[NFBOH-Cleveland] Announcing a New Editor and Why It Should Matter to You! By Mark Riccobono

[smturner.234 at gmail.com]

Announcing a New Editor and Why It Should Matter to You

by Mark Riccobono

This article is to announce the new editor of the Braille Monitor. There is
much groundwork that should be laid before we get to that announcement. So,
if you are the type who gets right to the point, feel free to skip to the
end but be sure to come back to put the announcement in context.

Let's remind ourselves why the Braille Monitor matters. The first editor of
the Braille Monitor, George Card, wrote in the inaugural issue of this
monthly publication in July, 1957, "According to the dictionary a 'monitor'
is a person who 'advises, warns, or cautions.' A Braille monitor is one who
carries on this function for the blind, and this is the pledge of the
editors of this magazine." Since that time, with some exceptions, eleven
times a year the Braille Monitor has been delivering blind-centered,
blind-led, and unapologetically strong content related to the blind of this
nation and sometimes the world. For the last sixty years, the publication
has been extremely reliable and is a core part of the Federation's budget
every year. It is available in multiple formats and accepts submissions from
a diverse range of blind people. If you are reading this, you are eligible
to submit an article. The Braille Monitor is our publication, and it is a
key tool in sharing our stories, elevating our concerns, and mobilizing
members for action. As we launch into 2025, as individuals we have a range
of tools available to us to tell our stories. These tools are, of course,
available to the Federation as well. Blogs, social media platforms, video-
and audio-sharing sites, and other online forums allow fast sharing of
information. We also know that fast does not always mean accurate or
truthful. As the Federation has added the new media tools to its
communications strategy, the Braille Monitor has stood the test of time as
our shared means of documenting our collective history and mobilizing action
for tomorrow. Whenever I have a historical question, I know I can find a
thoroughly researched answer in the Braille Monitor. With our archives
available online going all the way back to 1957, there is a goldmine of
information about the progress blind people have made. We need that
connection into the future. The Braille Monitor is that highly accurate,
deep-dive publication. Furthermore, having an article written about you in
the Braille Monitor is a great honor if you are doing good things and it is
a great accountability mechanism if you are not. As we move to a new editor,
we have another opportunity to rethink and reformulate how our flagship
publication represents our aspirations for the future. If we do it right, in
twenty years, the Braille Monitor will be the source of accurate information
for how we dealt with the pressing issues we face today. Furthermore, it
will serve as a reliable measuring stick for the progress we have made as it
has since 1957. For an extensive history of the publication through 1990,
you can consult the section "On The Record: The Evolution of the Braille
Monitor" (https://nfb.org/sites/default/files/images/nfb/
<https://nfb.org/sites/default/files/images/nfb/publications/books/wamt/wam1
5.htm> 
publications/books/wamt/wam15.htm) from Walking Alone and Marching Together
(which was published to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of our
organization). A companion piece covering the next two decades of the
Braille Monitor was published by Barbara Pierce when she turned the role
over in January 2010. Read her reflections in "A Generation at the Editor's
Desk."
(https://nfb.org/sites/default/files/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm10/bm1001/
bm100103.htm)

What is the role of the editor of the Braille Monitor? I was struggling with
a new way to articulate it, so I called on ChatGPT. My prompt yielded this
response with some minor edits by me:

The role of the editor of the Braille Monitor is both a steward and a voice
of the National Federation of the Blind's values and aspirations. As editor,
one is tasked with not just curating information but shaping a publication
that inspires, informs, and unites readers. The editor is responsible for
identifying and amplifying stories that reflect the lived experiences,
challenges, and triumphs of blind people across the country, making sure
that each issue resonates deeply with members and allies of the NFB. Through
articles, personal narratives, policy updates, and resources, the editor
crafts a publication that strengthens our collective resolve and furthers
our advocacy efforts.

This role also requires a keen understanding of the issues facing the blind
community today, alongside a commitment to fostering open, sometimes
difficult conversations that ultimately serve to facilitate dialogue within
the community toward a shared understanding or policy position. The editor
must balance journalistic integrity with the heart of a movement, curating
content that uplifts, challenges, and celebrates blind people's
contributions to society. In essence, the editor of the Braille Monitor
helps to set the tone and narrative for our movement, reinforcing that,
together, we're building a future where blind people live the lives they
want.

I would add that the editor's job has always been more expansive than just
the publication. Often the editor assists with crafting written statements
on behalf of the organization, contributes to the overall communications
strategy, and serves as a thoughtful researcher in helping the elected
leadership sort through new issues. The editor informs the organization's
style guide and helps to ensure that all publications share a value of
accuracy and integrity. While many people contribute to our communications
strategy, the editor of the Braille Monitor is a senior position that
requires deep understanding of the people within the movement and the issues
blind people face. Furthermore, while it is not an elected position-it is a
paid staff position assigned by the President-it has the potential of making
waves within the democracy of the Federation. After all, some people are
very opinionated about what does or does not get published. The editor is
given the discretion to make judgments consistent with Federation policy.
This may sound simple but there is a lot of territory where the Federation
has not yet taken a position through our national convention. Furthermore,
you may have noticed that we have done a great job of empowering blind
people to be self-advocates. Thus, our editors get a lot of criticism but
rarely praise for the steady work they do. There have been nine editors of
the Braille Monitor by my count. Barbara Pierce was the first truly
full-time, long-serving editor. Between Barbara and our current editor, Gary
Wunder, they have guided the publication for more than half of its
existence.

