NYABJ By-Laws

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The name of the organization shall be New York Association of Black Journalists Inc. 

(hereafter called the “NYABJ” or the “organization”). 

The organization shall be affiliated with the National Association of Black Journalists and/

or other organizations whose published objectives parallel those of the NYABJ.

The purpose of the NYABJ shall be the organizing of Black journalists into a cohesive group in order to:

● Sensitize the media to racism in coverage of news events, and seek to expand balanced coverage of the Black community in the United States of America and abroad;

● Advocate for journalistic freedom in the United States and, when possible, Africa, the Caribbean and other parts of the Black diaspora.

● Award scholarships to, mentor and groom student journalists at high schools, colleges and universities.

● Honor excellence and achievement among Black journalists.

● Utilize members to lobby for the appointment of Black professors in journalism schools.

● Act as a clearinghouse and network for employment opportunities.

● Work to expand opportunities for Black journalists in managerial and supervisory positions.

The NYABJ shall, after membership approval, take positions on issues regarding the operation of a free press and rights of journalists. If the general body is unable to meet for the purpose of drafting a position, the executive board shall do so, with the president serving as the official spokesperson for the organization.

The NYABJ shall remain at all times a non-partisan organization that does not endorse political candidates, or candidates for organizational office of any entity.

NYABJ’s activism shall be limited to taking positions on issues related to journalism. The organization shall not engage in any activity that jeopardizes its tax-exempt status.

Full membership shall be open to:

1. Mirroring the membership      guidelines of the National Association of Black Journalists,

of which NYABJ is an affiliate, the NYABJ will grant full membership to any journalist (reporters, editors, photographers, graphic artists, newsroom managers, independent journalists, journalism educators, blogger, podcasters and the like who are directly involved with the gathering and dissemination of news in a print, broadcast or online environment.)

1. Media professional (publicists,      public relations professionals, media officials)
2. Journalists with at least three      (3) years of experience who have moved into positions that are related to      journalism, but do not fit in Section 1 (a) or (b). These positions      include: professors, heads of journalistic think tanks, documentary      filmmakers and independent producers whose product relates to news and/or      journalism (e.g. documentaries focused on newsworthy, cultural or      historical topics in an objective and/or journalistic way) and columnists      who produce journalistic product for news media organizations. 

Student membership shall be open to: 

1. Any person who currently is a      full-time student at a high school or an accredited college or university      who is either majoring in print or broadcast journalism, or has expressed      an interest in pursuing a journalism career. 
   1. These members have no voting       powers, but may serve in appointed positions in the organization, except       where prohibited by these bylaws.

All membership applications will be subject to the review of the membership committee as specified in Article V, Section 3.

The NYABJ general body shall meet no less than 5 months out of the year. Special meetings may be called at the discretion of the Executive Board. 

Meetings of the membership shall be held at such times and places as shall be designated by the Executive Board. Robert’s Rules of Order shall apply during all meetings of the NYABJ membership and the Executive Board. 

The meeting will be led by the president, acting vice president(s) or by one of the remaining Executive Board members in the absence of the president and vice president(s).

Written notice stating the place, day and time of all meetings and the purpose for which the meeting is called shall be delivered by not less than five (5) days prior to any meeting.

Every NYABJ meeting shall have an agenda prepared by the president. Any NYABJ member may submit a proposal, resolution or other item to be included on a meeting agenda. Such information should be submitted in writing to the secretary or member of the Executive Board no less than five (5) days prior to the next meeting. All proposals shall be reviewed by the Executive Board.

If an author is unable to attend the general body meeting, the president shall announce the proposal or resolution and make a recommendation from the Executive Board. If a vote is required, a quorum of a majority of the eligible members present is required to take action. Items also may be added to the agenda for the upcoming general meeting by a motion from the floor during any membership meeting.

Section I.

The fiscal year shall be from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31 of each calendar year.

Section II.

The Executive Board shall set the membership dues, any due changes should be announced 3 months in advance of change. Annual dues shall not exceed that levied by

the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ).

Membership dues are good for a full year. Annual dues payment covers membership for a year from the date of payment. Memberships not renewed or paid one year after the date of previous dues payment will be discontinued. During election years, dues must be paid by May 1 in order to be in good standing to vote. Members seeking to run for office must pay dues by May 1 and remain active through the date of election with no lapses.

Section I. 

The offices of the association shall be president, vice president of broadcast and print, vice president of digital and expanding media, secretary, treasurer, parliamentarian and member-at-large, which shall constitute the Executive Board and all of whom may vote on Executive Board matters.

Board members shall hold each other accountable and ensure that all duties and responsibilities mandated by the bylaws are carried out.

