TABJ will present Untold Stories: Veteran Journalists Discuss the Evolution of Diversity in Newsrooms moderated by WGHP-TV evening anchor Neill McNeill at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 22, at the historic Artz at the Ritz Theatre, 709 E. Washington St., High Point, N.C. This event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.
The panelists include retired WFMY-TV anchor Sandra Hughes, retired WSOC-TV reporter Don Griffin and New & Record editorial page editor Allen Johnson. They will share their personal insights of how newsrooms have handled diversity over the past five decades, how they overcame adversity as news reporters and how they covered major stories. They will also take questions from the audience.
Neill McNeill joined WGHP in 1983. He anchors the evening newscasts for FOX8 News, and reports and produces Newsmakers – a series of in-depth interviews with local movers and shakers.
The storied career of Sandra Hughes, a Greensboro native, spanned four decades at WFMY. Hughes, now a journalism professor at her alma mater N.C. A&T State University, is the first African-American woman in the Piedmont to host her own daily talk show.
Don Griffin, a Davidson County Native, served as the face of WSOC-TV’s Action 9 unit until his retirement in September 2013 – one week shy of his 31st anniversary with the Charlotte station. He’s one of the first African American television journalists in the state.
Greensboro native Allen Johnson has been with the News & Record since 1987, leading several departments including features, sports and now the editorial department. Johnson teaches at UNC-Greensboro. One of his courses is “Race, Culture and Media.”
Participate in the conversation by following TABJ on Twitter (@TriadABJ). After the panel, guests can go on a tour of the Historic Washington Street Commercial District.
The Triad Association of Black Journalists (TABJ), founded in 2010, is an affiliate chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) that represents professional communicators in Greensboro, High Point, Winston-Salem and surrounding areas. TABJ promotes diversity and encourages professional growth with a focus on journalists of color.
CONTACT: Reach Kerry Charles, TABJ President, at [email protected] or (336) 340-9568.