Research and Reporting on Political and Social Issues

Publication No. 24

Research and Reporting on Political and Social Issues

Role

Researcher and writer

Reach and Impact

This collection of research and reporting on political and social issues is noteworthy because of the scope and reach of the Black Press; the individual and collective impact of the newspapers and websites; and their societal, journalistic and historical contributions. These articles bring much-needed attention to unreported and underreported topics such as minimum wage and pay equity; the pain of losing a child to violence; and disproportionate incarceration and execution. This is significant, because coverage of such topics can increase understanding among various segments of the population; present solutions to problems; or stimulate efforts to solve them.

Some of these articles have been widely distributed through the Afro-American Newspapers and fellow NNPA members:

• Afro-American Newspapers: 12,767 in print; on the web, 7,070 daily unique visitors and 35,350 page views
• National Newspaper Publishers Association: circulates to 200 member newspapers

Representative Samples

• “D.C. Mayor’s Wal-Mart Bill Veto Intensifies Minimum Wage Debate” http://www.afro.com/sections/news/afro_briefs/story.htm?storyid=79743, Sept. 13, 2013 (spot news)
• Texas Leads U.S. in Execution of African Americans” http://www.afro.com/sections/news/afro_briefs/story.htm?storyid=79354, Aug. 7, 2013
• Trayvon Martin Case Fuels Anxiety for Black Moms http://www.afro.com/sections/news/afro_briefs/story.htm?storyid=79229, July 24, 2013

This collection meets criteria No. 10 set forth on page 10 in Appendix A of Recommendation 305-2015 as an Exemplary Creative/Professional Activity:

Criteria No. 10. Authorship of works such asarticles, reviews, commentaries, multimedia, and/or other creative projects published or broadcast locally, nationally or internationally in newspapers, magazines, popular or industry-specific media (e.g., PR Tactics, JAE, Folio, AJR, CJR etc.) or on the Internet if they demonstrate high standards in the practice of the discipline. This can include:

• A collection of short reported pieces about a single subject or a substantive collection on diverse subjects.