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Lowe to tackle NABJ issuesBy Regine Labossiere Monitor Staff Herbert Lowe says the NABJ faces its biggest challenge -- maintaining its relevance to black journalists and retaining membership numbers. "We've lost hundreds of full members over the last few years and to me that signals NABJ doesn't matter to them," said Lowe, a candidate for president. The question of whether NABJ is relevant extends beyond veteran journalists, said Lowe, who covers criminal courts for Newsday in Queens, N.Y. "I want to work with the student representative to establish a strong student council of representatives around the nation so that students are able to express their concerns and new ideas to the board of directors." He also would like to see the development of programs for beginning journalists, including classes to prepare students for summer internships. Since 1994, Lowe has been active in black journalist organizations as: member of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists; president and member of the Garden State Association of Black Journalists; and vice president of print and secretary at NABJ. He is co-chair of the New York Association of Black Journalists' Web site committee. As president, Lowe said he would improve communication between members and the administration. "I'm interested in having a monthly chat process where all members will be able to reach out to the president," Lowe said. He proposes setting up a chat room where members can voice their concerns and pose questions to the administration for about 90 minutes once a month. "I want it to be a 365-day interactive organization," Lowe said. Among the ideas he proposes is changing the way conventions are set up. "I think we should have fewer workshops and we should have more super workshops. I'm not interested in having programs that may have only 10 or 15 people in the room. I want professional programs that will draw 100 or so people," he said. Lowe said the previous administration deserves some credit for putting NABJ on sound financial footing. "But it's time to do more than balance the checkbooks. We have to be aggressive and we have to be eager to try new things." Lowe would like the organization to turn outward and deal with the major issues that all black journalists face. "We need to explain to all nationalities and races about the importance of diversity in the newsrooms," Lowe said. “Every day black journalists are doing good things in their newsrooms, in their communities, but nobody's listening or telling their stories." Staff writer Regine LaBossiere can be reached at reginelabossiere@hotmail.com Hometown: Camden, N.J. Education: Marquette University Job Experience: Staff writer at Newsday. Previously, Lowe worked at The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Virginian-Pilot, The Record (N.J.), The Press of Atlantic City and The Milwaukee Community Journal. Involvement: Former three-term NABJ executive board member and a former affiliate chapter president. A former president of the Garden State Association of Black Journalists, also served in the Hampton Roads Black Media Professionals and Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, and is now the New York Association of Black Journalists' Web Site committee co-chairman. |
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