THE BYLINE – MARCH 2024 ISSUE

Happy Women’s History Month! During the month of March, we shed light on the incredible contributions made by women and look forward to all the accomplishments to celebrate. In this issue of The Byline, we featured three amazing women in different areas of journalism. It’s also worth to note that all articles were written and edited by Black women writers. Throughout history, women have faced many trials and tribulations to get to where we are in society now and we’re still not done. Let’s continue to celebrate, support and protect women this month and beyond!

Announcements:

• The Byline is looking for an Editor/Chair! Please contact Mya at myagrant3716@gmail.com for inquiries and more information.
• Our next chapter meeting is March 9th at noon at WSB-TV Studios. We have an exciting Women’s History Month panel prepared! Come out, network & hear from some of the most influential Black women journalists.
• NABJ Upcoming Events:
  • March 23rd: NABJ Arts & Entertainment Media Institute, Los Angeles, CA
  • April 12-13th: NABJ Region 3 Conference, Tulsa, OK
  • April 20th: NABJ Emerging Journalists Media Institute & Investigative Reporting Summit, New York, NY
  • July 31st – Aug 4th: NABJ National Convention, Chicago, IL

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Madeline Thigpen Talks About Highlighting All Voices

By: Dante Miller

When you’re a Black woman who covers criminal justice, it can be a unique experience. Madeline Thigpen often found herself being the only Black woman while covering her stories and finding the ‘joys’ in her beat can be difficult. 

Thigpen has been Capital B’s criminal justice reporter since August 2022. Balanced reporting is important to her when covering a story—especially stories or people other media outlets might overlook.

“There’s a lot of messed up things happening with the criminal justice system,” said Thigpen. “But there’s also a lot of people doing the work to improve the criminal justice system.” 

A couple of those people doing the work include KaCey Venning, co-founder and executive director of HEY! (Helping Empower Youth), and Justin Ballenger, Morehouse professor and advocate for positive behavioral intervention and support. Thigpen spoke to them for her article “Inside One Black Mom’s Fight Against Expulsion in Fulton County,” a story about the expulsion of Zaire Byrd, who received a long-term suspension after getting into a fight even though he didn’t have a prior disciplinary record.

Before joining Capital B, the New Jersey native worked as an education reporter for The Atlanta Voice through Report for America. Her experience with both beats gave Thigpen a different perspective on how intertwined the education system and the criminal justice systems are.

When covering education and criminal justice, Thigpen looks at the bigger picture. She wants to report the socioeconomic reasons why a student is acting out in class or why an individual might commit a crime. She actively avoids being the reporter who parachutes in and out when covering a story once the article is submitted.

For about a year, Thigpen has been reporting on the infamous development of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, also known as Cop City. She has touched on this with her interviews with NPR’s Morning Edition and All Things Considered. 

The development sparked controversy because of its location in one of Atlanta’s ‘Four Lungs’ in the Weelaunee Forest area. Surrounding residents in the predominantly Black community also feel that this will cause further excessive policing. Additionally, much of the land included in the development plans were a part of the abandoned Old Atlanta Prison Farm.

Even though the coverage of Cop City has gained national attention, Thigpen says at the end of the day, it’s a local story. 

“It’s important for local outlets like Capital B and others to be committed to covering everything,” said Thigpen. “Because many stories wouldn’t be public knowledge if it weren’t for local reporters.”

Thigpen also stressed the importance of being a Black woman who works in local journalism. 

“For so long, we have heard only one or two types of voices,” said Thigpen. “All of our voices are important.”

One of the things Thigpen enjoys about working with outlets like Capital B is that she can highlight Black voices.  

 “What I like about being a reporter and writer is that I demystify some of these things for our readers,” said Thigpen. “Capital B is committed to finding and highlighting black voices, especially for black readers.”

Although her hard news stories attribute to her reputation, highlighting stories like Black women who are fire chiefs are considered a win in her book, too. 

Read more of Thigpen’s stories here or keep up with her journey on X (formerly known as Twitter.)

Atlanta Nonprofit Leader is Reframing Narratives One Teen at a Time

By Aaleah McConnell

As Executive Director of VOX ATL, Charaun Cash is not only brainstorming ways to amplify the voices of Atlanta’s youth, but is also reframing what a person in power looks like. This Women’s History Month, we acknowledge Cash for leading the noble mission at VOX ATL, a nonprofit based in Atlanta, spearheaded by a cohort of teens ranging from ages 13 to 19. 

Cash proves that a high-powered executive can be anyone, from anywhere, and can even come packaged as a go-getting Black woman with a cause. The nonprofit, which celebrated its 30th year of operation in 2023, was built on the notion that teens are often misrepresented – being portrayed as aloof and uncaring about the issues impacting their world. So, as executive director of the teen-led organization, Cash is making sure that the next generation of decision-makers have the opportunity to publish multimedia work subverting these narratives.

