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NABJ and the National Conference of Editorial Writers (NCEW) jointly and proudly each year give the prestigious Ida B. Wells Award to a media executive or manager who has made outstanding efforts to make newsrooms and news coverage more accurately reflect the diversity of the communities they serve.
The award is named in honor of the distinguished journalist, fearless reporter and wife of one of Americas earliest black publishers. Wells was "editor and proprietor" of the Memphis Free Speech and Headlight. She told her male co-founders she would not help launch the newspaper unless she was made "equal to them." In the late 19th century, Wells won acclaim on two continents for her fearless crusade against lynching.
She championed an integrated society and urged black Americans to seek their rightful share of the jobs in the new industrial age. Today a massive public housing complex in Chicago is named in her memory.
First bestowed in 1983, the Wells award itself consists of a bust with a specific notation of the act or actions being recognized. Professors at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University serve as co-curators.
Sam Adams, the longtime University of Kansas journalism professor and civil rights movement reporter, founded the award, formerly administered the awards. Purpose: To give tangible and highly visible recognition to an individual or group of individuals and their company. Winners should have provided distinguished leadership in increasing access and opportunities to people of color in journalism, and improving the coverage of communities of color in American media.
Eligibility: News executives, managers, journalists or any one else who has made a significant difference in the hiring and promotion of journalists of color and or increased and improved the media's coverage of underrepresented communities.
Judging: A jury of seven or eight people is selected each year by the two sponsoring organizations, including the president and one other member of each and two Medill representatives. The jury considers nominees annually and may present one award per year. However, it is not required that the award be conferred every year.
Nominations: Any person may nominate candidates for the award by sending relevant supporting data to the Wells jury. Nominations shall include an official entry form and statements demonstrating why the nominees activities show exemplary leadership consistent with the career of Ida B. Wells.
Presentations: The award is presented alternately at the national
conventions of the sponsoring bodies. The 2006 winner will be presented with the award at the convention of the National Conference of Editorial Writers, which will be held from September 14-16 in Pittsburgh, Pa.
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