NABJ gives Stephen A. Smith, Brendan Carr and major news outlets its ‘Thumbs Down’ award

The organization used its annual Salute to Excellence ceremony in Atlanta to call out people and institutions it says have made the work of journalists harder.

The National Association of Black Journalists spent Saturday night celebrating excellence in Black journalism. But the organization also made room for accountability.

During its annual Salute to Excellence Awards ceremony at the 2026 NABJ Convention and Career Fair in Atlanta, the group presented its “Thumbs Down” award to ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr, CBS, The Washington Post and media executive DuJuan McCoy.

President Errin Haines made clear from the stage that the award was meant to be more than a public rebuke.

“We are here to confront the systems and the people whose choices make your jobs harder,” Haines told the audience. “We are here to defend the truth. And that means telling it even when the truth makes our friends uncomfortable, especially them.”

She described the award as “not simply a thumbs down, but a call to do better.”

“The door is open. The conversation is available and the opportunity to change is real,” Haines said. “But NABJ will not be silent. Not in this moment and not on my watch.”

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Haines closed by tying accountability directly to the role Black journalists have historically played in challenging powerful people and institutions.

“There can be no revolution without accountability,” she said. “There can be no accountability without courage. And there can be no Black journalism that is worthy of its history if we are afraid to speak truth to power.”

Stephen A. Smith called out over commentary about Black women

For Smith, the criticism centered on what the organization described as a pattern in his public commentary about Black women.

The ESPN personality and political commentator “has established a recurring public pattern of disparaging commentary directed at prominent Black women across politics, sports, and media,” according to the remarks delivered during the ceremony.

The concern, organizers said, goes beyond a single controversial comment.

“Such commentary reinforces harmful narratives, undermines the fair and respectful representation of Black women in public discourse, and stands in direct conflict with NABJ’s longstanding commitment to accurate, responsible, and inclusive portrayals of Black communities,” the organization said.

The criticism follows several high-profile moments involving Smith and prominent Black women.

As theGrio has previously reported, Smith faced backlash after criticizing Rep. Jasmine Crockett and questioning her political approach. He has also publicly criticized former Vice President Kamala Harris and former first lady Michelle Obama. Earlier this year, former MSNBC host Joy Reid accused him of repeatedly directing harsh commentary toward Black women.

That history offers additional context.

Brendan Carr faces criticism over press freedom

Carr’s inclusion centered on a different issue: the relationship between government authority and an independent press.

Since taking leadership of the FCC, Carr has “repeatedly used the agency’s regulatory authority in ways that have raised serious concerns about press freedom and editorial independence,” according to the presentation.

Organizers pointed to licensing scrutiny involving news organizations, along with Carr’s support for efforts pressuring media and communications companies to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

“Together these actions have contributed to a chilling environment for independent journalism and threatened the diversity of voices essential to serving the public interest,” the organization said.

CBS criticized over newsroom cuts and elimination of race and culture unit

CBS was called out over recent changes within its newsroom.

Its leadership eliminated the network’s race and culture unit and carried out workforce reductions that disproportionately affected journalists of color, according to the award presentation.

Organizers also cited ongoing internal disputes over editorial independence and newsroom decision-making.

“Taken together, these actions have diminished specialized coverage of underrepresented communities and raised significant concerns about the organization’s commitment to diverse journalism, editorial integrity, and public trust,” the presentation stated.

The concern goes beyond staffing numbers. Specialized teams focused on race and culture can bring deeper context, expertise and reporting relationships to communities that have historically been overlooked or inadequately covered by mainstream news organizations.

Washington Post cuts raise concerns about diversity and expertise

The Washington Post was similarly criticized over newsroom restructuring.

Recent reductions disproportionately affected Black journalists and other journalists of color, including reporters covering race, identity, extremism, protest movements and other public-interest beats, according to the presentation.

The cuts also weakened reporting capacity across opinion, international, local and sports coverage.

“These decisions diminished newsroom diversity and subject matter expertise at a moment when robust, inclusive journalism is critical to public accountability and democratic understanding,” the presentation stated.

DuJuan McCoy cited for allegations involving treatment of Black journalists

DuJuan McCoy, owner, president and CEO of Circle City Broadcasting, the parent company of Indianapolis television station WISH-TV, was also among the recipients.

His leadership “has been the subject of multiple allegations regarding the treatment of Black journalists,” according to the presentation. Organizers said those allegations raise concerns about workplace equity, newsroom culture and professional accountability.

“These reported practices are inconsistent with the standards of fairness, inclusion, and respect that NABJ has long championed throughout the journalism profession,” the organization said.

The remarks did not present the allegations as established findings. Instead, the award focused on concerns raised by the reported treatment of Black journalists and whether those practices align with the standards the association advocates for across the industry.

Taken together, this year’s Thumbs Down recipients reflect a range of concerns facing Black journalists and the broader news industry, from representation and newsroom diversity to workplace equity, editorial independence and government influence over media organizations.

Haines also made clear that publicly naming those concerns does not mean the door to conversation is closed.

The award, she said, is a call to do better.

It is also a reminder that the country’s largest organization representing Black journalists intends to speak up when the people, institutions and systems surrounding the profession fall short.