, their sounds in what you do for them.
So what does that mean?
It says you have to identify with your readers, your group, your community. You have to tell stories and give them information that they can’t get elsewhere. You have to talk on their level and talk as if you are talking into their ear.
If you do this, they will listen.
This is the same message you have to give to your advertisers. You know who is following you and you know they are relying on you. And you know who they are – the young and old – and what kind of lives they live.
For a full account of Smith’s description for business strategies for advertising and editorial decisions in the ethnic news media in these tough times, send me a note and I’ll make sure you receive one.
Things you should know-Events-Training-Fellowships
Connect and Communicate - Social Media Conversation Tools for Journalists
With the right tools and techniques, you can search anywhere for stories, and communicate with readers. Indeed, you can build a link with readers will that will only continue to grow. We'll start with Twitter, go through the basics and then onto new tools that will change your work and world
The training is provided by the Society of Professional Journalists, which is bringing in Jeff Cutler from New England to put on this workshop from 9 am to noon Tuesday March 9, at our offices at 218 S. Wabash, 7th floor.
This training for the ethnic news media is free.
If you want to see some of Jeff's work go to to -- http://www.jeffcutler.com/CommunicateJC.pdf
Our space is limited, so sign up and contact me at steve@newstips.org, or call me at 312 369-7782 or 773-595-8667.
Steve Franklin
Ethnic News Media Project Director
Here's a chance that shouldn't be missed for a number of reasons. The best of them is that it promotes living together in diversity. Check out the deadline and contact them if you have any questions. Steve
We are excited to tell you about the One Chicago, One Nation online film contest , which is open to submissions now through April 23, 2010. As someone who has been involved in One Nation initiatives in the past, we thought youd like to know about our next big contest! Entrants have the opportunity to win a $20,000 Grand Prize, as well as thousands of dollars in other prizes.
We’re looking for short videos (five minutes or less) that tell stories of how people of diverse backgrounds in Chicago work together for the greater good. It could be the story of a group of Jewish high school students and their American Muslim counterparts who are combining forces to reduce lead levels in their neighborhood. Or a group comprised of Baptists, Catholics, and Buddhists creating an organic community garden in the middle of Chicago. Or medical professionals of different faiths and backgrounds who gather once a month to offer free services to underserved communities. We want to capture the spirit of diversity and cooperation in Chicago, one story at a time.
Filmmakers can submit videos in one of six categories:
• Comedy
• Drama
• Documentary
• Music Video/Spoken Word/Animation
• Under 60 Seconds
• Mobile digital media (phones, mp3s, iPods, Flip)
Finalists will be determined by online voting and those entries will be judged by a panel of celebrity judges, including entertainer and humanitarian Harry Belafonte, WBEZ radio host Steve Edwards, and many more.
Please forward this email to anyone you think may be interested in the One Chicago, One Nation Online Film Contest. To help make the contest accessible, we are offering free video training on the north and south sides of Chicago - just click here to apply: http://onechicago-onenation.org/free-film-training/
Check out www.linktv.org/onechicago for more details on the contest and how to submit an entry, how to view and vote, and how to comment on the films. Thanks, and happy filming!
Best regards,
Eboo Patel Signature
Eboo Patel
Founder and Executive Director
Interfaith Youth Core
If you want to add audio to your website, or learn how to do audio for the radio, this training session will help you get there. The Society of
Professional Journalists has provided a nationally accomplished journalist who will be our trainer. Victoria Lim is an award-winning reporter for a Tampa, Fla. TV station who works as well for the website ran by her station and the Tampa Tribune. The session will be held from 9 am to noon on Saturday, February 20, at WBEZ on Navy Pier in Downtown Chicago. And because space is limited, please apply as soon as possible.
What specifically will you learn from this session?
Helping you add compelling sound to your stories online is the goal of this workshop. Whether it’s a standalone audio clip or a fully-produced audio slide show, you’ll learn how to gather crisp interviews and natural sound, how to use a simple audio editing program and how to combine still pictures and sound to do effective online storytelling.
Contact me - Stephen Franklin, steve@newstips.org or 312
312 369 7782 or 773 595 8667.
