I was about to start this publisher’s note saying that it’s awards season for the journalism world, but frankly, it’s always awards season these days with various industry organizations announcing winners just as another association opens up its entries. The first part of the year was full of wonderful surprises from national journalism organizations. As you probably know, we won the Poynter Institute’s inaugural McGruder Diversity Leadership Award, which was very cool for a newsroom with our dedication to cultivating a staff that looks like Mississippi.

This week we were thrilled to learn that Torsheta Jackson won first place in Solutions-Based reporting in Report for America’s Local News Awards. Her piece “Alternate-Route Education Programs Target Mississippi’s Teacher Shortage” looks at solving our teacher shortages by giving Mississippians alternative paths to teacher certification. It’s a fit subject matter for Torsheta, who transitioned from her career as a veteran teacher to become one of the country’s emerging superstar journalists. I hate that Mississippi lost such a fantastic teacher, but I’m thrilled that stories like this might help us gain a few more in her place.

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Last week, we learned we’re finalists for four national AAN journalism awards. We’ve actually been part of the Association of Alternative Newsmedia on and off for years, and it feels good to be on the slate again. AAN was named during a time when ‘“alternative” meant going against norms and halls of power. The Jackson Free Press, the newsroom we came from, started in that tradition in 2002, reporting truth to power from day one.

The alt-weeklies that survived the journalism upheaval are mostly in decent shape and have often transitioned to the paper of record in their cities as big media abdicated their responsibility. I’m currently on the AAN board, but I should point out that neither I nor now-Executive Director Todd Stauffer, the co-founder of the Jackson Free Press, judged these entries. I didn’t even know which ones we submitted until the finalists came out.

As with most legacy media associations in the United States, AAN has long struggled with diversity and inclusion; the Jackson Free Press had been one of its most inclusive members since the year it launched. Our current and most recent boards have worked long hours to right the ship and grow our inclusion and diversity. We haven’t fixed it all, but we’re working with intentionality because diversity and inclusion don’t just happen. You have to work at it, which is why these four nominations mean so much to me.

Aliyah Veal is a finalist for “‘Red And Bootjack’ Marker Shines Light On Duck Hill Lynching, Remembers Victims,” which tells just one of Mississippi’s long-forgotten lynching stories. Heather Harrison is a finalist for “Mississippi’s Medical Cannabis Industry Faces Growing Pains,” which looks at the complicated launch of Mississippi’s medical-marijuana industry. Donna Ladd rounded out our nominations with two nominations, including her news feature “One Lake’ Or ‘No Lake’? Debate Over Pearl River Flooding Options Means Unlikely Allies, Opponents” for environmental reporting. And she is nominated for an award she previously earned for the JFP: columns for three pieces: one about neglect of Black families who lose loved ones to violence, a personal testimonial about young white people needing to learn about race violence and her tribute and personal homage to mentor Hodding Carter III after his death. All three columns do what Donna Ladd does best: challenge the power structures that serve a minority of Mississippians.

Sign with the title Lynching of Bootjack and Red
The lynching photos of Bootjack and Red were the first lynching photos to be published in national presses. Not much else is known about the young men. Photo courtesy Rory Doyle

I mention these awards in the same breath with diversity and inclusion because a strong mix of voices, vision, and thought leads to journalism and critique that challenges not just the powerful. It also challenges most of us who succumb to colonialistic, misogynistic and paternalistic worldviews that don’t serve us or our communities. Lots of time, folks say we need different opinions in the room. I’m a maybe on that because about half of the United States seems OK with the nation going all-out fascist right now, so I don’t need that in my room.

I’d say we need people from different backgrounds with different cultural lenses. For our newsrooms, that means different generations, people who grew up in different parts of the state (and a few outside the state), folks exposed to different faith traditions and those who have a wide array of interests.

Our journalism is excellent because our writers and editors are excellent, but also draws so many honors—now we’re up to 80 by my count exactly because our teams come from diverse backgrounds and circumstances. Those differences make us stronger. Cheers to our incredible team, which does for our state and the nation even when they aren’t winning awards.

This MFP Voices essay does not necessarily represent the views of the Mississippi Free Press, its staff or board members. To submit an opinion for the MFP Voices section, send up to 1,200 words and sources fact-checking the included information to azia@mississippifreepress.org. We welcome a wide variety of viewpoints.

Publisher and Chief Revenue Officer Kimberly Griffin is the co-founder of the Mississippi Free Press. She has worked as the advertising director and then the associate publisher, also known as the vice president of business and revenue, of the Jackson Free Press for more than a decade. She is a graduate of Mississippi University for Women and the University of Southern Mississippi where she studied journalism and public relations. She is also a member of the Rho Lambda Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and president of the Capital Care Sunset Rotary Club. She is an auntie, a decent cook and an avid traveler. She’s not fond of small talk and wants every conversation to be important. Email Kimberly at kimberly@mississippifreepress.org.