UNITY: Journalists of Color Convention 2008

CHICAGO – UNITY 2008 organizers confirmed a shift of seismic proportions in the beleaguered journalism industry which has fallen prey to a struggling economy, the meteoric ascension of the Internet as a legitimate reporting mechanism, and the decrement of advertising revenue — the lifeblood of any media outlet. But optimism permeated the five-day conference as a plentitude of opportunities were birthed in the wake of the volatility. National Association of Black Journalists, the Asian American Journalists Association, the Native American Journalists Association and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists exposed conventioneers at Chicago’s McCormick Place Center to the multifarious new methods of writing and reporting today’s news.

Radio royalty Tom Joyner, and industry pundits controverted on how the Web and YouTube contributed to the unprecedented mobilization for Jena 6, and a more balanced discussion of Rev. Jeremiah Wright. ESPN journalists regaled an overflow audience about their blogging and reporting experiences. Media conglomerates sponsored seminars on pressing health issues and the prison-industrial complex as a cash cow. Traditional corporations like Coca-Cola, Toyota and General Motors facilitated the NABJ Film Festival, the GM police slowdown program and a plethora of receptions and networking events. –terry shropshire

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