Cash grew up in Jefferson Township right outside of Dayton, Ohio, where she graduated from a high school class of only 35 people. Growing up in such a tight-knit community provided a wealth of matriarchal figures who inspired her to help others and create change. 

“It takes a village,” said Cash. “I wouldn’t be here without my village of women who have poured into me and have continued to pour into me. They’re the reason I am who I am.”

And now, she is leading a village of young journalists of her own. 

“Honestly, teens already have their voice,” said Cash. “It’s just a matter of them harnessing its power.”

In addition to leading the news organization and raising funds to sustain operation, Cash also works hands-on with the nonprofit’s after-school program. There, she gets the opportunity to mentor teens one-on-one and see them grow as multimedia journalists. Cash says everyday brings with it a new set of challenges but as a first-time executive director, she is happy to take on the responsibility. 

“At Vox, they’ve learned how to harness the power of their voice and make it much louder,” said Cash. “We’re just here as a conduit. For me, that is the most fulfilling aspect of the work that we do.”

But being that it is Women’s History Month, Cash believes it is important to shine a light on the challenges that may come with accepting a leadership position. Cash admits that signing on for the role was nerve racking at first, especially with changes going on in her life as a wife and a mother. 

“I was very nervous about how I would be impacting my family,” said Cash. “Like the cautionary tale of a woman choosing a career over her family and being resented for it.” 

Though she jokes now that the only barrier keeping her from putting VOX ATL on the map as the city’s preferred source of news for teens, by teens, is not being able to duplicate herself. Cash is grateful to have a mother and a husband who provide a support system that helps her lean into the demands of the job without fear or judgment. 

“It’s not that I’m neglecting my family, because I choose to pursue my career,” said Cash. “It’s that I’m helping my family because I choose to pursue my career.”

Cash believes that women should be uplifted by their achievements and accomplishments, no matter how big. Inspiring the next generation is a huge honor and responsibility but nonetheless, rewarding. Cash says she is grateful that she didn’t let fear get in her way and encourages others to step outside of their comfort zones. 

To keep up with what Cash is doing with VOX ATL or become a volunteer on the team, visit VOXATL.org

The Glo-Getter of Paid Media

By: Radhiya Alston

Showing up every day as the best version of yourself is what Candii Woodson-Witchard lives by. As the Media Director of AT&T/Cricket Wireless and Founder of Miss Packlight, her journey has been a perfect example of tapping into your potential and investing in yourself. 

Woodson-Witchard’s journey began during her undergrad at Furman University majoring in communication studies. She envisioned herself working in public relations, sports marketing or radio and interned at multiple marketing firms and radio stations to help with narrowing down a pathway. 

“I thought this would help me lock down what direction I was going to go in,” said Woodson-Witchard. 

After completing her bachelor’s degree program at Furman, Woodson-Witchard went on to earn her master’s degree from Mercer University with a concentration in marketing. At this time, Woodson-Witchard was also working as a marketing intern for the Atlanta Braves before entering her career in radio sales, but she was starting to realize that she needed to make some shifts. 

“Radio was kind of a dying medium,” said Woodson-Witchard. “I knew it was time to make a change.”

Woodson-Witchard decided to shift into digital sales and looked towards media advertisement as her next step. In 2007, she started building her portfolio to pitch to paid media agencies and the rest is history. Since then, she’s had the opportunity to work with brands like Verizon Wireless, Baskin-Robbins, Dunkin Donuts and Georgia-Pacific, helping these brands grow their consumerism through paid advertisements. 

Her career path and experiences were things she didn’t think existed but her background in communications and business helped prepare for it, along with the network she’s developed over the years.

Since 2019, Woodson-Witchard has been the Media Director for AT&T/Cricket Wireless, where she’s responsible for the media planning of the company. She recalls the time she saw the position open and how one of her previous boss and mentor helped and encouraged Woodson-Witchard to apply. 

“It was such a full circle moment,” said Woodson-Witchard. “Going from having her as a boss to now having her as a client.”

Outside of being a media director, Woodson-Witchard is the proud founder of Miss Packlight, a supportive space that empowers women in all aspects of life. The organization started as a blog in 2010 and has grown into a successful community since 2018. 

“I created Miss Packlight to create that space to get real and not present ourselves as if everything is all awesome,” said Woodson-Witchard. 

Miss Packlight’s mission is for women to learn to live in their light, shine in their light and go towards that light. Woodson-Witchard’s goal with Miss Packlight is to create a tight knit community and hold a space for women to feel safe about being vulnerable and showing up as their authentic selves. There’s more in store as Woodson-Witchard is currently working on a new project, a space focused on the wellness and wellbeing of Black women and women of color, She Packlight. 

To follow Woodson-Witchard’s journey and keep up with Miss Packlight, visit her website or follow her on Instagram. 

