Five to be inducted into NC Media and Journalism Hall of Fame

The North Carolina Media and Journalism Hall of Fame will honor five outstanding leaders during a gala dinner and ceremony on Friday, April 7, at the William and Ida Friday Center in Chapel Hill. The gala will benefit the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media. Honorees are eMarketer president Lisa Church,  Bloomberg chairman Peter Grauer, BooneOakley president David Oakley, Raleigh News & Observer former publisher Orage Quarles III and New York Times publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr.  

The Hall of Fame recognizes diverse individuals with ties to the state who have had a significant impact on the professions and the communities they serve. The honor is awarded to people at any stage of their careers who demonstrate leadership in their spheres of influence; service to the professions and society; and performance that meets the highest professional standards. Honorees are also people who inspire and advance others in media and journalism careers.

	Lisa Church is the president of eMarketer, a global research firm that enables media, advertising and other companies to understand digital media, marketing and commerce and use credible data and analysis to inform decision-making. A market leading authority, eMarketer has more than quintupled in size under Church’s leadership. She earned her bachelor’s degree and her MBA at UNC and serves on the board of advisers for the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media. She is also on the board of the Ad Council.
	Peter Grauer has been chairman of the board at Bloomberg since 2001 as the company has grown to become the global leader in financial information, news, data and analytics. Before going to Bloomberg, Grauer was the managing director and senior partner of the investment bank Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette. He is an alumnus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a former member of the University’s board of trustees.
	David Oakley is the president and creative director of BooneOakley in Charlotte, North Carolina.  Since founding the agency in 2000, he has led the creative efforts on a diverse client roster including Bojangles’, the Charlotte Hornets, Mellow Mushroom, MTV, HBO and CarMax. He is a UNC alumnus and serves on the  board of advisers for the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media.
	Orage Quarles III was named president and publisher of The News & Observer in 2000, and led the newspaper until 2016.  During his leadership, there was a huge focus on investigative projects that had major impact.  He was publisher of the Rock Hill Herald in South Carolina, while also overseeing the Beaufort Gazette and the Island Packet in Hilton Head. He was named publisher of the year by trade publication Editor & Publisher in 2002. He has served on the boards of The Associated Press, Newspaper Association of America and currently sits on the Freedom Forum board. Quarles is past chairman of the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media’s foundation board.
	Arthur Sulzberger Jr. was named chairman of The New York Times Company in 1997. He became publisher of The New York Times in 1992 and continues to run the company’s flagship enterprise on a day-to-day basis. Over the past decade, he has shaped and implemented innovative print and online initiatives that are enabling the company to compete successfully in the 21st century global media marketplace. Before going to The New York Times, Sulzberger was a reporter with The Raleigh Times in North Carolina.

In concert with the launch of the North Carolina Media and Journalism Hall of Fame, the  existing North Carolina Halls of Fame in Journalism, Advertising and Public Relations will be incorporated into the new Hall of Fame.  At this year’s ceremony, members of the former halls will be recognized along with the five 2017 inductees.

The school’s Dean Emeritus Richard Cole launched the North Carolina Journalism Hall of Fame in 1981, and the Halls of Fame for Advertising and Public Relations followed in 1988. Since that time, more than 185 professionals in these fields have been honored. 

Sponsorships and advertising in the North Carolina Media and Journalism Hall of Fame program are available.

For more information and to register, visit mj.unc.edu/NCHoF2017.