McGruder nominations being accepted

05.16.05

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The Freedom Forum, in partnership with the Associated Press Managing Editors and the American Society of Newspaper Editors, is opening nominations for the fourth Robert G. McGruder Awards for Diversity Leadership.

Two awards are given annually: one for newspapers with a circulation of up to 75,000; one for newspapers with more than 75,000 circulation.

The awards go to individuals, newsrooms or teams of journalists who embody the spirit of McGruder, a former executive editor of the Detroit Free Press and relentless diversity champion. McGruder 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 toward furthering diversity in newspaper 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:

• Recruitment: by providing opportunities for journalists of color to learn about newspapers as a career and to 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 to receive mentoring and training to advance to positions of greater authority, responsibility or expertise.

• 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.

• Content: by reflecting accurately a diverse community in a way that demonstrates community and industry leadership. The definition of diversity in content includes ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, religious background, political bent and physical ability.

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 four. Send copies no larger than 11 by 17 inches.

Send material to: Kate Kennedy, director/partnerships and initiatives, Freedom Forum, 1101 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22209; kkennedy@freedomforum.org; 703-284-3932.

Deadline: Materials must be received by Sept. 9, 2005.

Judging: Nominations will be judged by a committee that includes representatives of APME, ASNE, the Freedom Forum and UNITY: Journalists of Color.

Awards ceremony: Announcement of the winners will be made at the annual APME conference (Oct. 26-29 in San Jose, Calif.). The recognized honorees each receive $2,500.

Past winners:
2004
Bennie Ivory, executive editor and vice president for news at The Courier-Journal in Louisville, Ky., and Susan Ihne, executive editor of the St. Cloud (Minn.) Times

2003
Charlotte Hall, then vice president/planning, Newsday, Long Island; and the Greeley (Colo.) Tribune

2002
Don Flores, executive vice president and editor, El Paso (Texas) Times; and Jim Strauss, publisher, Great Falls (Mont.) Tribune