E.R. Shipp
Encyclopedia
E.R. Shipp is an American journalist and columnist. As a columnist for the New York Daily News
, she was awarded the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary
for "her penetrating columns on race, welfare and other social issues."
. The "E.R." stands for "a good southern name" that she hasn't "grown into" yet. Except for a brief stay in public housing
, they lacked indoor plumbing and were forced to bring in buckets of water multiple times per day. Shipp attended the J.P. Carr School until 1968, when she transferred to Rockdale County High School
, where she was one of the first black students, and graduated in 1972. It was expected that she would work in a factory upon graduation but teachers pushed her to seek scholarships. She thought journalism "sounded a hell of a lot more interesting and easier than working in a factory" and began working as a home economics
correspondent for a local newspaper while still in high school.
Shipp graduated from Georgia State University
in 1976 with a BA in journalism and interned at the Atlanta Journal. She moved to New York City
and graduated from Columbia University
with an MS in journalism in 1979 and a JD
in 1980.
, in the New York Times Book Review, praised its "thoroughness" and wrote that the authors "chase down every lead, go down every blind alley, talk to every Deep Throat
, profile every character in a cast as long and exotic as that of a Solzhenitsyn
novel." Shipp also wrote the paper's obituary
for civil rights
leader Rosa Parks
. It is common practice to write obituaries of famous people in advance. Shipp began the obituary in 1988 and Parks died in 2005, long after Shipp left the Times.
In 1993 she left the Times to pursue graduate work in history. She earned an MA in history in 1994 and was working on a PhD thesis about relations between former slaves and former slave owners in rural Georgia, including an examination of her own family history. She also became an assistant professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
and was faculty supervisor of the student publication Bronx Beat.
Shipp began writing for the New York Daily News
as an op-ed
columnist in 1994. She said "If you feel passionate about a subject, the columns almost write themselves." Among the topics she wrote about the year she won the Pulitzer were affirmative action
, Johnnie Cochran
and the O. J. Simpson murder trial, and the Million Man March
. "There are no sacred cows
in a Shipp column", wrote the Daily News in the letter nominating her for a Pulitzer. Her columns have prompted angry feedback, including from members of her own church, the Abyssinian Baptist Church
in Harlem
, when she criticized her pastor Calvin O. Butts
in one column. However, when Shipp was awarded the Pulitzer, Butts led his congregation in a standing ovation from the pulpit.
From 1998 to 2000, Shipp served as the ombudsman
at the Washington Post, which had one of the few and perhaps the most independent of such positions in the US news media. Responsible for discussing the Posts policies and editorial decisions, among the issues she discussed in her column were the murder of Jesse Dirkhising and the coverage of the candidates in the 2000 presidential election
. She complained about the inaccessibility of the newsroom and its lack of communication with readers but expressed hope that these issues could be addressed.
In 2005, Shipp left Columbia and became the Lawrence Stessin Distinguished Professor of Journalism at Hofstra University
.
New York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
, she was awarded the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary
Pulitzer Prize for Commentary
The Pulitzer Prize for Commentary has been awarded since 1970. The Pulitzer Committee issues an official citation explaining the reasons for the award.-List of winners and their official citations:...
for "her penetrating columns on race, welfare and other social issues."
Early life and education
Shipp was born the oldest of six children to an extremely poor family in Conyers, GeorgiaConyers, Georgia
Conyers is the only city in Rockdale County, Georgia, USA. It is twenty-four miles east of Atlanta. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 10,689. Census estimates of 2005 indicate a population of 12,205. The city is the county seat of Rockdale County. By 2009, the reported population was...
. The "E.R." stands for "a good southern name" that she hasn't "grown into" yet. Except for a brief stay in public housing
Public housing
Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is owned by a government authority, which may be central or local. Social housing is an umbrella term referring to rental housing which may be owned and managed by the state, by non-profit organizations, or by a combination of the...
, they lacked indoor plumbing and were forced to bring in buckets of water multiple times per day. Shipp attended the J.P. Carr School until 1968, when she transferred to Rockdale County High School
Rockdale County High School
Rockdale County High School is located in the heart of Conyers, Georgia, USA, in the old-town district. RCHS is one of three high schools located in Rockdale County. The other schools are Heritage High School, Salem High School, and the Rockdale Career Academy...
, where she was one of the first black students, and graduated in 1972. It was expected that she would work in a factory upon graduation but teachers pushed her to seek scholarships. She thought journalism "sounded a hell of a lot more interesting and easier than working in a factory" and began working as a home economics
Home Economics
Home economics is the profession and field of study that deals with the economics and management of the home and community...
correspondent for a local newspaper while still in high school.
Shipp graduated from Georgia State University
Georgia State University
Georgia State University is a research university in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Founded in 1913, it serves about 30,000 students and is one of the University System of Georgia's four research universities...
in 1976 with a BA in journalism and interned at the Atlanta Journal. She moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and graduated from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
with an MS in journalism in 1979 and a JD
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
in 1980.
