Association of Food Journalists explained

The Association of Food Journalists (AFJ) was a US-based professional organization that operated from the early 1970s through 2024. It was created to promote high standards for journalists reporting and writing on food, the food industry, restaurants, cookbooks and related fields.[1] [2] [3]

Background

The AFJ was founded by Milwaukee Journal food editor Peggy Daum in response to blistering statements by U.S. Senator Frank Moss who, in an address at a food writers' conference in 1971, harshly accused food journalists, mainly women, of being strongly influenced by PR agencies and lobbyists for the food industry -- as well as their publications' advertising departments -- by accepting gifts, free travel and lodging, and other favors. Kimberly Wilmot Voss, a scholar of women's pages, where at the time most newspaper food writing appeared, points out that at the time, women were excluded from most major US professional journalism organizations.

Known for his consumer advocacy positions, Moss asked them, "Ladies, are you the pawns of your advertising managers -- or are you journalists?"[4] [5] The conference at which Moss spoke was the Newspaper Food Editors' Conference, which since 1943 had been hosted by The Newspaper Advertising Sales Associates with funding from major commercial food producers and lobbying organizations such as the American Meat Institute. Historically the weeklong conferences included product promotion.

Shortly after the conference, the Columbia Journalism Review published what Voss called a "scathing critique" of newspaper food sections, which further motivated women food journalists. At the time, many US newspapers still included advertising in their food sections.

Founding

A group of women gathered in Daum's conference hotel room the evening after Moss's speech and started planning a professional association for food writers. By 1974, it was up and running with 97 members. Daum became its first president, with Marian Burros of the Washington Star, later of The New York Times,[6] as vice president.

Work

The association gave awards for the best writing in various media categories[7] and held conferences for its members. Notable recipients of AFJ awards include Jackie Summers,[8] [9] David Leite,[10] Ted Genoways,[11] [12] [13] Russ Parsons[14] and Mikki Kendall.[15]

Central to the AFJ's purpose was its code of ethics intended to "protect its members’ integrity and preserve their credibility."[16] The code laid out guidelines for its members to follow to insure the journalistic standards of objectivity in their reporting and writing, free from outside influence.[17] The AFJ guidelines for restaurant reviewers included waiting at least a month before visiting a newly opened restaurant and to experience the restaurant meals "as anonymous as possible" -- considered standard practices today.

Dissolution

The association was dissolved in 2020 due to lack of funds; the organization's business model depended on print journalism organizations providing indirect financial support via paying their staffers' membership dues, their expenses for attending conferences, and their entry fees for awards.[18]

Notes and References

  1. Voss . Kimberly . Speere . Lance . Food Fight: Accusations of Press Agentry . Gastronomica . September 2013 . 13 . 2 . 41–50 . 25 September 2023 . University of California Press. 10.1525/gfc.2013.13.2.41 . 10.1525/gfc.2013.13.2.41 .
  2. Book: Sterling, Christopher H. . Encyclopedia of journalism. 6. Appendices . 2009-09-25 . SAGE . 978-0-7619-2957-4 . en.
  3. Book: Smith, Andrew . The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America . 2013-01-31 . OUP USA . 978-0-19-973496-2 . en.
  4. News: Mishan . Ligaya . What We Write About When We Write About Food . 26 September 2023 . T Magazine . The New York Times Company . February 18, 2022 . 97.
  5. Book: Voss . Kimberly Wilmot . The food section: newspaper women and the culinary community . 2014 . Rowman and Littlefield . Lanham . 978-1-4422-2720-0 . 68–69.
  6. Web site: Marian Burros-Recent and archived work by Marian Burros for The New York Times . . 25 September 2023.
  7. Web site: Tishgart . Sierra . Association of Food Journalists' Writing Competition Announces Winners . Grubstreet.com . Vox Media Media Inc. . 25 September 2023 . September 19, 2013.
  8. Web site: Rice is at the Intersection of Poverty and Comfort . 2022-07-27 . Plate . en.
  9. Web site: Kinsman . Kat . 1 October 2021 . It's Jackie Summers' Time to Shine . 13 May 2022 . Food & Wine.
  10. Web site: AFJonline.com . November 13, 2011 . AFJonline.com.
  11. Web site: 2016 Association of Food Journalists Awards Winners . 2016-06-02 . 2018-05-05 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180505065619/https://www.afjonline.com/blog/2017/5/29/and-the-winners-are- . dead .
  12. Web site: 2016 Association of Food Journalists Awards Finalists . 2016-06-02 . 2016-08-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160804185606/https://www.afjonline.com/awards/ . dead .
  13. Web site: 23 May 2014 . 2014 Association of Food Journalists Awards Finalists . 2016-06-02.
  14. Web site: 2008-06-09 . Russ Parsons in Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America . 2023-09-27 . Los Angeles Times . en-US.
  15. https://www.afjonline.com/awards-archive AFJ winners in 2018 Food Journalism Competition
  16. Web site: Raskin . Hanna . The Association of Food Journalists folded a year ago. Its ethics code remains as its proud legacy. . Poynter.org . The Poynter Institute for Media Studies, Inc. . 25 September 2023 . September 8, 2021.
  17. Web site: The Association of Food Journalists . Association of Food Journalists' Code of Ethics . 8 September 2021 . Poynter Institute for Media Studies, Inc. . 25 September 2023.
  18. Web site: Sugar . Rachel . August 19, 2020 . The Association of Food Journalists Is Shutting Down . 25 September 2023 . Grubstreet.com . Vox Media Network . AFJ no longer has the financial resources to function..