Stephen A. Smith Vows Fight After NABJ Gives Him 'Thumbs Down' Award at 2026 Gala
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Aug 16
Stephen A. Smith Vows Fight After NABJ Gives Him 'Thumbs Down' Award at 2026 Gala
1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 16
Summary
Stephen A. Smith said Sunday he would confront the National Association of Black Journalists after it singled him out with a "Thumbs Down" award at its Atlanta awards gala.
NABJ said Smith had shown a recurring pattern of disparaging prominent Black women and argued that such commentary undermines fair representation and conflicts with the group's standards.
Errin Haines, the group's president, said recipients could respond and change their conduct, but NABJ would keep speaking publicly; the presentation clip did not cite specific remarks by Smith.
The award was also given to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, CBS News, DuJuan McCoy and The Washington Post, while some attendees and media critics called the gala segment petty or politically driven.
Will Stephen A. Smith use his massive ESPN platform to wage a media war against the journalists who publicly shamed him?
After decades of mutual support, what specific breaking point turned a legendary sports broadcaster into a premier journalism association's ultimate target?
Can a high-profile public feud between a major media star and a journalism organization actually force a change in broadcasting culture?