A look back at the inaugural South Jersey Community Reporters initiative
In January 2024, the New Jersey Council for the Humanities (NJCH) and the Center for Cooperative Media at Montclair State University embarked on a collaborative project known as the “South Jersey Community Reporters” initiative.
This work is funded by United We Stand: Connecting Through Culture, a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) initiative supporting humanities projects that combat hate through cross-cultural understanding and community resilience.
The South Jersey Community Reporters program aimed to develop a cadre of skilled community reporters across South Jersey, enhancing local news coverage and fostering cross-cultural understanding and resilience against hate.
The project’s heartbeat is its participants, whom we’ve deemed “South Jersey Community Reporters.” Experienced journalists Tennyson Donyéa and Charles Curtis III have led the cohort as facilitators and bring a wealth of knowledge and a passion for community-focused journalism. Together, they guided the cohort through various aspects of journalism, from ethical considerations to multimedia storytelling.
Tennyson Donyéa, known for his work redefining coverage for and by New Jersey’s minoritized communities, continues to apply and share his expertise in political and grassroots journalism as a part of this work. Charles Curtis III, a poet and journalist from Camden, focuses on conveying stories that bridge art and social commentary. Adding to this dynamic leadership is Nicholas Gilewicz, Project Manager for NJCH’s Informed New Jersey, who brings a wealth of academic and practical experience to the program. Gilewicz, who has experience teaching journalism at Manhattan College in New York, provides invaluable support and guidance during the workshops.
Navigating modern journalism: From hate speech to news ethics
The program featured workshops and labs that tackled pressing issues in modern journalism with an emphasis on multimedia storytelling. Participants examined the challenges of defining and covering hate speech with real-world case studies, such as a detailed discussion on Don Lemon’s controversial interview with X owner Elon Musk about the First Amendment, censorship, and social media content moderation. These sessions provided theoretical knowledge and encouraged critical thinking about the role of media in today’s polarized landscape. And workshops on video editing, interviewing, and writing provided fellows with opportunities to sharpen their journalism skills.
Real-world experience: Reporting at the African American Heritage Museum
The reporters visited the African American Heritage Museum of Southern NJ in early April. This outing was not just educational but also an opportunity to practice their skills by interviewing the museum’s representatives and its patrons, while also covering the exhibition on stereotypes and how the mass marketing of negative imagery has harmed generations of African Americans.
In August the program hosted “Voices Versus Hate,” an in-person event presented free of charge to the community. The open mic and community forum served as a platform for community members to reflect on the themes of hate and media narratives through conversation and spoken word performances. This event also allowed the reporters to engage the community and cover the day’s activities.
Meet the community reporters
There were a total of six reporters in this year’s cohort:
Camerun Hannah holds a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Animation/Illustration, and has multimedia experience in animation, graphic design, and game development.
“During my time with the SJRP Fellowship, I participated in eye-opening discussions about the importance of free speech. Additionally, learning about the ethical responsibilities of media reporting gave me a behind-the-scenes look at how stories are shaped, teaching me the importance of integrity and accountability in journalism,” said Hannah.
Mariah Washington, known professionally as ‘Mariah Isis,’ is the founder and owner of Rooted, a multifaceted brand that explores the interconnectedness of the African Diaspora through food, music, and various mediums, including journalism.
“The cohort has taught me how the spread of hate speech across social media feeds into the culture of misinformation that is negatively impacting the community. It also puts into perspective the importance for each individual to work towards derailing the ‘hate train’ by calling out misinformation and ensuring that only fact checked information is shared across media platforms,” said Washington.
Tracey L. Wells-Huggins, BSN,RN, has worked for many years as a registered nurse. Currently she serves on several organizational boards across the country including the youth-focused organizations such as Y-Knot Inc.(MD), Our Future First (NJ) and the Coalition for Juvenile Justice (Washington, DC) where she is the sitting National Chairwoman.
Carma Yé is a self proclaimed “creative serial entrepreneur” with a passion for community enrichment through holistic mentoring and other service based contributions. Yé is the creative director of the Culture & Soul Podcast and The ArtistXchange Show.
Dr. Angeline Dean is a professor, entrepreneur, and activist/organizer. Her dissertation study titled, ‘’The Whiteness of Akkkademia and the Making of a Slave”’ will be published in book form this fall. With this work, her goal is foster identity, and to heal communities of melanin.
Dr. Dean says the workshop afforded her “an opportunity and space to be Unapologetically all Black while sharing conversations in a conscious space. I experienced going to an African American museum that I did not know was located in Atlantic City; a place I frequent. In this space, I recognized that unfortunately there remains a need for consistent advocacy and activism regarding policies for the advancement of African Americans.”
Roy Jones is the Co-Chair and Coordinator of South Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance. In that capacity he coordinates environmental justice activities in urban, rural and suburban communities across seven counties in South Jersey. Jones has an extensive civil rights and environmental justice background. He began his environmental justice work in 1980 and he is also a founding member of the New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance.
Reflecting on community impact
“On behalf of the Center, we congratulate our project leads and local reporters for their work in reporting on and engaging community members around hate speech, violence, and community healing,” said Cassandra Etienne, Associate Director at the Center for Cooperative Media. “The fact that this cohort was intergenerational and drew from a wide range of life and work experiences made it especially meaningful.”
As this year’s South Jersey Community Reporters program draws to a close, we look forward to publishing this cohort’s reported stories in collaboration with NJCH and media partners of the Center’s South Jersey Information Equity Project. We hope these efforts have provided a valuable experience for the reporters and offered a platform to vital new voices in the region’s media landscape.
“Too often local communities across this country don’t see themselves, the information they care about, and the communities they know and love reflected in the news about their own area,” said Carin Berkowitz, Ph.D.
Executive Director of the New Jersey Council for the Humanities.
“NJCH couldn’t be prouder to be part of this cohort, who, working with Charles’s and Tennyson’s expert guidance, are helping to address these kinds of invisibility and silence in ways that empower communities and combat the stereotypes that multiply when communities remain unseen.”
Charles Curtis, III is an award-winning poet, songwriter, and freelance journalist from Camden, NJ. He was an SJIEP reporting fellow in 2021 and 2022 and currently serves as an associate producer for the South Jersey Community Reporters initiative. Charles received his bachelor’s degree in political science from Kean University and was initiated into Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. as an undergraduate. He can be reached at charlescurtisthethird@gmail.com.
About the NJ Council for the Humanities: The New Jersey Council for the Humanities (NJCH) explores, cultivates, and champions the public humanities in order to strengthen New Jersey’s diverse community. Since 1972, NJCH has partnered with statewide and community organizations to bring meaningful public humanities programming to the local level. We do this in 3 ways: by awarding grants and sponsorships, by providing programs ourselves, and by convening individuals and organizations that care about cultural and civic life in the Garden State. To learn more about our work, visit: https://njhumanities.org.
About the Center for Cooperative Media: The Center is a grant-funded program of the School of Communication and Media at Montclair State University. Its mission is to grow and strengthen local journalism, and in doing so serve New Jersey residents. The Center is supported with funding from Montclair State University, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, Democracy Fund, the New Jersey Local News Lab (a partnership of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, Democracy Fund, and Community Foundation of New Jersey), and the Abrams Foundation. For more information, visit centerforcooperativemedia.org.