This issue of The Byline was edited by Mya Grant, Vice President of Print for the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists (AABJ)

THE BYLINE OCTOBER 2023 ISSUE

Veteran AJC Reporter Speaks on Upcoming Documentary “The South Got Something to Say”

(Pictured: Ernie Suggs)

By

Da’Zhane Johnson

This year marks the 50th anniversary of hip hop. Although the genre’s birthplace is the Bronx, New York, there is undeniable influence created in the city of Atlanta. The influence left cultural impacts on arts, politics, sports, business and more.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is celebrating the anniversary by highlighting the city’s contributions to the genre and the evolution of the sound. In addition to the numerous exclusive content, the outlet will be releasing a documentary titled “The South Got Something to Say” on Friday, Nov. 3.

“The paper correctly saw that Atlanta plays a huge role in the evolution of hip hop. Atlanta’s hip hop movement is unlike anything the country’s ever seen.” spoke Ernie Suggs, a veteran reporter for the newspaper. “There are different ways to tell stories now, so we decided to make a film.”

The Brooklyn-native has worked for the newspaper for nearly three decades. Suggs spent time covering night cops and city politics, however, his main passion is covering race and culture.

In 2021, Suggs co-curated AJC’s Unapologetically ATL newsletter. The newspaper serves as an agent for Atlanta’s Black residents. Each Thursday, the newsletter emphasizes Black issues and cultural topics. The producers also connect with the community by previously holding events, like a free yoga class.

With Atlanta being his second home, Suggs reported on numerous civil rights leaders, including Coretta Scott King and Representative John Lewis. Just last year he published “The Many Lives of Andrew Young,” where Young’s career is told through words and pictures the work of Ambassador Andrew Young.

“He’s been a congressman, civil rights leader, ambassador, pastor and the Mayor of Atlanta. All that wrapped in one person is phenomenal,” Suggs began. “It was a very meaningful process to write his story. Outside of my work as a newspaper reporter, it’s been the most fulfilling work I’ve ever done.”

With the help of his colleagues, Suggs worked as a writer on the upcoming documentary. There are featured interviews from hip hop icons like Jermaine Dupri and political figures like Senator Raphael Warnock.

The two-hour film is a celebration of history, but there is still a spotlight on newcomers in the game. Atlanta artists like Kalii and Lil Baby are also in the conversation when showing the progression in hip hop’s overall sound. Overall, the newspaper sought to portray the hip hop movement through “homegrown voices,” without any generational gaps.

“There’s an evolution of sound and of Atlanta’s growth, so we felt it was important to tell Mojo’s story. But it’s also important to tell Kalii’s story. We wanted to tell the full encompassing story of Atlanta hip hop that started in 1982,” Suggs said.

The newspaper has not released which platform will house the documentary, however, there is a full-day program on Nov. 2 before the official release. From 9 a.m. EST to 3 p.m. EST, executives and creators will have an interactive discussion about Atlanta’s present hip-hop scene. Some of the discussions included predicting hip hop’s next 50 years and exhibiting advocacy for rap music.

Following the day, there is a premiere screening at Center Stage Theater and starts at 6 p.m. EST. Afterwards, viewers can participate in a Q&A with all the film’s creators. Tickets for this red carpet are now on sale.

“I don’t know what we can expect in terms of ratings, but we do know that we’ve come up with a really good movie. This is a solid piece of artistic work,” said Suggs. “We’ve put together a living document that tells Atlanta’s story.”

To keep up with more updates on “The South Got Something to Say” and witness more hip-hop related content visit the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s website. Suggs also posts frequently about the film on Instagram and X.

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Emmy Award Winning Journalist Faith Jessie Speaks on Her Journalism Career

(Pictured: Faith Jessie)

By

Tianna Faulkner

Atlanta Newswoman Faith Jessie is not letting her age define her work. The 11 Alive Atlanta news reporter is covering great news stories and is being recognized for it. Jessie who graduated from the University of Southern California in 2014 has proven that hard work pays off regardless of your age. In her short journalism career, she has won three Emmy Awards, all of which she won in one year. Being intentional about the types of stories she covers has opened doors for her and has paved the way for her to obtain notable opportunities throughout her journalism career; and the best is yet to come.

“NABJ is why I am a journalist. I went to the convention in Orlando, Florida in 2012 and it sparked my interest in journalism,” said Jessie. “I was a reporter in the number one news market in the country in New York. It is great to be recognized for my work. I was doing investigative reporting. I was in awe that my peers decided I was worth of an Emmy Award.”

Jessie, has covered a variety of topics, including coverage of the 2020 election, the 2016 Democratic National Convention, protests in Las Vegas following George Floyd’s death, stories about the Black maternal death issue, and the COVID-19 pandemic, to name a few. She says, although she has been recognized for her work, there is more she wants to cover. She said she likes being challenged at work, including the long days she had covering the Trump trial in Atlanta and she is using her platform and access to help people (now in Atlanta).

