Journalist Roland Martin took to Twitter this afternoon to chastise HBCU presidents and chancellors for a lack of media outreach from the campuses, specifically to his digital media outlets.
In a lengthy thread, Martin said that his efforts to find research on HBCU social media channels did not prove helpful in finding black college expertise.
rolandsmartin on Twitter
To all of my HBCU presidents: PLEASE do a better job promoting the innovative work your professors are doing! I am working on a video project and it has been difficult to find interesting story angles based on the research and focus of your professors. My team has scoured social
rolandsmartin on Twitter
Media of a lot of HBCUs, and their websites, and they are devoid of this type of stuff. Every HBCU should have their top 10-20 professors who are subject matter experts on their website. You can’t make it hard for media to find folks.
rolandsmartin on Twitter
I’ve said this too many times before: HBCU presidents, I don’t know what your university relations/PR folks are doing, but they are NOT pitching your professors properly. I have been doing #RolandMartinUnfiltered since Sept. 4, and not one HBCU has pitched their professors to
rolandsmartin on Twitter
Discuss current events. Look at all of the Black candidates who were running. I didn’t get one pitch from an HBCU to have their professors on my show. I’ve done @TJMShow for 10 years, and I rarely have had an HBCU pitch their professors.
rolandsmartin on Twitter
Now numerous HBCU presidents have wanted to do @TJMShow @tvonetv #NewsOneNow and #RolandMartinUnfiltered, but we do so many topics, and it would be great to have subject matter experts from HBCUs. I can’t put you on if I don’t know you exist. I’m 100% serious!
rolandsmartin on Twitter
It’s the job of the university relations/PR departments at HBCUs to be doing this. They should be blowing up my email and that of my producers. This is free branding, and HBCUs overall are NOT doing it. Here you had the Mississippi race with @espyforsenate.
rolandsmartin on Twitter
NOT ONE HBCU in Miss. hit me to have their political science professors on to discuss @espyforsenate, Black voters or turnout. NOT ONE HBCU in Florida did the same about @AndrewGillum. NOT ONE in Georgia did to talk @staceyabrams. HBCU presidents, you should be asking why?
rolandsmartin on Twitter
Lastly HBCU PR folks: if Inhitntiu today for a guest, I need to to hit me back TODAY. Tomorrow is too late. EVERY HBCU should have a go-to list of professsors they are pitching to talk politics and law. Why?… https://t.co/fU8YfpvOBw
rolandsmartin on Twitter
The Trump White House climate change report was all the rage since Friday. Where are the HBCU climate change experts? Why weren’t the colleges pitching them for National Media? Radio? TV? Digital?
rolandsmartin on Twitter
I want to use HBCU experts. But the schools MUST be pushing them. This is not a criticism. It’s a constructive critique.
Martin’s most recent broadcasts with HBCU topics include a response to a Twitter follower about his attending Texas A&M University, an alleged prostitution ring at Fort Valley State University, gerrymandering impacts on North Carolina A&T State University and voter suppression at Prairie View A&M University’s campus-based polling sites.
