I’ve never been comfortable being the story. My job is to cover events – not be featured in them. It’s the first rule of journalism.
And I’ve never been comfortable being viewed as an ‘ally’ to a cause. The job of a reporter is to report, not to serve as a marketing or public relations vehicle.
But I’ll admit, I’ve softened my stance over my more than 30 years in the profession, the last decade of which has been devoted to business journalism.
If my reporting on issues or organizations is viewed as advocacy, so be it. As long as I approach each story with the intent to deliver the news, or the facts, rather than as promotion, I’m good.
And if I’m the only reporter doing so — as too often is the case in our ever-shrinking industry — I understand the value and importance of my reporting, which becomes all the more significant.
Last Friday night, I was humbled to receive a ‘Changemakers’ Award from the African American Chamber of Commerce for my coverage of their organization and Black-owned businesses in this state.
I was honored to receive the award, but I noted the irony of it: If ROI-NJ is the leading business journal in the state, how could we not cover a segment of the community that accounts for more than $50 billion in GDP annually?
This thinking drives so much of our coverage at ROI.
If we are a state that proudly boasts of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, a state that soon will become majority minority, how can we not cover businesses run by all communities?
If we are a state that preaches tolerance and inclusion, how could we not cover the Pride Chamber?
If we are a state that salutes those who keep us safe, how could we not cover issues impacting the veterans’ business community?
Changemakers
The African American Chamber recently honored three others ‘Changemakers’:
Smokey Glover, Director of Fair and Responsible Banking, Fulton Bank
Tequila Smith, Chief Sustainability Officer, Reworld
Tim Sullivan, CEO, N.J. Economic Development Authority
As a state — and as a business community — we can all debate whether the economy is going in the right direction or the wrong one. Everyone gets their opinion.
But there is one thing all of us must agree on: We are better when everyone gets a fair chance to participate in our economy, something the recently released disparity study painfully (and shamefully) showed is not happening.
It’s a subject I’ve reported on since the day the study was released. It doesn’t make me an ‘ally’ or an ‘advocate’ — it makes me a journalist.
