the mark_up by mediaverse

On April 14, the Memphis Police Department posted a video on its social media channels, entitled “Juvenile Crime Abatement Program.” In the video, which featured the deputy chief of MPD and the commander for MPD’s Downtown Precinct, the two officers introduce the program which is describe as a response to the “influx of juveniles gathering on weekends in Downtown Entertainment District”  The Commercial Appeal first reported about the video introduction on the same day and included details from a related PowerPoint presentation or “unapproved rough draft” about Juvenile Crime Abatement Program, including how unattended children   would be profiled and why as well as  turning over detained children to DCS if their parents failed to pick them up from custody.   The CA article and subsequent news reports generated a backlash against the program, which was quickly iced in favor of more communication. But Mayor Jim Strickland and the Memphis Police Department have made it clear that the enforcement of curfews would still occur.

Does it make sense to rank or make comparisons of annual crime data in communities as a way of measuring law enforcement effectiveness? Or to gauge the morals of a community based on the data provided? Chapter 2 of the markup by mediaverse takes a look at the data and the conversation around it in chapter 2. Featuring April Thompson, Middle School Math Expert, and Josh Spickler of Just City

In this episode, the markup by mediaverse reaches the conclusion of Chapter 1, which focused on drag/street racing and reckless driving. Host Richard Thompson of Mediaverse reviews the takeaways from the previous episodes in the Chapter with co-host, Melonee Gaines of mPact Media Group, and Producer, Brandi Hunter of bhmedia.

On April 14, 2021, The Commercial Appeal published a longform article about the car culture in Memphis, written by investigative reporter Daniel Connolly. For Chapter 1, Episode 3, Connolly joined the markup by mediaverse to discuss the challenges of reporting on the city’s car culture and more.

Co-host Melonee Gaines ventures to southeast Memphis and interviews longtime residents Dante and Loren who experienced firsthand the unexpected dangers of reckless street racing onto their property in the middle of the night. From a utility pole being hit seven times to seeing the aftermath of a street racer electrocuted, the couple is at a loss on what to do and where to move next. Now, facing over $20,000 in damages from reckless uninsured drivers, the conversation piques on the need for street and traffic safety for a community at the intersection of suburban, industrial, and stateline traffic.

Welcome to the markup, a podcast presented by Mediaverse, a media venture created almost 20 years ago by local journalist and communications professional Richard Thompson. He's joined by his cohost Melonee Gaines of MPact Media Group. Together, they introduce themselves, and how being fired and reeling from a natural disaster lead them to intersecting paths towards information justice.

In this episode, we talk about several gun-related stories in local media: a good guy with a gun, Ja Morant and Gov. Bill Lee.

Honestly, I didn’t want to talk about Eliza Fletcher – except to say, she should be alive. So should other homicide victims. But the same day that this podcast was recorded, the universe dropped this gem from WMC Action News 5. To be sure, the report centered on a white woman, who recently moved to Memphis, as she played with her child and, even though the story focuses on the concerns of women, the data examined by WMC shows that men come up missing/kidnapped too. Read the full entry on mediaversememphis.com.  (ED. NOTE: In the podcast, we regret the error of referring to Eliza Fletcher as Emily. Apologies.)

While it’s not Sharon Shy Brown’s only job, when it comes to journalism though, she is the Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for the Memphis Flyer. If you follow her on Twitter, you’d know that her focus has been on more than Ja Morant’s latest 2K-like performance. In her own words, she’s trying to save lives. It’s what you do when you worked hard to grow a platform – and then a tragedy occurs that so personal and important that you can’t help but get involved. You see, in August, in her hometown of Cleveland, Miss., a city two-and-half hours from Memphis straight down Third Street, a 31-year-old mother and her 5 year old daughter from a gas leak in their apartment. Sharon knew them. The gas leak set off a chain of events where they lived, Sunset Village Apartments, that exposed living conditions so horrid and inexplicable that Brown was spurred to action.  When people come to you and ask you to use your platform to amplify their voice, what else are you supposed to do?

We continue our conversation about the changing media landscape in Memphis. Is it a destination or a pass through? That’s the focus of Season 2, Episode 2 of the mark up by mediaverse. We're joined by: Daja E. Henry is an award-winning journalist based in Memphis, Tennessee. She is currently a Frances Ellen Watkins Harper editorial fellow at The 19th* News. She is originally from New Orleans, Louisiana and a graduate of Howard University and Arizona State University. In her journalistic work, she strives to center and amplify the voices of the underrepresented. Daja's work has appeared in The Daily Memphian, High Country News, Slate, and The Wall Street Journal, and has taken her to Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean, and across the U.S. Denisha J. Thomas is a native of Memphis and the news director for ABC 24. Thomas joined ABC24 from WKYC, TEGNA’s NBC affiliate in Cleveland, Ohio, where she has been executive producer since 2019. She was also news content producer for WKYC from 2015-2017, before being named executive producer at WGRZ, TEGNA’s NBC affiliate in Buffalo, New York. Thomas participated in TEGNA’s Leadership Development program in 2019, and in August 2020 she was one of 32 journalists nationwide selected for the Poynter Institute and Washington Post’s Leadership Academy for Diversity in Digital Media. Prior to joining TEGNA, Thomas worked as a news producer at television stations in Memphis, Jonesboro, Arkansas and Columbia, Missouri. Thomas holds a Bachelor of Journalism degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She is an active member of the National Association of Black Journalists and the University of Missouri Griffiths Leadership Society.

