April wants to respond as well. The wonderful students at Howard University in telecom . Im a sociology major. A journalism major. Nonetheless and this is my personal opinion if you have a blog podcast, you have a role on social media and have a responsibility. You have a responsibility to tell the truth. As someone who has gone through Howard University, you have a responsibility to tell the truth and get it out there accurately. There are so many people not telling the truth, not telling the story correctly, particularly, telling the story about our community that is not about our community. You have a responsibility. I challenge anyone out there who gets a blog, any kind of twitter page whatever, go out there and be responsible until the truth. Find out the facts. Everybody can be a journalist now, and that is a big problem. Theres a lot of responsibility in being a journalist. Thank you, april. My name is caleb jackson, im 19 years old. We are group of teenagers who want to affect the world by giving back. I am brandon. I raised one of the 60,000 to raise a school in ethiopia. I am 18 years old. At age 16, 07 to purchase my First Investment property and i been able to purchase one more since then through my company. I am 18 years old. I let a National Youth movement in jamaica that motivates thousands of you throughout the country to get involved in their community. Our question is, one that promote or images on media on youth leading their communities . Does that make sense . I would like to touch on something for two seconds. I know you were to give your answer, but i do want to make a statement. My problem our problem with the media, were not all shooting basketballs and were not all rapping and getting shot outside. Our biggest problem is, when im around people like 12 to 13 or 14, and theyre looking for new role models, they want to strive to be, its not im sorry, its not the president of the United States or the people that are economy today, and it is not because they dont want to be that person, it is because in their mind it is very esoteric. There are told through the media they can only be a basketball player, hiphop, or a rapper or athlete. What we wanted to say was, we need a platform. Young entrepreneurship, young is this owners, and give young Business Owners and get our generation a new look on a brighter future. There are a couple of outlets already out there. Some give more followers and get more play than others, but i think the root is doing a fantastic job of june that very thing. It is young people in tech, route 100, i think they do a great job. Black enterprises to the same thing. I also think there is something that the et is doing b. E. T. Is doing. It is a relatively new initiative. Health image, and service. It is all about black men, young men, and also young men. What you all are doing in a real way is a kind of content i think theyre looking for to do that. That there is a ton of outlets out there that i think public and for that kind of content. I think you to realize what were looking at some of the Mainstream Media outlets, often times, theyre not getting as many viewers as some of the digital outlets are getting. What we used to look at i want to get a feature on cnn because of they show me, then im going to blow up. But the number of people watching heroes isnt the same number people watching world star hip hop. Utilizing some of the outlets out there and creating partnerships with some of these digital folks, is a real way to get yourself in your story from the people that arent going to see it at all if theyre watching television. The very people youre talking about impacting, are not watching the networks youre talking about, were there not showing pictures of you the first place. Stop looking to them to validate you, and begin to use the other outlets out there. But i have to ask you, what is your outreach . Have you been reaching out to those different people . Did you specifically start with black media . Who . Whut, a few weeks ago. Follow me. Steve harvey running show, Rickey Smiley morning show, and yolanda adams. You have seven ashley syndicated shows. I have the only black morning news show in america targeting black shows. You have black newspapers and black magazines. There literally is a major infrastructure there. Part of the deal is not to a story on us, it is also making us aware of exactly who you are as well, so when you bring that to the table, the nets were to help set story out as well. The onus is not always on us not covering it, but reaching out to nontraditional outlets to get your story told as well. I think i think they did a publicist so they can put it out there. I got my own show and i want tom joyner. All have to do is give you an email. I mean, just saying. And i dont have to ask anybody because it is my damn show. I just want to piggyback and concur with what roland said. A lot of the times you go and look at the media, which is one of the reasons why we exist is because we want to create that counter narrative. In our business section this past week, we showed a woman who got recently passed the national bar association. She was in americas next top model, she wasnt the next olympic athlete, but a lot of the times because we are overwhelmed as Media Outlets ourselves, the best thing you can do is put your information out there. Chances are, if we have a story about young black man entrepreneurs, we are going to do something with it because we want to create that counter narrative that there is more to being a Young Black Successful man than having a ball or microphone. I cant speak for the Washington Post but i think they went as well. Next question. Im sorry. Are we ready for the next question . Please come on the side of the room please, on the side of the room. Im a doctoral candidate at Harvard University. My question is, why is it the Mainstream Media is letting Police Chiefs around the country off the hook . I am