“I love being here to break down difficult topics for people to learn something new and to know what’s going on in their communities,” said Jessie. “It is nice to be able to educate people on things. It is very fulfilling.”

She advises journalism students and young journalism professionals to join the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) to be a part of student projects, to go to meetings, and to get involved in those spaces. Additionally, she says students and young professionals should get a mentor. Her work has also taken her abroad to Germany, where she has been a part of the Gun Reform German exchange program through the Radio and American Sector Program since 2018. Through this program she learns about gun reform in Germany compared to gun reform in the United States.

“My mentors Rod Carter and Andre Senior helped me do my reel and get my first job out of college. I met them through NABJ,” said Jessie. “I will be hosting a German student as a part of the Radio American Sector Program.”

Prior to working in Atlanta, Jessie has worked in Upstate New York at WICZ-TV, Las Vegas at KSNV-TV, and Long Island, New York at Newsday TV. Atlanta is the first place she has worked where she has family, which she loves. She said Atlanta is a city of Black excellence and that of all the places she has worked, there is a lot of history in Atlanta, including the Civil Rights Movement. Her story is an example for all journalists, young and old, that experience, along with talent, drive, and a great work ethic can lead to success.

“Atlanta is a very large news market and I have really learned about Atlanta as an adult. There is a lot happening here and there is never a shortage of stories to cover,” said Jessie. “I am a journalist at my core, and it is blessing to be here and have the opportunity to cover news.”

Follow Faith Jessie on Instagram @FaithJessie or visit her website Faith Jessie.

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Shumuriel Ratliff Explains the Importance of Professional Relationships

(Pictured: Shumuriel Ratliff)

By

Mya Grant

We all know the popular saying, “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know,” and it’s proven itself to be true in many ways. Making connections can carry you farther in your career than your skillset and public relations professional, Shumuriel Ratliff, is well versed in building those genuine relationships, as well as benefiting from them.

During her time at Winston-Salem State University, Ratliff went through the majority of undergrad undecided but excelled in areas that required her creativity and writing skills. Her roommate at the time suggested that she try the communications track and see where that took her. Ratliff enjoyed storytelling and being able to exercise her creativity and went on to join the school newspaper.

After graduating college, Ratliff began working as a television reporter. Through her experiences, she was always looking for the next big step for herself and decided that she wanted to transfer into roles along the lines of a communications manager. It wasn’t always easy explaining to prospective employers that the skills she acquired closely aligned with the roles she had applied for.

“It was a hard switch to make because there were so many interviews and just not really being able to tell how I could help back then,” Ratliff said.

Transitioning away from being in front of the camera, Ratliff landed a position behind the camera at CBS46 (currently known as Atlanta News First). At this job, she built a connection with her boss – also, her current mentor – and would continue to make those connections to assist in the progression of her career transition.

“It just got to the point where I was just like ‘Hey, just checking on you, sending good vibes and hope you’re having a good week’,” said Ratliff. “And doing those things – for me just to be considerate – led to me getting out of the business.”

Since stepping away from reporting, Ratliff wasn’t telling stories anymore and she missed that. Creating content allowed her to continue to tell stories and dive into her creativity in many aspects. She started making YouTube videos where she talks about life, career and everything in between. It was initially started as a makeup channel since Ratliff has had much experience doing her makeup while reporting but snowballed into the content she enjoys putting out now.

“That’s just another opportunity for me to still be creative,” said Ratliff. “Whether it be how I shoot it or edit it, just to not let that part of me die because the creative is strong.”

As the current corporate communications manager for Cox Enterprises, a lot of her work revolves around building and maintaining those relationships with clients, coworkers and other correspondents. Ratliff highly encourages other professionals to build organic relationships with who they can and be strategic about it. Always reaching out for a need isn’t the correct way to build those relationships.

Finding people that align with your goals, explaining the reason why you reached out and how they could help, putting in the effort to talk to them regularly and being open to learning from them are some of the most impactful ways to build and maintain strong relationships.

“I think it’s safe to say every role I’ve gotten, especially since leaving TV, has been because I knew somebody or I knew somebody who knew somebody,” said Ratliff.

As journalists, we’re already equipped with the skills needed to fulfill our roles, but our connections and relationships is what drives our careers. Build and maintain those strong connections and see where it takes you.

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Use What You’ve Got: How Nichole Owens’ Journalism Career Made Her a Great Storyteller

(Pictured: Nichole Owens)-Photo Courtesy of The Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta

By

Radhiya Alston

Sometimes in life you must know when to pivot. This is a lesson that Nichole Owens has lived by. Owens is the current Storytelling Manager at The Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta. She has held various positions over the years in media before securing her current role. Owens, a communications guru known for her storytelling, shares how each position she had prepared her for her dream job today.

