The 2024 NABJ convention, themed “Winds of Change: Journalism over Disinformation,” was set to be an informative examination of truth in journalism. But things took a turn when Donald Trump was added to a panel. The addition sparked a whirlwind of reactions, including Black Enterprise pulling out of the conference, highlighting the growing discontent with the decision to include the former president. EBONY was right there to catch all the action.
From the get-go, the vibe was a mix of excitement and skepticism. Journalists and media pros mingled, buzzing with curiosity about what was to come. The anticipation was real, and everyone was on edge, wondering how things would play out as we waited hours beyond its set start time for the event to begin.
Journalists Rachel Scott from ABC, Harris Faulkner from FOX News and Kadia Goba from Semafor comprised the interviewer panel. From the onset, Scott didn’t hold back: the panel opened with a tough question for Trump about his past comments on Black district attorneys and journalists. Trump’s response was less than diplomatic as he stated, “I think it’s a very rude introduction, and I don’t know exactly why you would do something like that.”
The crowd wasn’t having any of Trump’s consistent behavior of insulting working media, especially those of color. When he made a controversial comment about Vice President Kamala Harris, stating this: “I didn’t know she was Black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn Black…I don’t know, is she Indian or is she Black,” the room went from excited to awkward. It’s a noted fact that Harris has been open about her Black heritage. She attended an HBCU and is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the oldest Black sorority in the nation.
Trump then doubled down when asked to explain to a room full of Black journalists what Black jobs are, adding, “A Black job is anybody that has a job. That’s what it is.” The crowd didn’t hold back on a mix of outcry from laughter to ridicule.
With tension thick, debates broke out among attendees following the panel, including notable journalist Roland Martin. He voiced his discontent by pointing out Trump’s past insults to prominent Black journalists and his misleading claims about HBCU funding.
Interestingly, Trump’s exchange with Faulkner seemed slightly more respectful than with the other panelists, adding another layer to the already complex event.
Following the event, Faulkner made this statement: “After all the headlines of acrimony and complaining that Trump shouldn’t be at the NABJ Annual Conference as a featured speaker, it was a blockbuster. The former president was spicy as always, and the audience listened, laughed and sometimes responded respectfully in disagreement. But Trump showed up in person. And journalists from all over America and beyond were part of a historical presidential race.”
Many attendees were disappointed that the panel didn’t open the floor for questions, especially at a Black journalist event where EBONY had plenty to ask. The end of the panel, which fell short of its scheduled hour, lasting only 40 minutes, felt abrupt and left many questions unasked and unanswered.
Local voices chimed in, too, with some defending Trump’s policies on migrant reform. Chicagoan P Rae Easley passionately protested about the impact of criminal organizations on her community. “My family has been paying property taxes for 52 years, and now we’re dealing with an illegal criminal organization that has come here and made us a narco town. It impacts us directly. If we could get rid of these criminal organizations, we would be fine.”
As the event wrapped up, it was clear that Trump hadn’t won over many in the room. The big question now is, where do we go from here? How do we get our questions answered?
