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Updated: Friday, August 28, 2009 Published: Aug.28, 2009

PRESIDENT'S CORNER LINKS Current Message Past Messages President's Biography

Kathy Times is the 18th President of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) elected by the membership to serve the 2009-2011 term. The Emmy Award-winning investigative reporter and co-anchor of Fox 40 News at 9 in Jackson, Mississippi previously served NABJ as Vice President-Broadcast from 2007-2009.

While serving as Vice President-Broadcast, Times co-authored NABJ’s first diversity census of senior managers working at network news operations. The 2008 study found no black executive producers supervise network news programs or newscasts. Former regional director and current Vice President-Broadcast Bob Butler studied 111 local television stations for the 2009 census. Seventy-five of the stations did not have any black managers.

After constant talks with television news executives, the 2009 network census showed progress. Some network news operations have increased the number of black managers and executives, but there is still more work to be done.

Times plans to increase training for members who would like to assume managerial and executive positions in all media platforms. She started revamping NABJ’s professional development arm, the Media Institute, in the fall of 2007. Under her guidance, the Institute has doubled its workshops, generated new revenue streams, offered professional scholarships and produced its first-ever webinars to provide affordable training to members. Times also helped the Media Institute plan and administer the first health fair during the 2009 national convention in Tampa.

Times began her career as a print journalist in Tampa, Florida and has worked as a broadcast journalist in Miami, Gainesville, Birmingham, Mobile and Kansas City. Her investigative work has earned her two Southeast Emmy Awards and a regional Edward R. Murrow Award among other honors. She has also conducted interviews with some of the country’s most powerful leaders including President George H.W. Bush and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

From 1996-2008, Times held chapter positions in Kansas City, South Florida, Jackson, Miss. and Birmingham. She has served as NABJ’s Membership Chairperson, an Elections Committee Member and Broadcast Short Course Instructor. Times also served as an adjunct journalism professor at Jackson State University.

Times obtained her undergraduate degrees in Journalism and Computer Information Systems from Florida A&M University and received her master’s degree in Journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. She is a member of the Radio-Television News Directors Association, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated and Investigative Reporters and Editors.