Charlotte area TV journalist Ken Lemon has been elected president of the National Association of Black Journalists. A native of Wilmington and a reporter at WSOC-TV for almost 25 years, Lemon received 467 votes (66%). His opponent, Tre’vell Anderson, based in Los Angeles, received 236 (34%) votes.
“I am really honored for this opportunity — for this chance. I am grateful for all of the people who came out to vote,” says Lemon in a statement on the National Association of Black Journalists website. “Thank you to everyone that heard my message, and more importantly made sure I heard them. That’s what this is about! I am ready to do great things with our members.”
Grant Hines, a recent graduate of High Point University, was elected NABJ student representative, receiving 31 votes. He defeated his opponents, Alex Perry, who received 29 votes, and Anthony Council, who received 24 votes.
Hines is pursuing his master’s degree in communication and business leadership at High Point University. At High Point, he has served as president of HPUV, the on-campus broadcast club, and as vice president of the School of Communication Advisory Board.
The 4,000-member National Association of Black Journalists announced its 2023-2025 board of directors election results at a press conference Friday during its convention in Birmingham, Alabama.
Lemon is assigned to the station’s Gastonia bureau.
For more than a decade, the UNC Wilmington graduate and former student body president also has been active with the 4,000-member National Association of Black Journalists. He started by helping revive the Charlotte Area Association of Black Journalists in 2008.
Lemon previously served as the group’s vice president of broadcast. The term of office is two years.
Lemon says he ran for the unpaid position because he believes in “championing diversity in the media.” He wants to see diversity spread beyond just those on camera or whose bylines appear in print or websites, but to those who make the decisions in newsrooms.
“The more Black people you have in journalism, the more stories you’re going to have from communities that are often overlooked,” says Lemon. “When you have diversity in your ranks, no matter what you are producing, studies show you tend to produce a better product.”
Lemon has won numerous accolades over the years for his news coverage, including three Emmy Awards. Before coming to WSOC, he also worked for TV stations in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Wilmington.
The National Association of Black Journalists serves as a professional organization and advocate for individuals.