I was just browsing

for airfare to Tampa for the NABJ convention. Just some prices I saw based on leaving Tuesday, August 4 and returning on Monday, August 10 from the following cities.

Baltimore
on Air Tran $139 (the best deal in the Northeast)
on American $158 (2nd best deal in the Northeast)
on United $163 (4th best deal in the Northeast)

Boston
on Delta $179

Hartford, CT
on Delta $240

New York - JFK
on Jet Blue $249

New York - LGA
on Air Tran $224

Newark, N.J.
on Air Tran $236
on Continental $249

Philadelphia
on US Airways $179
on United $179
on Air Tran $186

Providence, R.I.
on Continental $221
on United $235

Washington, D.C. (DCA)
on US Airways $159 (3rd best deal in the Northeast)
on American $180
on Air Tran $195
on Delta $212

Washington, D.C (IAD)
on Air Tran $195

If I didn't list your local airport, you can check for yourself using http://farecast. live.com/

The 5 W's

Who: An article in the Winter 2004-05 NABJ Journal (page 36) explains half my story. If you don't have a hardcopy of that NABJ Journal, click on the link below. http://members.nabj.org/members/index.html. You'll need your last name and NABJ membership ID number to gain online access to the NABJ Journal. Since that story, I've moved to New Jersey to work for the Asbury Park Press as a sports reporter.

Any NABJ member that is involved in sports reporting, editing, etc., regardless of the medium, and current college students that want to pursue a sports journalism career, should contact me spchrist2@hotmail.com to get on the NABJ Sports Task Force Listserve.

Any young black journalist that lives or works in New Jersey, should also contact me at the aforementioned e-mail address.

What: I'm running for NABJ Secretary.

Where: I work in Neptune, New Jersey. In the past, I've lived in Boston and Schenectady, N.Y. I love to travel and will make a strong effort to attend all the official NABJ campaign stops.

When: The campaign started on March 27 and will end on August 7.

Why: I have too much energy to not get involved more in NABJ. I'm also a nosey person (as every good reporter should be) and since 2007 have contacted NABJ board members privately (via e-mail and phone) to find out why the organization does things a certain way. I've agreed with some of the answers that I received and I've also disagreed with other answers that I've received. The disagreements are why I'm running for NABJ Secretary. I strongly believe that everything isn't about the bottom line. The organization has to think more practically when asking members to shell out their hard earned cash for the convention, regional conferences and other special events. For example, I've followed the recent e-mails on the NABJ Forum about the Pre-Registration deadline being April 1st even though the full slate of workshops weren't released yet. Hmm. I'm willing to bet very few NABJ members can commit that type of cash/credit right now without knowing what they are getting in return. I think it is extremely unfair to ask our members to do this year after year, especially in the current economic climate. At minimum, the current deadline should be extended at least two weeks. I would even go as far as extending it a month to May 1st while we work as quickly as possible to get the full slate of workshops released. In the future, this process must change. The pre-registration deadline shouldn't come before the full slate of workshops are released. If that means moving the announcement of the workshops up or moving the pre-registration deadline back, I'm in favor of either motion. Every decision that NABJ makes from this day forward has to be fair to our members and truthfully make sense.

Secret is out!

I'm a candidate for NABJ Secretary. I'll have some opening remarks later this weekend.