In a time of political and cultural divisions, the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) is closing the gaps. Professor Ty Rushing, one of SJMC’s newest faculty members, is the current mentor of the University of Iowa’s NABJ chapter, where he guides students on broadcast production and community outreach.  

Since 1977, the NABJ has provided quality services and opportunities for Black journalism students worldwide, including here at the University of Iowa.  

“Our chapter at Iowa is called Unity because it’s a place for everyone, and anyone who wants to tell culturally relevant stories is welcome to join,” Rushing said. Students have the choice to work with NURU, NABJ’s biannual publication, or for their new talk show, The Pulse.  

SJMC senior and chapter president Kabedi Mutamba was thrilled to resurrect the talk show. 

“When I first heard the idea, I liked it because I thought it would be more relatable to our audience,” Mutamba said. "The talk show is also more digestible because people our age do watch talk shows, or at least clips of them on social media.”  

NABJ was approached by Cinematic Arts Instructional Services Manager Angie Looney and SJMC Associate Professor Charles Munro to bring back the talk show, which had previously been an award-winning broadcast. Although UI’s NABJ only had four student members at the time, having a talk show immediately piqued their interest.  

“They highly encouraged us to get involved with video again,” Rushing said. “That little nudge was all Kabedi...needed to get the ball rolling on The Pulse. We all spitballed some ideas, but this show is her [Kabedi’s] baby and will be a part of her ongoing legacy at Iowa after she graduates in May.”  

Rushing, who previously worked as the chief political correspondent for Iowa Starting Line, was excited to have The Pulse center around culturally relevant stories from the surrounding communities. Their first episode featured Dr. Venise Berry, NABJ’s advisor emeritus, who promoted her new book The Black Superwoman: Power and Pain, a joint project with Dr. Janette Taylor. 

“I attended the taping, and it was surreal in the best way,” Rushing said. “Kabedi was hosting and directing while Dawson Chritian and Sydney Parker, two of our younger members, worked the cameras. It was a really rewarding experience to see them all in action.”  

Mutamba has already edited the second episode after the success of the first. In the beginning, however, she was nervous about how it would be received.  

“As a journalist in this day and age, I often wonder if people care because with the way media looks now and with how people interact with it,” she said.

Mutamba’s concerns are not unfounded; according to a 2025 Gallup poll, only 28% of Americans trust, “...newspapers, television and radio to report the news fully, accurately and fairly.” Younger generations are especially apprehensive, so Mutamba and Professor Rushing were relieved to see how many people were interested in The Pulse.

When asked about his future ambitions for The Pulse, Rushing said, “Ultimately, I would love to continue to grow the chapter and ensure it will always be available to Iowa students who want to tell culturally relevant stories year-round. The kinship and fellowship that NABJ provides are unique and necessary.

Rushing invites anyone interested in joining or featuring on The Pulse to contact him at trushing@uiowa.edu.