Introductions and speeches of 2018 Hall of Fame inductees
We’re happy so many tweeted from the Dateline Awards and Hall of Fame Dinner on June 12, since we did not record the dinner. Here are a few tweets from the SPJ DC account. And here are some others on the #DCSPJ18 hashtag.
Thanks to our honorees, we have most of the scripts from the evening!
Robert Naylor, career development consultant, introduced Sonya Ross to the audience at the National Press Club Ballroom on the occasion of her induction into the SPJ DC Hall of Fame on June 12, 2018.
A video of his remarks (and hers) can be found here.
Sonya Ross, race and ethnicity editor at The Associated Press, delivers her remarks in the National Press Club Ballroom June 12, 2018, upon her induction into the SPJ DC Hall of Fame.
Remarks by Sonya Ross
SPJ DC Hall of Fame honoree at the 2018 Hall of Fame and Dateline Awards Dinner
National Press Club
June 12, 2018
(as delivered)
Ida B. Wells. Alice Allison Dunnigan. Ethel Payne. Dorothy Gilliam. Charlayne Hunter-Gault. Carole Simpson. Oprah Winfrey. Gwen Ifill.
Look at this amazing sisterhood. These intrepid trailblazers who never accepted the place that this world reserves for black women journalists. And thank goodness they did not, because if they had, I would not be standing before you today, and it is indeed an honor to stand before you today.
I thank you from the bottom of my heart for this honor. I especially thank the absolutely great and fabulous Reginald Stuart, who has fueled me with sage advice from practically the moment I landed in this town.
Next week will mark 26 years since I arrived in Washington. I rolled in here in my Nissan Sentra full of boxes and books, with my Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority sister riding shotgun. I came here with visions of Pulitzers dancing in my head — they’re still dancing in there as a matter of fact –yet I never imagined I would do anything Hall of Fame worthy. I just wanted to be the best reporter I could be. That required me to be the best woman I could be. And that required perseverance in the face of indifference. Courage in the face of fear. Passion when gripped by ennui — I love that word, ennui, it’s so perfect! — Faith when feeling lost. And I did what I knew to do: push forward one story at a time, head first against the wind. Lord, the wind that Washington can kick up! Tornadoes. Hurricanes. Tsunamis but also, some gentle breezes. I thank them too, for creating the resistance that sharpened my persistence and put me here.
See, this is what we women do. Quiet as it’s kept, this is what we do. We climb on invisible stairs. We take headwinds and work wonders, typically when no one is looking. But don’t worry about us. You don’t have to see us coming, because I tell you what:
Journalism? I never saw it coming. I was going to be a doctor.
The White House beat? I never saw it coming. I was already doing the work I loved, the race beat, for The AP.
The historic travel pool of 9/11? I never saw it coming. I wasn’t even supposed to travel that day. Things just worked out that way.
So I say all of this to you tonight to say, this: In a climate fueled with MeToo, do not forget Us Too, for gender equity in this industry can only be achieved when ALL women are included. Inclusion can start whenever we want it to.
So, we might as well start it now. And please, say their names.
Ida. Alice. Ethel. Dorothy. Charlayne. Carole. Oprah. Gwen.
Say the names of those you don’t know yet. You can say my name if you want to! But whoever’s name you say, just step up in this rush for rights by gender and rights by race, and remind the world that some of us are both. And we should not have to pick sides.
Thank you again, SPJ, from the bottom of my ever-overflowing heart, and I hope I can live up to this immense honor that you’ve bestowed upon me.
~~~
Mark Segraves of NBC4 Washington introduces former NBC4 colleague Tom Sherwood upon his induction into the SPJ DC Hall of Fame in the National Press Club Ballroom June 12, 2018.
Remarks as remembered from Mark Segraves @SegravesNBC4
(Here’s a picture of my notes [from the introduction]. As best I can recall, here’s what I said:)
I noted Jim Bohannon used to wear a tux to emcee the SPJ Hall of Fame dinner.
I apologized to the other inductees whose great work will not be marred by association with Tom Sherwood.
I noted the two previous introduction speeches were heart-felt, and noted mine would take a different tone.
Jim Bohannon called Sherwood a political analyst. Which we all know means unemployed journalist.
I noted Tom was never good on TV, but if you paid attention you’d learn something from his reports.
On his career I mentioned service in U.S. Navy, working at the Atlanta Constitution newspaper, the Washington Post, NBC – and he’s getting a pension from each of them.
I explained the importance of the A block in broadcast being equivalent at page 1 in print. And that NBC4 had a time slot just for Sherwood at 5:55 p.m. called “the bridge to nowhere.”
