On with the quickie:

OUTSTANDING PRINT, WEB AND BROADCAST REPORTING

ATLANTA – New America Media  the nation’s largest association of ethnic media outlets, today announced winners of its National Ethnic Media Awards honoring exceptional contributions to journalism by members of the ethnic media.

More than 300 entrees were submitted for 17 reporting categories ranging from In-Depth/Investigative Reporting to Blogging. Judges from universities, mainstream media and community-based organizations selected the winners, who will be honored at NAM’s National Ethnic Media Expo & Awards on June 4-5 at the Atlanta Hyatt Regency Hotel. The awards will be presented on June 4 at 6:00 pm, an event that will be co-sponsored by NAM and the University of Georgia Grady College of Journalism.

Sandip Roy, coordinator of the awards, said the entries came from a wide range of ethnic media outlets – from Polish newspapers in New York to Hmong journals in Minneapolis to Spanish language television in Los Angeles.

“Our national awards are the grand finale to a series of regional awards honoring outstanding journalism in Boston, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Washington D.C.,” said Mr. Roy. “These have been difficult times for journalists and their media companies. It was gratifying to review print, broadcast and Internet work that made tremendous contributions to ethnic communities.”

At the National Ethnic Media Expo & Awards convention, NAM will showcase the winning entries as examples of the important role that the ethnic media plays today in communities across the country. “Too many people are still unaware of the ethnic media’s reach into communities,” Mr. Roy said. “Our Atlanta convention will be a coming out party, one that gives the nation a better appreciation of the quality and depth of the ethnic news media.”

Among the journalists cited by the judges, Claudia Núñez of La Opinión in Los Angeles won first place in an investigative category for a special report on the masterminds of a group trafficking Mexican immigrants and keeping them in virtual enslavement in California restaurants.

In Minneapolis/St. Paul, Phil Lee of the Korean Quarterly was incensed when the Ladies Professional Golf Association announced new rules that would require golfers to be fluent in English. He responded by writing a blistering editorial, his first editorial ever, which won the award for Best Commentary.

The editors of Azizah magazine in Atlanta showed how going green was actually also good Islam. From car-shares to recycling it was all about how to be good regent or khalifah on earth as Allah had envisioned the role for humankind.

“The award entries clearly demonstrated the breadth of the ethnic media,” said Sandy Close, NAM’s executive director. “The ethnic media is reporting on stories that are making a difference in communities throughout the nation.” Ms. Close noted that NAM will be releasing a poll at the Expo in Atlanta documenting that the ethnic media has been growing, while mainstream media has struggled to keep readers.

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(To schedule interviews, please contact Alicia Ingram, (404) 493-1724 ingramalicia@bellsouth.net or Michael K. Frisby (202) 625-4328 mike@frisbyassociates.com.)

Below is a complete list of the 2009 National Media Awards winners. They can be viewed online at http://expo.newamericamedia.org/winners

Best In Depth /Investigative
Kai Ma “To Have and to Hold” KoreAm Journal
Runner Up: Chris King, “New Beginning” St Louis American
Hon Mention: Anish Majurndar, “Murder & Mourning in Baton Rouge”
Little India

Best In Depth/Investigative (In-Language)
Claudia Núñez, “Twenty First Century Slaves” (a series) La Opinión
Runner Up: Weijiang Huang, “American Dream in Single Room Dwelling”
Sing Tao Daily, San Francisco
Hon Mention: Milagros Melendez, “I Want to Be With My Mom”, El Tiempo
Latino

International Affairs
Winner: Farkhunda Ali “Palestinians Remember Their Catastrophe” Muslim Link
Runner Up: Lou Ann Matossian “Institute of Turkish Studies Chair was
Ousted for Acknowledging Genocide”, Armenian Reporter

International Affairs (In-Language)
Winner: Rong Xiaoqing “Dragon Children Return” Sing Tao Daily, New York.
Runner Up: Thaer Abbas, “Civil War Looms in Lebanon”, Aramica
Hon Mention: Yu Ting Zhou “Foreign Students: The Neglected Group”,
World Journal, New York

Healthcare
Winner: Norma de la Vega “Diet, What Diet?” Enlace
Runner Up: Sunita Sohrabji “Postpartum Depression: South Asian Women
Suffer in Silence” India West

Arts, Sports & Entertainment
Almah LaVon Rice “The Rise of Street Literature” ColorLines
Runner Up: Emily Driscoll “Smashing Comeback” Little India
Hon Mention: Kai Ma “High Rollers” KoreAm Journal

Arts, Sports & Entertainment (In-Language)
Winner: Leslie Froelich “A Mixture of Languages” Mundo Hispanico
Runner Up: Boon Hon Choo “Off-Track Betting Stations” World Journal, New York

Commentary/ Editorial
Phil Lee “LPGA: Does This Stand For ’Lees, Parks Go Away’? ” Korean
Quarterly
Runner Up: Jerry Sullivan, “A Twice-Told Tale of Black, Brown & LAPD
Blue” Los Angeles Garment & Citizen

