Beyonce To Receive Journalism Award

Beyonce is one of the most influential people in the world, the most beautiful woman in the world, and now she’s apparently an award winning journalist. The New York Association of Black Journalists will give Beyonce an award for journalism on May 15th for a piece she wrote in Essence Magazine.

The NY Daily News reports that Beyonce will be receiving her journalism reward for her piece “Eat, Play, Love,” which originally appeared in the June 2011 edition of Essence Magazine. The story was written about Beyonce’s year off from entertainment as she traveled around the world with husband Jay-Z. Beyonce wrote about “savoring” the “tiny moments” while jumping from yachts and hitting Tokyo nightclubs.

Essence entertainment director Cori Murray said:

“She’s a real writer. We had to edit her, but everyone gets edited except Toni Morrison.”

But not everyone is happy with Beyonce’s journalism award. Clutch Magazine calls it an insult to black journalists. The magazine doesn’t fault Beyonce for trying her hand at writing (they do give props to Beyonce’s ghost writer), but it does criticize the New York Association of Black Journalists for “kissing Beyonce’s ass.”

Clutch Magazine writes:

“I’m stunned because the NYABJ proved with that one insulting decision that they are willing to kiss Beyoncé’s a** at the expense of hard-working journalists everywhere… There is no way in the hell that they can convince anyone that not one, single, solitary article in the “arts and entertainment” category was more “artistic” and “entertaining” than a diary about discovering a love for artichokes and learning to appreciate the little things.”

Robert Naylor, who ran the Associated Press Diversity Council for thirty years, journalism pioneer Gil Noble, will also be receiving awards from the New York Association of Black Journalists.

Do you think Beyonce deserved to win an award for journalism?