Media Disguised as Journalism

Veteran journalist Soledad O’Brien painted a damning portrait of the current media landscape in her prepared testimony for a February 24, 2021 hearing in the House Energy & Commerce Committee Communications Subcommittee on the role of traditional media in promoting disinformation and extremism.

O'Brien pointed out that she has been an anchor and reporter for more than three decades, and for local TV, national broadcast network TV and cable, for NBC, CNN, HBO. and currently hosts a weekly syndicated political magazine show for Hearst, Matter of Fact, and heads her own production company.

Saying she has her feet planted "firmly" on that media landscape, the view from her vantage is that "Media disguised as journalism has been spreading lies for years, elevating liars, and using the ensuing slugfest to chase ratings, hits, subscriptions and advertisers. Period. Fullstop."

She said the elevation of liars has accelerated on radio, broadcast and especially cable TV, "repeating and reenergizing lies that harm all of us," including by setting the stage for "an alarmingly xenophobic and racist narrative."

She said that was the result of what Michael Rich, CEO of Rand Corp., had called "truth decay," or the "diminishing role of facts and analysis in public life." She ascribed the beginning of that decay to the wounding, perhaps mortally, of local newspapers by emerging free social media and the decline of advertising support for traditional media.

Then there is the migration from reporter to entertainer on cable news with "conventional reporters and anchors, the so-called professionals, start[ing] to behave like conspiracy theorists." Her criticism was aimed at both right and left-leaning media. "When news organizations make decisions based on ratings rather than responsible reporting, disinformation flourishes," she wrote.

She also said the talking heads on the broadcast Sunday public affairs shows are not "in the least" representative of the public, nor are the media, "isolated in coastal cities, disconnected from poor and working class people of all colors, hosting newsrooms with scant diversity of anything -- race,

However, sge does not think the answer is government regulation. "Let me be clear. Congress can’t, and shouldn’t, regulate journalism in defiance of the First Amendment," she said, adding: "It’s enough that Congress underfunds and politicizes public media even as it strives to bring basic news to scores of communities big and small."

Her advice to the media:
1. Don't book liars
2. Get out of the office and interview people all over the country.
3. Stop suggesting each story has two sides when it might have many sides, and give history and context
4. But don't give every perspective a platform, i.e.: "Balance does not mean giving voice to liars, bigots and kooks."
5. Stop talking diversity and start hiring
6. Keep the opinion out of the "reportorial voice"
7. Objectivity is an open mind, not a lack of judgment

In closing, she said "America trusts us to deliver accurate, unbiased information, the grist of democracy, the stuff that enables us to have intelligent and accurate conversations with our neighbors, to cast an informed vote, and to make thoughtful decisions about everything, from the products we buy to whether we should vaccinate our children against a deadly plague. Bad information, wrong information, racist and crazy and cruel information hurts and even kills. But only if we let it."

SOURCE:nexttv.com/news/soledad-obrien-paints-damning-portrait-of-media-disguised-as-journalism

A MeToo Moment for Journalists of Color

Excerpt from a piece by Soledad O’Brien "A MeToo Moment for Journalists of Color"

We’re finally feeling empowered to speak openly about racism in the newsroom. 

Every journalist of color has a story.

1995

My first job as an on-air reporter was at KRON in San Francisco from 1993 to 1996. I saw my new colleagues having a lively conversation and wanted to jump in. I discovered that they were talking about the “affirmative-action hire,” who turned out to be me. That’s how they saw me — it didn’t matter that I’d been a researcher and producer at NBC News or that I had gone to Harvard...

I have never been alone in speaking up, but these days something seismic is finally happening. Journalists of color are sidestepping management and going straight to the public: Absent a hashtag but buoyed by this public awakening over Black Lives Matter, we have collectively inaugurated our own #MeToo movement.

read the full article at nytimes.com

"I Am Latino in America" 2016 Chicago

Soledad with Sandra Torres

The "I Am Latino in America" 2016 tour brought Soledad O'Brien to Chicago at the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute (USHLI) National Conference - Latino Talent Showcase on February 20, 2016.