Owens grew up in a military family, where her father was in the United States Army. Her family lived in Hawaii, North Carolina, and in Germany. After high school, she attended Ithaca College in Ithica, New York, where she studied television and radio broadcasting. Owens explained that with her father was still stationed in Germany and that attending Ithaca College gave her a chance to be close to her father’s side of the family who lived in New York.

“At the time Ithica was known for their communications program, and my dream was to be an international news correspondent,” Owens said. “While at Ithaca, I was a part of the student news cast, where I co-anchored for about a year with David Muir, ABC’s current world news anchor.”

While at Ithica College, Owens also had two internships.  In 1993, she interned at the CNN News Bureau in New York City. She explained that during this internship she wanted to be in the field with the reporters and she spent a lot of time at the assignment desk. Her second internship was in Atlanta at WGST Radio. There she interned with Maria Boynton, the current News Brand Manager and Public Affairs Director for Audacy Atlanta.

“While working at the radio station, I learned the difference between writing for television and radio and I did news gathering, and stacked shows,” Owens said. “In 1994 I graduated from college and got my first job as a video journalist at CNN in Atlanta.”

In that role Owens said part of her responsibilities were pulling scripts and making sure the anchors had scripts. She knew very quickly that this was not what she wanted to do. Owens wanted to write and do more of what she had previously done in her internships. After ten months, she left CNN and moved to Wako, Texas where she was the weekday reporter/line producer for KXXV-TV. In 1997, Owens came back to Atlanta and worked at WSB TV, where she wrote news for Monica Kaufman and John Pruitt during the five, six, and 11 o’clock news.

By 2008, Owens was laid off from her job and began working in sales. She took her severance package and started her own copywriting consulting firm. She explained that through her business, she was able to help companies tell their story and sell their products. Owens ran her business for 13 years before getting hired at The Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta.

“As the Storytelling Manager, I am able to amplify voices for those that need to be heard through my storytelling,” Owens said. “I have reimagined my job description from a traditional public relations practitioner to a Storytelling Manager.”

In this position Owens oversees the storytelling strategy of the organization and said her work as a journalist prepared her for her current role which she loves. For more information, visit

The Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta.

Members, please look out this month for upcoming information about AABJ’s Candidate Forum where AABJ members interested in running for 2024-2026 AABJ Board positions will speak on their platforms for office.

This issue of the Byline was edited by Tianna Faulkner, the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists’ Vice President of Print.

THE BYLINE-SEPTEMBER 2023 ISSUE

Summer is over, school is back in session, and fall is just about here. There is a lot going on in the world today: earthquakes, flooding, fires, shootings – one disaster after another. The things that seem to be so important are not so important anymore.

Thankfully in the midst of trials, there is still some good in the world today. In this issue of the Byline, we feature two Black journalists who have had different experiences throughout their careers, yet they love what they are doing as media professionals today and we are excited about it!

How Journalism Shows Up in Other Career Industries with Janita Poe

(Pictured: Janita Poe)

By

Mya Grant

As journalists, we take on many hats and learn many skills that can take us beyond a career in media. Many affluent journalists have non-media related businesses and side jobs and even find a way to use their skills in other industries, like Janita Poe, the current News Manager at the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB).

Like many others in college, Poe was trying to figure out what exactly she wanted to do for her career. During high school, she excelled and enjoyed her language and history classes but wasn’t involved in any student media. While attending Florida State University, she closely volunteered with the Black student union organization and became editor of their newspaper. That’s when it sparked her to pursue a career in journalism and continue her education with earning her master’s degree from The University of Georgia and a doctorate from Georgia State University.

Poe’s journalism career began in the early 90s at the Chicago Tribune where she covered the education beat. During her time working there, Poe mainly covered news about the Chicago Public Schools and the political initiatives taking place during a mayoral election.

Upon moving back to Atlanta, Poe tested her editing skills at the Atlanta Journal Constitution (AJC) and became a senior business reporter. Not only did Poe cover business and the CityLife column, she was also given the responsibility of editing stories for the education beat.

“I’ve always had an interest in education and languages and the global world,” said Poe.

Poe’s love for education and global languages grew immaculately during the time she was earning her doctorate’s degree from Georgia State University and celebrating her 60th birthday. While visiting France, she had the opportunity to tutor a young boy in English while being hosted by his family for three months. Poe considers them her adopted family and used that opportunity to expand on what she already loved.

With her main focus being and doctorate’s degree being in global communications, Poe used her skills and knowledge within the education field to participate in many studies around the world on the English language and other language barriers among students and in the education system.

“Education has always been in the mix,” said Poe. “All the way through my PhD studies.”

Even early on in her career at the AJC, Poe wouldn’t take certain opportunities and promotions that would take her away from the education beat. It was more than having a niche, it was Poe finding and actively working towards her passion.

Over the course of her career, Poe has worn many hats and learned many things that would propel her forward into her career at SREB. As news manager, she’s able to use skills she’s picked up along the way that easily transfer over into her day-to-day responsibilities.

