The third Saturday of the new year brought forth the first meeting of the Atlanta chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ). The Atlanta Association of Black Journalists (AABJ) conducts a regular meeting once per month inside the headquarters of WSB-TV.

The meeting was well attended in comparison to many that took place during 2023. Chapter president Craig Allen Brown acknowledged the strong attendance a number of times during the hour-long meeting.

Some of the objectives that were discussed were raising the chapter’s social media presence, looking to host more industry-focused events for working journalists, and having the chapter be better represented at NABJ events other than the annual national convention, which will take place in Chicago from July 31-Aug. 4. This year’s regional conference will take place in Tulsa, Oklahoma from April 12-13 and will include a Black history tour, job fair and award ceremony. The NABJ’s Political Journalism Media Institute will take place at Google D.C. and on the campus of Howard University next month.

Mental health and wellness were also discussed with Dr. Patrice Little, a family nurse practitioner, content producer for Georgia Public Broadcasting’s Lawmakers show, and AABJ member. Little suggested panels and wellness events that focus on how professional journalists can look to decompress from the work that they do day after day.

Amongst the AABJ members at the meeting were a dozen newcomers and first-time attendees. Student journalists from Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Louisiana State University, the University of Tennessee, and Georgia State University, along with freelance journalists looking to network.

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