Donald Trump and the major split among Black journalists

The National Association of Black Journalists will have a special guest today at its convention in Chicago.

Donald Trump.

And just the announcement has kicked a hornet’s nest of controversy.

On one hand, he is the former president of the United States and the Republican Party’s nominee to be president again. Of course you should invite him, right? It’s the chance to ask questions of someone who is running for president. You should want him there.

Then again, this is a candidate who has openly criticized the press, has been disrespectful of Black female journalists and whose rhetoric has been accused by some of being racist. Why should — and why would — NABJ give him a platform?

That pretty much sums up the split going on among Black journalists from the moment it was announced Trump would sit down for a Q&A session moderated by Fox News’ Harris Faulkner, Semafor’s Kadia Goba and ABC News’ Rachel Scott.

Washington Post columnist Karen Attiah announced on social media Tuesday that she was stepping down as co-chair of NABJ. She wrote, “While my decision was influenced by a variety of factors, I was not involved or consulted with in any way with the decision to platform Trump in such a format.”

Attiah was far from alone, as social media was filled with anger and frustration over NABJ’s decision to invite Trump.

TheGrio’s April Ryan, the NABJ journalist of the year in 2017 who covered (and often was on the receiving end of verbal attacks from) Trump when he was president, wrote on X, “The reports of attacks on Black women White House correspondents by the then president of the United States are not myth or conjecture, but fact. To have a presumed orchestrated session with the former president is an affront to what this organization stands for and a slap in the face to the Black women journalists (NABJ journalists of the year) who had to protect themselves from the wrath of this Republican presidential nominee who is promoting an authoritarian agenda that plans to destroy this nation and her democracy with his Project 2025. I object to this NABJ session with Donald Trump in Chicago.”

Tiffany Walden, a co-founder and editor-in-chief of The TRiiBE, a digital platform that covers Black Chicago, told The Guardian’s Adria R. Walker that NABJ’s decision was “irresponsible.”

In a column for The TRiiBE, Tyler J. Davis wrote, “NABJ is a place of learning, networking and feeling supported. It’s a space for Black folks to feel safe and celebrated; for Black media, specifically, to feel safe and celebrated. People shouldn’t be asked to choose between attending a useful session or a self-serving sideshow. They shouldn’t be challenged to confront unsettling situations in an environment that is supposed to be welcoming for Black people. Uncomfortability and anxiety can be expected when the ‘star’ of the opening day has repeatedly belittled our profession and questioned our intentions.”

NABJ member and former Deadspin writer Carron J. Phillips tweeted, “This is the single dumbest and worst decision in NABJ history. Whoever made this call is an idiot. And I’ll say it to their face this week.”

Femi Redwood, the chair of NABJ’s LGBTQ+ task force, wrote on X, “I’m disappointed that in a space where so many queer and trans members still feel vulnerable will now feel even more unsafe due to Trump being invited and the possibility of his most vicious followers coming to the hotel to support him.”

Redwood added, “I’m also disturbed that LGBTQ+ Task Force Leadership was not invited into conversations about hosting Trump considering the damage he has caused Black queer and trans people — including those who are journalists and members of NABJ.”

The Atlantic’s Jemele Hill at first tweeted, “As journalists, we can never be afraid to tackle someone like Trump,” but later followed that up with, “I’ll say this, while I don’t have a problem with Trump being at NABJ under the right circumstances because he’s a presidential candidate, I don’t know how ‘right’ these circumstances are. A sham of an interview will destroy the organization’s credibility. If the majority of NABJ’s membership is against Trump being there, the organization should listen. You have to answer to your membership and you run the risk of permanently disengaging folks. Trump isn’t worth that.”

Part of the criticism, too, was that a Fox News anchor (Faulkner) would help moderate an event involving a candidate that the network has often been sympathetic toward.

This, mind you, was just a fraction of the backlash over NABJ’s decision to have Trump.

Yet there was a strong opposing view, too, from those who firmly believe Trump, or any presidential candidate, should be invited. After all, it’s fairly common for NABJ to invite presidential candidates to its convention. Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton all attended in the past, and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris was invited this year.

Rana Cash, executive editor of The Charlotte Observer, tweeted, “It’s the National Association of Black ‘Journalists’ — journalists who are experts at their craft, highly qualified and critical thinkers. To suggest they not interview a Presidential candidate on issues relevant to the organization’s constituency is outrageous.”

Leroy Chapman Jr., the editor-in-chief of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, said in a post on X, “Here is what we need to ‘normalize’ — candidates for office standing before journalists, answering questions.”

Ken Lemon, president of NABJ, said in a statement, “While N.A.B.J. does not endorse political candidates as a journalism organization, we understand the serious work of our members, and welcome the opportunity for them to ask the tough questions that will provide the truthful answers Black Americans want and need to know.”

In a video, Lemon said, “This is a great opportunity for us to vet the candidate right here on our ground.”

MSNBC’s Symone Sanders-Townsend, a former spokesperson for Kamala Harris, tweeted, “Some of the best journalists in the country are members of NABJ. So, why wouldn’t they interview Trump? He is the Republican nominee. Seems like the journalists complaining don’t understand their jobs are to actually ask the questions. NABJ didn’t platform Trump. The voters in the Republican primary did. Just like anyone else who is running for President, he should sit for serious interviews and answer real questions. That’s happening Wednesday.”

NABJ conference co-chair Tia Mitchell, the Washington correspondent for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, said on social media that she helped “make this call” to invite Trump, and “I’ll continue to work to create opportunities for journalists to interview the potential next president.”

As I mentioned, Harris also was invited, but NABJ said her confirmation was “pending.” Before he had dropped out of the race, President Joe Biden had agreed to attend the conference. But Harris might not be able to attend because of a scheduling conflict with her campaign.

