Journalists of color have been hit hard with job losses across the country during the downward turn in the economy.
Fox 40’s News Anchor Kathy Times, a candidate for the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) president, plans to make a difference by helping to restore more diversity in our nation’s newsrooms.
“Nearly 400 black journalists on the newspaper side alone lost their jobs last year. That’s not including those in broadcast.,” Times said at a recent reception and fundraiser she and her husband businessman James Covington hosted at the Jackson University Club. “I am proud to have my station general manager Leigh White here who told me, ‘Kathy we are with you 100 percent,’” Times said.
Times has 13 years of continuous service to NABJ. She is currently its vice president -Broadcast and Media Institute chairwoman.
NABJ member local radio personality Othor Cain said, “Kathy is the right person for these times.” “Mississippi has never had a media professional to hold the national position. It would be great for our state to have the president and one of the founders of the organization from here.”
Jackson’s William “Bill” Dilday, former general manager of WLBT and WJTV, was among the 44 founders of NAwhich was established to enhance career opportunities for black journalists. He also attended the reception.
Times said NABJ must:
• Retrain membership on new news gathering and delivery techniques
• Harvest the skills of members and turn them into opportunities for earnings
• Intensify dialogue, cooperation and collaboration with mainstream industry leaders to retain and hire black journalists
• Rethink our funding sources and partners
• Reorganize our national structure so that it’s prepared to address the changing media landscape
• Become a more proactive organization that will recognize changes to our industry well in advance to limit the impact on our members.
• Assist journalism schools in preparing students for a new landscape
Her motto is “Tough Times call for Kathy Times.”
For more details or to contact Times, log on to www.kathytimes.com
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