Snippits from A1 and Hot Type

From Page A1 on Ash Wednesday, Feb 9:
The Akron Beacon Journal clock tower needs a face-lift. Everybody knows we can’t turn back time, but for the next few weeks, you won’t see the time and temperature atop the building at 44 E. Exchange St. The shutoff is necessary for the safety of workers. With any luck, you’ll see temperatures rsing when you see tdhe display again.

And from Hot Type:
From 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 13, the Akron Beacon Journal will be without electrical power while Ohio Edison makes repairs to the main electrical switch. Please turn off computers and other electrical equipment and remove food from refrigerators.

Job Openings:
Among those listed by Hot Type are “Sports Reporter to cover Browns”

Bonnie Bolden is traveling for diversity:
Bonnie Bolden, newsroom recruiter, addresses diverse leadership development from the perspective of news coverage. She regularly travels the circuit of job fairs on Ohio college campuses in search of promising minority journalists, some of whom end up as interns for 10-week stints at the newspaper.

In the fall, she attended the Spirit of Diversity, a job fair sponsored by the Detroit Newspapers. She has attended conventions held by the National Association of Black Journalists, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and the Asian-American Journalism Association. Last year, she traveled to Washington, D.C., for the Unity Convention, an annual gathering of organizations representing journalists of color.

"I've been fortunate to work for companies that value minority staffing," she said, adding that she is always on the lookout for affordable training and development opportunities offered through professional organizations, such as fellowships and minority scholarships.

She also is "immersed in diversity" as a member of LeadDIVERSITY, a Cleveland-based program focused on minority staffing that runs from October through June.Her classmates come from a wide range of industries for training on bringing diversity to the workplace.

According to a recent annual survey by the American Society of Newspaper Editors, the Akron Beacon Journal had 19.8 percent minority employment in the newsroom, said Bolden. Based on that survey, a study by the Knight Foundation showed the newspaper had the highest diversity index (the ratio of diversity in the newsroom to the population of the market) of any newspaper its size in the country, said Bolden. The Aron Beacon Journal also is distinguished in having the highest diversity index ranking of any KR newspaper.

"The goal is to reach parity with your circulation area," Bolden said, noting that the newspaper's circulation area comprises 11.7 percent minority.

Maintaining a diverse newsroom is an important part of credibility, said Bolden. "You cannot be credible there are segments of your community not represented
on your staff or not covered in the newspaper." According to the most recent census, minorities make up about one-third of the U.S. population, she said.