African- Americans reveal their journey through journalism

Newsrooms don’t know the value of diversity, according to author, professor and columnist John Fountain. Race and discrimination have always played a role in his career, he said.

“I would be lying if I said that I did not face discrimination and racism in newsrooms,” Fountain said.

“I think to some degree, race has always played a factor in my career, and I think it always will,” he said.

Fountain has 25 years' experience in journalism. He's written for The New York Times, the Washington Post and the Chicago Tribune, and he's currently a columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times.

According to Fountain, being a dark-skinned African-American male and serious guy has negatively affected him in the newsroom. There was a time at the Chicago Tribune when an editor, who was white, pulled him aside and told him she was afraid of him, he said. The editor said she was intimidated by his silence, Fountain said.

“As a black journalist in particular, it can be lonely sometimes in newsrooms,” he said.

Fountain also alluded to newsrooms lacking an understanding of different cultures. Because of that, black journalists often have to prove themselves worthy to their counterparts, he said.

“Sometimes black reporters are incompetent until proven competent, where white reporters are competent until proven incompetent,” Fountain said. He said other black journalists in the field told him how to survive.

“You have to make them think you’re an Oreo -- black on the outside but really white on the inside,” Fountain said.

But the color of a journalist shouldn't matter because the field is tough for everyone, he said. Fountain said that he could do his job anywhere because he’s trained, competent and passionate.

“I cannot deny as a journalist that I am an African-American. But I’m a journalist. If you give my oxygen to send me to the moon, I’ll do my job,” he said.

Aggrey Sam, Chicago Bulls beat reporter for Comcast SportsNet and Fountain have had similar experiences. He remembers being the only minority at several publications early in his career, he said. According to Sam, when you’re outnumbered in a situation your focus is to play nice and get along with everyone. But that can be difficult when others don’t understand your culture, he said.

“Sometimes people don’t mean harm when they say things but people don’t have the same world views as you do," Sam said.

“As a black journalist, you know you have to ... not adopt others people's views on things, but at least come to understand them. But they don’t always have to do the same with our culture,” he said.

But race isn’t the only issue he’s encountered and Sam has had some positive people influence his life, he said. From his experience, Sam met mentors who provided guidance and that‘s what’s lacking in newsrooms, he said.

“I would say it’s a racial issue to a lesser degree. I think it’s more about not knowing about some of these opportunities or people not always reaching out … when somebody is younger in the field,” Sam said.

He said no one is obligated to help the younger generation but exposing kids at an early age could bridge the diversity gap, he said.

“We are not always aware of the opportunities early on and that comes from not having as many professionals in the field,” Sam said.

Sam grew up in Washington D.C. and graduated from Temple University with a bachelors in journalism, he said. Sam attended an inner-city high school that was predominantly black and he says he wasn't prepared for college, he said. From his understanding, some inner city schools are focused on meeting minimum requirements to receive funding, where some white private schools are focused on a college prep curriculum.

“We’re more pushed in the direction to pass the test, get out of high school, you know, and ... if we go to college, great. Then you have to figure it out for yourself,” Sam said.

“We don’t always have the best preparation for whatever reason unfortunately, and this leads to not having the credentials always necessary for a job,” he said.

Christopher Cason, a Chicago native and freelance journalist for Examiner.com agrees with Sam on schools preparing students early. Inner-city schools aren’t equipped with updated books and technology, Cason said. Suburban schools in Oak Park and River Forest, have smart classrooms that are Mac-integrated in third grade, he said.

“We don’t get that in grammar school in the Chicago public school system, we don’t get that ... in high school,” Cason said.

“It’s just not getting the proper resources coming up. I feel to be able to be put in a position to where we have the tools necessary to be successful at these positions,” he said.

https://soundcloud.com/chisportsbiz/interview-with-freelance

Cason and Sam say they were able to overcome these education obstacles because they had strong mothers who motivated them and never let them to quit.

One commonality all these black journalists share is there’s a certain mannerism black journalists have to abide by in the newsroom, they all said.

Presentation is everything, Cason said. When he’s in a professional setting, he knows always to use correct English and stay away from slang to avoid certain stereotypes of African-Americans.

