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UNITY to tackle newsroom diversityBy SARAH HOYE Monitor Staff Thousands of industry professionals will come together in the nation's capital next August ready to tackle the issue of newsroom diversity during the third convention of UNITY: Journalists of Color Inc. UNITY's convention, Aug. 4-8, 2004, in Washington, D.C., will feature plenary sessions on topical news issues, a career fair, workshops and panel discussions. UNITY President Ernest Sotomayor said Friday the conference will place an emphasis on newsroom diversity. "The newspaper and broadcast companies overall have not fulfilled their responsibility to diversity," said Sotomayor, Long Island editor for Newsday.com. "This is an outreach to the entire industry." UNITY, headquartered in Arlington, Va., represents 7,000 media professionals of color associated with NABJ, Asian American Journalists Association, National Association of Hispanic Journalists and Native American Journalists Association. Even though the conference is hosted by UNITY, it is open to everyone in the field of journalism. "In order for us to make an impact, we have to get all the players involved and everyone has to buy into diversity," said UNITY's executive director, Anna Lopez. "We can be a model of diversity for this country. The power of numbers speaks for itself." Not only is Washington, D.C, a media hub, it's the perfect place to be during a presidential election year. "That was good timing," said Keith L. Alexander, president of the Washington Association of Black Journalists. "Politicians will really step up to take minority journalists seriously." The nation's capitol will provide journalists a great opportunity to be a part of the national debates, Sotomayor said. UNITY has invited President George W. Bush and has hopes to secure the presidential candidates for the programming. One UNITY official said it's crucial to bring together minority journalists. "It's important to bring journalists of color to share their concerns about our future in journalism," said Fred Sweets, program coordinator for photography for the convention and senior photo editor for the Associated Press. "I believe in the brotherhood of many. And if blacks, Hispanics, Asians and Native Americans work together and share the wealth of our cultures, where are we," he asked. Sarah Hoye can be reached at sarahnabj@hotmail.com |
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