By KAREN RIVERA
The UNITY News Online

As the UNITY convention kicks off, journalists and recruiters alike come to shed their heavy baggage of job cuts, losses and loads of work to enjoy a reunion of like minds.

The Internet has affected the industry in a multitude of ways — the obvious being how we all decide to receive our news. The user has reaped the benefits while the news companies are left in the dust.

According to a report on Stateofthenewsmedia.org, the industry lost 2,000 full-time newsroom jobs during the advertising recession of 2001 and a net of about 1,000 more in the next four years.

Look at the Los Angeles Times. While it has focused on Internet-based news to generate content and views, the editor-in-chief and publisher both left in the past four years. Challenging layoffs, pay cuts and buyouts were just a few of the things that caused them to resign, according to The New York Times.

This was a newspaper on the pinnacle of success with a circulation number of 1.2 million only a few years back, according to Kit Rachlis, former editor-in-chief of the Los Angeles Times.

The Web has revolutionized the way everyone receives information, but newspapers can’t seem to catch up and establish themselves to be premier sources of quality content online.

Following these job cuts, more employees are forced to pick up the slack, multitasking more for the same pay. Multitasking is a valuable asset to maintain, but when it cuts into quality, one begs to ask the question: Where do we stop?

Citizens now find themselves as conduits of information under the new wave of citizen journalism. They are armed with the tools of the trade but not with the credibility. Credibility is the cornerstone of journalism, but right now, it’s crumbling under the weight of the Internet.

Journalists continue to lose jobs as they adapt to the practices of the Internet. They have the stories of Stephen Glass and recent events such as the Iran missile photos to remind them of the dangers.

Even though a storm is brewing on the forefront, there must be a silver lining.

Media corporations need to start restructuring the way they run their businesses. Money fuels the fire, but stories and information start it.

According to Robert Hernandez, director of development at The Seattle Times, the business and sales side should step up and take on new business strategies.

“I think money’s to be made, but we’re not being creative enough,” he said. “We’re more creative on the editorial side on storytelling than on the ad-revenue side, and that’s one of the things that if they’re not changing, then we have to help change.

Hernandez said he thinks the concept of talking to ad people makes journalists uncomfortable.

“But we have to overcome that — if we want jobs,” he said.

Instead of having one person do three jobs, there has to be enough revenue to allow people to do one main job and develop other content.

A revolution toward specialty-generated content will allow users to receive the best quality news, not haphazard content.

Related Link:
http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2007/08/digital_job_shiftthe_difficult.html

By GERRICK D. LEWIS
UNITY News Online
Tuesday, I had the exciting opportunity to interview actor Wendell Pierce. See, when I’m not out reporting, I’m planted in front of a TV, catching up on my favorite shows, and Pierce just happens to star in one — the brilliant, but often ignored, “The Wire.”

The HBO drama, which aired its fifth and final season earlier this year, is often regarded as one of the best on television (Sen. Barack Obama even said so himself). With its rich and complex storytelling, the series was both eye-opening and thought-provoking — not bad for a show with an alcoholic detective and a drug kingpin as main characters. Unfortunately, the show was consistently overlooked each award season.

Pierce was in Chicago this week doing a voiceover for a new documentary about Renaissance Village, the largest FEMA trailer park set up after Hurricane Katrina. When I learned he was lending himself to another Katrina documentary, I was eager to hear more about his work in the efforts to rebuild New Orleans.

Anyone who saw Spike Lee’s excellent documentary, “When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts,” couldn’t help but be moved when hearing Pierce’s firsthand account of how his parents lost their home. Observing the emotional stories had a lasting impact on me as a person of color and was a substantial reason that I wanted to take on the ambitious task of writing about New Orleans’ public school system for a different student project.

What I wasn’t prepared for was the impact Pierce would have on me as a journalist.

When the actor walked in the room and greeted the student reporters, Piece’s warmth and congeniality dissolved. As he answered questions about New Orleans, education and his efforts of rebuilding, his compassion became more and more apparent, but it was his thoughts on journalism that stood out to me.

While experts predict the gloom and doom that journalism is facing — even here at UNITY — it seemed ironic that I hear this from an actor:

“Journalism is the place where you can have an impact of making sure things of great importance get out to people. That’s a great responsibility you have as journalists.”

It’s not that his comment was particularly original, as J-school students have heard this same thing from professors, mentors, reporters and other editors. Yet, I was taken aback when I heard it from someone who doesn’t make a living in this profession. As uncertainty hangs over all of our heads I think it’s easy for us — especially those still aspiring to land that first job — to lose track of why we love this industry.

