NC Media & Journalism Hall of Fame announces 2024 honorees
The NC Media & Journalism Hall of Fame will induct six media dignitaries at its annual gala on April 19, 2024, at the Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill.
J.J. Carter, Skip Foreman, Melanie Sill, Ami Vitale and Eric Montross will be honored in recognition of their individual achievements and influence across their respective fields of media and journalism. Capitol Broadcasting will be the inaugural corporate honoree for its outstanding achievements in media and journalism.
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 standards and a 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 honorees. Since its founding in 1981, the Hall of Fame has recognized more than 200 professionals in advertising, journalism, public relations and related fields.
David Crabtree — CEO of PBS North Carolina, 16-time Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalist and 2023 NC Hall of Fame inductee — will serve as the evening’s master of ceremonies.
The event benefits the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media and supports its critical role in developing future leaders in the media and journalism professions. For more about this year’s honorees and for sponsorship opportunities, please visit the NC Media & Journalism Hall of Fame website.
J.J. Carter is the global chief operating officer and president of Americas at the global public relations and marketing agency FleishmanHillard. With a career spanning more than two decades, Carter is among the highest achievers in sports marketing and communications, a trusted senior adviser to iconic global brands and a proven business leader accelerating global change and impact. He has led FleishmanHillard through a period of unprecedented growth, during which time the firm distinguished itself as an industry standard-bearer for profitability, inclusion and recognition — earning multiple Agency of the Year accolades from Campaign, PRWeek, ICCO and PRovoke, and topping Best Places to Work lists for LGBTQ+ equality and female executives.
Skip Foreman is a regional sports editor for leading local news provider Lee Enterprises and former journalist for the Associated Press. Foreman is marking his 52nd year in journalism, going back to his days as a reporter at The Daily Reflector of Greenville while he was in high school. He worked 43 years for the Associated Press in various roles including news coverage, photography, broadcast and sports coverage. Foreman retired from the AP in July 2022 and joined HBCU Gameday, a website dedicated to coverage of sports and culture at historically Black colleges and universities.
Melanie Sill is a Pulitzer Prize-winning editor known for her leadership of The Sacramento Bee, The News & Observer of Raleigh and KPCC/ Southern California Public Radio. Sill is a leading industry voice for local news innovation that centers the needs of audiences and communities and that holds diversity, equity and inclusion as fundamental value of journalism excellence. As part of The N&O’s pioneering work in online and investigative journalism, she directed the 1996 Pulitzer Prize-winning “Boss Hog” series and subsequent coverage that led to reforms in North Carolina’s hog industry. She has been recognized with UNC’s Distinguished Young Alumni award and the Daily Tar Heel’s Distinguished Alumni honor.
Ami Vitale is an award-winning National Geographic photographer; Nikon, Canson Infinity and Luminar Neo Ambassador; writer; speaker and documentary filmmaker. Vitale has traveled to more than 100 countries documenting the heartbreaking realities of war and witnessing the inspiring power of individuals making a difference. Her award-winning work illuminates the unsung heroes and communities working to protect wildlife and finding harmony in our natural world. One of the most influential conservation photographers of her generation, Vitale has been named the magazine photographer by national and international photographer associations, received the Daniel Pearl for Outstanding Journalism Award and is a six-time winner in the World Press Photos competition.
Eric Montross will be honored posthumously. He was a UNC basketball player and member of the 1993 NCAA Championship team, an eight-year professional basketball player in the NBA and color commentator of almost two decades on the Tar Heel Sports Network.
Capitol Broadcasting Company is a diversified media company founded in 1937 that owns numerous television and radio stations across North Carolina in addition to owning of the Durham Bulls minor league baseball team and the Coastal Plain summer baseball league. Capitol Broadcasting, the inaugural corporate honoree, is represented by CEO and Chairman of the Board James Goodmon.