Society for Features Journalism

Apply now | 2012 Winners | Past Diversity Fellows

The Society for Features Journalism, formerly American Association of Sunday and Features Editors, awarded Diversity Fellowships to two minority journalists to attend the professional organization’s annual conference.

Helaine Williams, 2012 Diversity Fellow

Helaine R. Williams, 50
Feature writer and columnist, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Little Rock, Ark.

Helaine was born in Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. And grew up in Little Rock and Woodson, Ark. Helaine is a 1980 honor graduate of what is now Wilbur D. Mills University Studies High School. She attended the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. In 1998, Helaine graduated in August 2000 with a bachelor of arts degree in journalism at UALR.

In May 1981, Helaine went to the then-Arkansas Democrat as a city desk news assistant. Nearly two years later, she became a consumer affairs reporter and wrote a newspaper column, “Action and Answers” for four years. She moved to the Democrat’s Style department as bridal editor. In 989, Helaine took over a weekly column, “Let’s Talk” and was promoted to the position of reporter for the LifeStyle section. Her stories appear in the Style, ActiveStyle, Family, Weekend, and HomeStyle sections, as well as the High Profile section. Helaine also writes a biweekly fashion column, “Dressing Room.”

Q: How did you get started in journalism?

A: I have written since third grade – it was then that I began a popular series of stories about a fictitious club with my favorite classmates and me as characters/club members. So I have known since then that my career would involve putting pen to paper, so to speak. I got my first taste of journalism while serving on yearbook and newspaper staffs in junior and senior high school. My very first column, Palmerphernalia (a play on my maiden name), ran in The Galaxy, my high school newspaper. In 1979, just prior to my senior year of high school, I attended an Urban Minority Journalism Workshop at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. This workshop solidified my decision to go into journalism.

Q: What is the strangest assignment you’ve ever had?

A: I have had my share of those. Topping them all, I would say, is the story I did some years ago about male exotic dancers, which was both strange and, ahem, fun.

Q. Why do feature stories matter?

A: Not to knock my hard-news comrades, but there is so much BAD news in the regular news these days that it can get to be a real downer. I consider feature writing to be my ministry in that it often uplifts as well as entertains and informs. And people need to know the good things that are going on in the community. We all have a story to tell, and I love pulling personal stories out of people. My reward comes when readers tell me “Hey, your columns are the first thing I read when I open the paper in the morning,” or “Thanks for letting me know about that (organization, store, product, class pastime, etc.). I think I’m going to give it a try.”

Q: What do you hope to get out of the conference?

A: Frankly, I’m hoping that this old gal will learn some new, 21st-century, technology-driven feature writing tricks. I also hope to learn how my fellow conference-goers handle their jobs, as well as find in them a new support system.

Q: Why is the Society for Features Journalism an important organization in today’s changing (and sometimes challenging) times in the news business?

A: The journalism field took a tragic hit when the economy tanked, and those of us who remain need each other like never before. There’s also the unfortunate perception of Features departments as being the “red-headed stepchildren” of the newsrooms. Strength lies in groups as well as in numbers … and groups such as the society are key in reminding our colleagues in other aspects of journalism that we do matter.

Christina Rosales, 2012 Diversity Fellow

Christina Rosales, 23

Reporter, The Dallas Morning News

Christina is originally from Laredo, Texas, where she grew up speaking the Tex-Mex dialect of Spanglish.

Upon graduating from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, she interned for the Dallas Morning News on the enterprise and projects desk.

She was hired as a breaking news reporter at the end of her internship, covering everything from homelessness and homicides to abandoned donkeys and Deion Sanders.

Q: How did you get started in journalism?

A: I got my journalism start in high school. I competed in deadline news writing contests in academic competitions. During one of the local meets, the Laredo Morning Times editor at the time, Diana Fuentes, happened to be a judge. She waited until after the awards ceremony to approach me and she offered me a job as an editorial assistant and part-time reporter. I took it in a heartbeat. She coached me on the basics of working at a newspaper and being a reporter. She continued to mentor me throughout the year and through college and other internships. I credit her for being my journalism catalyst.

Q: What is the strangest assignment you’ve ever had?

A: Aside from covering double, triple and a sextuple homicide (by far the strangest and most tragic), I once had to do a story on K2 and synthetic marijuana. The most interesting part was going to head shops where the stuff was sold. I changed out of my polka dotted dress and pearls and into a tie-dye Beatles t-shirt and jeans in the middle of the work day to blend in and buy some K2. I asked which brand would “do the job” for the cheapest and what exactly was used to smoke the stuff. The store clerk laughed and asked “What are you really doing here?”

Q: Why do feature stories matter?

A: Feature stories matter because they have the ability to give readers a bit of a haven from politics and scandal. Feature stories on Web pages and broadsheets are spaces where writers can tell stories that connect readers to people, groups or places and reveal underlying themes of our lives and world. They offer readers and subjects common experiences and we, as feature writers, can facilitate this.

Q: What do you hope to get out of the conference?

A: I hope to learn more about different ways to tell stories and to be around journalists who are excited about their craft and careers.

Q: Why is the Society for Features Journalism an important organization in today’s changing (and sometimes challenging) times in the news business?

A: I think the SFJ gives hope to writers and storytellers who feel as though there’s no space for them to tell feature stories. The SFJ joins journalists who are incredibly smart and all have something to bring to the table to learn more about what we can do to make our voices as feature writers and storytellers heard in our newsrooms. 

The Diversity Fellowship offers an opportunity for journalists of color to gain a broader experience in features and underscores SFJ’s commitment to diversity within our newsrooms. The society’s membership is open to any features writer interested in sharing and learning from a community dedicated to advancing storytelling in our society.