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Of note

There will be plenty of coverage of Trump’s session at today’s NABJ convention. It will be livestreamed on the organization’s YouTube and Facebook pages. It is scheduled for noon Central time.

Poynter’s PolitiFact will fact-check the event, and I’ll link to that coverage later this week.

O’Donnell to leave the anchor desk

A major shakeup is coming to CBS News.

Norah O’Donnell will step down as anchor and managing editor of the “CBS Evening News” following the November election. She will remain with the network, doing big interviews and contributing to the “CBS Evening News,” “60 Minutes” and other CBS News platforms.

And, in what might be the real stunning news here, don’t expect one big name to replace her.

First, the O’Donnell part of this. Puck’s Dylan Byers broke the news, with O’Donnell telling him, “The way our product is distributed is changing. How do we do those big interviews, that great storytelling, and share that in a different kind of way so it can reach a different kind of audience.”

Byers wrote, “Wendy McMahon, the president and C.E.O. of CBS News, told me that the network was focused on ‘challenging the traditional model’ in order to find ways to leverage O’Donnell across more platforms.”

Still, the anchor of the national evening news is one of the most coveted jobs in TV journalism. It’s hard to imagine someone giving up that job willingly to do something else within the news division at the same network. But Variety’s Brian Steinberg wrote, “The new arrangement is understood to be part of a longer-term commitment that the anchor and CBS News are making to one another.”

Byers described it as a “Barbara Walter-ish role” and that it came about after O’Donnell’s prime-time interview with Pope Francis in May. O’Donnell told Byers that it was a “real lightbulb moment.” She tells Byers she already has a list of interviews she wants to do — and they are interviews she can’t necessarily do now because of her current role.

O’Donnell took over as anchor and managing editor of the “CBS Evening News” in 2019. Before that, she was co-host of “CBS This Morning” for seven years.

She told Byers, “For 12 years I’ve been connected to an anchor desk. It’s been grueling; it’s also been thrilling. But CBS is awesome for allowing me to do this.”

So, from outward appearances, it does seem as if O’Donnell and CBS News are both good with the move. In a memo to staff, O’Donnell wrote, “It’s time to do something different.” She added it was her decision.

Now what? Who replaces O’Donnell? My initial thought would be someone such as Margaret Brennan, the superb moderator of “Face the Nation.” But don’t count on it.

Byers reports McMahon will announce plans in the days ahead, adding, “In light of the secular economic challenges facing the industry, however, O’Donnell is unlikely to be replaced by another high-paid, high-profile anchor. Indeed, the evening broadcast will likely transition to an ensemble cast with rotating anchors — making CBS the first network to relinquish the half-century-plus format of a singular, expensive anchor in the chair, signaling another retreat from the paradigm.”

If true, that is a seismic shift for a network whose past “Evening News” anchors included such legends as Walter Cronkite, Dan Rather and groundbreaking anchors such as Connie Chung and Katie Couric.

O’Donnell did boost ratings for the “Evening News,” but the 4.4 million average viewers per newscast in the latest quarter still lagged behind ABC’s “World News Tonight” and the “NBC Nightly News.” During the week of July 15-21, ABC’s “World News Tonight” averaged 6.8 million viewers, the “NBC Nightly News” had 5.5 million and the “CBS Evening News” had 4 million, according to Nielsen.

And the hosting gig goes to …

The Academy Awards are looking for a new host.

Jimmy Kimmel, who has hosted four times before (and done an excellent job, if you ask me), has told the academy that he is not interested in hosting in 2025. That’s also according to Puck’s Dylan Byers.

The news is disappointing. As Byers wrote, “When it comes to the Oscars, Jimmy Kimmel is well on his way to Bob Hope/Johnny Carson/Billy Crystal territory: reliable, familiar, always great, Disney-approved, and a nice balance of goodwill in the room and zingers for the home audience.”

Byers reported that the Oscars then wanted John Mulaney to host, but the writer-comedian’s schedule is simply too busy next March.

So it’s back to the drawing board. Some of the names being thrown around just for fun: Chris Rock, Steve Martin, Martin Short and Neil Patrick Harris, although the 2015 host has said he probably wouldn’t want to host again. I liked 2022 co-host Wanda Sykes, but she too said she likely wouldn’t host again.

Media tidbits

• NPR’s David Folkenflik with “Washington Post CEO accused in court of deceiving police about U.K. hacking scandal.”
• The Washington Post’s Trisha Thadani, Elizabeth Dwoskin, Nitasha Tiku and Gerrit De Vynck with “Trump vs. Harris is dividing Silicon Valley into feuding political camps.”
• For ProPublica, Justin Elliott, Robert Faturechi and Alex Mierjeski with “Trump Media Quietly Enters Deal With a Republican Donor Who Could Benefit From a Second Trump Administration.”
• The Washington Post’s Cristiano Lima-Strong with “Senate passes landmark bills to protect kids online, raising pressure on House.”

Hot type

• This story is … something. The New York Times’ Christopher Maag with “How Two Wandering Cows Started a Culture War.” The subhead reads, “When Hornee and Blackee strayed from their pasture, they set off a chaotic chain of events involving death threats, chicken rustlers and Joaquin Phoenix. The town of Newfane, N.Y., hasn’t been the same since.”
• The Atlantic’s David Sims profiles the writer-director in “How M. Night Shyamalan Came Back From The Dead.”

More resources for journalists

• Lead With Influence is for leaders who manage big responsibilities but have no direct reports.
• Try our dynamic, in-person, five-day workshop for new newsroom managers.
• Get an AI ethics framework for your newsroom. Start here.

Have feedback or a tip? Email Poynter senior media writer Tom Jones at [email protected].