Last Updated: August 12, 2002
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The American Society of
Newspaper Editors joins the Associated Press Managing Editors in announcing
the Robert G. McGruder Awards for Diversity Leadership. The award is sponsored
by The Freedom Forum. Two awards will be given annually, one for newspapers
with a circulation of up to 50,000, the other for newspapers with more than
50,000 circulation.
The awards will go to
individuals, newsrooms or teams of journalists who embody the spirit of McGruder,
former executive editor of the Detroit Free Press. A past president of APME
and former member of ASNE’s Board of Directors, McGruder was a relentless
diversity champion. He died of cancer in April 2002.
Jurors will be looking
for nominees who have made a significant contribution during a given year
or over a number of years to furthering the cause of diversity in content
and in recruiting, developing and retaining journalists of color.
Eligibility: Individuals,
newsrooms or teams of journalists from U.S. daily newspapers are eligible.
A nominee’s newspaper must participate in the American Society of Newspaper
Editors’ annual employment census.
The awards recognize achievement
for the year from October-September or contributions over a number of years.
Criteria: The diversity
leadership awards honor an individual, a newsroom or a team of journalists
for significant leadership in diversity through:
-
Content:
by reflecting accurately a diverse community in a way that demonstrates
community and industry leadership. The definition of diversity includes
ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, religious background,
political bent and physical ability.
- Recruitment:
by providing opportunities for journalists of color to learn about newspapers
as a career and enter the newspaper industry in internships and full-time
jobs.
-
Development:
by offering opportunities for journalists of color to grow in their current
roles and receive mentoring and training to advance to positions of greater
authority or responsibility.
- Retention: by
ensuring that journalists of color want to remain in the newspaper industry
by providing an inclusive work environment that offers opportunities to contribute
and advance.
Nominations can be made
by individuals, newspapers, professional organizations, schools of journalism
and others.
To nominate, send a letter
(of no more than three pages) outlining specific information about the achievements
and how they benefited the community, the industry and journalists of color.
The letter should include the name of the person making the nomination and
his/her signature and telephone number.
You may supplement an
entry with clips, but please send no more than 10 articles. Please send copies
no larger than 11x17.
Send material to Kate
Kennedy, Director/partnerships and initiatives, Freedom Forum, 1101 Wilson
Blvd., Arlington, VA 22209; kkennedy@freedomforum.org;
703-284-3932.
Deadline: Received
by Sept. 13, 2002
Judging: Nominations
will be judged by a committee composed of three representatives from APME, two from ASNE, a representative of the Freedom Forum and a representative of Unity.
Award ceremony:
Announcement of the winners will be made at the annual APME conference, Oct.
23-26 in Baltimore. The recognized honorees will receive $2,500 each.