“I feel that I have learned so much by being out of one stream,” said Poe. “And being able to jump in different streams and meet people and understand how different segments of society operate… and because of that I’m a better person for it.”

Much of Poe’s work consists of making the public aware of what SREB is about and improving the quality of education in the South. One of Poe’s greatest accomplishments within her newfound role is that she pitched and executed a 75th anniversary digital project for SREB. She continues to excel in her role that closely aligns with her passion as well as volunteering her free time to other organizations across Georgia.

Follow Janita Poe on X (formerly known as Twitter) and learn more information about the Southern Regional Education Board.

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AJC’s Business and Economy Reporter Shares Her Journalism Journey

(Pictured: Mirtha Donastorg)

Photo Credit: Christopher Hollis

By

Radhiya Alston

Sometimes what we think we want to do in life is not where we end up. Mirtha Donastorg, the current Economy and Business Reporter at the Atlanta Journal Constitution (AJC), shares her story on how she became a journalist. She attended North Carolina State where she earned a degree in biology in 2016. During her junior year, Donastorg decided that journalism was what she wanted to do. In 2014, she started her yearlong stay in Paris, France. While in Paris, she worked at a small magazine named Assistant Magazine. At the magazine, she wrote, edited, did interviews, and assisted on photo shoots.

When Donastorg arrived home from Paris in 2015, she knew that she had to explain to her parents that she was now interested in doing journalism. Her father told her that if this was what she wanted to do, then taking journalism classes at The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill would be in her best interest. That is exactly what she did her senior year. She threw herself in to journalism classes and worked at the campus radio station WKNC.

“It was not easy letting my immigrant parents know I now wanted to do journalism,” she said. “I would take my biology classes at North Carolina State, then travel 30 minutes to get to my Audio Journalism class at The University of North Carolina,” she explained.

During Donastorg’s senior year in college, she met the Vice President of CNN who was on her campus recruiting for internships. Although she did not receive an internship, Donastorg secured her first paid job at CNN after she graduated. She worked as a researcher for The Row, which is an editorial standard edition division of CNN. She went through scripts that were to air on any CNN Network. When going through the scripts, Donastorg would fact check, look for accuracy, and fairness before anything went on air.

“It was like being in grad school,” she said. “I learned so much working for The Row.”

After three years at The Row, Donastorg transferred to CNN Digital. Here she worked as an Associate Producer. One of Donastorg’s primary roles was to send out breaking news alerts. She said any alerts that went out between 2019-2021, most likely she was behind it. In 2021 Donastorg left CNN after almost five years to work for The Plug as a corps member with Report for America. The Plug was a small publication, where Donastorg was the Historically Black College and Universities (HBCU) Innovation writer and editor. At this publication she helped start and grow the HBCU Innovation beat, where she explored start-up initiatives. Donastorg felt while in this position, it was important to tell the often-uncovered stories of what was going on at HBCU campuses.

In March of 2023, The Plug dissolved. Soon after leaving The Plug, she began working for the AJC. As the Economy and Business Reporter, Donastorg covers stories about Black and minority led businesses and Black wealth. She explained that it is important to her that she is informative and gives readers a deeper understanding of who or what the topic is. She also talked about her professional growth that has taken place in the five months she has been at the AJC. She is grateful for working in a supportive newsroom and having a great editor. For what the future holds, she wouldn’t mind writing a book or doing something on the radio again.  Donastorg’s main focus is to continue to focus on accountability reporting and perfecting her craft. You can find all her articles online at www.AJC.com.

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ATTENTION AABJ MEMBERS!!! Board elections are coming up soon. If you are interested in serving on AABJ’s Board for the 2024-2026 term, visit www.aabj.org for more information or visit AABJ on our social media (Facebook, Instagram) for more details.

This issue of the Byline was edited by Tianna Faulkner, Vice President of Print for the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists (AABJ).

THE BYLINE-AUGUST ISSUE 2023

OUR STORIES MATTER!

We all have a story. In the August issue of the Byline, three Atlanta journalists share their stories about their experiences and expertise as Black journalists today. Whether they are a seasoned journalist with years of experience or new to the industry, each story is unique. These three journalists share how their humble beginnings as journalists, along with hard work, determination, professional career goals, and experience has led them to accomplish dreams and led them to the fulfilling journalism careers that they enjoy today. The path to success may be different from one person to the next and that is okay. These stories will inspire you to live your purpose and your journey while remembering to reach back and help others.

Positively Portia: Atlanta Newswoman Portia Bruner Talks About New Talk Show

 (Pictured: Portia Bruner)

By

Tianna Faulkner

Something that she thought was not possible for her before is a reality today. Atlanta newswoman Portia Bruner is the talk show host for Fox 5 Atlanta’s “Portia,” a nationally distributed lifestyle show that initially began as a voice for African American women. The show focuses on a variety of topics, including faith, fitness, finances, family, and health and appeals to all audiences today.

