National Association of Black Journalists to Host Regional Conference in Cincinnati

Cincinnati, OH, April 23, 2019 --(PR.com)-- More than 300 journalists from across the Midwest will convene in Cincinnati for the National Association of Black Journalists Region II Conference April 26-28 at the Hyatt Regency. NABJ in the NATI: Surviving and Thriving, presented by the Greater Cincinnati Chapter of NABJ, will feature a variety of sessions and workshops with presenters from NBC News, The Cincinnati Enquirer, Ida B Wells Investigative Reporting Society, Google and more aimed at enhancing the careers of professional and student journalists.

Dorothy Tucker, NABJ vice president of broadcast, explained that NABJ is critical in meeting the needs of journalists. “We are advocates for black journalists around the world, giving them a voice in their newsrooms and in this industry.” She went on to explain how the regional conference fulfills NABJ’s primary goals of offering development and training for their members and how the organization is looking forward to hosting its conference in Cincinnati. “Black journalists from across the Midwest are excited to gather in a city with rich Black history and we look forward to visiting sights such as the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.”

“In today’s news climate, it is important that journalists are constantly refreshed on what it takes to become a mainstay in our industry without experiencing the burnout we’ve seen in newsrooms across America,” said Alexis Rogers, Greater Cincinnati Association of Black Journalists’ president and regional co-conference chair. “We are excited to welcome journalists to our city as we work to address important topics that affect our industry every day,” said Charisse Gibson, immediate past president, Greater Association of Black Journalists’ president and regional co-conference chair.

In the latest Reuters Institute and the University of Oxford Journalism, Media and Technology Trends and Predictions, almost two-thirds of editors, CEOs and digital leaders surveyed are concerned or extremely concerned about staff burnout. Most survey respondents (73 percent) also expressed concern regarding retention and attraction in the journalism industry given the low rates of pay, pace and the pressures of the modern newsroom. In addition to those findings, 56 percent of those surveyed were concerned about levels of newsroom diversity.

Attendees representing a spectrum of journalism and communications careers including print, broadcast, radio and digital platforms will attend sessions that focus on developing meaningful content, increasing diversity in newsrooms and gaining viewers’ trust in this new era of constant misinformation.

The conference will feature an opening networking reception at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, hosted in partnership with the Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau’s diversity platform, Vibe Cincinnati. Highlights from the weekend-long event include a Q&A session facilitated by award-winning veteran journalist, speaker, author and philanthropist Soledad O’Brien, and a keynote speech given by Jamilah Lemieux at the scholarship jazz brunch hosted by Procter and Gamble. Proceeds from the brunch will benefit the Greater Cincinnati Association of Black Journalists’ scholarship fund.

“We are excited to welcome members of the nation’s largest organization for journalists of color to the Cincinnati region. Our city has worked tirelessly to enhance our multicultural experience for diverse conference attendees and this time will be no different,” said Jason Dunn, group vice president of Diversity Sales and Inclusion for the Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Hosting this group and showcasing the best of Cincinnati will continue to elevate our region’s reputation throughout the Midwest and the nation. We look forward to showing these journalists all that our great city has to offer.”

NABJ in the NATI: Surviving and Thriving conference partners include the Greater Cincinnati Association of Black Journalists, Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau, Procter and Gamble, Fox 19, Local 12, WCPO and Scripps, WLWT, Cincinnati Enquirer and Fifth Third Bank. Ticket prices for the conference events range from $15 - $50. For more information and to register, please visit: https://www.nabj.org/event/Region2Conf2019.

About The National Association of Black Journalists
The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) is an organization of journalists, students and media-related professionals that provides quality programs and services to and advocates on behalf of black journalists worldwide. Founded by 44 men and women on December 12, 1975, in Washington, D.C., NABJ is the largest organization of journalists of color in the nation.