We will hold another training on Tuesday March 9, but this time we'll look at how social media can change your work and how you reach your audience. Learn how to use social media tools to research stories and get information. At the same time, learn how social media can help you link up with your readers and how to make them part of your reporting world. Learn how to get your audience involved in providing information and also in step with your work to describe their world. The training will be at our offices, 218 S. Wabash, 7th Floor, Chicago
What skills will you learn from this session?
With the use of the right tools and techniques, journalists can now reach anywhere on the planet to talk to a source, interview a subject or collaborate with a fellow reporter. In this session, participants will hear about the latest tools being used to break stories and communicate with readers. Start with Twitter, then go beyond the basics to learn some unwritten rules, some etiquette and new tools for speaking with people anywhere. Appropriate for all levels, this session includes a couple exercises and realtime examples.
Here is a training opportunity that can help. Writing about the elderly in our immigrant and minority communities is very important. That is why we are holding a training session on Feb.23 in Oak Park. The 10 a.m. to noon session will help you think about ways of reporting on and reaching out to the elderly in the Chicago area. The meeting will be held at the offices of Age Options. Speakers from Age Options and AARP will help us think through ways to report on the issues that matter to the elderly. Parking is easily available and so are ways to get there by public transportation.
They are located at 1048 Lake Street, Suite 300 Oak Park, Illinois 60301-1102
Please let contact me so I can make sure there is room for everyone. Steve Franklin - steve@newstips.org or at our office- 312 369 6400
So, too, this is an excellent opportunity and the deadline to apply has been moved back to Jan. 29
New America Media is calling for applications from ethnic media reporters and freelance journalists for its 2010 Fellowship, "Ethnic Elders Today and Tomorrow," underwritten by a grant from The Atlantic Philanthropies.
By 2030, the number of elders in America will double, with a growing percentage expected to be ethnic elders. While America's mainstream media has largely ignored this demographic tsunami, ethnic-media communities remain under-informed about the wide-ranging challenges of aging of color in America. From health care disparities and income struggles to seniors' unsung community contributions as mentors and heritage keepers, generational coverage is too often missing from, yet crucial to the conversation about how to prepare for the coming longevity revolution.
Selected fellows will research a story or a series of their design, documenting and explaining the pressing issues ethnic elders in their respective community are facing.
Each fellow will submit a proposal outlining a major article or series of stories, she or he intends to research and write, as well as a signed agreement by his or her publisher/producer to run the story or stories in their ethnic media outlet.
In addition, fellows will participate in a MANDATORY two-day workshop on key social, politics and policy issues, hosted by New America Media in Washington, D.C., in late February 2010, where they will meet national policy-makers, leading journalists on the generational or retirement beat, policy advocates and researchers. NAM will disseminate stories produced by the fellows to ethnic and mainstream media partners and nonprofit collaborators through our news wire.
All stories must be edited and approved by NAM's Ethnic Elders Editor before publication and projects must be completed by June 1, 2010.
Fellows will receive a $2,500 stipend in two increments ($1,000 at the Washington, D.C. workshop and $1,500 once the story or series has been published or aired). NAM will arrange all flights and hotel bookings for the Washington workshop, and fellows will be reimbursed for all qualifying travel expenses (i.e. cab fares and train/bus tickets).
For more information contact NAM Ethnic Elders Editor Paul Kleyman at pkleyman@newamericamedia.org or call him at 415-503-4170, ext. 133.
Headline Club Opens Categories for non-English news media
For the first time the Chicago Headline club will give away awards to journalists who do their work in languages other than English. This is a great chance for the immigrant news media to win respect for its work. There's a January deadline so plan ahead. Read the application, linked to here, and if you have any questions let me know. You do not have to translate your work. They will take care of that.
here is the link to their page-open the application on the page.
