For Immediate Release:
Dateline: Indianapolis,
IN
Wednesday, October 16, 2024
CONTACT: Emily Bloch, SPJ National President, eblochjourno@gmail.com
Kim Tsuyuki, SPJ Communications Specialist, ktsuyuki@hq.spj.org
INDIANAPOLIS – The Society of Professional Journalists Board of Directors has approved the appointments of Beatrice Forman, Joseph Hernandez and Khari Johnson to serve as Directors At-Large on the nine-member board.
SPJ National President Emily Bloch selected Forman and Hernandez as her two appointees to serve on the board during her one-year presidency. Johnson was named to complete the remainder of the two-year Director At-Large term of Chris Vaccaro, who won election as Vice President in last month’s board election.
Bloch swore in the newly named board members during a virtual board meeting on Wednesday, October 16, 2024.
— Director At-Large (president’s appointee): Beatrice Forman covers breaking news, young people, and Philly's unique digital culture for The Philadelphia Inquirer. A Philadelphian by way of New York, Forman graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2022, where she found her groove in local journalism and established a fellowship program at Penn for BIPOC students with financial hardships that would've otherwise prevented them from participating in student media. She previously served as deputy editor of Billy Penn at WHYY. In her spare time, she coordinates U.S. Democracy Day — a democracy-focused journalism collaborative with more than 200 members across the U.S. — and spoils Mango, her dapper orange kitty.
— Director At-Large (president’s appointee): Joseph Hernandez is the associate director of drinks at Bon Appétit and Epicurious, where he also previously served as the research director. Raised in Southern California and Chicago, Hernandez has covered the intersections of food, wine, travel, and culture as a senior editor at multiple entities, including The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Chicago Tribune, Thrillist, and Wine Enthusiast. He holds several professional wine certifications, including an honorary knighthood with the Brotherhood of Port Winemakers. He lives with his husband and their ornery orange cat, Bingley, in Brooklyn. Please, don’t call him Joe.
— Director At-Large: Khari Johnson reports on how artificial intelligence impacts people, their communities, and society and has done so for nearly a decade. He initially focused on reporting on consumer technology and startup funding rounds but today explores AI policy solutions to protect human rights and how AI is used in policing, education, and health care. He currently works as a tech reporter at CalMatters and previously worked at WIRED and VentureBeat.
SPJ champions journalists by recognizing outstanding achievement, fighting to protect press freedom, promoting high ethical standards and educating new generations of emerging professionals. Support excellent journalism and fight for your right to know. Become a member and give to the Legal Defense Fund, First Amendment Forever Fund or SPJ Foundation.
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