Jackson Free Press

Congratulations are in order for editor-in-chief Donna Ladd, who has a new appointment on the Board of Directors of the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies -- she is now the Diversity Chair of the organization, something she's very proud and excited to be doing.

AAN president Leon appointed Jackson Free Press editor and current at-large board member Donna Ladd to serve the one year remaining in Lenehan's term as Diversity Chair. Ladd has been a visiting instructor at AAJ for the past two years and plans to start a six-month "boot camp" for Academy graduates to come to Mississippi to cover stories for her paper. Earlier this year, she attended a conference on diversity hosted by the Columbia School of Journalism, her alma mater, and also served with Lenehan and AAJ director Charles Whitaker on a panel on diversity at this year's AAN convention.

Matt Saldana was an early participant in Donna's "boot camp" and was last rumored to be looking at a solid reporting gig in Chicago based in part on his hard-gained experience in Mississippi. Donna plans to keep working that angle, bringing exciting young journalists of different backgrounds to Mississippi so that they can get in the trenches with stories in Jackson, the Delta, the Coast and elsewhere.

Previous Comments

ID

114735

Comment

Congratulations Donna! The title complements that area you are so good at, INCLUSION.

Author

justjess

Date

2007-09-18T09:38:06-06:00

ID

114736

Comment

Thanks, justjess. It's also important to note that two Mississippi women—Natalie Collier and Ayana Taylor—have attended AAJ, and we have had a total of three AAN diversity grants so far (Ayana, Melishia Grayson and Thabi Moyo). So it's a two-way street; we give and we get. ;-) There's another AAJ grad that I met this summer who's supposed to be headed down to help cover the Legislature, and whatever else that pops up, in January. I find that diversity training goes many directions—it's not just about race; it's about age, economic and geographic diversity, and what all these young folks can learn from each other and from older journalists and sources. And a very cool thing is to see young journalists from other places realizing how rich the journalism is in Mississippi (because there are so many stones left uncovered by the mainstream, for one thing) and really wanting to come here and get steeped in the culture and history, not to mention work their tails off for the JFP to help build their resumes. Hodding Carter said to me recently that the JFP is covering stories that good aspiring journalists would kill to cover, and he's right. (I do wish they wouldn't come so fast sometimes, but hey.) Matt is a major success story so on that front, and everyone he dealt with here benefited from his experience and knowledge that he brought with him—especially on immigration issues. Diversity is not just a black-white thing as we all know, and the truth is that MIssissippi has learned lessons from our painful past that need to be applied nationally to bigoted efforts, political and otherwise, such as we're seeing with immigrant xenophobia. Anyway, I'm very, very excited, and Mike Lenehan of The Reader blazed a great trail for me to go down. And make no mistake, folks, this is a compliment to all of you: Other papers around the country are very impressed with the JFP's diverse content and readership, not to mention interactivity on the Web. So know that you are being watched and used as a diversity model, Mississippians. Feels good, eh? ;-D

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2007-09-18T09:48:45-06:00

ID

114737

Comment

Congrats, Donna! Maybe after you finish out that year, you'll get another crack at it. :-)

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2007-09-18T13:04:01-06:00

ID

114738

Comment

Congratulations Donna! This is right up your alley. And I am excited to know that we will get more journalists like Matt to come spend some time with us here in the "trenches"! :)

Author

music chick

Date

2007-09-18T14:20:05-06:00

ID

114739

Comment

You'll love the next one on deck, too. He's an outdoors guy who rides his bike EVERYWHERE. (I mean, from Oregon to Chicago for AAJ.) It'll be intriguing to see what he thinks of our lazy, obese driving culture, eh?

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2007-09-18T14:22:42-06:00

ID

114740

Comment

OMG I better get my butt back to the gym then. He sounds hard core!!

Author

music chick

Date

2007-09-18T14:25:35-06:00

ID

114741

Comment

Indeed. Adam might be preparing already. I see a bike behind his desk today. ;-) With the nice weather, we all need to hitting the outdoors for health and happiness, eh?

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2007-09-18T14:30:33-06:00

ID

114742

Comment

Yes, I am LOVING this weather. I want to get a bike soon, actually. Got to save the pennies though!

Author

music chick

Date

2007-09-18T14:50:04-06:00

ID

114743

Comment

when you get the bike, I'll ride with you! Let's start a ride your bike to work week next spring... :-) And Ladd, congrats, congrats. Diversity is such a profound enlivening & healing force in our community, especially for the younger folks

Author

Izzy

Date

2007-09-18T18:57:54-06:00

ID

114744

Comment

that sounds good Izzy! if we could get a "put a shower at the office" campaign going too that would be even sweeter. ;-) seriously, though, I would love to bike more to save gas and lose fat!

Author

music chick

Date

2007-09-18T19:16:52-06:00

ID

114745

Comment

Hey, we'd settle for a sink in our office. ;-) Thanks, Laurel. It is really exciting that Mississippi gets to help the rest of the country with diversity ideas, huh? It's the way it ought to be.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2007-09-18T19:27:02-06:00

ID

114746

Comment

Donna congratulations. One thing we know for sure, your presence will create some thought provoking moments and great things are sure to come.

Author

BuyJxn

Date

2007-09-18T21:32:54-06:00

ID

114747

Comment

Congratulations Donna! It's a great move for AAN and us all.

Author

Will Jemison

Date

2007-09-18T23:21:25-06:00

ID

114748

Comment

Donna - I'll join everybody else and extend a hearty congratulations!!

Author

lanier77

Date

2007-09-19T07:56:01-06:00

ID

114749

Comment

Congratulations, Donna!

Author

J.T.

Date

2007-09-19T09:08:19-06:00

ID

114750

Comment

Kudos and Accolades!!!!

Author

Queen601

Date

2007-09-19T12:42:24-06:00

ID

114751

Comment

Congrats on your honorific appointment! Good deeds do go unpunished. On a continuing, unrelated and serious note ......................... The Jackson Advocate has reported that JRA had proposed to the Jackson City Council to accept a bid for the purchase of the Standard Life Building of one million dollars (payable in 2008) from the company that is renovating the King Edward Hotel, even though the Roberts Communications Company offered a bid of three million dollars (payable immediately). If the city has a 3.5 million dollar deficit, why would JRA even make such a recommendation and cost the city two million dollars? Luckily the Council did not act on the JRA recommendation (I think). I know you are very busy with Haley Barbour and Frank Melton and all, but could you follow up and report on this in your usual exemplary manner?.

Author

FrankMickens

Date

2007-09-19T14:31:26-06:00

ID

114752

Comment

Adam is already working on that, Observer.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2007-09-19T14:34:52-06:00

ID

114753

Comment

Congrats. You seem to be well deserving of such a distinction.

Author

Goldenae

Date

2007-09-19T14:47:25-06:00

ID

114754

Comment

More people realizing that there's more to Mississippi than racism, I hope. Lord knows that's not all that's here.

Author

Ironghost

Date

2007-09-19T15:28:39-06:00

ID

114755

Comment

Congratulations, Donna! And thank you for the kind words. It's true-- Donna's lectures and workshops at the Academy for Alternative Journalism (a program sponsored by AAN) inspired me to come down to Mississippi and write (and had quite an effect on everyone else). She's been a great presence at AAN, and I wish her the best with the diversity chair-- something she is very passionate about.

Author

msaldana

Date

2007-09-19T19:22:47-06:00