During a festive night of celebration, NC Media & Journalism Hall of Fame honors new inductees

The NC Media & Journalism Hall of Fame inducted five game-changing industry leaders at its annual gala event on Friday, April 9, 2021, in an event held virtually for the first time in its history.

Rebecca Darwin ’75, Peter Gammons ’69, Nikole Hannah-Jones ’03 (M.A.), Torod Neptune and Judy Woodruff were honored at the event, which included musical performances by North Carolina artists Mandolin Orange and Steep Canyon Rangers and a silent auction for lunches with the honorees.

“We have five amazing game-changers who deserve to be celebrated and who inspire our students,” said Susan King, dean of the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media, at the ceremony’s start. “This class of honorees has made a transformative impact in each of their spheres of influence.”

Rochelle Riley, director of arts and culture for the City of Detroit — a 2019 NC Hall of Fame honoree and 1981 UNC Hussman graduate — served as the evening’s master of ceremonies.

“The NC Media & Journalism Hall of Fame recognizes diverse professionals at any stage of their careers. They exemplify the highest professional standards and they share a commitment to advancing others in media and journalism careers,” Riley said as she kicked off the introductions, starting with Rebecca Darwin, co-founder and CEO of the Allée Group, who created its popular Southern style magazine Garden & Gun.

“Rebecca has helped shape and lend her voice to some of the industry’s most storied magazines,” Riley said of Darwin, whose career has included roles at The New Yorker, GQ and Fortune.

“I’m proud of the brand we’ve created and the trustworthiness and authenticity that Garden & Gun inspires, and the opportunity to bring the stories of the South to life and to elevate Southern culture,” Darwin said.

Vivian Howard, a North Carolina-based celebrity chef, praised Darwin’s induction in a video message: “Garden & Gun is a pride point for me as a Southerner. It’s like a foyer in a grand house. It invites us in and puts our most sophisticated and thoughtful foot forward.”

Next up, the event celebrated Peter Gammons, one of America’s most celebrated baseball sportswriters and broadcasters. Riley said of Gammons: “He defies the gravity that has kept many other writers close to the ground. And for more than 50 years, Peter Gammons has told baseball’s complex stories with style and clarity that allowed those who love the game to understand it better and then love it even more.”

During his acceptance speech, Gammons noted his time working for The Daily Tar Heel and former UNC basketball coach Dean Smith’s mentorship as foundations for his career success.

“One of the things that was so great [about UNC] was going to The Daily Tar Heel, where I met an extraordinary number of undergraduate journalists,” Gammons said.

Of Gammons’ time at the DTH, UNC’s J. Ross MacDonald Distinguished Professor and Director of Creative Writing Daniel Wallace  — who introduced each honoree with a short story-style summary — noted: “His first story about soccer was written on yellow lined paper. He is at his heart a storyteller.”

The next honoree was Nikole Hannah-Jones, a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter covering civil rights and racial injustice for The New York Times Magazine who produced the groundbreaking 1619 Project.

“Nikole Hannah-Jones is one of those rare writers whose subject dovetails precisely with the story of her own life,” Wallace said in his introduction.

In her acceptance speech, Hannah-Jones spoke about the first time she realized journalism’s power — when she penned a letter to the editor at her local newspaper. She was 11 and concerned that presidential candidate Jesse Jackson had performed poorly in the Iowa primary due to being Black. The newspaper published her letter.

“I’ll never forget how that felt — the power of having a voice, the power of pushing back against unjust narratives, the power of journalism,” she said. “I just wanted to write about Black folks from the South, but I never expected that anyone would know my name. And the truth is, without Carolina, they probably wouldn’t.”

In a video message, Dean Baquet, executive editor of The New York Times, called Hannah-Jones “one of the finest investigative voices of her generation … she believes in digging, deep reporting and finding out the truth.”

Following Hannah-Jones, the Hall of Fame honored Torod Neptune for his career of leadership in corporate communications. Neptune is the senior vice president of global communications and corporate marketing and chief communications officer at Medtronic — one of the largest medical device companies in the world.  Previously, he served as worldwide group vice president and chief communications officer at Lenovo after serving a range of communications leadership roles with other corporations.

