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The Quick Scan by Mike Ramey

Posted by Mike Ramey on August 6, 2024 at 11:17pm in Commentery

 

NABJ: WHERE WERE THE BLACK MEN?

      At the recent shindig of the National Association of Black Journalists gathering in Chicago, the stage had former President Donald J. Trump, Harris Faulkner of Fox News and two other Black female journalists who didn’t do the profession much good with their shrillness and hostility towards Trump (a DEFINITE no-no for professional news gatherers).

      Sadly, the entire event made the NABJ look bad.  Trump was right to call them on their tardiness (they were more than 30 minutes late in getting started), failure to check their equipment and lack of overall respect by much of the panel.  However, I have another bone to pick with NABJ.  Where were the Black men?

      Where were the Black men involved in the News profession?  Why were THEY absent from the questioning process?  Could it be that the libs have written them off as they are heading to Trump in droves, while the Democrat party is being re-cast as the party of shrewish, angry women (including some professional Black women?)  I ask this question because I caught a ‘clip’ of the President of the NABJ—a Black brother--who was being interviewed by a TV news outlet.  He didn’t sound very ‘authoritative’ in my view, as to what happened on stage in front of his eyes.

      As a Black news professional since the 1980s, I’ve never really felt the need to join NABJ.  Our local chapter had always appeared to be ‘too good’ for the average Black news professional who didn’t ‘travel’ in the right ‘urban circles’ (if you know what I mean).  I just never have been an ‘eat and greet’ type person, willing to pay dues to an organization who only ‘cared’ to talk with me during their annual recruitment drives.  Now that the media landscape has completely changed, and Blacks are being let go from many news organizations, little has been said about the economic policies responsible for the demise of not only the Black press but Black news professionals.  Little criticism has been leveled at the Democrat party that the NABJ 'loves' to support.

      Being in the hip pocket of the Democrat party does NOT make you a ‘better’ Black news professional.  Doing your job DOES.  Being professional DOES.  Not making the story about your political views DOES.  Lastly, getting more Black men involved in the NABJ DOES make the organization more credible—or, at least, give the appearance that Black women AND men have access to the news makers of our day.

      Trump did his job in the face of some unprofessional Black, female journalists representing the NABJ sounding like shrews on a national platform.  Harris did her job by not showing up when invited.  Any wonder why more Black readers and listeners—and even reporters—are going Trump these days?

      Mike Ramey is a Retired Minister, KJV Bible Teacher, syndicated columnist and Bible Prophecy Specialist who lives in Indianapolis, Indiana.  “The Quick Scan” is one of a variety of his columns appearing and abounding in print and cyberspace, written from a biblical, business, and common-sense perspective since 1996.  To drop him a line—or a whine—the address is still the same: mgmikeramey@yahoo.com.  ©2024 Barnstorm Communications International.

Tags: nabj, black men, black women, trump, harris, journalism
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Posted by Mike Ramey

Rev. M. G. “Mike” Ramey (Retired) served as the Certified Modern Street Gangs Specialist & Media Consultant of “The Gang Line”. He had been interviewed in the U. S. and abroad on radio, television, and Internet about the dangers of Modern Street Gangs since 2007. His writings on Modern Street Gangs abound in print and online. Previously, he served as an award-winning broadcast journalist, producer, and TV/Radio talk show host. He has also served as a staff writer, section editor, and syndicated columnist. Ramey has won—or helped to win—some two dozen journalism awards and citations. He also holds a Police Citation for Citizen Bravery from the Indianapolis Police Department (1986). Ramey is also married, an Ordained Minister (Retired) and a KJV Bible Teacher.

Ramey is a Certified Modern Street Gangs Specialist with Certifications in Law Enforcement (2006), Non-Law Enforcement (2010), and Gangs & Cults Ministry (2017). He also has endorsements in K-12 Gang Issues and Transnational Gangs. He also carries Specialist Ratings in Cult/Occult Crime, and Transnational Human Trafficking. Ramey has also served with several International anti-gang ministries, including Gangstyle.com of Washington state (2004-2009), Thug Exposed Ministries of California (2010 to 2015) and Bishop Outreach Ministries of Florida (2010 to 2015).

In 2011 “The Gang Line” offered training and certification coursework for those interested in becoming certified Modern Street Gang Specialists: Training approaches the anti-gang ministry field through the combined use of spiritual (biblical principles/discipleship) and criminal (gang members and gang crime). From 2015-2017, Ramey served as an Advisory Board Member for the School of Criminal Justice at Harrison College, Indianapolis, Indiana, with a specialty of Organized Crime & Gangs. From 2017-2019, Ramey served as a Bible Teacher to at-risk detained juvenile offenders at the Marion County Juvenile Detention Center with his own Bible-based Curriculum centering upon Biblical Life Skills taught from the Book of Proverbs.

Rev. Ramey’s skill set includes having been a veteran substitute teacher (Secondary Education), a college instructor for two Bible colleges in the Indianapolis, Indiana area, a Probation Officer (Intensive/High Risk & School-Based) with the Marion County Juvenile Court, and a peer grant reviewer of anti-gang grant programs with the U.S. Department of Justice (2010). He also created, designed, and taught the course “Modern Street Gangs: Developing Urban Ministry Strategies—UM-190” at Crossroads Bible College, Indianapolis, Indiana (2009 & 2010). In 2013, Ramey served as a post-production Consultant for Chick Publications’ national anti-gang comic: “Black Angel”. It was translated into Spanish in 2014.

Ramey has written extensively on the topic of Modern Street Gangs with two Internet columns: “The Gang Line” and “The Gang Line Blogger” which abound in cyberspace. In a post-pandemic society, the motto of The Gang Line still rings true: “Spiritual Solutions for Spiritual Problems!”

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