COMMENTARY: A Sad State of Affairs in TV News

WACH news anchors Darryl Hood

and Bree Boyce.

Photo: Free-Times.com

Just because "The Camera Loves Her” doesn’t mean Bree Boyce is qualified to anchor a newscast.  This article in the Free Times (Columbia, SC) written by Otis Taylor, whose work I have enjoyed and respected for many years— seems to take the glossy approach to a ludicrous hire that makes me wonder if television news has come full circle when it comes to hiring some people, particularly women, for frontline anchor positions.  It seems to feed the notion that it's okay for a main co-anchor of a newscast to have no other credentials but a pretty face, a pageant title and the fact that she lost a life changing 100 pounds.  I was astounded when I first heard of this move by WACH-TV, my former employer, and I remain astounded to this day.

My frustration is not rooted in anything personal against Ms. Boyce.  I have never met her. My frustration is rooted in the poor messages this hire sends to the community and to all of the aspiring young broadcast journalists spending tens of thousands of dollars of their money, their parents' money, scholarship dollars and grants to get formal training for a career that apparently requires only a certain level of celebrity and beauty to obtain.  Students, forget about all that crap your college professors and other professionals who visited your classes told you about "paying your dues" or "having to cut your teeth in Podunkville, USA" before you get the chance to anchor a newscast in a place like Columbia, or better.  Don’t worry about learning the craft or gaining experience.  Just go out and do something that garners you major attention because those are the people television station general managers favor for anchor slots— one of the most high profile and significantly important jobs in the newsroom-- over formally trained and experienced journalists.

Bob Butler elected 20th President of the National Association of Black Journalists

Mike Woolfolk, president and chief executive officer of The Woolfolk Group Media Relations and Consulting, served as co-chair of the 2013 NABJ Elections Committee.  Woolfolk announced the official election results at a news conference on Friday, August 2 at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in Kissimmee, Florida.

Artist Joseph L. Woolfolk opens special exhibit in Las Vegas gallery

LAS VEGAS, NV— Joseph L. Woolfolk is the featured artist for January in the Members Gallery at the Contemporary Arts Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.  Woolfolk’s exhibit, Poster Power, opened to rave reviews on Thursday, January 3. 

"Ski Yucca"
© Design Noir
All Rights Reserved

Poster Power features 16 original graphic designs in the style of mid-20th century posters that bring to light hypocrisies of modern life and consumerism.  “I attempt to express the underlying messages we receive in modern communication and practices that we ignore, fail to acknowledge or question,” said Woolfolk. 

Woolfolk’s original “posters” are actually produced on glass using designs carefully cut from contact paper, then painted on the glass using lacquer.
  

"Detroit City"

© Design Noir

All Rights Reserved

Among his most popular images is a poster called “Ski Yucca” which depicts someone skiing down Yucca Mountain wearing a protective radiation suit and a gas mask.  Yucca Mountain is approximately 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas, in the Nevada Test Site, and was to be the site of the controversial Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository before the U.S. government scrapped that plan in 2010.  Another image on display is “Detroit City: Rouge River Coastline” which depicts a skyline of smokestacks billowing toxic factory exhaust.

David Hardy, a writer for the Arts Vegas website, calls Poster Power "easily my favorite exhibition at the CAC in some time" and he recommends it as a “must see.”  The showing runs through January 27, 2013.  For more information, visit www.lasvegascac.org.

Woolfolk also has launched a campaign through the Kickstarter website to generate funding to support the production of limited edition prints of his posters.  Backers choose their level of support and can receive up to four signed posters.  For more information, click here.

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About the Artist:  Joseph L. Woolfolk is a native of Detroit, Michigan.  He is a graduate of Detroit Catholic Central High School (1986) and the College of Southern Nevada (2006) with an Associate's Degree in Fine Arts (High Honors).