Commentary/Editorial (In-Language)
Alejandro Manrique, David Coates, Peter Siavelis, “Qué Pasa Supports
Barack Obama’s Candidacy,” Qué Pasa
Runner Up: Weihang Que “ Government Officials Accountability Is Only
The Beginning Of A Sound Quality Safety System” The China Press in Northern California

Ethnic Elders
Winner: Toan Do “Sharks Are Targeting Servicemen, Elders, and
Disabled People,” Viet Tribune
Runner up: Sue Yang “The Future That Maia Henderson Left Behind,”
The Korean American Press

Photojournalism
Arindam Mukherjee “ Beyond the Burkha” Audrey Magazine
Runner Up: J Emilio Flores “The Airplane of the Deported” La Opinión

Race and Inter Ethnic Relations
Julie Ha “Neighborhood Watch” KoreAm Journal
Runner Up: Gabriela Gonzalez “The Changing Face of Faith” La Prensa, San Diego
Hon Mention: Brian Concannon Jr. “ Eating Dirt in Ireland and Haiti”
Boston Irish Reporter/Boston Haitian Reporter

Education
Winner: Erika Cebreros “Finishing School is a Complicated Job”, El
Mensajero
Runner Up: Wameng Moua “Are Hmong Schools Making the Grade?” Hmong Today

Environmental Issues
Winner: Azizah Kahera and Staff “Color Me Green” Azizah Magazine
Runner Up: Sunita Sohrabji “Green Rules Force Small Truckers Into the Red”, India West

Best Reporting on a Community Issue (Radio)
Winner: Cindy Yip & Otis Fang “Teacher’s Responsibilities vs
Survival Instincts” Sing Tao Radio
Runner Up: Alejandro Manrique, “Mass Exodus of Hispanics from North
Carolina” Qué Pasa

Best Reporting on a Community Issue (TV)
Winner: Vicky Gutierrez “Farm Kids” KVEA Telemundo 52
Runner Up: Thuy Phan “ Bone Marrow”, Saigon Broadcasting Television Network
Hon Mention: Harry Liu, “ DTV Transition” KTSF

Best Blogger on Ethnic Perspectives
Winner: The Sanctuary
Runner Up: Chris Rabb, Afro-Netizen

To learn more, and to register, please visit http://expo.newamericamedia.org.
About NAM
New America Media is the country’s first and largest national collaboration and advocate for more than 2500 ethnic news organizations. Over 51 million ethnic adults connect to each other, to home countries and to America through 3000+ ethnic media, the fastest growing sector of American journalism. Founded by the nonprofit Pacific News Service in 1996, NAM is headquartered in California with offices in New York and Washington D.C. NAM also partners with journalism schools to grow local associations of ethnic media around the nation. Our 2009 National Ethnic Media EXPO & Awards will honor excellence in ethnic media journalism, forge collective strategies to strengthen the sector, expand its role in risk communications, and improve government communications with its audiences.

Visit NAM’s homepage for news and updates on our programs here.

… instead of the above headline from the recent issue of the Hunter Alumni magazine article about Kisha Allison, Jonathan Mena and Jacqueline Fernandez at the Democratic National Convention. Why?

Media is so vague though Journalism obviously is part of the media kingdom and too many undergraduate media programs are weak but their popularity conceals the shortcomings. I’m not splitting hairs nor am I concerned with what political and editorial decisions were involved in this editorial decision. The College helped with funding for the Denver trip to the Democratic National Convention and offered to help with expenses for the D.C. trip. So, I ain’t sniping. Just wondering.

At the time the article was being prepared, we – Mena, Allison, Fernandez, New America Media, which also helped with funding for the Denver trip, NAM editor Anthony Advincula, who has been strongly supporting the students, and I – weren’t sure if press credentials would be available since millions of people wanted to attend the inauguration and legions and legions of journalists wanted press access.

The students were insistent that they were going to go regardless of the availability of the press credentials. From January, 2008, to January, 2009, – encompassing the New Hampshire Primaries, Democratic National Convention, Presidential Inauguration and everything else not mentioned here – they were embarked on a remarkable journey, trekking, it seems, from one historical event to another where they demonstrated remarkable aplomb for gaining access to news events where  professional journalists were thwarted.

A hell of a learning experience, that’s for sure.

The alumni magazine article became available as Fernandez and Mena returned from the Presidential Inauguration where they stood shoulder to shoulder with journalists from around the world.  Allison couldn’t make the trip because of a sudden emergency demanding her attention. However, Luis Mostacero, another WORD writer who also writes part-time for the Long Island-based Noticia Hispanoamericana, trekked south as if he was filling in for her. Actually, Fernandez, Mena and Allison had been concerned about recruiting him and other students involved with the multimedia news reporting project funded by the Ford Foundation. The project, plus help from NAM and the College, helped them on their historic paths.

For this most recent historic trek, Fernandez came up with housing and Mostacero, who got his press credentials via his newspaper, helped the other two WORD writers get their credentials.

As of this date, only the print version is available. I’m not sure when the pdf-version will be available.