Bruner decided at a young age that she wanted to be a journalist. The Denver, Colorado native wanted to inspire people like Susan Taylor of Essence Magazine did. Bruner initially thought she would be a print journalist. She has worked as a broadcast journalist for over 20 years. Today, she is known in the newsroom as “Positively Portia” because she says her show is a positive show from start to finish, regardless of how hard the topic is. According to Bruner, her show focuses on everyday people, not just celebrities.

“I’ve always been a storyteller and had this idea of telling stories in space,” Bruner explained. “I was the only child growing up and used to line up my dolls and tell them a story. I watched Oprah Winfrey and Phil Donahue and 60 Minutes. Watching the “Oprah Winfrey Show” in high school and college was so cool. To see this woman who looked like me was so inspiring. I knew this is what I wanted to do.”

Bruner is a Howard University graduate whose journalism career began with an internship she had at NBC4-TV in Washington, DC. She was producing news just out of college and said she knew then that a regular 9 to 5 job was not for her. Her beat at the station was consumer news. At 27 years old, Bruner was a co-anchor at WAPT-TV in Jackson, Mississippi. There she covered big stories around public policy, Black activism, and poverty. Bruner has also worked as a consumer reporter at WTKR-TV in Norfolk, Virginia.

“I was a legislative reporter in Jackson, Mississippi. The lawmakers were supportive. It was my training ground to be a journalist. This is where I learned how to become a passionate advocate for people,” Bruner said. “Over the years, I have also learned how to tell the best story you can to whoever you encounter so that all sides are covered and not share your opinions.”

Bruner has been at Fox 5 Atlanta for 20 years. Over the years, she has covered a variety of topics, including breaking news, crime, lifestyle/human interest stories, and government. Her advice to young journalists today is for them to know their “why.” Know why you do what you do, she said. Be sincere and conscious of what is going on in your communities are other tips she shared. When thinking of ideas for her show, she asks herself “what are women talking about?” Bruner says women are talking about their kid’s safety, their husbands, weight control, and whether women still feel sexy with curves, for example. Her stories also focus on children and men too.

(Pictured: Portia Bruner and guests on show “Portia”)

Additionally, in her free time Bruner has also openly talked about her struggles with stuttering and depression, where she has shared that she took time off from work because she said her job was stressful. She said she wants to be clear with the public about things she has gone through, especially when she said God brought her through something.

“I have transitioned from being a news anchor to a talk show host, which has come with some challenges. Now as a talk show host, I am taking sides on issues, which you typically don’t do as a reporter. Now I feel like I am an advocate for the voiceless and it is liberating. I love telling everyone’s stories. Black women come up to me all the time and tell me they love the show and can identify with it. I feel obligated to tell stories in a fair balanced way.”

The show “Portia” began in the fall of 2022 and has been picked up for a second season for Fall 2023. The talk show airs weekdays on Fox 5 Atlanta at 11:00 am and 11:30 am and airs weeknights on Fox Soul.

“If we’re not honest about hard times that we go through, we’re lying to people,” Bruner said. “Share your story so others can learn.”

For more information, visit Portia Bruner.

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Keion Grissom Shares the Benefits of Attending the NABJ Convention and Career Fair

(Pictured: Emmy Award winning journalist Keion Grissom)

By

Mya Grant

The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) hosts their national conference and career fair each summer in the United States for Black journalists around the world to attend, network and enjoy. From panels, to workshops, to mixers, there are plenty of opportunities for Black journalists to take advantage of this experience to grow and meet other Black journalists on their career journey, something that Atlanta metro journalist Keion Grissom has learned, enjoyed, and benefited from for years.

Grissom is an Emmy-award winning associate producer for Warner Bros. Discovery Sports, formerly known as Turner Sports. As a Morehouse College alumnus, he understood the importance of connection and community. Grissom accredits NABJ, the convention and his former professor/mentor, Ron Thomas, for helping him kick-start his career and land his current role.

He attended his first NABJ conference in 2011 in Philadelphia, PA where he met David Aldridge and many others in the sports realm and gained some great advice.

“Who are you replacing?” Aldridge asked Grissom. “You have to learn around the business.”

“That was the greatest question ever,” says Grissom. “Because it’s not about how you can have the gift of gab or if you’re great at your skill, these guys have contracts!”

Aldridge continued to give Grissom life-changing advice and even introduced him to Tara August and Keith Robinson during the convention. After speaking and networking with them, Grissom returned home from the convention with an internship at Turner Sports, right where he wanted to be. From there, Grissom was able to build his career, move up, and learn everything that he could about his job.

“My grind was whatever person I saw doing a job that I didn’t know how to do, on my off day, I would shadow them,” says Grissom. “Everything I did the previous year, I didn’t want to do the next year.”

