Capitol Broadcasting and WRAL-TV were proud to once again have a presence at the National Association for Black Journalists annual conference in 2019. Corp Vice President of Human Resources Angie Emerline, WRAL-TV Anchor/Reporter Ken Smith and WRAL-TV Anchor Reporter Mikaya Thurmond all help represent WRAL at the CBC booth in the Job Fair portion of the convention.
The 2019 convention took place in Miami, Florida, from August 7 – 11.
Smith is a regular at the annual event.
“NABJ continues to be an integral part of my career,” he said. “When I was first starting out, it was an organization that gave me hope and inspired me to achieve my goals. I tried to attend every year, although I missed last year’s convention in Detroit since my wife, Amanda, and I were traveling in Europe.”
He also enjoys paying forward the benefits he gets from NABJ, using the experience he has gained in his own career over the years.
“NABJ is a win/win experience for me,” he said. “One aspect is career development through seminars and panel discussions. The other and equally rewarding is my volunteer work with our NABJ Student Projects. This is a program that is staffed by aspiring journalists currently in College. For the entire run of the convention, they produce content for Radio, NABJ TV and an online NABJ publication. I help with the broadcast students. It continues to be one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. I’m always gratified when I see young journalists push themselves and excel.”
In fact, the CBC participants always run into students who have participated in the CBC-UNC Diversity Fellowship program. Smith helps with that program, held each spring for the past 7 years.
Also at NABJ, Smith moderated a panel about the African American connections to the Caribbean during the conference.
“Of course that’s right in my wheel house since I’m from the Virgin Islands,” he said.
The event will move to Washington, DC in 2020, and will be a joint convention with the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.
Thanks to WRAL-TV’s Ken Smith for these capcom photos.