The Dallas Morning News recognized by NABJ for partnership with Black-owned Texas Metro News

Dallas Morning News received the National Association of Black Journalists’ Best Practices Award for the newspaper’s partnership with Texas Metro News staff.

Texas Metro News editor and editor Cheryl Smith has helped The News expand her coverage to communities, particularly in south Dallas, said Jamie Hancock, editor of The News in north Texas, who led the newsroom partnership and newsroom Side of the relationship.

As these efforts began to expand coverage to more churches in North Texas, “So many people in the ward told us that you absolutely had to get to know Cheryl Smith,” Hancock said.

The news has benefited in many ways, including access to and gathering of information, she said. “We want to do more and strengthen the partnership to better reflect the communities we serve.”

Cheryl Smith, editor and editor of Texas Metro News.(Submitted / Jesse Hornbuckle)

Founded in early 2020, the partnership enables Texas Metro News to publish The News’ stories for free and helps The News improve coverage of colored communities. The plan originally included community events, but the pandemic has stalled those efforts, Hancock said. There were some virtual events and co-marketing, especially for voter education.

The News helped Smith distribute their weekly newspaper and launch a digital newsletter that enabled their staff to reach readers more directly after the pandemic began.

“The commitment is there. It’s authentic, ”said Smith of her working relationships with Hancock, editor and president Grant Moise, editor-in-chief Keith Campbell, deputy editor Leona Allen, former editor-in-chief Mike Wilson and new editor-in-chief Katrice Hardy.

The partnership has generated widespread interest from other journalistic media outlets and a guide has been produced by the News Media Alliance.

Jamie Hancock, editor of The Dallas Morning News in North Texas. (Evans Caglage / 00024844A)

The NABJ Best Practices Award is presented to “a news organization for exemplary work in reporting on issues of major concern to the black community or African diaspora and / or for their efforts to increase diversity among their newsroom staff and executives” according to the organization’s website.

The vote of the NABJ board was unanimous, said Smith.

Founded in 1975, NABJ is an influential organization with 4,000 members that supports black journalists and media professionals in the United States and around the world. It is headquartered on the University of Maryland campus.

The award will be presented at the group’s annual meeting in December.

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