US: Black group puts CNN on special watch list

By Umar Farooq

WASHINGTON (AA) - The National Association of Black Journalists has placed CNN on a "special media monitoring list" for its lack of black representation within the company's executive structure.

The group said CNN has no black executive producers, vice presidents, senior vice presidents nor black employees that directly reported to CNN President Jeff Zucker.

Zucker also refused to meet with a four-person delegation from the NABJ about a personal issue between CNN and NABJ Vice President-Digital Roland Martin, originating in Martin's participation in a presidential town hall in 2016 with then-Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.

"Former Democratic National Committee Chair Donna Brazile admitted, according to a Time essay, she inadvertently disclosed a town hall topic to the Clinton campaign that was part of Martin’s research inquiry for the town hall," the NABJ said in a statement.

CNN challenged as false one of the claims that said the news agency has no black vice presidents. When asked by the NABJ to show a record with the name and position of such black person or persons, however, CNN is yet to respond.

"NABJ’s request to meet was and is focused solely on CNN’s diversity efforts, its results and our strategic priorities as an organization," the NABJ said.

The organization stated it will move to meet with CNN's parent company, AT&T, to which the NABJ has said have been more willing and open to meet with.

CNN, in a statement obtained by The Hill newspaper, responded by saying that "the relationship between CNN and NABJ is very important to us" and "the significant and reckless damage that Roland Martin did to CNN while partnering with us during a 2016 Democratic Town Hall has made any meeting that includes him untenable."

This is not the first time that the NABJ has criticized CNN for the atmosphere it presents for black journalists. In 2014, the NABJ released a statement saying it had met with the company multiple times over the years to address concerns about the lack of African Americans on camera and in management and executive positions.