The president or his/her designate shall preside over all meetings of the NYABJ membership and the Executive Board and shall have the responsibility to ensure that all decisions of the Executive Board and membership are carried out. 

The President will have authority to select and appoint interim officers and committee members 

when vacant or unfulfilled and will advise the executive board in regards to appointments. 

The President or the designated Vice President in the President’s absence shall prepare an agenda for every NYABJ meeting. The President, or designated Vice President in the President’s absence, shall act as the organization's official spokesperson. The designated Vice President will be decided by the Executive Board.

The president shall have a vote.

A designated vice president shall act in the president’s stead when the president is unable to perform their duties, they will coordinate with other VP’s to ensure duties are smoothly delegated between each Vice President and their specific expertise. The Vice President of Broadcast must have experience in broadcast journalism. They must be able to work with other broadcast journalism professionals in mentorship and building relationships, within the group, to help with furthering NYABJ’s mission, through media visits, opportunities for training within the print field and other related duties. 

A designated vice president shall act in the president’s stead when the president is unable to perform their duties, they will coordinate with other VP’s to ensure duties are smoothly delegated between each VP and their specific expertise.The Vice President of Print must have experience in print journalism. They must be able to work with other print journalism professionals in mentorship and building relationships, within the group for furthering NYABJ through media visits, opportunities for training within the print field and other related duties. Vice President of Print will work as an Executive Editor to oversee editorial copy content working in conjunction with the Vice President of Digital to ensure NYABJ’s digital and editorial footprint is accurate and following journalism guidelines.

Section V. Vice President Digital (VPD)

A designated vice president shall act in the president’s stead when the president is unable to perform their duties. The Vice President of Digital must have experience in digital journalism. They must be able to work with other digital journalism professionals in mentorship and building relationships within the group. They are the Executive Board liaison overseeing the website and social media committee.

The secretary shall have the responsibility of keeping accurate minutes of all NYABJ membership and Executive Board meetings and sending them to the Executive Board. 

The secretary must send board meeting minutes and general body meeting minutes to the Executive Board within 2 days after each meeting has taken place. 

The Secretary must ensure a proper file is maintained of all NYABJ membership lists, accurate correspondences and actions taken by the membership and the Executive Board. The secretary shall also be responsible for making sure that all meeting notices are sent out five (5) working days prior to every NYABJ meeting and Executive Board meeting. A deputy secretary who is a member in good standing may be appointed by the president upon approval from the general body. The deputy secretary shall assist the secretary in retrieving mail regularly from the NYABJ post office box and delivering it to the appropriate NYABJ officer or committee leader and taking minutes in the secretary’s absence.

Audit 

Secretary will collect and compile all materials for the annual audit. 

Archives 

Secretary will collect necessary materials to archive notable events in NYABJ history. 

The treasurer shall have the responsibility of maintaining a complete financial record, including all monies received and/or expended by the NYABJ, and presenting that information to the membership at each chapter meeting. 

The treasurer must be bonded upon taking office by a certified bonding firm. No checks will be issued without the signature of the treasurer and president. 

The treasurer shall also have the responsibility of making sure members’ dues are up to date. 

The treasurer shall notify members whose dues or other outstanding obligations to the organization have not been paid that they cannot participate in any NYABJ deliberations or vote on membership issues, pending full payment of the dues. The deputy treasurer shall assist the treasurer.

1. The treasurer shall serve as      chairperson of the Finance/Fundraising Committee.

The parliamentarian, using Robert's Rules of Order and these NYABJ bylaws, shall preserve order, regulate the course of debate and monitor procedures at executive board and membership meetings.

1. The parliamentarian shall serve      as chairperson overseeing the Elections Committee. If the parliamentarian      is seeking elected office, the parliamentarian shall appoint an Elections      Committee chairperson.
2. The parliamentarian shall serve      as chairperson overseeing the Bylaws Committee, revise the bylaws as      needed and present them for the full membership’s review and approval in      accordance with Article XIV, Section 1. 
3. The parliamentarian shall also      conduct a biennial review of bylaws.

The member-at-large shall serve as a liaison between the general body and shall assist

in supervision of ad-hoc committees. 

1. Attend, prepare and actively participate in all board meetings and bi-monthly board conference calls.

2. Serve as an advocate for NYABJ by attending all member events (taking group photos, being the first there to greet members and being a point of contact for member/attendees)

3. Chair all task forces and committees

4a. Maintaining at least monthly contact with committee members to

provide resources, support, and guidance;

b. Providing information, feedback and encouragement to

teams to facilitate communication and completion of

tasks;

c. Recruit chairs and team members as needed.

