MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2010 Regular Session
To: Rules
By: Senator(s) Harden, Butler, Chassaniol, Dearing, Frazier, Hopson, Horhn, Jackson (11th), Jackson (32nd), Lee (35th), Montgomery, Simmons
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMENDING AND CONGRATULATING FOX 40 NEWS ANCHOR KATHY Y. TIMES OF JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI, UPON HER ELECTION AS PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BLACK JOURNALISTS.
WHEREAS, Kathy Times, an anchor and investigative reporter at WDBD-TV in Jackson, Mississippi, who made retraining journalists a key part of her platform, was elected President of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) during its recent convention and job fair in Tampa, Florida. Ms. Times has been elected the 18th President of the 3,200-member organization; and
WHEREAS, the National Association of Black Journalists has approximately 3,000 professional and student members. NABJ members include syndicated columnists, network correspondents and hard-working journalists in local markets like Jackson. NABJ provides training and networking opportunities year-round and during their annual convention, works everyday to increase the number of African-American journalists and managers in newsrooms, and to ensure African-Americans receive fair coverage in the media; and
WHEREAS, media companies are downsizing and have laid off thousands of journalists. One of Kathy Times' goals is to increase multimedia training and help journalists become entrepreneurs, managers and executives by implementing a transitional incubator called NABJ360. It is a Web-based component that will help journalists assess their skills, get training, interact with prospective employers, sell and market their products and services and much more; and
WHEREAS, according to one survey, about 400 black journalists lost newspaper jobs in 2008. According to UNITY: Journalists of Color, 46,599 jobs have been lost in the journalism industry since January 1, 2008. The losses are devastating. Communities need diverse voices to fairly cover issues that otherwise would go unnoticed. NABJ will continue to advocate for members to succeed in the mainstream media and will take full advantage of the digital revolution to help journalists create new opportunities for themselves; and
WHEREAS, after she received her bachelor's degree, Kathy Times spent a year working at The Tampa Tribune, left Tampa and headed to graduate school at Northwestern University, then completed graduate work in Washington, D.C., and started out covering consumer issues for several television stations. She also worked in Gainesville, Florida; Mobile, Alabama; Kansas City, Missouri; and her hometown, Miami, Florida. She left Miami in December 1999 and headed to Jackson, Mississippi, to pursue one of her dreams: to become an investigative reporter and anchor. After that, she headed to Birmingham for six years before returning to Jackson in 2009. Her greatest thrill to date is a ride with the Air Force Thunderbirds. Kathy states that it is a rare opportunity to fly in an F-16; and
WHEREAS, according to Kathy, Fox 40 News believes in investigative journalism. Unfortunately, many media companies have increased daily news at the expense of investigative reporting staff and resources. Hopefully, the community recognizes the value of investigative reporting because a healthy and diverse media are a democracy's insurance policy; and
WHEREAS, it is with great pride that we recognize this excellent black journalist and role model who is a leader in her community and state:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby commend and congratulate Fox 40 News Anchor Kathy Y. Times of Jackson, Mississippi, upon her election as President of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), and extend to her and her family our best wishes on this auspicious occasion.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to Kathy Times, forwarded to the National Association of Black Journalists and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.