http://tinyurl.com/yb7a4hx
Ethnic journalists job possibility
WBEZ is looking for staff for its new bureau in Rogers Park - covering the Rogers Park-Devon-Albany Park communities - and it is welcoming applications from ethnic journalists. One of the goals of the bureau will be covering the immigrants communities in this part of Chicago. To apply contact Julia McEvoy, 312 948 4746 or jmcevoy@chicagopublicradio.org
Award for covering immigrant and ethnic communities- New America Award
The Society for Professional Journalists is honoring reporting in 2009 that explores and exposes a topic critical to immigrant or ethnic communities in the U.S. The competition is open to news outlets, journalists, community and issue advocacy groups and others concerned with ethnic and immigrant issues. It is open for print or broadcast reporting. It also does not have to be English, but you need to send an English translation with your submission. The deadline is Feb. 12, 2010
Contact-Lauren Rochester, Society of Professional Journalists, 317-927-8000, awards@spj.org, spj.org/awards.asp
Here are number of events involving the ethnic news media that you might want to attend.
Here's an event on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009, at Columbia College Chicago, Journalism Department
33 E Congress, 2nd floor
It is sponsored by the Chicago Association of Hispanic Journalists:
9:30 a.m. Registration
Orange Hallway
10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Panel Discussion – Where do Latinos fit in the new media landscape?
Room 219
Moderator: Tony Olivo, Chicago Tribune
Panelists:
Teresa Puente, Chicanisima (Chicago Now) and latina-voices.com
Fernando Diaz, community manager, news and opinion, Chicago Now
Fabiola Pamoreda, La Raza
Other panelists to be confirmed
The panel is free and open to all Latino journalists, journalism students and community members.
There is a charge for lunch and the afternoon training. $15 students, $40 professionals.
12 – 12:45 LUNCH
WORKSHOPS 12:45 to 2:15
Blogging I
Learn the basics of how to create and post on a blog. What is blogging? Why create a blog? You will create a blog yourself in this hands-on session.
Trainer: Fernando Diaz, community manager, news and opinion, Chicago Now
Room 213
OR
How do you use Social Media tools to get the story?
Facebook and Twitter.
Room 211
Trainer: James Janega, Chicago Tribune reporter
2:15 to 2:30 BREAK
2:30 to 4:00
Blogging II
How do you manage and promote a blog?
SEO, traffic, cross-posting
Trainer: Fernando Diaz, community manager, news and opinion, Chicago Now
213
OR
Soundslides
How do you build a Soundslide using still photos?
Tips for framing and uploading photos
Trainers: Chicago Tribune photographers
The Latino news media and Community
On this Saturday, Oct. 17, there will be conference on the role of the Latino news media and its relationship to its community. It starts
at 11 a.m. at the Biblioteca Rudy Lozano, 1805 S. Loomis St. Some of the speakers include Antonio Zavala, the Chicago correspondent
for EFE and Viviana Avila, television reporter with Sin Censura.
Why the 2010 Census matters to immigrant and minority communities
There will be briefing by U.S. Census officials for the ethnic news media at 10:30 Thursday Oct. 22 on the 2010 Census. It will be
held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, 152 E. Wacker Drive. The meeting is co-sponsored by New America Media, the nation's largest voice
for the ethnic news media.
Finding a future with the ethnic news media
We are holding a job fair for all college students to learn about internships, freelancing and possibly a career with the ethnic news
media. The meeting is from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 28 at the eighth floor at 1104 S. Wabash on the campus of Columbia
College. Steve Franklin (me), the ethnic news media director for the Community Media Workshop and Teresa Puenta of Columbia College
will moderate the discussion of journalists and editors who now work for ethnic TV, radio and print in the Chicago area.
The links between Latino community groups and the Latino news media.
And finally the Community Media Workshop & Radio Arte 90.5 FM are presenting Nuestros Medios, A Latino Media Mee & Greet. It
will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 17 - 3 to 5 p.m., at the National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th Street, Chicago.
Hear from representatives of Latino media outlets as they address the challenges they face in covering their communities and highlight
the opportunities that exist to improve coverage in today's changing media landscape.
The panelists include: Silvia Rivera, WRTE 90.5FM; Fabiola Pomerada, La Raza Newspaper, Tony Martinez, Telemundo, Teresa Puente,
Chicanísima (Chicago Now Blog), Zeke Montes, Teleguía/ National Association of Hispanic Publications
And the moderator is Steve Franklin (me again!)