“You have to carry yourself, you know, as a representation of not just yourself but of the black community, in general,” Cason said.

“It almost an honor in a way, but you know you have so much more responsibility,” he said.

That responsibility Cason is referring to is not only working hard but also committing to excellence, Fountain said.

“Ultimately, you got to be good,” he said.

ChicagoNow’s Jimmy Greenfield says bloggers have to want to blog

Jimmy Greenfield, senior community manager of Chicagonow says the website was created for people who weren't reading the Chicago Tribune.

“So Chicagonow is coming up about five years old. ... It was created as a way to capitalize on, initially this large group of people who we thought maybe wasn't reading the Tribune,” Greenfield said.

Chicagonow is a website that allows journalists or talented writers to express their opinions on various topics, Greenfield said. Last month ChicagoNow reached 11 million pages views and became the biggest Tribune website, he said.

“We soft launch in May of 2009 and our official launch was in August of that year,” he said.

Greenfield said ChicagoNow started out recruiting and monitoring bloggers, but eventually opened its site to people who wanted to market themselves, he said.

“We started out with about six blogs or so. We grew to 20 and then we realized … it wasn’t something we needed to control,” Greenfield said.

Greenfield says he looks for bloggers who are not only serious but also passionate about their topic.

“I look at the person’s interest and passion and idea far more than the topic,” he said.

Over the years Greenfield said he learned about the types of bloggers.

“There are two kinds of bloggers, there are bloggers who blog and there are bloggers who don’t blog,” he said.

As a sports fan, Greenfield said the best sports blogger are those who are opinionated and dig deep into their team.

“You can’t be afraid of taking on the manager. You can't be afraid of taking on other columnists in the news,” Greenfield said.

“What I look for are people who analyze what’s happening within the team, are writing about events, giving their opinion about it and aren’t afraid to give their opinion,” he said.

One thing Greenfield suggests sports bloggers not do is emulate a sports writer or a beat writer, he said. That’s being done, Greenfield said.

“As far as blogging goes, write a blog that is not doing what everyone else is doing,” Greenfield said. The goal is to gain credibility and become a commodity that people value, he said.

With sports being a 24-hour cycle, Greenfield said there’s always something to post and a sports blogger should never say, ‘There’s nothing to write about.’ Stuff happens all the time and a blogger can publish five times a day, he said.

“There is no limit to what you can write about in any sport, especially baseball during the season,” he said.

Greenfield is knowledgeable about baseball . In 1991 his first job was getting scores for the Chicago Sun-Times and writing small stories, he said. He also covered baseball for the Tribune in 1999 and he has covered the Chicago White Sox for MLB.com in 2002, he said.

His love for baseball eventually led him to write a book, he said.

“I wrote a book a couple of years ago called ‘100 Things Cubs Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die’,” Greenfield said.

Greenfield encourages every blogger to build a social media audience, especially on Facebook, he said.

“Twitter is a lot fun and it’s great, but it’s so hard to ... turn into a traffic driver,” Greenfield said.

“As far as putting your blog in front of people: Focus on Facebook, for sure,” he said

The online recruiting form: Q&A with baseball Coach Steve Marchi

Steve Marchi is the head baseball coach at Roosevelt University. Marchi is entering his fourth season and he credited as being the first head baseball in school history. Marchi is a former graduate of Roosevelt and looking forward to build a winning program.  

Q: Can I have your permission to use this interview for possible on-air or Internet use?

A: Yes. 

Q: Can you spell you first and last name for me?

A: Steve Marchi.

Q: Can you identify your title and how you would like to be identified?  

A: Head Baseball Coach, Coach Marchi is fine.

Q: What culture are you trying to bring to Roosevelt’s baseball program and athletics in general?

A: Respect, Honesty, Accountability, and Leadership. 

Q: In your time here have you accomplished that goal?

A: It is a never-ending work in progress. 

Q: Being that recruiting is essential to all college athletics, what are some characteristics traits, or attitudes you look for in recruits?

A: Baseball ability, baseball knowledge, grades, character. 

Q: If a potential recruit lacks in one of the areas you value, will you still recruit him?

A: Sometime, each case is unique. 

