"We know you": The Nipsey Hussle story and how the L.A. Times got it right

In her speech at the Free Expression Awards at the Newseum in April, filmmaker Ava DuVernay said she “gasped” when she saw the way the L.A. Times had covered the life and death of South Los Angeles rap artist Nipsey Hussle--”the way that they had honored him on the page.”

The National Press Club Journalism Institute invites you to a community conversation with the team behind that coverage, to discuss what it takes to represent underrepresented communities and their major figures in a way that feels right to residents. “Sometimes people would talk for hours," said L.A. Times Staff Reporter Angel Jennings. "How often do they speak with the media?”

On June 10, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., Jennings, Staff Writer Gerrick D. Kennedy and Assistant Metro Editor Erika D. Smith will talk about how they approached the story to produce coverage that both stood out nationally and hit home--and about the groundwork that enabled them to do it on deadline. The conversation will be moderated by Kimberly Adams, who covers politics and general news for Marketplace.

Doors will open at 6:15 p.m., and the program will begin promptly at 6:30 in the Holeman Lounge. Registration is required. The cost is $5 for members of the National Press Club and $10 for non-members. Please register below.

About the panelists

Angel Jennings is a reporter for the metro section of the Los Angeles Times. She covers issues that affect residents in South Los Angeles. Since joining The Times in 2011, Angel has written for the Business section and covered education. She is a native of Washington, D.C., and graduated from the University of Nebraska.

Gerrick D. Kennedy is a staff writer for the Los Angeles Times, where he has covered music and pop culture since 2009. He’s on the frontlines at award shows, music festivals and has profiled hundreds of the music industry’s biggest players including Mariah Carey, Drake, Carrie Underwood, Sam Smith, Nicki Minaj, Jennifer Lopez, Diana Ross, Kendrick Lamar and the Weeknd. In 2012, Kennedy was named Emerging Journalist of the Year by the National Assn. of Black Journalists and in 2014 the Advocate featured him in its annual 40 Under 40 list. He is also the author of “Parental Discretion Is Advised: The Rise of N.W.A and the Dawn of Gangsta Rap.”

Erika D. Smith is assistant metro editor for the Los Angeles Times. She previously worked at the Sacramento Bee, where she was a columnist and editorial board member covering housing, homelessness and social justice issues. Before the Bee, Smith wrote for the Indianapolis Star and Akron Beacon Journal. She is a recipient of the Sigma Delta Chi award for column writing, a graduate of Ohio University and a native of the long-suffering sports town of Cleveland.

About the moderator

Kimberly Adams is a D.C.-based correspondent for Marketplace. She previously worked as a freelance journalist based in Cairo, Egypt, covering the political, social, and economic upheaval in the country following the Arab Spring. Her work has been recognized with awards from the National Association of Black Journalists, the Religion Communicators Council, and the Association for Women in Communication.

About NPCJI

The National Press Club Journalism Institute promotes an engaged global citizenry through an independent and free press, and equips journalists with skills and standards to inform the public in ways that inspire civic engagement. As the non-profit of the National Press Club, the Institute serves as a beacon for journalism in the public interest.

Contact Julie Moos, executive director of the National Journalism Institute, with any questions at [email protected]