Workshop on Census and the government’s advertising for it
Why The Census is an important story for the ethnic news media
Monday, Sept. 21 at the India Tribune, 3302 West Peterson, Chicago
The government deadline for applications for advertisements for its campaign to promote the Census is Oct. 15 so there’s not much time to apply.
Who can apply?
Print, radio, television or online news outlets that can show they reach audiences. Non-profits are also eligible.
Click here for the government application
http://tinyurl.com/lh2a5k
For the immigrant and minority news media there are a number of stories to tell, including the controversies raised about the effort to reach communities that have not been counted well in the past.
Here are some ties to those stories:
Click here for background on concern about previous census efforts and sample stories from the Asian American Justice Center:
http://tinyurl.com/kk6dw4
And here is a column from the Baltimore Times that says not enough federal money is going towards advertising in black print media:
http://tinyurl.com/mwdjkl
New America Media Stimulus Watch Fellowships for Ethnic Media Journalists
Application Due: October 1, 2009
New America Media, Fellowship Application, Aaron Glantz, Stimulus Editor, Posted: Aug 10, 2009
New America Media is calling for applications from ethnic media reporters and freelance journalists for its 2009 Stimulus Watch Fellowship. The fellows will research a story or a series of their design, documenting and explaining the impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) on the ethnic community served by their publication. The Fellowship is underwritten by a grant from the Open Society Institute.
Each fellow will submit a proposal outlining an investigative story, or series of stories, she or he intends to research and write, as well as a signed agreement by his or her publisher/producer to run the story or stories in their ethnic media outlet.
In addition, fellows will participate in a MANDATORY two-day politics and policy workshop hosted by New America Media and Investigative Reporters and Editors in Washington, D.C. November 12-13, where they will meet national policy-makers, leading investigative and business journalists, policy advocates, and researchers. NAM will disseminate stories produced by the fellows to ethnic and mainstream media partners and nonprofit collaborators through our news wire.
All stories must be edited and approved by NAM’s Stimulus Editor before publication and projects must be completed by February 15, 2010.
Fellows will receive a $3,500 stipend in two increments ($1,000 at the Washington, D.C. workshop and $2,500 once the story or series has been published or aired). NAM will arrange all flights and hotel bookings for the Washington workshop, and fellows will be reimbursed for all qualifying travel expenses (i.e. cab fares and train/bus tickets).
For more information contact NAM Stimulus Editor Aaron Glantz at aglantz@newamericamedia.org or call him at 415-503-4170
Reminder!!!
DEADLINE: TODAY, August 28, 2009
When: September 25-26, 2009
Where: Chicago, Illinois
Who: Illinois Journalists
Applications are now being accepted from Illinois journalists to attend an advanced Chicago seminar on covering criminal justice policy as special Reporting Fellows. The seminar, is called "The Future of Sentencing, Corrections and Crime Reduction in Illinois: A Conversation between Journalists, Policy Makers and Criminal Justice Professionals. For more information about the seminar, please visit the Upcoming Events section of our website.
Application: Prospective fellows must submit a brief letter detailing their professional background and special interest in the criminal justice, policy-making or state political beats (please include recent or planned stories in those or related areas), and a short supporting letter from an editor or professional reference.
For more information about the Center on Media, Crime and Justice and previous advanced reporting seminars on criminal justice, please visit: www.jjay.cuny.edu/cmcj
Video Workshop,
Tuesday, August 25
Do you want to give your webpage a boost?
Are you looking for ways to add new advertising? Are you trying to reach people who want more from your newspapers.
Well, adding video might be an answer. And if you've already started, do you have the work down?
Because so many papers are moving to add video, we're holding a workshop from 10 a.m. until noon this Tuesday, August. 25
Contact me - Steve Franklin - if you want to join in. And if you have questions about shooting, send them to me and we'll make sure to answer them. We have limited space, so let me know if you want to take part.
You can reach me at steve@newstips.org or at 773 595-8667.
Criminal Justice Reporting Workshop in Chicago.
Here's a good chance to develop sources and insights to crime and dealing with it in Illinois. A two-day conference for the news media, Sept. 25-26. It is sponsored by the Chicago Tribune, DePaul University College of Law, and the John Howard Association of Illinois, among others.