“Strong, strong leadership, drive and distinctive voice have helped him advocate for a shift in how we look at corporate America,” Riley said. “Torod Neptune has redefined how some of the biggest companies communicate.”

Neptune, who hails from Plymouth in eastern North Carolina, noted his Tar Heel roots during his acceptance speech. “As a proud North Carolina native, I’m even more thrilled about being recognized not only by the school but by several of my hometown peers, colleagues and friends,” he said.

Neptune challenged those listening to use their respective roles and influence in the industry to advocate for solutions to pressing social problems and for diversity within media.

Judy Woodruff, the night’s last honoree, also used her acceptance speech as a platform to push for change. She is anchor and managing editor of the PBS NewsHour and has received scores of awards for her coverage of politics and news for more than four decades at NBC, CNN and PBS.

“In accepting this honor, my challenge to myself and colleagues … is to remind ourselves that … we’re here to uncover facts, to dig for the truth if it can be found, and hold our leaders accountable,” Woodruff said before highlighting the importance of newsroom diversity. “At the same time, we need to work harder to ensure we look like the communities we cover.”

“It’s been a night of such substance,” King said in closing the event. “[This night] is a story of the South and North Carolina, and it’s a story of where we’re heading.”

The event drew more than $200,000 in sponsorships and gifts that allow the dean to direct funding where there is the greatest need and opportunity for students and faculty. The event's lead sponsors included Frank A. Daniels Jr., The New York Times, PBS NC and the Zeno Group. David Oakley ’84, chief creative officer for the marketing and advertising firm BooneOakley, presided over the silent auction interspersed throughout the ceremony.

Prior to the gala ceremony, two related events created a daylong celebration across the UNC Hussman community.

The Crunkleton in Chapel Hill hosted a pre-show “Blue Carpet Live” event. Most guests joined virtually with a small contingent of alumni volunteers in person. Gary Crunkleton, the Chapel Hill establishment’s founder and namesake, created a special concoction — The Priceless Gem — with which attendees toasted the 2021 Hall of Fame honorees. “Blue Carpet Live” was emceed by UNC Hussman alumnus and board member Brandon Cooke ’02 and featured cameos from Hussman alumni including Brooke Baldwin ’01, C.L. Brown ’94 and Saturday Night Live’s Bryan Tucker ’93. Tucker brought along SNL star Kenan Thompson for the occasion. The event also included musical performances by Mipso and Chatham Rabbits.

At a student-focused virtual lunch panel earlier in the day, the honorees shared experience and advice gleaned from their own career paths. The honorees shared wisdom such as the importance of finding good mentors and taking risks.

The gala ceremony included a poignant video memorial for Merrill Rose ’77, a longtime board member and friend to the school. Rose, who also taught courses at Hussman and mentored students, died January 28, 2020.

She and her friend and fellow alumna Joyce Fitzpatrick ’76 (a 2000 Hall of Fame inductee) led the recent transformation of the Hall of Fame to elevate its stature, better recognize professional achievement of industry leaders with ties to North Carolina and create meaningful interactions among the honorees and current UNC Hussman students. She was a major force in establishing the annual event as a benefit supporting the school’s students and faculty.

Natalie Best ’97 of French/West/Vaughn and Janet Northen of McKinney stepped into leadership roles for the committee organizing the event. The committee worked with 2010 Hall of Fame inductee and Hussman alumnus Frank Andrews ’90 to create the gala experience in a virtual setting.

Andrews’ company August Jackson is a leading experiential marketing agency with offices in Chicago and Baltimore. When the COVID-necessitated ban on gatherings and travel posed an existential threat to his business, he reinvented it for an online world that lasted longer than expected, giving the company the ability to deliver exceptional online experiences like this year’s NC Media & Journalism Hall of Fame gala.

Learn more about this year’s honorees and those honored in previous years at the Hall of Fame website.

About the NC Media & Journalism Hall of Fame

Founded and administered by the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media, the Hall of Fame recognizes diverse individuals and exceptional leaders with ties to North Carolina who demonstrate leadership in their spheres of influence, while exemplifying the highest professional standard and commitment to inspiring and advancing young people in media and journalism careers. A committee of professionals and faculty review nominations to select each year’s nominees. Since its founding in 1981, the Hall of Fame has celebrated nearly 200 professionals in advertising, journalism, public relations and related fields.