South Florida Black Journalists Association to discuss media coverage in the wake of Ferguson
A diverse group of panelists including South Florida community leaders will discuss the legal, social and moral implications of media reporting
HOLLYWOOD, Fla.- The South Florida Black Journalists Association (SFBJA) and the Broward College School of Journalism will host a panel to discuss important issues surrounding the media coverage of the shooting of Michael Brown in town of Ferguson, Missouri last August. The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 25, 2015 at Broward College South Campus (7200 Pines Boulevard, Pembroke Pines, FL 33024), in the Student Activities Center, Building 68, Room 191.
The August 9, 2014 police shooting of unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown garnered national media coverage and this coverage extended to the weeks of subsequent protests in Ferguson, Missouri. Local experts will discuss the legal, social, moral and practical implications surrounding these events. They will also discuss solutions for how community members and police can work together to prevent tragedies of this nature from occurring in South Florida and surrounding areas. More importantly, the discussion will address how the role of the media contributes to the storyline.
“It is important that we as members of the media reflect on the impact we have when covering events such as the protests which occurred surrounding the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner,” said Suzette Maylor, President of the South Florida Black Journalists Association. “We as journalist feel that it is imperative that we engage the public and educate members of the community on the role of the media.”
The panel will be moderated by Journalist Peter Bailey, creator and host of the critically-acclaimed docu-series NiteCap with Peter Bailey. The panel discussion will be one of Broward College’s featured events in honor of Black History Month.
Panelists include:
Carolyn Guniss, Executive Editor of the Miami Times
Chief Stephen E. Johnson, City of Miami Gardens Police Chief
Valerie Hall, Professor at Florida Memorial University
Demetrius Vaughn, Dream Defenders
Patrick Franklin, President & CEO of the Urban League President of Palm Beach County
The background: On July 17, Eric Garner, a black suspect, died in Staten Island, N.Y., after a white police officer put him in a chokehold. On Aug. 9, 2014, Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, was shot and killed by a white police officer in Ferguson, Mo., a suburb of St. Louis.
Brown’s shooting prompted protests that rocked the area for weeks. On Nov. 24, a grand jury decided not to indict the Ferguson officer. The announcement set off more protests across the nation. On Dec. 3, a grand jury did not indict the New York officer involved in the death of Eric Garner, sparking more protests. The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating both instances, and the public debate continues as Americans ask questions about police and their relations with minority communities.
Time will be allotted for questions and discussion.
For more information on the Ferguson panel discussion, contact SFBJA Vice-President Juan Diasgranados at 240-351-0387 or email him at [email protected]
To find out more about the event or South Florida Black Journalists Association, visit us online at www.sfbja.com.
