Wendi C. Thomas Profile picture
Aug 3, 2018 5 tweets 4 min read Twitter logo Read on Twitter
This staff is about 80% white in a city that’s 63% black.

It’s bucking the national nonprofit news trend with a hard paywall.

It’s defying industry best practices by refusing to be transparent about their funders.

None of that is in this @Poynter story. @RickEdmonds
The writer for @Poynter does note that the city is majority black, but then it’s as if the diversity of the staff is unknowable. Or that the race of Eric Barnes and Andy Cates is unknowable.

But the race of the editor of the CA? Knowable. 🤦🏽‍♀️
Eric Barnes is white. Andy Cates is white.

When the Daily News wrote about the @dailymemphian, they listed 27 staffers.

You’ll have to get to the 10th name here before you find someone of color: Otis Sanford, former @memphisnews ME.
I’m not going to do the writer’s work for him, in part because I and others have written about this on social media.

But let me say that I’ve worked with a LOT of the people @ericbarnes2 hired and they’re quality people. Fine journalists and he’s lucky to have them.
But just minutes ago I was listening to an excellent @NABJ #NABJ18 panel in which everyone agreed that diversity means accuracy.

Journalism in Memphis is often inaccurate and incomplete because the folks writing the first draft of history don’t look like the community.

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More from @wendi_c_thomas

Aug 22, 2018
Day 3 of the Memphis police surveillance trial set to begin in federal court soon. @mem_police Director Mike Rallings will testify first. Follow me on Twitter at @wendi_c_thomas for updates throughout the day. #MLK50
That’s not a cause for concern at all. The top of @DanielConnolly story from Day 2.
Read 132 tweets
Aug 20, 2018
Court is back in session: ACLU wants longtime ACLU attorney and local member Bruce Kramer to testify to clear up some of the discrepancy about the history of the West TN chapter. Problem is...
Kramer has been sitting in court all morning and he’s the attorney for the four plaintiffs who were dismissed because the judge decided they didn’t have standing.
Looks like Kramer is going to leave now and get deposed later tonight. Defense isn’t liking this at all, but they’re not protesting too much. Judge is directing Kramer to produce any relevant documents.
Read 39 tweets
Aug 13, 2018
I'll be live tweeting from the Shelby County Commission at @wendi_c_thomas. This is our local government at work. Y'all follow along. #ElectionsMatter
Here's the agenda for this afternoon's meeting. documentcloud.org/documents/4755… I'm interested in a few items, including this one re county contracts with minority and women-owned businesses, otherwise known as MWBEs.
Local nonprofit leader Bennie Nelson West speaking against an ordinance that would further regulate short-term rentals, i.e. AirBnBs. You can find all the docs associated with this meeting here: agenda.shelbycountytn.gov//sirepub/meeti…
Read 55 tweets
Aug 3, 2018
And the @IBWellsSociety investigative reporting workshop is off! Ron Nixon dropping knowledge on how to do investigations while also covering your beat. #NABJ2018 @NABJ
@nixonron: Use social media not just to promote your brand but also as a reporting tool.
@nixonron: Nurture your sources. Don’t just call when you’re on deadline. Call regularly. If a source’s mother dies, it’s OK to send a sympathy card. Be human.
Read 75 tweets
Aug 2, 2018
Looking forward to talking about @MLK50Memphis and how to build an amazing team like my crew: @andreamorales @megawatts2000 @jdylan901 @lkleinmann @kirstinlcheers @deadlinedd and many more! @LIONPubs @NABJ #NABJ18
Gonna share some of our good work. We focused on economic justice in the city where MLK was killed. What has Memphis done with King’s sacrifice?

Not enough. mlk50.com/50-years-after…
We surveyed the area’s largest employers and learned that nearly half of them won’t even say if they pay a living wage.

Which, researchers say, says they aren’t. mlk50.com/do-memphis-25-…
Read 9 tweets
Jul 28, 2018
So @LenoirForMayor puts out an attack ad that blogger @vibinc called “racist,” @MemphisFlyer editor @sylamore1 called racist and @ryanpoe of @memphisnews called “race-baiting” at worst - but who does Lenoir blame?

These three white guys?

His graphic designer?

Nope. Me.
See for yourself. Clockwise: Lenoir’s attack ad; @LeeHarrisfor901 on the set of @LocalMemphis with @Local24Richard and @OtisSanford; and Harris from his campaign website.

But @LenoirForMayor says he didn’t darken Harris’ picture?
@SandyDarity @DrPhilGoff - this was what I was talking about yesterday. Lenoir is the Republican candidate for mayor in Shelby County, which is 54 percent black.
Read 7 tweets

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