Like lots of people of his advanced age, Tom left early to get here from the SW Waterfront. He called me on his way exclaiming there was a parade and asking if it was for him.
I urged him not to be like [Washington Capitals hockey player] Alex Ovechkin taking his trophy around town or tweeting pictures in bed with it.
I told how he’s the only journalist I know who had a politician send a cease and desist letter from a lawyer threatening legal action if he didn’t stop telling a race-based joke about him. I added that he’d made news for a prison rape joke he told at an event as well.
I noted he’d been complaining all night about the cash bar and the length of other speakers’ speeches at the SPJ event.
I also pointed out he’s not an SPJ member. I mentioned my affection for the SPJ Code of Ethics, which I post regularly.
I recounted how Tom and I had kicked in doors and chased mayors down hallways and through underground garages in pursuit of the truth.
He taught me about respecting the power we as journalist have and the responsibilities that come with it.
I told the story of Tom renting a room inside the Vista Intercontinental Hotel the night Mayor Marion Barry was arrested on cocaine possession charges so NBC would have the only video from inside the hotel.
And as Tom rushed me off from my introduction, I was explaining how he bought the cemetery plot next to Marion Barry so he can always watch over him.
All true stories.
Tom Sherwood, political analyst at WAMU radio, as he was accepting induction into the SPJ DC Hall of Fame June 12, 2018, in the National Press Club Ballroom (video by Mark Segraves)
Remarks of Tom Sherwood on June 12, 2018, as reconstructed from his notes:
Thank you Mark.
7 years ago when I was 65 and I first thought about retiring, I urged NBC4 to hire Mark.
He was younger… faster…. AND cheaper.
Well, they hired Mark. And Adam Tuss from WTOP.
Those guys ended up doing 60% of the stories I had been doing.
So, I thought — HELL, why retire? I’m getting 100% pay for 40% work.
I kept up that scam until December! Thanks Mark for being here tonight.
And THANK all of you for this Society of Professional Journalists’ HONOR.
54 years in journalism…
As a journalist, I’ve learned TWO important things in life.
[PAUSE] Well, I don’t remember the first one …. [PAUSE]But the second one is … write everything down!
People ask me … what’s the biggest change since you started?
…and I say this [HOLD UP PHONE] … As an Older Man … I remember…
… a time when people actually LOOKED UP when they walked down the street.
But seriously,
We meet tonight in an era when journalism is under vicious attack.
Both from the politics of the right … and the left.
AND … We live in a world of SPLINTERED SOCIAL MEDIA…
… a modern TOWER OF BABEL that the people have trouble understanding.
So journalism …. MAY BE just as important as ever…
….we just have to figure out WHAT THE HELL IT IS.
MY first job …The Atlanta Constitution…. was right out of high school in 1964.
I was hired as an office “copyBOY.” Newspapers didn’t hire “copy GIRLS.”
In the 60s.…
The country was aflame with ….
—….the fight for civil rights for African Americans….
—….the battle for equal pay and treatment of women.
—….and….endless war.
50 years later…
—….we still fight for the Civil Rights of African-Americans, Latinos, the LGBT community and others.
—….the #MeToo Movement. The new battle cry against abused and mistreated women.
—….and….endless war. Well, it’s still endless.….
So … we in journalism have so much to do.
Tonight, I thank ALL the journalists I’VE worked with here…
…..The Post. NBC4. Harry Jaffe, co-author of our book “Dream City.”
…..Especially, Kojo Nnamdi and his informed W-A-M-U staff.
Led by Ingalisa Schrobsdorf…
…Each week on Friday they allow ME to be part of the smart and thoughtful Politics Hour…
….And I’m hopeful for the renewed work of local journalism at the revived DCist and
The Washington City Paper.
As I accept this award…with the other honorees …
I thank my son, Peyton, who is here with me tonight.
We share DC Flag tattoos.
He’s a good man and a good citizen of our District of Columbia…..
…a community of 700,000 people denied voting rights in Congress.
….And, finally, as I always say and write….
Our LOCAL Washington … is only as good as the people active in it …
So thank YOU for being active in it … and for being here tonight.
Thank You.
~~~
When we tried to round up speech texts after that night, 2018 Hall of Fame inductee Robert Siegel told us “In fact, I didn’t work from a script at SPJ. Just a napkin with a few
words on it.” (That sounds like a radio show host’s MO, right?) And we
were unable to reach his introducer Audi Cornish, a co-host of “All Things Considered,” where Siegel spent afternoons most of his career, for her script.
You’ll have to take our word for it that the 41-year NPR veteran gave a heart-felt appreciation for the honor and his distinguished career, and that the introduction was in proportion to the evening’s intent to honor journalism at its finest, even when that means a daily routine that somehow never gets old.