Thanks to all NABJ-Chicago members and guests who joined us at our Annual Membership Meeting 2010, followed by our “Death and the Deadline” panel discussion on May 19 at Red Kiva lounge in the West Loop.  We participated in a vigorous, and insightful conversation about the reality of community violence and what the media could do to improve its coverage of that violence.

Special thanks to our moderator, Allison Hunter, as well as outstanding panelists: TRUTH Magazine founder and community activist, Carl West; rapper Hassahn Phenomenon; rapper Precise, President and CEO of the Community Mental Health Council Dr. Carl Bell and 18-year-old Crishinda Wade from Teen Englewood.

PANELIST QUOTABLES:
“If I lived in L.A. and watched Chicago news, you would think Chicago is a war zone.”—HASSAHN PHENOMENON, RAPPER, CYPHER LOUNGE RADIO SHOW HOST

“The decisions (about media coverage) are made behind the camera. … Producing is about judgment, what stories go where.”—MODERATOR, ALLISON HUNTER, LONG-TIME EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

“We had great programming, but we gave up control. It’s not what people want to see, it’s what they’re used to seeing. These minstrel shows we tune into, we give our power to that.”—PRECISE, RAPPER

“If you’re not mentoring … you ain’t doing nothing.”—CARL WEST, TRUTH MAGAZINE FOUNDER AND COMMUNITY ACTIVIST

“We (teens) don’t want to know just one perspective of the story.”—CRISHINDA WADE, TEEN, TEAM EANGLEWOOD

“When the programs go away, the problems come back. You don’t talk about … ‘it takes a village to raise a child,’ you rebuild the village. … We must teach youth social and emotional skills; you check people’s behavior.”– DR. BELL

We also thank members of the Pain to Power Foundationand  Derrion Albert’s grandfather for coming out to meet with members of the media and attend the panel.

CALL FOR COMMITTEES:

If you didn’t get a chance to attend our meeting, we are also asking more of our members to volunteer for NABJ-Chicago committees: Events/Programming; Technology/Social Media; Mentorship; Media Advocacy; Fundraising and Publicity.  If you are interested in using your talents and working with our dynamic, award-winning board, please send an e-mail to nabjccsecretary@nabjchicago.org.