But you need to apply for a fellowship. Click on this for more information.
http://tinyurl.com/nzp2no
DEADLINE: October 1, 2009
Who: Ethnic Media Reporters and Freelance Journalists
Fellows will research a story or a series of their design, documenting and explaining the impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) on the ethnic community served by their publication. Fellows will receive a $3,500 stipend in two increments ($1,000 at the Washington, D.C. workshop and $2,500 once the story or series has been published or aired).
Each fellow will submit a proposal outlining an investigative story, or series of stories, she or he intends to research and write, as well as a signed agreement by his or her publisher/producer to run the story or stories in their ethnic media outlet.
Fellows will also participate in a mandatory two-day politics and policy workshop hosted by New America Media and Investigative Reporters and Editors in Washington, D.C. November 12-13, where they will meet national policy-makers, leading investigative and business journalists, policy advocates, and researchers. NAM will disseminate stories produced by the fellows to ethnic and mainstream media partners and nonprofit collaborators through our news wire.
For full description of the fellowship and the application, please click here. To reach the NAM Stimulus Editor Aaron Glantz at aglantz@newamericamedia.org or call him at 415-503-4170.
THE FUTURE OF NEWSPAPERS
What fate awaits the U.S. news media? How will the changes we are seeing today effect the First Ammendment, freedom of the press, access to critical information.
The Freedom Museum and the School of Journalism of Columbia College will are holding a discussion on August 13 at Columbia College. The hour and half event will begin at 6 p.m. in Room 19 at 33 E. Congress Parkway. David Hiller, former publisher of the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune, and new president and CEO of the McCormick Foundation will begin the evening's discussion.
PANEL TO DISCUSS THE ROLE AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF WOMEN IMMIGRANTS IN
ILLINOIS
Pollster Sergio Bendixen will join dozens of women, advocates and
leaders to analyze the positive impact of the "Stewards of the 21st
Century Family" in today's society
WHAT: Not only has there been a surge in female immigrants, but they are shouldering many more roles. They are the ones more likely to push for U.S. citizenship. And they are more likely partners here in guiding their families, a shift for many. But many also suffer from low wage jobs and jobs that do not reflect their training, discrimination's
painful sting, and a crippling lack of English skills.
A recently completed one of a kind study by pollster Sergio Bendixen highlights why women immigrants emigrate and how they have become the "Stewards of the 21st Century Family," in order to maintain their families and provide a better future for their children. Panelists will focus the discussion in their own stories of struggle and success and the common drive for family stability while adjusting to their "new home."
Participants will include Latino, African, Chinese, Arab and Korean women. They will share their stories about the struggle in their own
communities to solve issues amid unjust immigration policies and a severe lack of resources to help them integrate themselves and their families into our society.
WHEN: Thursday, July 16, 2009 from 10 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
WHERE: ICIRR Conference Room, 55 E. Jackson Blvd. Suite 2075, Chicago,
IL
WHO: Maria Pesqueira from Mujeres Latinas en Accion, Itedal Shalabi from the Arab American Family Services, Younhee Harm from the Korean American Community Services, Esther Wong from the Chinese American Service League, Tuyet Le from the Asian American Institute, Margaret King from Woman for African Development Economic Recovery Institute, Inc., Sergio Bendixen one of the nation's leading experts on Latino public opinion,
Sandy Close of New America Media, and Steve Franklin from the Community Media Workshop.
GRUPO PARA DISCUTIR EL ROL Y LAS APORTACIONES DE LAS MUJERES INMIGRANTES EN ILLINOIS
Press conference on female immigrants, July 16th
El investigador Sergio Bendixen se unirá a decenas de mujeres, defensores y líderes, para analizar el impacto positivo de las “Salvaguardas de las familias del siglo XXI” en la sociedad actual
CUANDO: Jueves, 16 de julio de 2009
10 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
DONDE: ICIRR
55 E. Jackson Blvd. Suite 2075
Chicago, IL
USC Annenberg School of Journalism is calling for entries for its new Dennis A. Hunt Fund for Health Journalism , which offers competitive grants of between $2,500 and $10,000 for noteworthy journalism projects on community health policy. As many as 10 print, broadcast and new media journalists will receive awards annually. Open to both newsroom staffers and freelancers, the grants support ambitious investigative or explanatory journalism projects. Multimedia reporting proposals and joint projects between mainstream and ethnic/community media are encouraged.