Career
She began working for the New York Times in 1980. She spent thirteen years there, working as a reporter and editor until 1993. In 1990, she and five other Times reporters published the book Outrage: The Story Behind the Tawana Brawley Hoax. Ellen GoodmanEllen Goodman
Ellen Goodman is an American journalist and Pulitzer Prize-winning syndicated columnist.- Career :Goodman worked as a researcher and reporter for Newsweek magazine between 1963 and 1965, and has worked as an associate editor at the Boston Globe since 1967.In 1998, Goodman received the Elijah...
, in the New York Times Book Review, praised its "thoroughness" and wrote that the authors "chase down every lead, go down every blind alley, talk to every Deep Throat
Deep Throat
Deep Throat is the pseudonym given to the secret informant who provided information to Bob Woodward of The Washington Post in 1972 about the involvement of United States President Richard Nixon's administration in what came to be known as the Watergate scandal...
, profile every character in a cast as long and exotic as that of a Solzhenitsyn
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Aleksandr Isayevich Solzhenitsyn was aRussian and Soviet novelist, dramatist, and historian. Through his often-suppressed writings, he helped to raise global awareness of the Gulag, the Soviet Union's forced labor camp system – particularly in The Gulag Archipelago and One Day in the Life of...
novel." Shipp also wrote the paper's obituary
Obituary
An obituary is a news article that reports the recent death of a person, typically along with an account of the person's life and information about the upcoming funeral. In large cities and larger newspapers, obituaries are written only for people considered significant...
for civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
leader Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks
Rosa Louise McCauley Parks was an African-American civil rights activist, whom the U.S. Congress called "the first lady of civil rights", and "the mother of the freedom movement"....
. It is common practice to write obituaries of famous people in advance. Shipp began the obituary in 1988 and Parks died in 2005, long after Shipp left the Times.
In 1993 she left the Times to pursue graduate work in history. She earned an MA in history in 1994 and was working on a PhD thesis about relations between former slaves and former slave owners in rural Georgia, including an examination of her own family history. She also became an assistant professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
The Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism is one of Columbia's graduate and professional schools. It offers three degree programs: Master of Science in journalism , Master of Arts in journalism and a Ph.D. in communications...
and was faculty supervisor of the student publication Bronx Beat.
Shipp began writing for the New York Daily News
New York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
as an op-ed
Op-ed
An op-ed, abbreviated from opposite the editorial page , is a newspaper article that expresses the opinions of a named writer who is usually unaffiliated with the newspaper's editorial board...
columnist in 1994. She said "If you feel passionate about a subject, the columns almost write themselves." Among the topics she wrote about the year she won the Pulitzer were affirmative action
Affirmative action
Affirmative action refers to policies that take factors including "race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or national origin" into consideration in order to benefit an underrepresented group, usually as a means to counter the effects of a history of discrimination.-Origins:The term...
, Johnnie Cochran
Johnnie Cochran
Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr. was an American lawyer best known for his leadership role in the defense and criminal acquittal of O. J...
and the O. J. Simpson murder trial, and the Million Man March
Million Man March
The Million Man March was a gathering of social activists, en masse, held on and around the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on October 16, 1995...
. "There are no sacred cows
Sacred cow (idiom)
Sacred cow is an idiom, a figurative reference to sacred cows in some religions. This idiom is thought to originate in American English, although similar or even identical idioms occur in many other languages....
in a Shipp column", wrote the Daily News in the letter nominating her for a Pulitzer. Her columns have prompted angry feedback, including from members of her own church, the Abyssinian Baptist Church
Abyssinian Baptist Church
The Abyssinian Baptist Church is among the most famous of the many prominent and activist churches in the Harlem section of New York City.- History :...
in Harlem
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
, when she criticized her pastor Calvin O. Butts
Calvin O. Butts
Calvin O. Butts, III , is the Pastor of the Abyssinian Baptist Church in the City of New York, President of the State University of New York College at Old Westbury, and Chairman and founder of the Abyssinian Development Corporation, an engine for $500 million in housing and commercial development...
in one column. However, when Shipp was awarded the Pulitzer, Butts led his congregation in a standing ovation from the pulpit.
From 1998 to 2000, Shipp served as the ombudsman
Ombudsman
An ombudsman is a person who acts as a trusted intermediary between an organization and some internal or external constituency while representing not only but mostly the broad scope of constituent interests...
at the Washington Post, which had one of the few and perhaps the most independent of such positions in the US news media. Responsible for discussing the Posts policies and editorial decisions, among the issues she discussed in her column were the murder of Jesse Dirkhising and the coverage of the candidates in the 2000 presidential election
United States presidential election, 2000
The United States presidential election of 2000 was a contest between Republican candidate George W. Bush, then-governor of Texas and son of former president George H. W. Bush , and Democratic candidate Al Gore, then-Vice President....
. She complained about the inaccessibility of the newsroom and its lack of communication with readers but expressed hope that these issues could be addressed.
In 2005, Shipp left Columbia and became the Lawrence Stessin Distinguished Professor of Journalism at Hofstra University
Hofstra University
Hofstra University is a private, nonsectarian institution of higher learning located in the Village of Hempstead, New York, United States, about east of New York City: less than an hour away by train or car...
.
External links
- 1996 Pulitzer Prize Winners
- E.R. Shipp at The Root