Q: Are you familiar with the recruiting form online? If so, explain what it’s used for and how it helps the recruiting process?

A: Yes. Gathering information that allows us to start the vetting process. 

Q: The form requires recruits to give information such as their social media names, parent’s college information and exact ACT scores (Math, Reading, Science and English). Do you feel all of this information is necessary?  

A: Yes.  It gives us an idea of how prepared a student might be and it also helps to show us how interested a recruit might truly be. 

Q: Do you feel some of the information asked on the form is inappropriate or discriminative? 

A: No. 

Q: So if a recruit’s parents didn’t go to college or came from an adverse background would you take a chance on him?

A: Yes. In reality, every recruit is a “chance.”

Q: As the recruiting season continues, what are you looking to accomplish?

A: We have very specific needs from year to year. Next year’s class should be 10-12 new student athletes. Our biggest needs right now are infield and pitching.  We are old in both of those areas.

Failed student turned Olympian gets coaching job

Starting out at a college is a big deal, says Samuel Vazquez, new head track and field coach at Roosevelt University. He said usually starting out at a high school or in some cases volunteering is the typical way in coaching.

“Having the reigns of my own team is a huge accomplishment,” said Vazquez.

Vazquez qualified in the 1500 meters with a time of 3:55 for Puerto Rico in the London 2012 Olympics. Being an Olympian definitely enhanced his chances at getting Roosevelt's head-coaching job, he said.

But it wasn’t always perfect for Vazquez. He said growing up was a struggle and he always wanted a better life. He found that through athletics, he said.

Vazquez said he received a Division I scholarship to the University of Arkansas where he was an All-American and national champion. His lack of focus caused him to fail his first year. It took some time for him to realize school was important, Vazquez said. 

“Went there just for athletics, didn’t really care about academics and I’ve paid the price,” he said.

Eventually, Vazquez earned his business degree at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, he said.

He shares his experiences and tells students like him that getting back in school can open up opportunities.

“You got to get back to school. That’s the most important thing,” Vazquez said.

Now that he’s in a leadership role, he said, he can mold kids like him. He says all they need is guidance.

“Not only am I a coach, I’m also a teacher. I’m a mentor, I’m a big brother … and I’m here to make sure they do good in school,” Vasquez said.

When it comes to recruiting, Vazquez said he’s looking for students like himself and feels kids who come from a harder background are a little tougher mentally.

“I’m kind of looking for athletes quite similar to myself,” he said.

“Somebody who is a fighter, somebody a go-getter, ... somebody that’s going to be in a race and give everything they have to achieve their goal.”

Vazquez is looking forward to making history in track and field during his first season at Roosevelt. He's also representing his country in Rio 2016 Olympics, he said.

“Puerto Rico knows I’m still training and I’m a coach here. … I think they’re really proud of me.”

Roosevelt U. athletic director Michael Cassidy on recruiting form: 'Just to start a conversation'

The online recruiting form is just a way to start a conversation with students, according to athletic director at Roosevelt University, Michael Cassidy.

“For us sometimes that can often lead to some great student athletes finding their way to Roosevelt, simply because they found that form and we’re able to get some basic information in our coach’s hands to start a conversation,” Cassidy said.

According to Cassidy the athletic department uses two Web-based programs called Scout Force and Sidhelp. The difference is Scout Force allows recruits to be put in a database while Sidhelp just sends email to coaches, he said.

“There are two different … platforms under that recruiting area,” he said.

“Some of our coaches use a service called Scout Force which is a separate kind of form.”

Cassidy also said some of the coaches tailor their information to what they deem is important. But he says he doesn’t feel any of the questions are inappropriate. The form requires students’ social media names, such as Twitter handles. He said it’s just another way to stay connected.

“Today, students … they will not pick up the phone if you call,” Cassidy said. “So we’re really trying to find as many vehicles … to connect with you.”

The form also asks for individual ACT scores in the four basic areas. English, math, reading and science scores are requested along with the total composite score. Cassidy said it is a way to evaluate where a student is academically and if he or she meets the admission requirement.

“We do not have any influence over the admission policy,” he said.