How many of you remember N.W.A.? …. No, I mean, NWA, Northwest Airlines. It was one of the nation’s largest airlines, based in Minnesota, and it had a HUB at Memphis International Airport. You see, Memphis was NWA’s access point to the South and as a result the city enjoyed a lot of perks, including a direct international flight to Amsterdam. Things were going well – until Delta purchased NWA in 2008. Memphis was no longer a hub. It was reduced to a feeder airport considering Delta already had the South on lock with Atlanta’s Hartsfield International Airport. Memphis lost its importance to the region. It became a little less of a destination and rather some place to pass through. Now, you may ask, what does this have to do with journalism? Everything. You see, at one point, in its history, The Commercial Appeal was among the larger newspapers in the country with bureaus aplenty. Yet, over time, like the number of flights at Memphis International Airport, the CA dwindled from at one point having more than 700 employees to having only 40 or so. I’m exaggerating but you get the point. If you’re a journalist, given the changes that have occurred in the media landscape, would you come here as a destination or just pass through. That’s the focus of our first episode of Season 2 of the mark up by Mediaverse. I’m your co-host, Richard. Melonee is off, representing on a fellowship. She’ll be back. Let’s get it.

So, in the latest developments, the NAACP and the city of Mason declared a victory. An excerpt from the NAACP’s announcement of the settlement of their lawsuit versus the state of Tennessee’s comptroller: "This is a victory for the town of Mason and beyond. The state government attempted to take over a Black town, and they miserably failed. They had no right to take over Mason, so we took them to court and we won. Similar injustices are happening all across the country, and the NAACP knows all too well that if we don't put out small fires across America, they quickly become wildfires. This settlement is a significant victory for all those who believe in justice and fairness," said NAACP General Counsel Janette McCarthy Wallace.NAACP's Tennessee State Conference President Gloria Sweet-Love added,"It is mighty strange. When the majority of elected officials are Black and the Ford Motor Company is going to be within 4.5 miles of this little city that could begin to see an increase in revenue, all of a sudden, the state wants to take over Mason. But today, they lost this fight. They had no legal authority. Justice prevailed, the NAACP prevailed."The settlement was able to accomplish the following: 1. Preserve its charter 2. Reduce its monthly payments to its water and sewer fund in half 3. Move its expenditure approval cap up from $100 to $1,000 4. Amend its weekly reporting obligation to a monthly obligation which is more suitable and manageable for the Town of Mason 5. The Corrective Action plan will conclude on August 31, 2022, after the fiscal year 2021 audit is filed and the year 2023 budget is approved. In this episode, Richard and Melonee recap the previous episodes and discuss what lies ahead following this settlement. This episode also concludes Season 1 of the mark up by mediaverse podcast. We are grateful for your support. Special shout to out to Brandi Hunter, our former producer. We wish her the best. the mark up by mediaverse will return in the fall.

Editor’s Note: This interview was done before recent events. In early February, Tennessee Comptroller Jason Mumpower visited Mason, Tennessee, a town of about 1,000 or so people located on Highway 70 in Tipton County. Mumpower gave Mason’s leadership and residents an ultimatum to surrender its charter or else the state would takeover its finances for an indefinite period of time. The story, reported first by The Covington Leader and Tennessee Lookout, went viral. This story has layers. Mason, incorporated in 1869, does have a history of malfeasance, including a state comptroller investigation in 2016 that found Mason’s former public works superintendent had received over $600,000 in unauthorized compensation. That person was indicted. Yet, the state never took over the finances of the town, whose elected leadership at that time was predominantly white. But now, the state is stepping in. The timing and optics are curious. To be sure, the action comes as Mason, whose leadership is now predominantly Black, stands to reap the benefits as a new Ford plant is constructed next door. And while the state says it is trying to help, the town’s leaders say the state has overlooked the city’s efforts to get its financial house in order. A lawsuit has been filed. But I digress. It’s hard to argue that, if it weren’t for the small town media, that this story might not have caught much attention. So, as we examine the ongoing developments of Mason vs the state of Tennessee. In this episode, we speak with Van R. Turner, Jr., president of the Memphis NAACP, and Mason, Tenn. Vice Mayor Virginia Rivers.