Over the course of 11 years, Grissom went from a logger to an editor to a web content producer to now, a production assistant/broadcasting associate where he’s been awarded the 2020-2021 Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Live Sports Special. If you can recall the 2020 NBA All-Star game that took place in Chicago, during the fourth quarter, the scoreboard and the entire arena paid tribute to the late Kobe Bryant with purple and gold lights and 24 points added to the winning score to reflect Bryant’s jersey number; that was Grissom’s idea and what won him that Emmy.

“I never saw myself winning an Emmy,” says Grissom. “I just love the job and I love my career to the point that I’m just glad that I’m working and grateful to showcase my ideas.”

Grissom shows his appreciation for gaining these opportunities by giving back and helping other young sports journalists. One of his proudest moments was bringing in a young sports reporter from Morehouse to shadow another sideline reporter and experience a day in the life of what they do.

None of this would have been possible for Grissom without the help of the NABJ Convention and Career Fair and the people he has met there and people he has met and learned from throughout his career. As he continues to attend the NABJ conferences in the future, he always looks forward to the specialized panels, catching up with his mentors and other friends in his field and learning something new that could help him within his career.

Follow Keion Grissom on X (formerly Twitter) @Kid2King.

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The AJC’s New Culture Reporter Talks About Her Career

(Pictured: DeAsia Paige, photo by Natrice Miller)

By

Radhiya Alston

Culture Reporter DeAsia Paige Sutgrey, who goes by DeAsia Paige, sat down to discuss her career as a music and culture writer for The Atlanta Journal Constitution (AJC). Various internships and freelance journalism opportunities in her short career led Paige to such a prestigious role at the Atlanta newspaper.

In 2020, Paige graduated from the University of Kansas with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. During her time in school Paige wrote about arts and culture for the university’s newspaper The University Daily Kansan. In 2018 Paige earned internships at publications such as Vice and The Detroit Free Press. After graduating from the University of Kansas she began freelancing for publications such as Blavity, Elle, NPR Music, Teen Vogue and more.

She would later gain her first full time writing position via Report for America at The Belleville News-Democrat. Whether Paige was interning, freelancing, or working full time for a publication, she knew that writing for music and/or culture beats was what she wanted to do as a journalist.

While working for the Detroit Free Press in 2018, Paige worked as a breaking news intern. The Detroit Free Press was her first opportunity to report regularly about breaking news. She immediately realized this was not something she enjoyed.

“While I did not enjoy the fast-paced and often random nature of breaking news, it was a great experience,” Paige said.

This helped her to learn that no matter the beat, there is always going to be some sort of breaking news for every topic.  From 2019-2020 she spent her time at Blavity where she was granted the opportunity to really learn about the music and culture side of the industry. She explained that it gave her insight on “the type of stories that would garner readers’ interest.” Interviewing celebrities was something she also did while freelancing at Blavity.

“Blavity was my first time writing regularly about Black music and culture for a mainstream publication,” Paige explained.

In October 2022, Paige moved to Atlanta where she earned her current title as Culture Reporter at the AJC. Currently she covers intersections of arts, culture, and underrepresented communities in Atlanta. Being in Atlanta Paige said she has been able to see that the city is “rich” in culture, and there is always something that can be written about.

“It is important to me that my readers receive stories that are fresh,” she said, detailing that she has more experience as a journalist now than she did in 2019 and 2020.

Paige understands that information comes out fast today, especially with social media. Her goal is to give her readers stories that are not seen on every other timeline feed. She said she has gained an abundance of experience in such a short amount of time, and she has learned so much as a reporter.

“One major thing I have learned as a young Black journalist is that the industry can often be extremely strenuous on journalists, so I am trying to prioritize my mental health while still being a great reporter,” Paige said.

Paige’s future is bright, and she has goals and plans to accomplish much more in the years ahead, including work as a producer and or work on a podcast or documentary. Writing an autobiography of Black music artists is something else Paige is hopeful to accomplish in the future.

For more information, follow her on LinkedIn at DeAsia Paige.

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The Atlanta Association of Black Journalists Members Nominated at Atlanta Press Club Awards of Excellence

(Pictured from L to R: Craig Allen Brown, Natalie Mendenhall, Tyrik Wynn)

The Atlanta Association of Black Journalists (AABJ) were present and represented at this months Atlanta Press Club Annual Awards of Excellence ceremony. AABJ President Craig Allen Brown and AABJ members Natalie Mendenhall and Tyrik Wynn were all nominated this year by the Atlanta Press Club for their work in journalism. The Atlanta Press Club’s Awards of Excellence celebrates the best of journalism from the previous year. Awards are given within print, broadcast, and digital categories. For more information about the Atlanta Press Club Awards of Excellence, visit www.atlantapressclub.org.

This issue of the Byline was edited by Tianna Faulkner, Vice President of Print for the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists (AABJ).