“The university has a minimum of a 18 composite ACT, minimum … 2.0 GPA requirement.”

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics has strict rules about eligibility, according to Cassidy. The minimum is 12 credit hours and that doesn’t include remedial or developmental courses, he said.

“As a freshman … those courses do not count toward eligibility,” Cassidy said.

Those scores reveal the type of support or academic plan students may need to get off to a strong start, he said.

But none of these factors on the form eliminate a student from being recruited, Cassidy said. It’s just a method to start a conversation and the recruiting process, he said.

“Really … that is just an introductory template for our coaches. … nine out of 10 times they are out actually watching a kid,” Cassidy said.

Cassidy said this form is a path to directing student athletes to the best resources for success.

“I give everything we got. That’s including our time, our resources,” Cassidy said. 

Because of student athletes’ commitment and diligence, he said he wants to invest back in the students and provide them with the tools to reach graduation.

Banner drops, expectations rise for Lakers

Roosevelt University’s head women’s basketball Coach Robyn Scherr-Wells welcomes the pressure of expectations and wants to take the next step and mark as a team, she said last Saturday as her team dropped the first banner in school history.

While the focus was on celebrating the team making it to nationals last season, Coach Scherr-Wells focus was on the season opener that followed the ceremony.

“Well it's kind of a mixed bag because it’s exciting to celebrate what we did last season. But at the same time we really moved passed last season,” Scherr-Wells said.

“We’re really proud of what we've accomplished. And I hope that our Roosevelt community is very proud of us.”

Scherr-Wells said it’s fun to look back on their magical season, but the team has big goals this year and hopes to come back and repeat. Her excitement for the season has rubbed off on senior guard Casey Davis said the team has been preparing for this moment since the summer.

“Ah, man, we’re very anxious. We’re excited to be here for our first game. … We have been preparing for this since August,” Davis said.

According to rooseveltlakers.com, Davis has been apart of the basketball program since it debuted three years ago. She was recruited by Scherr-Wells and has been through the down years when the team posted only 13 wins.

Davis said it is rewarding to see progress over the years and it feels good for others to honor the team’s success.

“It’s just a great feeling considering where we came from and what we went through to get here,” she said.

Although women’s basketball isn’t as popular as the men’s game, Davis said the Lakers' success is changing that impression.

“I think its does a lot for women’s basketball. … I think it really puts us out there. … I think it will help a lot in general,” she said.

Even though Davis is honored to represent women’s basketball, she said it means more having Roosevelt’s name across her chest.

Baseball lacking black role models

Major League Baseball lacks black role models because blacks aren’t interested in America’s pastime, former Coach of Thornridge high school, Dwayne Mister said.

“These kids are seeking and looking for role models,” Mister said. He also said kids look for those role models in popular sports that blacks dominate, like basketball and football.

“Kids are going off what they see on television,” said Mister. Kids want to be like NBA superstar LeBron James and Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings, he said.

Mister, who this reporter knows through mutual friends, said one reason is that some African-American youth lack a male figure in the home. Another reason is that basketball and football are not
only popular but also glamorized, he said.

“Everybody in the neighborhood plays basketball, everybody wants to be a basketball player,” Mister said.

According to Mister, he played and coached baseball at Thornridge High School in Dolton, Ill., and won an athletic scholarship to Calumet College of St. Joseph. He said baseball provided him great opportunities and taught him lessons he’ll never forget.

“The camaraderie, being able to play a sport. … It’s the best thing. … It teaches you about more about values. … It teaches you about life -- period,” Mister said.

Mister agrees the number of blacks in baseball is decreasing and remembers back to his coaching days where it was a challenge to get kids to come out for the team, he said.

“It’s truly diminished and it’s going down hill, so I absolutely did have trouble … getting those kids to come out for baseball.”

Mister said it’s a mentality kids have: “If I’m athletic, I’m playing football or basketball.”

“It’s a mindset. … Baseball is more of a mental and skilled game,” Mister said. The only way to fix the problem is to expose kids to the game while they’re young,”  he said.

“You start with them young. You start with them at a early age," Mister said. “You develop clinics. You develop free camps. … You actively get the community actively involved. … You show them that it's still interested in baseball.”