WHYY News’ Black Men in Media Summit offered glimpse into a changing industry

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Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Trymaine Lee didn’t realize how much exposure to stress as a reporter affected him until he had a heart attack.

“It was that soft plaque [in my heart] of my experiences of bearing witness and experiencing Black death,” said the host of ‘Into America Podcast,’ referring to the type of plaque that doesn’t trigger high blood pressure on screenings. “I realized that like, ‘Yo, I’ve got to learn to process it as it comes and not let it sit around.’

On Saturday, Lee and other media professionals offered their insights on how to navigate a successful journalism career, while caring for their mental and physical health.

Dr. Cornelius Pitt, of Miriam Medical Clinics, and his volunteers provided more than 40 attendees with free stroke assessments, blood sugar tests and blood pressure screenings. Pitt urged men to regularly see a doctor and prioritize their health.

Rick Williams of 6abc, Anne-Marie Green of CBS News, Don Bell of CBS Philadelphia, Courtland Bragg of NFL Films, Drew Williams and Jamar Anderson of Neighborhood Film Company, Vernon Clark, formerly of The Philadelphia Inquirer, and Linn Washington of Temple University were among the area professionals who shared their professional expertise.

The conference, which was hosted in coordination with Bridging Blocks and the News & Information Community Exchange Program at WHYY, drew about 125 attendees from New York, Washington D.C. and the Greater Philadelphia region. The event, in its third year, had varied offerings including resume reviews, professional headshots, panel discussions about the state of the media industry and free health care screenings. Panelists and attendees reflected on the importance of representation.

During a panel discussion about newsroom leadership moderated by WHYY News’ Vice President of News and Civic Dialogue Sarah Glover, Galen Gordon, executive producer for Straight Shooter Media and former senior vice president for talent strategy and development at ABC News, said that diversity in news media was always about translating a mission as a way to grow the business.

“There are always challenges … in this business and you want to be intentional about your content and your talent,” Gordon said. “That isn’t always necessarily embraced. But you have to recognize that you’re not just doing it to do it. You have to remind your leaders and your bosses that you’re doing it to build the business and grow your audience.”

For news media professionals looking to grow, Irving Washington, board chair of the American Journalism Project and former CEO of the Online News Association, said that networking does not look the same for everyone.

When Washington attends networking events such as receptions, his strategy is to connect with a few key individuals.

“I’m actually an introvert,” Washington said. “Learn what type of networker you are. I like to do one-on-one conversations.”

Summit attendee Brian Mell, a freelance photographer who has lived in Philadelphia for the past three decades and has worked for various news organizations, said that diversity in media matters.

“It’s important to get the full story,” Mell said. “Everyone is looking to see what is going on with the government. In terms of media, the biggest concern is that are we actually finding out what’s going on? Are we being told the truth?”

Eli Muttaqi Thomas, 51-year-old Philadelphia resident, said he’s noticed that since George Floyd’s killing there’s more diversity of news subjects and reporters.

He called Floyd’s death “a turning point and a landmark moment in our history.”

Thomas said he noticed there’s still a divide in who gets to decide about which historical narratives are covered.

“I think now it’s on a level of class, maybe where if you’re a Black male of a certain strata, you get the coverage and the other strata, you don’t get the coverage,” he said.  “So I think we need to address the class issues along with the color issues.”

Thomas brought his teenage sons – Mateen, 15, and Yusef, 13.

Mateen said he’s interested in pursuing a career in paleontology someday. He said he has gotten more interested in news recently.

“Ever since Trump got in office the country has been through a rebuilding process, it’s been kind of up and down,” he said. “Now I realize I’ve got to listen to the news.”