Interestingly, the Time article’s comments underscore what most news organizations still are slow to recognize: Thanks to the Web, their craft has morphed from a monologue to a conversation.

There’s another problem: In our soon to be so-called “majority minority”  country, the Time piece still was talking about local news for, basically, whites.

In contrast, although The Coastal Star covers a niche of mostly white oceanside towns south of Palm Beach, it also regularly includes my Interfaith21 column, seeking to cover the waterfront of diversity on area and other spiritual traditions.

In addition, the South Florida Times, another newspaper for which I write, is fulling its self-stated mission of “elevating the dialogue” in print and online from an African-American perspective, led by Publisher Robert Beatty, former Miami Herald general counsel and VP, and Brad Bennett, a former Miami Herald and Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel editor.

The link from the Time article to “25 sites you can’t live without” also illustrates the problem. With no disrespect to any on the list, or to anyone else, does the Time editor really think we can’t live without Television Without Pity.com‘s TV series recaps and reviews, where on a scan of the home page, nary a soon-to-be-majority face was to be found?

Again, given that our children’s children’s children are likely to be paying for our nation’s misadventures in Iraq and Afghanistan, wouldn’t the range of information and views at Altmuslim or Informed Comment be more topical for such a list?

Or — since we’re on the subject of “What’s happening to our newspaper(s)?” —  how about an invaluable source for media watchers — the Journalisms online column by veteran Richard Prince, of whom not so coincidentally, commentator Faye Anderson said on her Facebook page today: “Happy Birthday to the Prince of Peacemaking’ among old and new media.”

In any event, it appears that the “hyperlocal” story soon will not be so whitebread.

Yet another shameful news media performance — and another reason the online Journalisms column, by my Trotter Group colleague Richard Prince, is must media reading:

“If ever one needed evidence of how uninformed the Sunday talk shows are on racial matters, the hyped-up controversy over private remarks about Barack Obama by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, released in a new book, provide Exhibit A.”

OK, now that I have your attention with that Faux News headline, make that the National Association of Black Journalists convention, from which I’m back — and once again lauding our aspiring student journalists. See the site produced by the NABJ Student Media Project for examples of their outstanding work in print, photography, radio, TV and online. You may be watching the next Oprah — or the person who one day may run — or own — her and Bill Gates’ companies.

Meeting these kids, encouraging their work and watching them grow is one of the most rewarding aspects of our annual meets. There also are the professional development sessions, the chances to compare notes with pioneers and peers, meeting and hearing from the newsmakers who join us, and the family reunion atmosphere.

For years I reported to my Palm Beach Post readers about the newsmakers who addressed NABJ — such as candidates Barack and Hillary in 2007.

(In that column I mentioned my first NABJ, 1984 in Atlanta, where during a luncheon, then-Mayor Andrew Young made headlines by referring to presidential candidate Walter Mondale’s staff as a bunch of “smart-assed white boys.” Mr. Young proved himself a smart-ass during the recent presidential campaign, but that’s another post.)

This year I spent less time in the newsmaker events, and more in sessions improving skills for my multimedia work and my freelance projects.

But as always there were the compelling sessions regarding which I plan to transcribe my notes and/or post photos. (The screening of comedian Chris Rock’s eye-opening, semi-documentary “Good Hair” jumps to mind.)

For now I have catching up to do and writing deadlines to meet.

In the meantime, for a succinct look at the convention, I highly recommend my friend Richard Prince’s online Journalisms column. It’s a must read for media-watchers even when NABJ isn’t happening.

I’ll add other notable links as more colleagues’ work comes to my attention:

Richard Prince discussing the convention on NPR’s “Tell Me More” with Michel Martin.

DeWayne Wickham, USA Today/Gannett columnist, pegged to Valerie Jarrett: “Is Obama helping blacks?”