The UNITY News' Gerrick D. Lewis interviewing Pierce Wendell from HBO's

I’m curious to hear from you. What keeps you going in this profession?

By TRACIE MORALES
The UNITY News Online

The tradition of hosting presidential candidates at UNITY has been a major highlight at the convention, and this year’s history making presidential race has only added to the fervor.

That same fervor, however, has turned into disappointment for some, as Barack Obama, D-Ill., and John McCain, R-Ariz., juggle their schedules to appear at UNITY.

Obama is scheduled to speak Sunday morning, when many attendees will be gone or preparing to head home. McCain’s camp hasn’t yet accepted UNITY’s invitation to speak.

In previous election years, the UNITY Convention’s tradition of hosting presidential candidates has functioned like a forum to address critical issues of race and diversity, and has given White House hopefuls a chance to show their true colors.

Past political gaffs by presidential candidates only fueled the novelty of getting Obama and McCain together.

In 2004, a question posed by a Seattle Post Intelligencer journalist to President George Bush about tribal sovereignty in the 21st century prompted a much talked about response.

“Tribal sovereignty means just that; it’s sovereign. You’re a – you’ve been given sovereignty, and you’re viewed as a sovereign entity,” Bush said in 2004.

University of Missouri journalism junior Carolina Astrain is among conventiongoers eager to hear from the candidates.

“It’s a shift in history,” she said. “I think it would have been interesting to see McCain. He is pitted against the first possible black president.”

Obama’s nine-day international tour of war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan and meetings with Middle Eastern and European leaders are meant to show voters that he can rebuild diplomacy abroad.

His appearance is scheduled for 11 a.m. Sunday at McCormick Place’s Skyline Ballroom and will likely be among the first after his trip.

The McCain campaign has not confirmed the convention’s invitation to appear, but the senator was scheduled for a town hall meeting today (July 23) in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., and receptions later this week in Ohio and Nevada, according to the McCain campaign Web site.

“I understand they are very busy men,” said Cassandra Mickens, a graduate student at the University of Alabama. “They are campaigning and seizing the moment right now.”

The former news editor of the Selma Times-Journal said having the candidates appear together would have served as a reminder to journalists to practice the basic tenets of reporting: neutrality, fairness and accuracy.

More and more, Mickens said, she sees divisive cable news pundits back one candidate over another.
“These days it’s very hard to be objective and cover both candidates equally,” she said.
“It’s up to us to flesh out the issues.”

Reach Tracie Morales at tracie.morales@gmail.com.

Shuttle Information
Complimentary shuttle service is provided between McCormick Place West and the hotels listed below. Shuttle departs convention center on the hour and half-hour.

Hotel Route Boarding Location

Chicago City Centre 2 Side Entrance on Fairbanks

Hyatt Regency Chicago 1 Curbside on Wacker Drive

Inn of Chicago 2 Curbside on St. Clair

Sheraton Chicago 2 Curbside on Columbus Drive

Swissotel 1 Walk to Hyatt Regency Chicago

Hyatt McCormick Place 3 Curbside on MLK

Wednesday, 7/23

4:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Every 10-15 minutes

Field Museum

7:00 p.m. - 7:30p.m. *From McCormick Place and Field Museum

7:00 p.m. -10 p.m. *Between hotels and Field Museum

Thursday, 7/24

6:30 a.m. - 7:30 a.m. Every 30 minutes

7:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. Every 10 - 15 minutes

9:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. Every 30 minutes

12:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Every 20 minutes

7:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. Every 10-15 minutes

Friday, 7/25

6:30 a.m. - 7:30 a.m. Every 30 minutes

7:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. Every 10-15 minutes

9:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Every 30 minutes

12:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Every 20 minutes

4:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Every 10-15 minutes

Saturday, 7/27
6:30 a.m. - 7:30 a.m. Every 30 minutes

7:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. Every 10-15 minutes

9:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Every 30 minutes

12:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Every 20 minutes

4:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Every 10-15 minutes

Sunday, 7/27
8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Every 20 minutes

Inter-Hotel Shuttle

Thursday, 7/24
5:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.

Friday, 7/25
5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, 7/26
5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

For shuttle information and special assistance: (312)791-7001
Please call at least 30 minutes prior to pick-up.

By JACQUELINE LEE
The UNITY News

Chicago is one of four cities (along with Madrid, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo) officially bidding for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games.

The city plans to stand out by having the most centrally located games in the history of the Olympics – an option that is both environmentally and pocket friendly.

But the compactness of the games wouldn’t be unusual, officials say, because “this is how Chicago celebrates on a daily basis.”