Roland S. Martin for NABJ Secretary

June 9, 2009

This year marks the 20th anniversary of my joining the National Association of Black Journalists.

As a sophomore at Texas A&M University in 1989, I attended the regional conference in Little Rock, Ark., and was taken by the amazing journalists I met, and the awesome workshops offered to us. Later that year I attended my first national convention in New York, where I was elected the national student representative.

Much has changed in these 20 years, for me professionally, this organization, but more importantly, our industry.

We are at a crossroads, and so is NABJ. What is required in tumultuous times are individuals who not only have a strong commitment to the organization, but who also bring a strong management and entrepreneurial background to the NABJ board.

In addition to fulfilling the duties of secretary, this executive committee position also needs to bring relationships to bear that can assist NABJ from a programming and financial perspective.

Over the years I have been able to establish such relationships, not only with media companies, but also corporations in all sectors that could be beneficial to the monetary well-being of NABJ. We are no longer can rely on media companies for our financial stability. For NABJ to succeed, we are going to have to reach into the for-profit and non-profit world, and my background certainly lends itself to that.

We are also in desperate need of board members who bring the skill-set that I have built over the years, and that is in multi-media. As someone who has worked in newspaper, radio, television, magazine and online, I know full well what it takes to grow and thrive in this industry, but also how to evolve. This experience can have a tremendous impact on setting the direction of the organization, and no other secretarial candidate brings such a diversified journalism background.

Now, more than ever, we need someone as secretary who is a manager, entrepreneur, revenue generator, and multi-media journalist to represent NABJ.

Professional Background

Click here to read my bio.

NABJ Background

Co-founder of the NABJ chapter at Texas A&M University, and served as vice president

National student representative, 1989-91, which included leading the effort to fund the NABJ student newspaper and TV projects; greatly expanded student chapters and student involvement in the national conventions; and created the structure for regional student representatives.

Served as an officer with NABJ chapters in Austin, Texas; Dallas, Texas; and Chicago

Have volunteered and served on a number of NABJ national committees, and served as a fundraiser for the organization in 2008.

Won the sports journalism award from NABJ, and was given the President's Award in 2008.

Mission as secretary

- Webcast national board meetings (other than executive session)

- Podcast board meetings for all members (other than executive sessions)

- Help develop a comprehensive plan to transform all regional and national conventions into full-scale professional development platforms in all forms of media. That will include requiring members to bring their own multimedia gear in order to be cross-trained in all aspects of NABJ. This will be done by transforming the one-hour sessions into two- and three-hour intensive sessions for comprehensive training. The entire convention should be billed as "the nation's largest skill development convention for journalists."

- Use my extensive network of corporate relationships to cultivate non-traditional sponsors for programming and fundraising initiatives.

- Create the NABJ Entrepreneurs Task Force, which will be responsible for cultivating the next generation of media owners, as well as build existing companies. This will include a separate track for media owners and future entrepreneurs at our existing national convention.

Frequently asked questions

1. Why run for secretary?

My goal is to serve NABJ. And I wanted a position that allowed me to be able to use all of the media skills I have attained. The only positions that were multi-faceted in terms of scope and potential were president, secretary and parliamentarian. I wasn't interested in the presidency, and simply felt that the secretary position was the best place for me to use my skillset for the benefit of the organization.

2. With such a diverse list of professional duties, will you have time to serve as NABJ secretary?

I use my good friend, Johnathan Rodgers, as the corporate model for the kind of organizational leader we need. He serves as president and CEO of TV One Cable Network, while serving on the boards of Proctor & Gamble and Nike. We need board members with access to other power players to advance our agenda. Also, it's easy for longtime members to say they don't have the time. But thank God NABJ founders like Vernon Jarrett, Norma Adams-Wade, Maureen Bunyan, Paul Brock, DeWayne Wickham, Joe Davidson and Chuck Stone didn't say, "Hey, I don't have time."

3. Why you over any other candidate for secretary?

My longtime knowledge of NABJ, coupled with my background as an entrepreneur and journalist, is desperately needed on the board at this time. I've run four media outlets, and dealt with the journalistic and business side. And currently, I own my own media company, serving clients in newspaper, magazine, TV, radio and online. We need someone with such broad-based experience making the vital decisions to ensure our future.