Editor’s Note: This interview was done before recent events. In early February, Tennessee Comptroller Jason Mumpower visited Mason, Tennessee, a town of about 1,000 or so people located on Highway 70 in Tipton County. Mumpower gave Mason’s leadership and residents an ultimatum to surrender its charter or else the state would takeover its finances for an indefinite period of time. The story, reported first by The Covington Leader and Tennessee Lookout, went viral. This story has layers. Mason, incorporated in 1869, does have a history of malfeasance, including a state comptroller investigation in 2016 that found Mason’s former public works superintendent had received over $600,000 in unauthorized compensation. That person was indicted. Yet, the state never took over the finances of the town, whose elected leadership at that time was predominantly white. But now, the state is stepping in. The timing and optics are curious. To be sure, the action comes as Mason, whose leadership is now predominantly Black, stands to reap the benefits as a new Ford plant is constructed next door. And while the state says it is trying to help, the town’s leaders say the state has overlooked the city’s efforts to get its financial house in order. A lawsuit has been filed. But I digress. It’s hard to argue that, if it weren’t for the small town media, that this story might not have caught much attention. So, as we examine the ongoing developments of Mason vs the state of Tennessee, we wanted to mark the work of the journalists who cover that community and brought the story to light. In this episode, we speak with Anita Wadhwani, senior reporter for the Tennessee Lookout.

In early February, Tennessee Comptroller Jason Mumpower visited Mason, Tennessee, a town of about 1,000 or so people located on Highway 70 in Tipton County. Mumpower gave Mason’s leadership and residents an ultimatum to surrender its charter or else the state would takeover its finances for an indefinite period of time. The story, reported first by The Covington Leader and Tennessee Lookout, went viral. This story has layers. Mason, incorporated in 1869, does have a history of malfeasance, including a state comptroller investigation in 2016 that found Mason’s former public works superintendent had received over $600,000 in unauthorized compensation. That person was indicted. Yet, the state never took over the finances of the town, whose elected leadership at that time was predominantly white. But now, the state is stepping in. The timing and optics are curious. To be sure, the action comes as Mason, whose leadership is now predominantly Black, stands to reap the benefits as a new Ford plant is constructed next door. And while the state says it is trying to help, the town’s leaders say the state has overlooked the city’s efforts to get its financial house in order. A lawsuit has been filed. But I digress. It’s hard to argue that, if it weren’t for the small town media, that this story might not have caught much attention. So, as we examine the ongoing developments of Mason vs the state of Tennessee, we wanted to mark the work of the journalists who cover that community and brought the story to light. In this episode, we speak with Echo Day, an award-winning journalist with the Covington Leader.

In the wrap up, Richard and Melonee take a look back at the previous episodes of Chapter 3: Protecting Democracy, and Richard delivers his assessment on whether local media can handle the responsibility.

For many, the insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021 proved to be a flashpoint for journalism. If the media didn’t get its act together, then democracy, itself, could be imperiled. In a column, published last December, Mother Jones CEO Monika Bauerlein wrote “2022 offers a chance to get our act together and cover democracy like it matters. Before we run out of time.” Among her strategies, cover the war on democracy every day; create a structure that ensure coverage (i.e. make democracy a beat); call things what they are; and note the coordinated assault on democracy in all of its forms: disinformation, extremism, exhortations to violence, gerrymandering and voter suppression. Yet, there’s a challenge: resources. Many newsrooms have fewer staffers who have to cover more things, making it difficult to focus on “democracy” alone. And given the expanse of the danger, is it realistic to think one reporter could do a job that might take an entire newsroom. What does that protection look like? That’s the focus of this episode of Chapter 3; Protecting Democracy. We’re joined by two local media executives who can give us perspective on how local media might, can and should protect democracy: Wendi C. Thomas, Editor and Publisher of MLK50, and Mark Russell, Executive Editor of The Commercial Appeal.

As one journalist points out, people already have a voice and as journalists we help to amplify their messages. Do we simply report to get to the ethical resolution of the voices of the people? Or are we focused on the deeds of elected officials?  That’s what we’re exploring in episode 2, Chapter 3 of the mark up by mediaverse.

Despite the egregiousness of the January 6 insurrection, our country has witnessed other seminal moments where we have asked whether the press could have done more. The Civil Rights Movement, for example, serves as a prime example of how the media can change the conversation, the mood, and the momentum of the moment. To talk more about that, we’re joined by two award-winning journalists: Donna Ladd, the founding editor and executive director of the Mississippi Free Press, and Otis Sanford, Hardin Chair of Excellence in Economic and Managerial Journalism at the University of Memphis and commentator for ABC 24.

In Epsiode 4, Richard and Melonee wrap up the previous episodes in Chapter 2: Homicidal Math, noting that if anything the number of homicides is a discussion of normal human behavior, there has to be a discussion about death that humanizes the very people who are affected by it the most.