National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) selects Elise Durham as the following executive director

During his 50th birthday and convention in Cleveland, the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) elise Durham chose his next executive director. Durham, an old member of NABJ, was chosen after an intense selection process with multiple reviews by the NABJ Executive Board and an AD HOC Executive Director Search Advisory Committee.

Most people know Durham as assistant-all-way director of marketing, communication and public affairs for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport, the busiest airport in the world. She supervises a portfolio of several millions of dollars and a team of at least 30 employees. Before that, Durham served as a communication director for former mayors of Atlanta Keisha Lance Bottoms and Andre Dickens.

“I am honored and ready to help NABJ to the next, most transforming chapter based on vision, advocacy, innovation and love,” Durham said in a statement. “I often say that NABJ is the longest love affair I have ever had, and I am enthusiastic about what the future will bring.”

According to a press release obtained by Black undertaking, The jury panel scored candidates based on important measurements that reflect the responsibilities of the executive director.

Elise Durham’s NABJ leadership role comes in the middle of a lack of representation in Newsrooms

Durham’s leadership comes at a time when black journalists are under -represented in the newsrooms. According to the PEW Research Center, an estimated 6% of the reporting journalists identify as black. About half of all American journalists (52%) say that their news organization does not have enough diversity in terms of race and ethnicity.

In addition to little representation, Pay remains a problem in newsrooms. A 2021 Study Of the 14 Unionized Gannett -Newrooms showed that women and people of color earn much less than the white men in their newsrooms. For example, color women earned $ 15,727 less, or 73% of the median salary of the white men.

There is some optimism that Durham’s leadership will help to close the gaps in the representation and paying. The Florida A & M University Aluin and ‘NabJ Baby’, she has collected tens of thousands of dollars for trade fairs for the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists, where she currently serves as a parliamentarian. In her role as executive director of Strategic Communications for Morehouse College, she helped to pick up $ 120 million for the school during a 5-year capital campaign.

Van Durham is expected to officially start her position as executive director of NABJ in the fall.

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