appalled they take the high road, but the thought there could be racist Police Officers or there could be a bias they need a history lesson. Do we need them all to watch selma . The entire backup of racism and injustice in america is local Law Enforcement and the black community. All of a sudden, when you bring the thought up, they are like, how could you dare think such a thing that my officers would treat a black person differently . That has been our history for 100 years. Not the politicians, local Law Enforcement. Why is it what you do interviews with them on national tv, no one says, remember the dogs . We let them get a platform to say, my guys will take the high road because we cap about the community. We dont remind them of history and how that lingers in our mind as a community. I dont want to defend Police Chiefs, but i do want to prevent stereotyping of every Single Police chief in america. There are thousands. Theyre not all races. They are not all killers. We have to figure out which ones are which. [indiscernible] from about this . How about the fact i dont hear a lot of people who arent in the media, and im not defending the media, but i dont hear a lot of folks who are not in the media connecting the current protests to the election of over 35 mayors less than 11 months. Almost all of those mayors are going to select or supervise Police Chiefs. If we are going to be serious about how to we begin to train make these protest real, it is not just about a gangster reporter pointing his finger at a police chief and saying, dont you believe in racism . It is about, how do we ensure those elected are held accountable to choosing the kind of Police Chiefs that are about community policing, have a history of community policing, that understand it, that are shifting shum of the some of the dna departments from control to service. Because a lot of the conversations about the integrated methodology of policing in the u. S. , and how do we begin a shift that. We dont shift it through interviews with Police Chiefs, we do it for Holding Accountable elected officials were going to choose Police Chiefs and what is the community saying they want us Police Chiefs to look like when they make that a primary factor in who they elect. You have less than 11 months when you have city will dish cities like chicago and Columbus Ohio and other cities that are going to be electing mayors who are for that very thing. That is not to say we shouldnt be accountable to asking her questions, it is to say if you want to see shifts, it is not just going to be from asking a police chief a question about racism. It is going to be about electing mayors and selecting Police Chiefs and safety directors who understand what 21st Century Policing needs to look like. The point about how we as journalists oftentimes are trying to mediate the conversation, so certainly, yet ask the tough questions and other times theres a panel for you to make sure you let in the differing or disagreeing voices on this, but i think a lot of times youre not going to have someone who is to interview very keen on calling someone a racist simply because that ends the conversation. What you start running around accusations, people shut down. Our job is to as his questions about what is next. It goes beyond that in her view of the police chief of the panel with the different people and the differently of differing opinions. It is, what he going to do about this law are the way grand jurys function, what is the next upside the protest and the marches in the sort of headline grabbing moment . Sometimes media falls down. Not asking that question and not following up enough because we have moved on. Books on 60 minutes last night about the tamir and the police chief of cleveland, i recommend it highly. I would like to ask the panelists to comment on the fact with the case said new york, with the two cops that were shot, you had representatives of the police union, police department, trying to make the association of one mans actions , the man who killed the two cops, and the entire issue was about bad cops and cops that have done the things we know with the case in new york in the case in ferguson. That coverage has essentially silenced the debate and shifted it to something else. I was wondering if the panelists could comment on that . Look, his job is to defend his officers at all costs. Ok . Police union leaders, even when they know it was absolutely heinous and wrong, theyre going to defend. That is what he is paid to do. He is not paid offer an objective viewpoint. The problem is when those of us in media or unwilling to challenge him when he comes on the air with his comments. Are unwilling to say, wait a minute, in this particular case you notice he has not said much about the cops who shot the dude in the dark hallway. And the gun discharged. Its a little hard to defend that one, but he might try. So that is what you have here. It is understanding, look, i understand with summits job is, but we also have a job as well and it is our responsibility to also be aware of the various issues to note what questions to ask. Im going to take right now, that is part of your problem. Specially when youre watching television shows, a like you got the most well read folks asking questions. You are sitting at home going ask this. Trust me, did nobody hand them a blue card with that question on it. That is one of the fundamental problems you have. There is an unwillingness to challenge folks because you understand what the game is. It goes back to, well, what if we dont get a book them again . If i come across too hard, someone may not want to come on the show. A press too hard, then they pulled back and then they pulled her purchase. You are sitting at home mad because it is not a real interview. That is a fundamental problem we have in media, but also why you got to have other voices there that are willing to challenge. When i was doing a morning show, guests