News Briefs

Magazine Publishers host NAMME’s 1st Regional Meeting

On Thursday, September 18, NAMME will hold its first Regional Meeting at Magazine Publishers of America (MPA) headquarters, 810 Seventh Avenue in New York City. The meeting will be from 5:30- 7:30 pm and address the topic of “Surviving & Thriving in Changing Times”. Cost to NAMME members is $50. To register download this registration form and fax w/payment info to Toni Laws at 703/854-7178.

Marsha Haygood, Founder of Stepwise Associates and acclaimed career and life coach, will share tried-and-true approaches to help individuals learn how to embrace change and thrive. Find out how to make change work for you.

Participants will examine the nature of change, what your role in change can-or will be, understand what knowledge you need to acquire in order to react to change positively, how to implement new skills and behaviors, and the reinforcement you will need to sustain the change. In addition to tangible, practical techniques you can implement in your own life, Ms. Haygood will tell of inspiring case histories that illustrate how people used her approach and succeeded in making change work for them.

Long acclaimed for its quality programming, the regional meetings represent a way to ensure that NAMME members have continued access to the programs, information and services they need. “We looked to the geographic areas where we have a significant cluster of members and, thanks to a grant from the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation, we are now able to take that same quality programming to the local level. At a time when media organizations are cutting back expenditures on travel and training and employees are struggling to survive, revive and re-tool, it is imperative that those who work in media know that they can draw upon and utilize the resources, network and support that NAMME offers”, says Toni Laws, Executive Director of the newly renamed National Association of Multicultural Media Executives. The next regional meeting will be in Boston area topic, location and date are to be determined.

2008 Class Joins Prestigious Group of McCormick Tribune Fellows

Evanston, IL (December 1, 2007) —Eight media executives of color have been selected as 2008 McCormick Tribune Fellows. The media executives will receive management training and join the Fellows Braintrust community of multicultural senior media managers and executives.

The McCormick Tribune Fellowship program exists to increase the number and impact of influential minority executives in the media business. The Fellows Braintrust provides research and insight on media management and diversity issues for the benefit of its members and the media industry.

Twenty-two candidates from print, television, radio and magazine media applied for the 2008 fellowship.

"This year's selection process was grueling because all the applicants were such good candidates, said MTF director Ava Greenwell. "And yet it was an invigorating process to see the profiles of some of the best media managers in the country."

The eight 2008 fellows were nominated by senior leaders from the print, broadcast and digital media based on their professional achievements, innovative approach to the business and career potential. The 2008 Fellows are:

• Rodney Brooks, USA Today
• Sharon Wilmore, Detroit Free Press
• Carole Carmichael, The Seattle Times
• Terrence Williams, New York Times Co.
• Johnita Due, CNN
• Orlando Rosales, WTPH 14 - Azteca America
• Shiree Woody, WBBH-NBC2 & WZVN-ABC7
• Jayme Ribeiro Neto, WRMD Telemundo Tampa

The Fellowship program is funded by the McCormick Tribune Foundation and administered by Northwestern University's Media Management Center in cooperation with the National Association of Minority Media Executives and the National Association of Broadcasters. Some 81 media executives have completed the one-year program since its 1998 inception.

During the Fellowship year, the Fellows will attend executive education programs at the Media Management Center at Northwestern University. Broadcast Fellows attend the National Association of Broadcasters Management Development Seminar, and the print and digital Fellows attend the Advanced Executive Program. At the Center, the programs focus on innovation and strategic leadership, promoting a disciplined approach to managing personal, organizational, and cultural change.

In addition, each year current and former Fellows are invited to participate in a Fall Forum to examine pressing industry challenges. Their efforts have produced unique insights for leaders seeking fresh ideas and approaches to accelerate the pace of minority representation in managerial positions within media organizations.

The McCormick Tribune Foundation is a nonprofit organization committed to making life better for our children, communities and country. Through its charitable grant making programs, Cantigny Park and Golf, Cantigny First Division Foundation and the McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum, the Foundation is able to positively impact people’s lives and stay true to its mission of advancing the ideals of a free, democratic society.

The Media Management Center accelerates the business success of media companies and the professional growth of media executives through its executive education programs, ground-breaking research, world-class faculty, and ongoing work with media companies worldwide. It is affiliated with the Kellogg School of Management and the Medill School at Northwestern University.

To read the reports online and for more information about the McCormick Tribune Fellows visit http://www.mtfellows.org.

Hearst and Cox to sponsor 2008 Leadership Development Institutes

Dennis Laffoon

I had never considered myself to be good at networking. But there I was, standing in the corner that evening, finishing off a peppermint, attempting to run through everything that I had learned the previous night about self-confidence, good eye contact, and first impressions. Moments later I took a deep breath and dived into an experience that was unfamiliar but extremely rewarding. It was exciting enough to be looking out onto beautiful Manhattan from the new, state-of-the-art, New York Times building, but to have the opportunity to shake hands and talk one-on-one with some of the top media industry executives was truly amazing.

Amazing, is also how I would describe the Leadership Development Institute, sponsored by The National Association of Minority Media Executives (NAMME). I honestly can’t say what I expected to experience, but I can assert with confidence that what I have learned about myself, and my leadership style is invaluable. No stone was left unturned as each of us, throughout the week, were challenged to look at ourselves and how we operate through our own eyes as well as those of others. Although sometimes difficult, these moments were necessary for us to face both truth and perception. Although it was emotional at times, the honesty was pivotal for our continued leadership development.