5. Maintain contacts, through approved software (Constant Contact & Google Sheets)

6. Facilitate special projects as the need arises.

7. As appropriate, assist in recruitment of future Board

members and nomination of award winners.

The Executive Board shall be composed of the president, vice president-print, vice president-broadcast, vice president-digital/new media, secretary, deputy secretary, treasurer, deputy treasurer, parliamentarian and member-at-largeThe Executive Board shall be composed of the president, vice president-print,vice president-broadcast, vice president-digital/new media, secretary, deputy secretary, treasurer, deputy treasurer, parliamentarian and member-at-large.

The Executive Board will meet or communicate via electronic/phone medium prior to each membership meeting to map out plans and ideas for the full body to follow or act upon.

Notice for Executive Board meetings shall come from the president at least 2 days prior to the meeting. Every NYABJ meeting shall have an agenda prepared by the president or designated vice president in the president’s absence. 

The meeting will be led by the president, vice president(s) or one of the remaining Executive Board members in the absence of the president and vice president(s). A special meeting may be called by the president or a majority of the Executive Board. A majority of the Executive Board constitutes a quorum.

The majority of members current on their financial obligations of membership who are present at a general body meeting shall constitute a quorum.

If the President cannot or does not complete their term of office, the Executive Board shall appoint a Vice President to assume office for the remainder of the term. The Executive Board shall then appoint a member of the Executive Board to serve as an interim Vice President. If a vacancy occurs in any other elected or appointed office, outside of the general election the President shall appoint any member in good standing who qualifies for the office. The President shall then notify the general body within 5 days of appointment.

Any officer may resign at any time by delivering a written resignation to the Executive Board, the NYABJ president or the secretary of the NYABJ. Such resignations shall be effective upon receipt, unless otherwise specified in the letter of resignation.

An officer may be removed from office for instances of violation of the organization’s rules as stated herein, engaging in activities counter to the values and practices of NYABJ, malfeasance in their NYABJ office or misuse of NYABJ funds. In cases of misuse of funds by an officer, the Executive Board will re-assign that officer’s fiduciary duties to another board member.The subject of the removal effort shall have the opportunity to make a written statement to the Executive Board. The Executive Board will have 5 days to review and make a final decision based on an Executive Board and Committee Chairperson vote.

Section IV. Removal Due to Absentia

An officer may be removed from office for instances of excessive absentia to the detriment of the Executive Board and NYABJ, which can be defined as (1) lack of attendance to Executive Board and General Meetings and; (2) increased difficulty in establishing contact with the officer. 

If an officer is absent from three (3) Board Meetings and/or General Meetings without reason, the officer is automatically removed from their position, and will be ineligible for the following Executive Board election.

Section. V. Removal Due to Dereliction of Duties

An officer may be removed from office for instances of not doing responsibilities of position. Responsibilities of each position are laid out in “ARTICLE VII. Duties of the Executive Board” of bylaws. If an officer misses 3 responsibilities they will be sent a written warning letter from the President, Vice President or Parliamentarian. If adequate reasoning is not given for the officer not doing their responsibility within 3 business days in writing, the Officer will be subject to an Executive Board vote to terminate their position. If an Officer sends reasoning, the Executive Board will discuss and send recommendations to the officer as well as offer any necessary assistance. If an Officer's behavior continues and changes are not made based on Executive Board recommendations, the Officer will be sent a termination email and the President will be allowed to appoint a new qualified person to the position. 

Candidacy for all elected offices is limited to full NYABJ members who have been members

in good standing by May 1 with no lapse in membership through the election period. Elections take

place every two years in November.

Those members seeking the offices of president and vice president(s) must be full NYABJ and NABJ members in good standing.

Those members seeking the offices of secretary, treasurer and parliamentarian must be full members in good standing with NYABJ.

Student members are not eligible to hold any NYABJ office.

All officers of the organization shall serve a two-year term. All officers are prohibited from seeking a third consecutive term in the same position but can run for other positions. All Executive Board members must maintain good membership standing within NYABJ for the duration of their term. The president and vice-presidents must maintain good membership standing with NABJ for the duration of their term.

Election of NYABJ officers shall be held biennially in November. Only members who are current on their financial obligations of membership as of May 1 of the election year are eligible to run for office or vote in the election. Election rules shall be set by the Election Committee. The Election Committee shall consist of members not running for elected office.

The vote shall be taken in November at a time and placeor virtually designated

by the Election Committee or Executive Board. 

