NABJ Honors TV One’s “Find Our Missing” with Annual Best Practices Award
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
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Posted by: Aprill Turner

WASHINGTON, DC (May 23, 2012) –The Board of
Directors of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) has selected
TV One’s groundbreaking original series,"Find Our Missing,” with its
annual Best Practices Award. TV One will join other top honorees in New Orleans
during NABJ's 37th Annual Convention and Career Fair, the largest annual
gathering of minority journalists in the country.
The Best Practices Award is given to a news
organization for exemplary work in covering issues of great significance to the
black community or the African Diaspora. "Finding Our Missing” fits the bill.
Hosted by S. Epatha Merkerson, the show is an
hour-long, docu-drama series that puts names and faces to people of color --
young and old -- who have disappeared without a trace. Each riveting episode
features a dramatic and emotional tale that places the viewer within the lives
of the missing person, along with reflecting the pain of their loved ones,
while confronting dead ends at every turn.
From the moment of their disappearance, the story
back tracks to learn about the missing person from the people who knew them
best – who they were, what made them tick and how they touched those around
them. With each break’s cliffhanger and each new twist unearthed, viewers will
be more than just engrossed in the story being told; they will want to help
solve the case.
"This series
counters the media's tendency to not focus on missing people of color. Local
outlets in these cases usually make a good effort to publicize these stories,
but the cases rarely rise to the level of national media attention. `Find Our
Missing’ allows us do something about that,” said NABJ President Greg Lee, Jr.
"TV One deserves this recognition for making sure these stories get told.”
Though blacks comprise only 14 percent of the total
U.S. population, they account for nearly 40 percent of all reported missing
persons cases.
TV One has entered into a partnership with the Black
and Missing Foundation, as well as created a micro-site on its website
(www.tvoneonline.com) where visitors can obtain numbers for the law
enforcement agencies related to the cases, see status updates on current
missing persons cases, test memory and observation skills, and get tips on how
to better protect loved ones.
At the end of each episode Merkerson signs off by
saying, "Be safe and keep an eye out,” a reminder to be aware, be responsible,
and be involved in being part of the solution.
NABJ salutes TV One for this bold series and for
venturing to tell the stories that would otherwise go untold.
NABJ's 37th Annual Convention and Career Fair will
take place June 20-24 in New Orleans. Other top honorees include Journalist of
the Year, Pierre Thomas of ABC News, NABJ founder and past president DeWayne
Wickham of Gannett with the organizations Lifetime Achievement Award, WSB-TV’s
(Atlanta), Monica Pearson for the annual Legacy Award, LA Times’ Gerrick
Kennedy for the Emerging Journalist of the Year Award, and CNN’s Janet Rolle
for the Pat Tobin Media Professional Award.
For additional information, registration, and ticket
sales, please visit, www.nabj.org.
An advocacy group established in 1975 in Washington,
D.C., NABJ is the largest organization of journalists of color in the nation,
and provides educational, career development and support to black journalists
worldwide.
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