The deadline to apply for this year`s grants is July 22. For more information and an application, visit www.ReportingonHealth.org , e-mail Martha Shirk at cahealth@usc.edu or call (213) 437-4439.
Do want a measure of a city, a nation, a people through countless eyes and ears working at one place - a place that became history itself? The Chicago Defender has turned over its archives to the Chicago Public Library. Read the story here from the New York Times. But let it remind you what the Defender meant over the years.
http://tinyurl.com/oqaytq
A great tragedy is the number of people who want to learn English in Illinois but there are not enough classes for them. Read this report from the Illinois Coalition of Immigrant and Refugee Rights:
http://icirr.org/en/nai
Here is a valuable report from the Chicago Council on Global Affairs on Mexican Immigration in the Midwest: http://tinyurl.com/c4ef9h
If you are thinking flowers, give a gift too to the women who work in the flower houses. Look for those that pay a fair wage to the female workers in Columbia and Ecuador where most of our flowers come from. An effort to help these women has been led by a Chicago-based U.S. LEAP. Their website explains: http://www.usleap.org/ http://tinyurl.com/d3myk4
Take a look at the interesting agenda for the New York City grass roots media gathering, May 30:
http://nycgrassrootsmedia.org/2009/schedule
News & Events
GRUPO PARA DISCUTIR EL ROL Y LAS APORTACIONES DE LAS MUJERES INMIGRANTES EN ILLINOIS
El investigador Sergio Bendixen se unirá a decenas de mujeres, defensores y líderes, para analizar el impacto positivo de las “Salvaguardas de las familias del siglo XXI” en la sociedad actual
No sólo se ha visto un incremento en el número de mujeres inmigrantes, sino que también han asumido muchas más funciones como parte de la sociedad. Ellas son las más inclinadas hacia mover el gobierno a otorgar la Ciudadanía Americana a los inmigrantes y son las más propensas a convertirse en guías de sus familias durante tiempos de dificultad y ajustes. Sin embargo otras viven la agonía de trabajos de salario mínimo, que muchas veces no reflejan su preparación y entrenamiento, y siempre sufren de discriminación por su falta de conocimiento del inglés.
Recientemente, el investigador Sergio Bendixen terminó su nuevo estudio que destaca el por qué las mujeres inmigrantes emigran y cómo se han convertido en “Salvaguardas de las familias del siglo XXI” para poder mantener sus familias y proveer un mejor futuro para sus hijos. Las panelistas enfocaran la discusión en sus propias historias de superación y éxito y el factor común que las ha guiado hacia la estabilidad familiar mientras se ajustan al “nuevo hogar”.
La lista de participantes incluirá mujeres latinas, africanas, chinas, árabes y polacas. Ellas compartirán sus historias de superación dentro de sus propias comunidades para solucionar problemas en una sociedad en donde se carecen de recursos para una integración éxitosa y las políticas injustas prevalecen. Bendixen es uno de los expertos en la opinión pública latina.
CUANDO: Jueves, 16 de julio de 2009
10 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
DONDE: ICIRR
55 E. Jackson Blvd. Suite 2075
Chicago, IL
Thursday, May 28: Surviving in Tough Times
Title: Thursday, May 28: Surviving in Tough Times
Location: North Lawndale Community News, 1211 S. Western Ave., Suite 203, 312 492 7162
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Description: Everyday the financial crunch gets tougher for the news media, and especially the ethnic news media. This session will be a briefing on business strategies that might help you make your way through this crisis with fewer problems.
Mike Smith, executive director of the Northwestern University Medill Management Center, has a track record as a journalist and working with news executives for efficient and successful management. Affiliated with Kellogg School of Management and the Medill School at Northwestern University, the Media Management Center is dedicated to excellence in journalism through executive education and industry research.