Why get a new editor (or what's wrong with Gary Wunder)? Those who know Gary
Wunder will understand what Gary might say to the question of "What's wrong
with Gary Wunder?" His sense of humor is one of his many outstanding
qualities. The reason for this change now is precisely that there is nothing
wrong with Gary Wunder. He is healthy in body and mind, and his energy for
the movement seems to me to be as high as ever. He could continue to serve
expertly as our editor, but we also know that planning for a successful
transition is part of the responsibility of leaders in our movement. Gary
and I have talked for some time about planning for this transition so that
we have time to onboard a new editor while Gary is available to advise and
mentor. We agreed that the time has come.

While this is not a farewell for Gary Wunder, it allows me a moment of
personal privilege to talk about our outgoing editor. I first met Mr. Wunder
at the Wisconsin affiliate convention in 1997. I was a college student, and
I was living in Florida that semester as I was in the Walt Disney World
College Program. I flew back to participate in the convention. Having Gary
Wunder there as national representative made it worth every sacrifice I had
to make as a poor college student. I have been blessed to observe Gary's
work, learn from his example (and his lessons learned that he openly
shares), and work closely with him on many projects. In many ways, I am
still being mentored by him although I have been supervising his work for a
decade. The heart and thoughtfulness he puts into the Braille Monitor,
actually into everything he does, is truly extraordinary. If there is a
Federationist that everyone feels at ease talking to, it's Gary Wunder.
While his name has appeared as editor of the Braille Monitor, he has
expertly used his quiet writing guidance to improve everything from banquet
speeches to oral interviews with people who did not feel comfortable writing
their own story. He always is respectful to the work of the individual he is
working with, while making subtle suggestions that strengthen the core
message. If you have been fortunate to work closely with him, you have also
likely received his emails that frequently contain some quip intended to
make you laugh or realize that things are not as heavy as you thought.
During these past fourteen years that his impressions have been left within
the pages of the Braille Monitor as our editor, you can find all of the
qualities he has given to our movement. You can find him grappling with
emerging issues, sharing his heart for blind people who have been beaten
down, and expressing gratitude for the thousands who have contributed to a
moment we have celebrated, his plain language approach to complicated issues
intended to draw all of us into our shared fight. Fortunately, we will not
miss Gary because he will still be a critical part of our Federation
communications group and, if I know our new editor at all, Gary will be
tasked with writing some more articles for us.

With that, I want to publicly thank Gary Wunder for his tremendous service
as our editor and his success in helping to plan for a transition to the
next editor. My short remarks do not do justice to the tremendous impact (or
is that effect) of Gary's contributions as our editor-that being only one of
a number of significant roles he has played in our movement. I am proud to
continue to call him a friend and colleague.

What about that announcement? Thank you for hanging in there as all of the
above is important background to the announcement of the next editor of the
Braille Monitor. Please welcome Chris Danielsen! Originally from South
Carolina, Chris came to know the Federation at a formative time in his young
life. Although his parents expected much of him, Chris had to overcome the
societal low expectations and his own internalization of those
misunderstandings. He got to know Federation leaders like Donald Capps and
was selected to receive a National Federation of the Blind Scholarship.
However, it was not until he made the decision to receive training at the
Louisiana Center for the Blind that he feels he unlocked his true potential.

I first met Chris in November 2003 when we moved to Baltimore so I could
take a position on the Federation staff. Chris had been hired by President
Marc Maurer to tackle some new communications strategies. Chris described
himself as a recovering lawyer-he actually still does that today. He had
been hired two months before me; thus, Chris also has been a mentor to me in
many ways. In the twenty years that Chris has been at the center of our
communications work, he has been both a steady rock and a source of
innovation, pushing the organization to try new ideas. Our branding work,
the growth in our communications strategy, and our engagement with the media
are largely due to Chris's contributions and consistent efforts. He
engineered the media campaign around the Blind Driver Challenge in 2011
where we got more than one billion media impressions. And he did so even
while working through the personal loss of his father. That is not to say
that everything Chris has tried has worked. In fact, part of his success is
that he has pushed us to try things and, when they did not work for the
movement, he learned and found another thing to recommend. He continues to
find ways to push us, and he demonstrates a willingness to learn as he goes.
I think he is long past being a recovering lawyer but thank goodness we have
his legal skill as he often has to break down our legal victories into
communication-sized bites that all of us can understand.

His move to editor of the Braille Monitor is much more than simply a new
staff position. Chris is a dedicated member of the Federation who provides
leadership in our Greater Baltimore Chapter and within our Maryland
affiliate. He does not just take calls from reporters in the evenings, he
engages with a wide range of members of the chapter and dedicates time to
local advocacy. Chris currently serves as president of the Greater Baltimore
Chapter and second vice-president of the Maryland affiliate. He is working
with members at the local level, and he lives life as a blind person with
all of the same barriers that each of us encounter on a daily basis.

Chris thinks deeply about the things confronting blind people and how those
issues intersect with the broader concerns confronting all people in
society, and he is not afraid to learn from a variety of sources. I am
confident that Chris will take on this new important role with the same
commitment and thoughtfulness with which he has tackled each and every
assignment he has accepted in the movement. I am certain he will build on
the strong traditions and commitment to excellence that our previous nine
Monitor editors have shared. We do not expect him to do things exactly the
same or to express the same style in his editorship. Chris will bring his
own unique approach to the work of steering our flagship publication. We can
feel confident that in doing so he will be true to our brand, will be rooted
in our shared philosophy, and he will build on the policy priorities set by
our members. Thank you to Chris Danielsen for your service to the movement
and for taking on this extremely important role for us.

Now for your assignment. You can honor our outgoing editor and challenge our
incoming editor by writing something for the Braille Monitor. This is your
publication, and we need it to reflect your ideas and concerns. Take some
time to author something. If you need help, call on our editor, but remember
that your story is valuable within our movement. Let's flood our new editor
with content and find out what interesting things he can do with the
material we offer. This is our publication, and we all have a voice to offer
to the choir.

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