Russell Perry among honorees at OSTE Awards in Journalism

WHO: NABJ-Tulsa
WHAT: Oklahoma Salute to Excellence Awards in Journalism
WHERE: Oklahoma Jazz Depot, home of the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame
111 East 1st Street, Tulsa (918) 281-8600
WHEN: May 7, 2011 | 7:00 p.m. | Reception at 6:00 p.m.
Russell Perry among honorees for NABJ-Tulsa journalism awards
NABJ-Tulsa will honor Russell Perry, Mia Fleming, Martha Vaughan and the Tulsa World with Special Honors at its Oklahoma Salute to Excellence Awards in Journalism on May 7.
NABJ-Tulsa names Russell Perry, Perry Publishing & Broadcasting, for its Lifetime Achievement Award. The award is given to an African-American print, broadcast or photo journalist with a minimum of 15 years in the industry. Nominees may be living or deceased and must have or still be making an extraordinary contribution to the enrichment, understanding or advancement of African-American life and culture.
The Oklahoma City native is an accomplished publisher and broadcaster owns 16 radio stations in Oklahoma and Georgia. He founded the Black Chronicle newspaper in 1979 which publishes in Tulsa, Oklahoma City and Lawton. His company also broadcasts a weekly cable TV show statewide in Oklahoma. The company’s digital footprint covers streaming radio stations and online versions of the newspapers.
Perry’s honors include the Living Legends Foundation, the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame, American Urban Radio Network Broadcasters Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma City Public School Foundation Wall of Fame, and the Oklahoma Afro-American Hall of Fame and the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
Mia Fleming, weekend anchor and reporter for KOKI Fox23 has been named Journalist of the Year, which is awarded to an African-American journalist who has distinguished him or herself with a body of work, a story, series or photographs published or aired during the period of eligibility that was extraordinary in depth, scope or significance to African Americans or the African Diaspora. The Tulsa native is a graduate of Langston University
Fleming is the host and producer of “Tulsa Talks,” Fox23’s community affairs program. According to the Fox23 website, Fleming began her television career at KFOR in Oklahoma City while attending Langston University. She joined FOX23 news as an Associate Producer and Weekend Assignment Editor in 2001. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha and NABJ.
For its Community Service Award, NABJ-Tulsa will honor Martha Vaughan for her outstanding work to foster support for breast cancer awareness. In addition Vaughan works with various groups to raise money for a variety of civic concerns including sickle cell. Vaughan is a founding member of NABJ-Tulsa and is the first and only black female radio station general manager in the state of Oklahoma
The Tulsa World will receive a Special Honor for Best Practices, a multi-media project that combined print and web components, “The Questions That Remain: A conversation about Tulsa’s Race Riot and racism today.”
The site listed seven questions such as, “Is racism still a problem in Tulsa today?” and “What can individuals do to improve race relations in our community?” Among the seven panelists who answered each question were State Sen. Judy Eason McIntyre, Rev. G. Calvin McCutchen Sr., Nancy Day and Negiel Bigpond who gave personal responses to the question of the day, which were also open to reader’s responses which are captured online.
There are interactive sections including a timeline, multimedia and a map of important sites during the riot as well as an archive of Tulsa World articles including recent coverage of the Race Riot Commission, reparations and the John Hope Franklin Reconciliation Park.
The NABJ-Tulsa OSTE Awards in Journalism celebrate excellence in news coverage of the black community and the African Diaspora. Roland Martin (Tom Joyner Morning Show/CNN/TV One) is the featured guest speaker. In addition to the journalism contest awards, Fox23′s Mia Fleming has been named Journalist of the Year. Russell Perry, CEO of Perry Publishing & Broadcasting, will receive an award for Lifetime Achievement. KJMM/KGTO general manager Martha Vaughan will receive the Community Service Award for her work with breast cancer. A graduating high school senior will receive an Yvonne Lewis Urban Journalism Scholarship for college.
NABJ-Tulsa annually hosts the Oklahoma Salute to Excellence Awards in Journalism to honor those who provide news coverage of the plight and successes of the African-American community and the African Diaspora.
This year’s keynote speaker is the nationally recognized author and award-winning journalist, Roland S. Martin. Martin is active in the community and makes frequent appearances on CNN as a political analyst and has his own talk show on TV One, “Washington Watch with Roland Martin.” He is also a political analyst on the nationally-syndicated radio broadcast, the Tom Joyner Morning Show, heard locally on KGTO (AM 1050).
The awards banquet is a fundraiser for NABJ-Tulsa’s Urban Journalism Workshop for high school and college students who wish to pursue careers in journalism. You can support the program by attending or making a donation. Tickets are $50.