Below, pictures from Mena’s photobucket:

 

Jacqueline Fernandez, 2009 President Inauguration

Jonathan Mena, 2009 Presidential Inauguration

Today (Monday, January 19) — Jonathan Mena and I got a call from our colleague Luis Mostacero that there might be a chance for us to get press credentials to attend the Inauguration of Barack Obama. The challenged: Jonathan and I had to dash through congested, convoluted Washington D.C. traffic to make it to the Russell Senate Office Building in 30 minutes– or else!

See Them Run!

Picture below by Jacqueline Fernandez

We skipped breakfast, set up the GPS, and made every yellow light. When we arrived in front of the building, we jumped out of the car and ran as fast as we could through the blistering cold.

We desperately tried to find the entrance into the building and maneuvered our way through the staff entrance. We ran to the third floor, passing Richard Nixon’s former Senate office, and arrived just in time to be the last ones in line.

We waited an hour or so until everyone got their extra credentials. After the interrogation and credibility check from the U.S. Secret Service we were granted press credentials.

So later today Jonathan and I will be reporting from the Capitol of the United States of America as Barack Obama is sworn in to be our first African-American President.

The coveted 2009 Inauguration Press Pass:

I arrived at the Capitol by 5 a.m. and I was already late. My cab dropped me off on 7th Street, the public entrance, and it was sheer pandamonium. Someone in the crowd yelled, “This is like Walmart on black Friday.” Obviously, a reference to the November 28 fatal death of a Long Island Wal-Mart trainee trampled in a surge by thousands of customers stampeding for sales.

People of all ages and colors were pushing each other and shoving their way through trying to get close to the gate here at 7th.  In a crowded lane four-width people apart, it was heartbreaking to see an elderly black woman in a wheelchair get pushed around, especially when she was decked out in her finest Obama gear.

 

I struggled to move against the crowd but when I made it past the shoving I walked the six blocks to my entrance. Instead of an aggressive crowd I was greeted with a calmer but longer line.  This line is probably a mile long with more people cutting in the front instead of walking all the way to the back. I,ve been standing in this line for nearly two hours and have moved three times.

It is now 9 o clock and this line is a mess.

I’m currently standing in a tunnel where ambulances and cop cars pass me by. The police have no idea what’s happening and they’re moving people from the front  of the line to the back. I was once able to see the end of the line but not anymore.  Although the possibility of not being allowed inside hovers over everyone inside, they still have hope.

We’ll just have to wait and see.

Luis Mostacero, Jacqueline Fernandez and Jonathan Mena are heading to the Presidential Inauguration TODAY to make sure they’re in D.C. to engage this historic moment before the anticipated humungous surge inspires The Powers That Be to cut off transportation into the city. A sudden emergency is keeping Kisha Allison from going.

Mostacero has press credentials via his Noticia Hispanoamericana – but also will be writing for the WORD.

 

Mena had said from the start that he preferred the outside of the designated, press-credential-required arena. He has a special surprise for Hunterites to be announced after he gets set up in D.C. New America Media, which has been hoping that some affiliated NAM journalists would pursue reporting outside the press arena, said it would try to assist him as well as the other two student journalists to get access, if they wanted assistance, to events (innumerable) planned for the days up to and ending with Barack Obama’s first day (so to speak) on the job.

NAM has been treating the students as if they were pros.

How much help they might need, this writer can’t determine. Mena & Allison, Mena & Fernadez and Mena & Dan Allen – Allen graduated a year ago – have been gaining access to special news events without the required special credentials for as long as this Ford funded multimedia news reporting project (with serious help from the College and NAM) has been developing. They have excellent news snooping repertoires. They think on their feet and adjust to and accommodate very fast in situations that are new to them. So, even as there is this attempt try to described where and what they might be doing or are planning to do, the description could be lacking, subject to the vagaries of the students’ D.C. experiences.

They will be working individually, pursuing their own agendas, and working together when their interests intersect as they see fit. All are packing digital equipment they will need to publish, broadcast and blog (video/audio) – as they so choose. More is possible, of course, because of the technology. Mena & Fernandez, for example, did live Internet broadcasting from the floor of Democratic National Convention in Denver (where they didn’t have floor press passes) the evening that Biden did his acceptance speech. Or, for example, the WORD has a Twitter account, though it hasn’t been actively used. 

From the New Hampshire primaries to the Democratic National Convention to this Inauguration – and a multitude of news events in between – “this” has been an unusual student-teacher relationship. It started developing as the traditional one was fading in New Hampshire when Allison and Mena joined several journalists from New York Community Media Alliance to cover the primaries. This writer believes a lot of J-professors would be uncomfortable with it, and, thusly, they should consider reviewing their ideas and practices about teaching journalism.

It has caused this instructor to re-assess his teaching and to revise his classes.

Mena, Allison, Allen, Fernandez, Mostacero et. al. have paved way for the next wave of talented, enterprising Hunter students with a passion for journalism and media. Let’s see if my J-colleagues are up to the task.

And guess what? New America Media put their production efforts on its front page.* This is exciting. I, with several years of journalism experience and two books and tons of related experience, told two student journalists that I thought what they did was good but they could do better and NAM decides what they did was front-page news.

I love it.

And will address “it” in subsequent posts.

 

*This hit NAM’s first page November 16. By tomorrow, it might be in the archives.