Letters from the Newsroom

From Monica Bryant

05.02.03

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Monica Bryant

Dear Diversity Institute,

I received another award which also came with money — $100. It's called the Rules of the Road Award given for personal commitment to the tenets of The New York Times. It's like being selected as the Employee of the Month. (At the end of the year, the 12 finalists are narrowed to five, who receive $500. The overall winner receives an additional $500.)

I was nominated for my coverage of one of the fastest

growing areas in my county and for taking risks — leaving a position that I had been very successful in and taking on a new challenge by becoming a journalist.

I've participated in the “War Reactions” section of our newspaper. I did two stories. The first before the war started, talked about how Marion County citizens were divided by their views for and against the war.

The second came minutes after the war started, we were on the phones getting reaction from leaders, community activists and people we knew were opposed to the war. We worked on teams. For my group, I was selected to put the story together after everyone had gathered their responses. (The Diversity Institute trained me well. That was real deadline pressure). I had to make my calls and organize the story in an hour and a half.

I've also talked to Prisoners of War from previous wars. I did a story about them, trying to show what the present POWs may be going through, how they may be treated, etc.

I did a story showing how communities and groups are rallying in support of the troops in Iraq. For instance, local businesses are allowing people to send brief videos, photographs and emails to service men and women. Their efforts are allowing families to communicate in a matter of minutes, as opposed to the Vietnam days when it took months to receive a letter.

Monica Bryant, a reporter at the Ocala, Fla., Star Banner (a New York Times regional newspaper), is a graduate of the inaugural Diversity Institute class. Previously, Monica received a New York Times Chairman's Award.

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