Soledad O'Brien in Conversation at Harvard's Institute of Politics

Soledad O’Brien spoke at Harvard’s Institute of Politics with Callie Crossley, a Boston-area journalist with WGBH and producer of the documentary series Eye On The Prize.

Besides discussing journalism and social media, the discussion also took in some criticisms she has received for her Black In America, which has also been praised and received awards.·



A video from the Harvard Institute of Politics is available. This discussion is part of The IOP’s John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum.

O’Brien was named Distinguished Visiting Fellow for 2013-2014 at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education.

Soledad O'Brien at Excellence in Journalism Conference

Soledad O'Brien was featured at the national Excellence in Journalism 2011 conference on Sept. 25 in New Orleans.

According to a press release, O’Brien spoke with retired ABC News senior Washington correspondent John Cochran, who asked questions about her career as a reporter and her thoughts on the journalism industry.

Cochran said of O’Brien’s newest book, The Next Big Story: My Journey Through the Land of Possibilities, “It’s an autobiography, so it’s about her, but mostly it’s about other people.”

As a documentary reporter, O’Brien works on long-term projects that require her to spend time with her subjects and work to understand them on a deep level.

When questioned about the distinction between advocacy and objective reporting, O’Brien explained she does not think of herself as an advocate for any issue, although she does have her own opinions on issues she sometimes covers.

She recalled interviewing serial killer Wayne Williams, explaining that her take on the issue was less important than understanding Williams—what makes him tick and what he is about. “My goal would be to flesh out really interesting, complex characters, who are going into the gray areas, the nuances, the complexities,” she said.

The ability to tap into subjects’ complex personalities is in part a result of being multiracial, she said. She asserted that her multiracial heritage makes interview subjects more willing to talk openly about their own race. However, she noted that talking candidly about race is not always an easy task, although it arises frequently when reporting on underreported communities.

The three-day conference offers professional development sessions, networking and awards recognition for journalists in all forms of media. The conference is covered by the Working Press, a daily tabloid newspaper and news site from SPJ student intern journalists, and at rtdna.org.

Soledad O'Brien at the National Association of Hispanic Journalists

The National Association of Hispanic Journalists(NAHJ) hosted their 29th annual Multimedia Convention and Career Expo on June 15-18, 2011 at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resortand.

Soledad O’Brien, Anchor and Special Correspondent for CNN, spoke to the group and screened a clip from her upcoming CNN documentary, LATINO IN AMERICA: IN HER CORNER.

The documentary will focus on the life of a Mexican-American woman Marlen Esparza, a 106 pound female boxer and her accomplishments, achievements and dreams.

Soledad Named a Contributing Editor for Latina

Soledad O’Brien has been named a contributing editor with Latina magazine.

Latina magazine was founded in 1996. With single readership of 2 million bilingual, bicultural women in the United States, it is the largest magazine edited by and for Latin women. Since 2005 Latina has ranked No. 1 in total advertising pages among 38 Hispanic publications.

Latina.com is the leading online destination for acculturated Latinas on the web, providing interactive forums, useful and interesting tools and the latest in Latin music, Latin foods, events in their cities, fashion, beauty and health and success tips.

Soledad, who is Cuban-Irish-American, published her second book recently, the memoir The Next Big Story: My Journey Through the Land of Possibilities, which chronicles how her upbringing influenced her TV news career.

Soledad's new column, "Beyond the Numbers," will debut in the June-July 2011 issue of the magazine.

National Hispanic Journalists Association Region Two Conference

The National Hispanic Journalists Association Region Two Conference was a two-day conference, titled “What’s New, What’s Next?”

The event gave opportunities to professional and student journalists to network and add to their skills.

