UNITY '08 Convention Made News, Acknowledged Tough Times, Offered New Skills
Washington, D.C. - This year's UNITY convention in Chicago produced headlines around the country, offered attendees the skills essential for the changing field of journalism and celebrated diversity amid turbulent times in the news industry. The conference and Media & Career Expo drew about 7,000 journalists of color to Chicago’s McCormick Place from July 23-27, 2008.
An appearance by the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama capped off the five-day event in Chicago, with nationwide coverage. Reporters asked questions about immigration, the candidate’s trip overseas and whether he would issue an apology to Native Americans should he become president. Obama said the country needs to acknowledge past mistreatment of certain groups.
“But I’ve consistently believed, when it comes—whether it’s Native American issues, whether it’s African American issues and reparations, that the most important thing for the US government to do is not just to offer words, but offer deeds,” Obama said.
About immigration: "We are a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws,” Obama said. “The fact that we’re getting people who want to come to this country that is good.”
Obama said he will work toward a comprehensive immigration policy and work with immigrants currently in the country to help them become legal citizens.
Plenary sessions discussed media and race
The highlights for the 2008 convention, themed A New Journalism for a Changing World, also included an array of multimedia sessions and talks about how communities of color are covered in the mainstream media, including lively discussions about immigration and news coverage of Latino communities. USC Annenberg professor Felix Gutierrez spoke on a panel that explored how race has changed America in the past 40 years, since the landmark Kerner Commission report was issued.
Students lived the new journalism world
Students converged their news projects this year into an impressive collection of print, broadcast, radio and online news. They covered everything from features about the famous dishes of Chicago to breaking news, including an encounter between police and protesters of Senegalese president Abdoulaye Wade.
NAHJ Hall of Fame Gala honored journalism champions
The Hall of Fame Gala also highlighted the convention for NAHJ attendees. The President's Award, given by outgoing president Rafael Olmeda to ALS champion Augie Nieto, became an emotional moment early in the ceremony. Later, the journalism legacies inducted into the Hall of Fame were New York Daily News columnist Juan Gonzalez, University of Texas at Austin professor Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez and 19th-Century Spanish-language newspaper pioneer Francisco P. Ramirez.
Despite the last-minute changes and conflicts with Obama and John McCain's schedules, UNITY turnout hovered at a healthy 7,000 participants. NAHJ exceeded its $250,000 registration goal by $10,000, though the final profit figures are pending.
"We won't know our profit until all the figures come back from UNITY," NAHJ Executive Director Ivan Roman said. "I'm sure there will be expenses related to Obama's appearance on Sunday that were not anticipated."
Besides big-name speakers, attendees also flocked to the Media & Career Expo. The expo hall featured job and networking opportunities that included everything from major television networks to nonprofit online news sites. Expo attendees got to experience a "live" weather shot, get their stories critiqued and visit with leading authors including Sonia Nazario, Ray Suarez, Manuel Flores and Robin Roberts.
Popular panels included explorations of better immigration coverage, the media's portrayal of black/brown relations and how to stay relevant in this age of journalism convergence.
The parties this year were legendary, too. A "Welcome to Chicago" party NAHJ-style included taking over the two-story Alhambra venue in Chicago's West Loop.
The closing-night "Vamos Pa' Puerto Rico!" party drew thousands to salsa music, dancing and popular musical party favors, and mingling to AAJA's Karaoke and NABJ's Hip-Hop parties all night.
In the end, an inspiring conference
Convention attendees said they were inspired by the veterans still fighting for better journalism, and by the crop of new reporters adept at new journalism skills who are also interested in becoming better reporters.
To them, Juan Gonzalez said this: "The most important thing to be a journalist is to have courage. Courage is the most important thing."
Founded in 1984, NAHJ's mission is to increase the percentage of Latinos working in our nation's newsrooms and to improve news coverage of the Latino community. NAHJ is the nation's largest professional organization for Latino journalists with more than 2,300 members working in English and Spanish-language print, photo, broadcast and online media.
The National Association of Hispanic Journalists
1000 National Press Building
529 14th St., NW
Washington, DC 20045-2001, USA
E-mail: nahj@nahj.org
Phone: 202.662.7145
Fax: 202.662.7144
An appearance by the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama capped off the five-day event in Chicago, with nationwide coverage. Reporters asked questions about immigration, the candidate’s trip overseas and whether he would issue an apology to Native Americans should he become president. Obama said the country needs to acknowledge past mistreatment of certain groups.
About immigration: "We are a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws,” Obama said. “The fact that we’re getting people who want to come to this country that is good.”
Plenary sessions discussed media and race
Students lived the new journalism world
Popular panels included explorations of better immigration coverage, the media's portrayal of black/brown relations and how to stay relevant in this age of journalism convergence. 
The closing-night "Vamos Pa' Puerto Rico!" party drew thousands to salsa music, dancing and popular musical party favors, and mingling to AAJA's Karaoke and NABJ's Hip-Hop parties all night.