The diversity of both the ethnic and workplace cultures of the fellows and panelists provided a wealth of input from a variety of media areas. We found that many of us shared common challenges in the workplace and that many of the potential solutions would be exchanged during our time together. We were provided with resources to aid our continuous exchange of information. We were introduced to new technology and innovation to assist us in our workplaces. We even had the pleasure of creating relationships with some of the top minority media executives in this nation. But above all, we were given the opportunity to learn how to become great leaders.

Knight Fellowships at Stanford University

Twelve, mid-career U.S. journalists win Knight Fellowships at Stanford each year. The fellows get nine months of study, intellectual growth and professional change at one of the world's great universities, right in the middle of Silicon Valley - in classes, independent study and research and special forums with academic and journalism leaders. At the end of the year they return to the rapidly changing journalism landscape with a renewed sense of purpose, deeper knowledge and tools to tackle the challenges ahead.

Fellows receive a stipend of $60,000 plus tuition, and supplements for health insurance, books, housing and childcare. All benefits and activities of the program are open to spouses and partners of Fellows.

We're looking for:

• Reporters and editors and anchors
• Photographers and producers and news directors
• Editorial cartoonists and multimedia producers - and more

We want journalists who have already accomplished a lot and are ambitious to do more. Candidates must have seven years' professional, full-time experience. To apply, go to: http://knight.stanford.edu/application/index.html and complete the application form.

Application Deadline for the 2008-2009 class is: February 1, 2008.

For more information, please visit: http://knight.stanford.edu/ or email knight-info@lists.stanford.edu

NAMME Diversity Awards--Call for Nominations!

Deadline: November 1, 2007

NAMME’s 2008 "A Celebration of Diversity" Annual Awards Banquet will be held Tuesday, April 15, at the Renaissance Hotel in Washington, DC. The awards honor and recognize champions of diversity in the media business. All will be honored at the banquet. Click here for more information.

McCormick Tribune Fellowship Program seeks candidates for Class’08

The McCormick Tribune Foundation, the Media Management Center, and the National Association of Minority Media Executives seek eight exceptional media executives of color to apply for the 2007 McCormick Tribune Fellowship program.

McCormick Tribune Fellowships are for executives of newspapers, broadcast stations and news companies. Editorial candidates must have approximately 10 years or more experience in the news business and should be at the level of assistant managing editor or higher at newspapers or newspaper companies, or the equivalent at television stations, groups or companies. Applicants from business departments should have at least 10 years of professional experience and have reached the level of assistant director. Fellows must be leaders within their organizations and be seen by their organizations as key players in the future. The fellowships are open to African American, American Indian, Asian American and Latino executives.

Fellows are selected to join an exclusive brain trust designed to help the news media achieve its diversity goals. In addition, fellow will attend one of the premier leadership programs for media executives. Newspaper executives attend the three-week Advanced Executive Program and broad-cast executives attend the seven-day Management Development Seminar for Television Executives, both conducted at the Media Management Center (MMC) at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, which is located about 30 minutes from downtown Chicago. MMC is a joint venture of the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management and the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. The television seminar is a joint project of MMC and the National Association of Broadcasters.

The fellowship program seeks to increase both the number and impact of minority media executives in the news media, helping fellows individually in their careers while providing other news media leaders the benefit of the wisdom and insight the fellows have to offer. In the process, the program adds to the critical mass of high-performing senior managers and executives of color prepared to bring the most innovative strategies to the news media’s most pressing challenges.

The McCormick Tribune Fellowship program is a partnership of the McCormick Tribune Foundation, Northwestern’s Media Management Center and the National Association of Minority Media Executives (NAMME) Foundation.

Sign Up Today for Fall '07 Leadership Development Institute

The New York Times Company will host NAMME’s Fall Leadership Development Institute (LDI) October 29th -November 1st at their new headquarters in New York City. The Institute is a four-day, hands-on program for new and middle managers of color and is designed to help them formulate practical, doable developmental plans based on candid assessments on style, performance, competencies and desired career goals.

Please go to http://www.namme.org/programs/ldi to apply and learn more about the program.

McClatchy, Gannett and Daimler Chrysler Donate to LDI

Much appreciation goes out to the McClatchy Company, the Gannett Foundation and DaimlerChrysler for their generous support of NAMME’s Leadership Development Institute (LDI)!

The McClatchy company has donated $20,000 to fund eight (8) all expenses paid fellowships to LDI. Four (4) fellowships are earmarked for McClatchy employees only and an additional four will be awarded to eligible candidates working in print media.

The Gannett Foundation has awarded NAMME a supplemental $7,500 grant to its original $25,000 to support an additional three (3) fellowships to the Institute. This brings the total award in support of the Institute to $32,500. Candidates from print, broadcast and online media will be eligible to compete for these fellowships.

Once again, DaimlerChrysler has continued its support through the renewal of its Leaders in Diversity and Communications (LIDAC) Fellowships to NAMME’s Leadership Development Institute. The fellowship supports two (2) fellowships and targets candidates working in broadcast and online media.

To apply for these fellowships, please go to http://www.namme.org/programs/ldi