Nexstar Rolls Out Extensive "Sharing Our Stories" Black History Month Initiative

In speaking of Jet and Ebony39s importance Terrell says quotAlthough very slow in comparison to what we have now they were the first social media if you will for the African American communityquotTo cover the story Terrell traveled to Washington DC and visited the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture which now shares ownership of the collection with Getty Trust The entire collection includes four million prints and negatives spanning 70 years Terrell focused her fourminute segment on the images within the exhibit quotSpirit in the Dark Religion in Black Music Activism and Popular CulturequotquotThere are roughly 40 images through the yearsquot Terrell says of the exhibit quotThese images have a story in and of themselvesquot To dig into them she interviewed a man behind the lens Roy Lewis a photographer now in his 80s who worked at Ebony and Jet back in the 1950s and 3960s and took many of the picturesTerrell39s story produced with support from Nexstar colleagues at stations in Denver and Washington DC is the centerpiece of quotSharing Our Storiesquot But the initiative is far larger than her report News departments in all Nexstar stations covering 116 markets are participating in the project which runs throughout February Black History MonthAn advisory committee of 20 Black journalists across the company developed the quotSharing Our Storiesquot theme The project includes several elements Each station is creating its own 30 or 60minute news special and there will be at least eight nationally produced news segments that can be integrated into local news reportsThe stations will have sections within their sites focusing on Black History Month ways for consumers to engage with the stations and tell their own story on digital media and promotional segments on broadcast outlets and digital platforms that can be customized with sponsorship messagesCourtney Williams Nexstar39s Chief Diversity Officer and Vice President of Human Resources says that her favorite segment produced for quotSharing Our Storiesquot is about jumping the broom It was produced at WPIXTV New YorkWhile it may have originated in Britain jumping the broom is a tradition that dates back to the 1840s and 1850s in America when slaves in the South often were not permitted to marry legally It quite literally involves jumping over a broom Many contemporary couples have incorporated the tradition into their wedding ceremonies as a symbol of solidarity with their ancestorsquotI did it at my own weddingquot Williams says quotIt39s a happy story Sometimes when we share our stories we tend to focus on some of the trauma that we39ve been through I like the uplifting onesquotAnother quotSharing Our Storiesquot segment from WPIX that Williams likes is about Jon Batiste the singer songwriter and bandleader quotHe really focuses in on community and also has a lot of positivityquot Williams explains quotA lot of times we learn about African American figures in history But it39s nice to know we have some people living who are also making a difference and spreading love and joyquotThis is the third year that Nexstar39s stations have worked on companywide initiatives tied to Black History Month The theme in 2021 was quotAnd Still We Risequot and last year39s was quotMind Body and Soulquot It takes months for Nexstar39s journalists to develop the ideas and stories that go into themThey don39t just stop at Black History Month when it comes to honoring the fascinating segments of society that make up America Other initiatives celebrate months that are dedicated to women March Hispanics SeptemberOctober Asian American and Pacific Islanders May and the LGBTQ community JuneBut the effort to honor different social and cultural segments extends beyond those particular spots in the calendar quotIt really is throughout the yearquot Williams notes quotIt39s ongoingquotAs for this month Terrell hopes viewers come away from her own story about the Jet and Ebony photos realizing that history is a good thing quotIt39s nothing to fearquot she says quotIt should not make people feel bad in any way If anything it should be inspirationquotFor some the stories Nexstar stations tell might spark older family members to talk about certain landmark events they lived through or traditions from times gone by as they sit around the kitchen table quotI hope people will see the humanity in those images and see themselves in some wayquot Terrell concludesClick the social buttons to share this story with colleagues and friendsThe opinions expressed here are the author39s views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet

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Nexstar Rolls Out Extensive "Sharing Our Stories" Black History Month Initiative

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Janet Stilson

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Nexstar Rolls Out Extensive "Sharing Our Stories" Black History Month Initiative

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