The conference began on February 4, at New York University’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with an opening plenary with CNN’s Soledad O’Brien. O’Brien, a life member of the organization, shared with the audience her experiences with race growing up and balancing her working life with a family.

The discussion was followed by a signing of her latest book, The Next Big Story.

At The NABJ Annual Convention

Stephanie Elam, CNN Business News Correspondent; Soledad O'Brien, Honoree, CNN Anchor and Special Correspondent; Dr. Steve Perry, CNN Education Contributor; and Kareen Wynter, CNN Entertainment      Photo:blackgivesback.com

July 31, 2010 - The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) awarded CNN anchor and special correspondent Soledad O'Brien as the organization's 2010 Journalist of the Year. A special VIP reception was held in her honor in San Diego, the site of the organization’s 35th Annual Convention and Career Fair. The convention is the largest gathering of minority journalists in the country.

Photo: NABJ/Jason Miccolo Johnson

CNN Video: Soledad O'Brien on Her NABJ Award

Soledad speaks with CNN's Don Lemon about her past year and getting the NABJ's Journalist of the Year award this past week.

The NAHJ Soledad O’Brien Scholarship

The National Association of Hispanic Journalists announced new scholarships totaling $40,000 from the Gannett Foundation, Soledad O’Brien, anchor and special correspondent for CNN and Maggie Rodriguez, co-anchor of The “Early Show” on CBS.

“Hispanics remain woefully underrepresented in mainstream U.S. newsrooms. One of NAHJ’s goals is to help more qualified Hispanic students move from the classroom to the newsroom,” said Iván Román, NAHJ’s Executive Director. “We’re thankful to the Gannett Foundation, Soledad and Maggie for stepping up to the plate and investing in the next generation of Latino storytellers.”

The Gannett Foundation/NAHJ Scholarships will be reserved for students attending Florida International University and will be awarded to those pursuing careers in print, broadcast, online and visual journalism.

The NAHJ Soledad O’Brien Scholarship will award up to $5,000 to undergraduate or graduate students pursuing a career in TV broadcast journalism.

“I’m particularly thrilled that we are kicking off the first NAHJ Soledad O’Brien scholarship, especially in the face of a recession,” said Soledad O’Brien. “We can’t let the efforts to diversify the ranks in journalism lose steam–it’s critical to our community that all of our voices are heard in media. Educating young journalists to tell the stories across the globe is the future of fair and responsible journalism.”

SoledadOBrien.info

Soledad O'Brien Named Journalist of the Year by the NABJ

The National Association of Black Journalists named CNN's Soledad O'Brien Journalist of the Year at its spring Board of Directors meeting. O'Brien will join other top honorees at the association's Salute to Excellence Gala, on July 31 in San Diego, during NABJ's 35th Annual Convention and Career Fair, the largest gathering of minority journalists in the country.

O'Brien is the impetus of CNN's acclaimed "In America" franchise, which began with CNN's "Black In America" in 2008, a groundbreaking documentary, which took an in-depth look at the challenges confronting blacks in America.

In 2009 CNN followed up with "Black In America 2" which was the highest-rated cable news documentary of 2009, sparking conversations and town hall gatherings across the country to further examine the intersection of race, class and gender – subjects that can be challenging for the media to explore.

"Soledad's work in the 'Black in America' series offered extraordinary and gripping stories of successful community leaders who are improving the lives of African Americans," said NABJ President Kathy Y. Times. "This was an example of great reporting, and through her work and platform she shared the stories in our communities that often go untold. She is truly worthy of NABJ's Journalist of the Year honor."

O'Brien crisscrossed the U.S. and included reporting from Ghana and South Africa as she uncovered the people and programs at the forefront of change – people inspiring volunteerism, programs that are improving access to quality healthcare and education, and leaders working to address financial disparities and develop strong families.

"Soledad is a solid journalist with a long list of accomplishments," said Bob Butler, NABJ Vice-President of Broadcast. "Her reporting is always done with great thought and perspective. We are proud to have her in the NABJ family."