Notification of elections and election procedures, and requirements for office must be given to the membership in three months, preceding the election. Members must formally declare their run for office, submitting their names via e-mail or any other means where email is not feasible to the parliamentarian and secretary no less than 60 days prior to the election.

After the election, if board positions are vacant due to no candidates seeking office for a particular Executive Board role, the newly elected president will appoint officers after the new term begins January 1 to fulfill duties. The person must be an NYABJ member in good standing. 

Election deadlines may be adjusted by the Election Committee with the approval of the Executive Board.

The president shall appoint chairpersons of nine (9)standing committees: Gala Awards /Fundraising, Media Watch, Membership, Programming, Scholarship/Student Outreach, Public Relations/Marketing, Social Media and Podcast. The duties of each such committee shall be determined by the president and the Executive Board. Committee chairs are to submit monthly written reports at the time of the membership meetings. 

The president shall appoint committee chairs by March 1, following an election. Standing committee chairs shall serve two-year terms. The president shall be an ex-officio officer of each standing committee. Standing committee chairs may be replaced by the president or members of the Executive Board.

○ The Awards Competition Committee shall oversee the annual journalism awards contest.

○ The Finance/Fundraising Committee shall pursue grants and explore other revenue sources for NYABJ.

○ The Media Watch Committee shall coordinate and facilitate the fulfillment of the goals of the organization, monitoring news coverage; maintaining a forum in which members can submit news clips, broadcasts, Web pages of coverage deemed racially insensitive; monitoring Equal Employment Opportunity and Federal Communications Commission laws.

○ The Membership Committee shall conduct membership drives and related activities; send notices to members about membership renewal; ensure that each member has notice designating their status as full or student members; inform other NYABJ committee leaders about members who note on membership applications their desire to work on a specific committee.

○ The Program Committee shall coordinate professional skills and other development sessions for members or social mixers for members or community forums on topical issues or activities done in conjunction with other journalism associations, et cetera.

○ The Scholarship/Student Outreach Committee shall administer the annual scholarship and essay competition; oversee the annual high school journalism workshop; solicit members from among journalism students.

Public Relations/Marketing Committee: Purpose: To improve communications to the membership and general public by utilizing various media. Increase the visibility of NYABJ through news releases, social media and highlighting various NYABJ events/programs.

Committee Members: Should have a background or interest in public relations/marketing. 

Duties/Responsibilities: To facilitate awareness of NYABJ activities. To create promotional materials and work with the social media team and website committee to promote events and add to (website/social media).

Fundraising Sub-Committee: Work with PR/Marketing Committee when necessary. Create/maintain a deck work with the Gala Committee when necessary.

Social Media Committee: shall responsibility post events and other important information about the organization. As well as other initiatives as discussed by Committee Chair and Executive Board member overseeing the Committee.

The president and/or the Executive Board may designate one or more temporary committees, with each committee consisting of two or more members. Each committee shall keep regular minutes of its meetings and report the same to the Executive Board, and shall terminate upon completion of its assigned purpose.

The Parliamentarian shall chair and oversee both the bylaw and election committees (Article VI, Section VI (a) and (b).

Said organization is organized exclusively for “charitable, religious, educational, and scientific purposes,” including, for such purposes, the making of distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under section 501(c)(3) the Internal Revenue Code, or corresponding section of any future federal tax code.

No part of the net earnings of the organization shall inure to the benefit of, or be distributable to its members, trustees, officers, or other private persons, except that the organization shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the purposes set forth in the purpose clause hereof. 

No substantial part of the activities of the organization shall be the carrying on of propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the organization shall not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of statements) any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office.

Notwithstanding any other provision of this document, the organization shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on (a) by an organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or (b) by an organization, contributions to which are deductible under section 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code, or corresponding section of any future federal tax code.

Upon the dissolution of the organization, assets shall be distributed for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or shall be distributed to the federal government, or to a state or local government, for a public purpose. Any such assets not disposed of shall be disposed of by any appropriate court of law in the county in which the principal office of the organization is then located, exclusively for such purposes or to such organization or organizations, as said Court shall determine, which are organized and operated exclusively for such purposes.

Proposed amendments to the NYABJ bylaws by the parliamentarian or NYABJ President shall be submitted to the executive board prior to sending out to membership. The Executive Board shall then offer the proposed amendment(s) to be sent to membership at least 10 days prior and then discussed during the next General Body meeting. An electronic ballot will be sent out ahead of the meeting with instructions and there will be a vote where proposed amendments will be decided. If for some reason an electronic ballot is not sent a virtual vote is permitted.

The membership present at the meeting, constitutes approval of the proposed amendment. The amendments become effective immediately, unless otherwise specified.