were saying, i will come on in all take questions from solid dad, but not from the panel. She was going to kick are behind anyway but they would say, i will not do the panel. They dont with someone coming out of the box who is not worried about whether or not i get another interview. All of those things happen. That is behind the scenes. You dont even realize that is happening because what the media does not want to show you is most folks in media absolutely crave and desire continued access. Were unwilling to challenge power because they might cut off our access and we crave the access. Thank you. Hazel and i made a command decision we were going to go until 8 00. We will go to a 15 because the questions are so good in the answers to my mac complement may i compliment, for the responses. Please, keep the questions as brief as possible. Make them hard and brief. Hello, everyone. Im a producer at the department of defense recording video operations. My first question is about diversity. First, i want to thank you april, for asking president obama the state of black america, what he felt that was. If it wasnt for you, no one would have asked that in the room. Previously when i worked in news, was one of the only black in the newsroom, and we were the only people asking to report on the stories. What do you feel is the most pressing barrier to diversity in the newsroom, and how can it be overcome . A second quick question, race coverage and National Security. People recently notice the lack of coverage for boko haram as well as the naacp bombing here in america, and compare it to the paris magazine attacks. Do you feel that criticism is valid, and what are your thoughts . I want to speak to the issue of diversity when it comes to newsroom particularly, at the white house. Thank you for that complement. I love to see people of color at the white house. Unfortunately, that is a room that has been historically a white male dominated room. I dont know why, but that is been the case. [inaudible] [laughter] i just love myself some roland martin. Seriously, during the clinton years, and this is the crazy thing, during the clinton years clinton was the first black president. Hazel, your member coming in there, there were more africanamericans that were there in the seat constantly. Not moving around. George w. Bush came and everybody left. Obama came, all the black journalist came to the white house. They were so excited. They wanted to see the first black president. I was happy to see black reporters there, even if it wasnt mainstream, it was still a presence of black reporters there. The problem with the white house, there is an internal problem and an external problem. The external problem is, a lot of these Networks Want to higher hire what women with blond hair. In my telling the truth . That is the new trend now. Well not anyway, there is a resurgence of it right now. I am definitely not network material. I am deftly too old and another shade of beige. When you talk internally, the structure internally does not support people to come in people who have a seat in that room and workspace in that room. I have been blessed. I was sitting in the back of the room. I was sitting the second row from the back and i moved up. That room does not support you in your effort to cover the president of the United States. It is not easy in that room. It is not easy for someone i called the front row the Million Dollar row. It is not easy. Athena works for cnn. Im sure she talks to producers about things going on, but for me, and my issue is urban and black america. I asked questions about china i asked questions about anything but primarily, urban issues. When they come to me they know what is she going to ask . That room is not necessarily freely to any reporter. But when youre coming a behind the curve, it is rough. It is me. We took a picture in ebony what . We took a picture in ebony. Ebony is a black magazine for those who dont know. It was a ton of people and that picture. You were in that picture. We dont know where a lot of them were reporters. Paul wants to get in. Africanamericans are not underrepresented in the news media. They are underrepresented in the decisionmaking parts of the news media. There lots of black reporters and lots of hispanic reporters. The diversity hold on. The diversity it is the number representative of the population. What is underrepresented, again, the people calling the shots. That is were the diversity that is the point roland made earlier that i agree with, but i do still think theres a lot of underrepresentation of minorities in general and the news media. I think a lot of people would agree. I do think it is important to note progress has been made. Progress is being made. When i worked at cnn in new york, i dont think there were many other black women on my floor when osa segment producer. There are a few more. I think progress is being made. You have to keep having people wanting to be journalists. You have to have mentors are going to say, keep at it, keep trying. The mentors dont have to be black, but it is helpful if they are. The bottom line, the forces of the status quo are very powerful. You have to constantly everyone who has an interest has to be costly paying attention to it. Some of us are not in a hiring position. That doesnt mean we cant be in an encouraging position. The bottom line is the forces of the status quo are hard to beat back, but that is why have to keep going. It is not just minorities, but women as well. This is critically important. Who remembers the New York Times story from three or four years ago on all of the generals who are computers on the Cable Networks . Contributors on the Cable Networks . There wasnt a single minority general on that list. Again, i talked about kevin hart come access to resources hiring the exact same thing. Under president george w. Bush, they created afrikom. That was a black general who was a fourstar general