SoledadOBrien.info

Soledad at Women As Changemakers Series at NYU

On March 23rd, Soledad O'Brien spoke as part of the "Women as Changemakers" series for Women’s History Month at NYU.

Speaking to an audience of NYU students, alums and the local community, she addressed women’s issues in the workplace based on her own experiences in television journalism.

She addressed some sobering numbers: According to 2008 stats from the American Society of Newspaper Editors, women hold only 37.36% of newsroom jobs, versus men at 64.8% of managerial positions.

Men comprise 58.2 percent of all copy editors, 60.9 percent of reporters and 72.9 percent of photographers.

O'Brien, who reached early fame with a technology program called THE SITE in 1996, still embraces technology but noted that she does not use Twitter.

Asked about moral and ethical issues she has faced, she warned student journalists that they should to “Figure out your line early, because there are always going to be people pushing you across that line.”

O'Brien Kicks Off Student News Literacy Project

Earlier this month, CNN’s Soledad O’Brien announced the kick-off of the News Literacy Project at the Williamsburg Collegiate Charter School (WCCS) in Brooklyn, New York. The school enrolls about 250 students who are accepted by lottery and drawn from throughout New York City. All of the students are from minority groups.

The program promises to help teach high-school students how to discern fact from fiction on the web.

"Part of the job is to be a truthful witness to the things you see around you," said O'Brien. She said she seeks "to tell the stories to the best of my ability as fairly as possible."

CNN offers a daily Student News program with supplementary online materials for students and their teachers.

Students need to be able to find sources of verifiable news on the internet and this program offers students of WCCS the chance to receive valuable training in that area. The New York Times, ABC News, USA Today and the CBS News program 60 Minutes are participating in the new program tailored to educate high school students in this art.

More than 75 well-known journalists, some of whom have won the most prestigious awards in the industry, have volunteered to take part in the program. The journalists will discuss things like why news should matter to young people and what the First Amendment and free media mean in a democracy. The curriculum also addresses such new media tools as Google, blogs and Wikipedia.

Four major national journalism organizations have also endorsed the News Literacy Project: the American Society of Newspaper Editors; the National Association of Black Journalists; the Asian American Journalists Association, and Investigative Reporters and Editors.

Soledad at GSU

Excerpts from Soledad O'Brien's recent talk at Georgia State University.

She speaks about the only Latina woman she saw on TV news growing up, how Obama won, her siblings and parents from the perspective of 21 years in TV news.





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAxI1-s3I2w

Soledad O'Brien Speaks at UNITY 2008 Conference

The 2008 UNITY: Journalists of Color conference held in Chicago at the end of July gathered six thousand student and professional journalists. Most attendees were members of NABJ (National Association of Black Journalists), NAHJ (National Association of Hispanic Journalists), AAJA (Asian American Journalists Association) or NAJA (Native American Journalists Association).

At the event, former television anchor Carole Simpson was honored by the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) for her pioneering career and support of women journalists worldwide. Simpson spent her broadcast career breaking down both racial and gender barriers in the industry. When she took over hosting duties on the Sunday edition of ABC’s “World News Tonight” in 1988, she became the first black woman to anchor a national news program.

Simpson currently teaches journalism at Emerson College. She also runs the Carole Simpson Leadership Institute at the African Women’s Media Center in Senegal which was created in 1998 to help African women journalists gain the skills to be competitive in the media world. Simpson has also set up several high school and college scholarships for women and minorities pursuing careers in broadcast journalism.

CNN journalist Soledad O’Brien was also present at the ceremony and spoke about her personal efforts to bring more diverse programming to CNN. She noted that she was disturbed that a diversity workshop for CNN employees last year had a panel made up entirely of white men.

Her dissatisfaction led to discussions with CNN executives that in turn led to the recent four-hour documentary series Black in America on CNN. That series is now the highest-rated documentary series in CNN’s history.