NABJ heading in right direction, its president says

Newly elected NABJ president Bob Butler says he has already made progress in unifying the membership in one of America’s signature minority journalism organizations.

However, his large task could be made more difficult by the possible departure of the organization’s executive director, Maurice Foster. Butler said the executive board would be discussing Foster’s fate this week. Foster’s contract is up in November.

“We’re two adults who can have disagreements and have it not resort to name calling,” Butler said during an interview, declining to give more details. Foster did not respond to several requests for comment.

NABJ has experienced internal strife in the past year, with some prominent members criticizing how it has been governed and calling for an overhaul. The group also made waves in 2011 when it pulled out of the umbrella group of minority journalists organizations known as UNITY, citing frustration with the program’s management and the distribution of funds. UNITY is currently made up of Asian, Hispanic, Native American, and gay and lesbian journalists associations.

Much of the criticism has focused on the organization’s executive positions, including Foster’s.

In a recent post on NABJ’s Facebook page, former NABJ President William Sutton, who led the group from 1999 to 2001, called for change.

“I’m not talking about a tweak. … No, what’s needed is fundamental structural change,” Sutton wrote.

“We should get rid of Regional Directors altogether,” Vanessa Williams, an editor at The Washington Post and another former NABJ president, commented on Sutton’s post. Williams said directors were not “taking care of their regions.”

Gregory Lee, who just finished his presidential term, expressed similar ideas.

“Structurally, as an organization, there are some changes and adjustments that we have to make given the fact that we are 38 years old,” Lee said.

Butler said that Foster had cut the directors who were not fulfilling the responsibilities of their positions. He acknowledged that the organization had been slow to respond to queries from sponsors, a source of frustration. He said a committee had been organized to rewrite the constitution to streamline the governing structure.

Butler also praised much of Foster’s work, saying that he has negotiated some hotel deals and improved how the organization tracks funds.

“He’s taken a hard line on doing things to save the organization money,” Butler said.