"Journalists, may they work in print or broadcast, are responsible and accountable to their entire communities," says Yvette Miley, an African American and vice president for news at WTVJ, an NBC affiliate covering the Miami/Fort Lauderdale area.
"There's no denying that. I'm a journalist who's in a minority group. I'm guided by both -- in the news we cover and in the people we interview."
Carmen Sesin, left, talks with Berta Castaner at the popular NBC-Telemundo booth at the Unity convention's Career Expo.
(Dudley M. Brooks -- The Washington Post)
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One of Miley's reporters, Trina Robinson, is a 13-year veteran of TV news. She sees another issue, a generational gap when it comes to that sense of accountability.
"It's tough these days, you know, with a lot of the young folks and folks new to TV news not realizing that it's not all glamorous, that there's a certain responsibility that comes with being a person of color on TV," says the 38-year-old African American.
" 'Why do you want to be on TV?' I ask them. 'Because I want to be on TV,' most answer back. That's not what this is all about."
One of those aspiring journalists is Warren, 35, a journalism graduate student at American University. She prepares to do a stand-up in front of a camera, a CBS Washington banner as her backdrop. It's practice. She takes an 800-word article and writes a 23-second summary. ("Al Qaeda," she reminds herself, is pronounced "ahl ky-dah.") Nervously, she says in front of the camera: "A senior al Qaeda figure planning to attack London's Heathrow airport was among 12 terrorism suspects arrested in Britain two days ago . . ."
Then Pool-Eckert offers her critique.
"I looked too serious," Warren says.
"But it's a serious topic," Pool-Eckert says.
"I know," says Warren. "But the lighting wasn't right. I looked horrible."
The exchange gets a little tense.
"It's more than just lighting," says Pool-Eckert. "People on TV make it look easy. Once the camera starts rolling" -- she snaps her finger -- "they're there.
"Maybe you should think about a career behind the camera. I, for one, have never been that comfortable in front of it."
"I strongly disagreed with her," Warren says later. "What gave her the right to say that?"