Please RSVP by Tuesday, May 19 (so we know how much lunch to buy) to: Maggie@newstips.org or 312-369-6400
Start Time: 11:30
Date: 2009-05-21
End Time: 13:30
Thursday, May 14: Covering Foreclosures and the Home Mortgage Crisis
Title: Thursday, May 14: Covering Foreclosures and the Home Mortgage Crisis
Location: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Azteca Mall (host: Ezequiel Banda Sifuentes, co-owner Nuevo Siglo), 3200 S. Kedzie Ave.
Description: The story of the nation\'s mortgage crisis can be told block by block in Chicago. It is the story of great problems, and a story of people struggling to find solutions. Community Media Workshop will offer a newsmaker briefing for journalists on:
• What stories are easiest to find and tell?
• Who will be your best sources?
• What is going to happen next with foreclosures in Chicago?
Geoff Smith, vice president of Woodstock Institute, has appeared on Chicago Tonight and testified before the Federal Reserve Board. His research and analyses of housing and community development topics include mortgage lending policy, housing market trends, and community reinvestment. Woodstock is a nonprofit that works locally, nationally, and internationally to promote community reinvestment and economic development in lower-income and minority communities.
Please RSVP by Monday, May 11 (so we know how much lunch to buy) to: Maggie@newstips.org or 312-369-6400
Start Time: 11:30 a.m.
Date: 2009-05-13
End Time: 13:30
$1 million fund to boost census count in Illinois
To back the importance of the census, 10 Illinois foundations have put up $ 1 million to help make sure everyone gets counted. That, they say, is the largest single investment by a group of philanthropies in any state on behalf of a better count. Here is the announcement about the funding,and details about the effort:
http://www.cct.org/ http://www.joycefdn.org/pdf/CensusRFP.pdf
Investigative reporting workshop in Detroit, April 25-26.
If you want to dig deeper in your stories, here is an event that can help. The National Association of Black Journalists and Investigative Reporters and Editors are holding a two-day session at Wayne State University. The price is $45 for professionals, $30 for NABJ members and $25 for students. That's cheaper than buying good books on this kind of reporting. For more information:
http://www.ire.org/training/watchdog/detroit09.php
Training for ethnic media in environmental reporting
USC Annenberg’s Institute for Justice and Journalism (IJJ) will award 10 fellowships to ethnic media journalists to allow them to report on urban environmental issues.The program is funded by a grant from the McCormick Foundation.
The first part of the program involves discussions with experts on environmental justice, plus field reporting and professional workshops.It will take place in Los Angeles, starting April 30, 2009, and ending on May 6. The Fellows will gather again in late July for sessions in Chicago.
Who is eligible?
Experienced print, television, radio and online journalists from across the United States. They must be employed by ethnic media news organizations or be independent journalists who regularly cover ethnic communities in the U.S. or racial justice issues. The editors or news directors of the Fellows who are selected will also take part in at least three days of the sessions in Los Angeles.
Travel-related and professional development expenses for the Fellows and their editors or news directors will be covered by IJJ.
All application materials must be received by IJJ by March 23, 2009. The application guidelines and form can be downloaded from this link:
El Imparcial, 3116 S. Austin Blvd, Cicero,
contact Zeke Montes at 708-656-6666. You do not have to write in Spanish, but knowing the language will help you get stories. But even if you do not know Spanish, here's an opportunity.
West Suburban Journal, 846 S. 17th Ave., Maywood, contact publisher Nicole Trottie, 708-771-5975
Cafe Magazine, a new magazine published in English and aimed at contemporary Latino lifestyle. 660 W. Grand Ave., Chicago. They are looking for interns in all aspects of their work - writing, designing, web design, marketing. Contact Alejandro Riera, 312-226-0151, alejandro@cafemediallc.com
• WBEZ is hiring for its soon to be opened bureau in the Rogers Park area and welcomes applications from ethnic journalists. Some of the work for the new bureau will be covering the many immigrant communities in the Devon-Rogers Park area. If you are interested, contact Julie McEvoy at 312 948 4723 or jmcevoy@chicagopublicradio.org