Griot Drum Awards: Encouraging Diversity By Rewarding It

Sometimes, you get more with a carrot than a stick.

That's the philosophy behind the Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists' Griot Drum Awards, a contest we started three years ago to encourage quality reporting on people of color by rewarding it.

It's not a revolutionary idea. The Pulitzer Prizes have done more to build quality journalism just by standing as the ultimate achievement -- a goal that galvanizes media outlets by offering a tremendous award for the field's best work. Much as we might want the work to be a reward in itself, it can't hurt to offer journalists a prize that instantly brands them as the best among their peers.

While the Griot Drum honors may never be that powerful, it is a great way to highlight some of the best work done locally on diversity issues, race and ethnicity. (former Early Show co-host Rene Syler speaks at last year's event at left) Especially since the local Society of Professional Journalists has stopped presenting its annual awards ceremony, there is no significant Tampa Bay area journalism organization honoring the great work done here which may not be recognized by the big statewide contests.

Since Don Imus was fired, I've heard from those who accuse TBABJ and similar organizations of violating objectivity or pursuing an unfair agenda. But from our perspective, we're standing up for a journalism value important as factual accuracy, freedom of speech or ethical consistency: diversity.  

This year's Griot Drum Awards are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies in St. Petersburg. Newly-named Philadelphia Inquirer columnist and longtime journalism diversity advocate George Curry (at right) will serve as keynote speaker; we expect to give away a $1,000 scholarship and 15 awards to area journalists.

Join us for the event (you can email me to reserve a ticket here). Help us celebrate the best reporting on diversity the Tampa Bay area has to offer. And help produce more quality work by celebrating what has come before in the loudest voice possible.  

Comments

[Scott]

Why is it that good quality, honest attempts like this to bridge the diveristy gap don't seem to grab any headlines, but Al Sharpton and his ilk always seem to get all the attention? Here's a group that will give young people of color some hope and inspriation.....they deserve to be recognized. Al Sharpton needs to go away.

[Eric Deggans]

i'm not sure that it has to be an either/or proposition, but I can tell you that information on this event has gone out to every major media outlet in town. Why they haven't done any stories, i can't tell you....

[Scott]

Eric:

It doesn't have to be either/or, but it usually is.

That's the part that burns me up.

[Tariq Khan Niazi(Pakistan)]

Since Pakistan Media community is presently facing severe and unethical victimization by Musharaf govt with undemocratic and unconsitutional support by America the supreme courts 60 judges including Chief justice of pakistan who has refused to take oath uncer unconsitutional orders of an army chief has been sacked and they are ordered to vacate their official residence forthwith.They have been deprived of their post service benifits.I would request you to show your solidarity with struggling media under very hard torture and victimization.They may kindly be invited to your forum to express the true and bleeding postion before world media.I may please be contacted if you need further information in this regard.
Thanks and with best regards
Tariq Khan Niazi,
Member Pakistan Union of journalists
Member Lahore Press Club's foreign media relations committe.
Freelance journalist

[Tariq Khan Niazi(asadgemini400@hotmail.com]

please communicate all the media organizations functioning in your region that pakistani media is facing death,torture,state victimization and even killing of journalists spouses.Its too bad and be condemned by the international journalists community,their forums and organization plz take it as sos message,we would appreciate if our representative delegation is invited to your region to express the true inhumane position and circumstance being faced by us and moreover GEO tv channel which is pakistan's most popular one has been put offair as unconstitutional step to control the media by force.
please help us to convey our message to the global community of media.
Thanks
Tariq Khan Niazi,
Member foreign relations committee
Lahore Press Club,
Punjab Union of journalists
Lahore(Pakistan)