SPJ President Sonny Albarado posted a blog called "On Shame and Shield Law" regarding the Obama administration's decision to encourage Congress to put the shield law back on their agenda. In the upcoming days, SPJ will be updating our shield law page to keep you informed about the law and any progress.

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Greg Linch, local investigations editor at The Washington Post, will conduct a breakout session at JournCamp D.C. Saturday, June 22. The session, "Talking Tech: Learning the Language(s) of Web Developers - and Then Some Code," is one of the first breakout sessions during the daylong training event at the Westin Hotel City Center in Washington. Continue reading Education opportunities + SPJ President's take on shield law

The Society of Professional Journalists applauds the reintroduction of bills in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives that would create protections for journalists who seek to keep their sources of information confidential from prosecutors and attorneys.

“I'm glad the subject is once again before Congress,” SPJ President Sonny Albarado said Tuesday. “We'll see whether Congress and the Obama White House can sustain the momentum once the embarrassment of the Justice Department's trampling of the First Amendment fades. Read complete press release

Related
— Freedom of the Prez: On shame and shield law
— Struggling to Report: The Fight for a Federal Shield Law
— Read the Bills [PDF]: H.R.1962 | S.987

Well, well, well.

SPJ is gearing up again to fight for a federal shield law to protect journalists and their sources from unwarranted snooping by government prosecutors and other lawyers.

In case you missed it, the Obama administration suddenly decided last Wednesday that it’s a good time to get Congress to resurrect the Shield Law legislation that languished unloved in 2010 after getting Senate Judiciary Committee approval.

This came after the Justice Department revealed on May 13 that it had secretly obtained the outgoing and incoming phone-call records for 20 lines at the Associated Press offices in Washington, New York and Hartford, Conn. AP wasn’t the target of the probe; the feds were trying to determine who leaked some allegedly classified information.

Continue reading On shame and shield law

Related: Struggling to Report: The Fight for a Federal Shield Law

Excellence in Journalism 2013 — August 24-26 in Anaheim, Calif. — is now open for business. Register online today, or visit the EIJ13 website for details about hotel, transportation and pricing.

— Register Online
— NEW! Breakout Sessions
— Conference Highlights
— Tentative Schedule at a Glance
— Registration Rates
— Exhibitors and Recruiters in the Journalism Expo
— Hotel and Travel Information
— Making the most of your stay in Anaheim

SPJ is committed to bringing you training and tools in all areas of journalism. In this daylong workshop, you'll get practical, skills-based professional development that will help you be a better journalist.

Our next installment of JournCamp will take place June 22 in Washington, D.C. Registration is open now, and you can find more details — including scheduled sessions and speaker bios — here.

Want even more details? Check out a recap of our last JournCamp, which took place last November in Chicago, to get an idea of what waits in store in D.C.

Delegates at the 2011 national convention approved a bylaws change that transforms the way SPJ elects members of its national board. In the past, candidates were selected by chapter delegates. Now elections will be inclusive of all members — one member, one vote.

Meet the Candidates
Meet, read about and connect with the people who have declared their candidacy for office.

Run for Office
Board members help define the Society. The board of directors provides vision, direction and leadership to SPJ, the nation's largest journalism organization. Find out what positions are open this election season — and find out how you can fill one of those seats.

— Additional information
— Special Qualifications
— Campaign Guidelines
— How to run

How to participate as a voting SPJ member
In the past, chapter delegates elected officers and board members. Now all members can cast their own vote via a new online voting system. Find out more here.

2013 Spring Conferences: Recaps from around the country

SPJ Recaps on Storify:
— SPJ in Norfolk, Va. [Region 2]
— MediAtlanta [Region 3]
— #SPJ42013: Journalism ethics and innovation galore [Region 4]
— SPJ in St. Louis, April 26-27 [Regions 5 and 7]
— An onslaught of journalism pro tips: #SPJOxford [Region 12]

Additional Recaps from conference attendees
— #SPJ2: "How I nabbed my first job" session [Region 2]
— SPJ Region 4 Spring Conference — Dayton, Ohio [Region 4]
— The SPJ Region 12 conference storyline [Region 12]
— SPJ Region 9 Conference 2013 [Region 9]
— SPJ Region 8 Conference tweets [Region 8]
— SPJ Region 10 Regional Conference [Region 10]

This collection of position papers, produced by the Society of Professional Journalists’ Ethics Committee, is intended to clarify SPJ’s position on specific ethical themes that frequently arise in journalism, and also to provide better guidance for journalists, academics, students and the public when consulting the SPJ Code of Ethics.

The following papers are available for immediate reference, with more — on using anonymous sources, undercover reporting, dealing with victims of tragedy, handling diversity coverage, privacy and news media accountability — to release over the coming months:

Newly Added:
— Reporting on Grief, Tragedy and Victims
— Anonymous Sources
— Accountability

Also Available:
— Using the SPJ Code
— Plagiarism
— Checkbook Journalism
— Political Involvement

The Society of Professional Journalists is pleased to announce the national winners of the 2012 Mark of Excellence Awards, recognizing collegiate work published or broadcasted during 2012. This year, student journalists submitted more than 4,600 entries.

Follow this link to see a list of winners and view their work.

The Mark of Excellence Awards honor the best in student journalism. The awards offer categories for print, radio, television, and online collegiate journalism.

The Society of Professional Journalists is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2012 Sigma Delta Chi Awards for excellence in journalism. Judges chose the winners from more than 1,700 entries in categories covering print, radio, television and online. The awards recognize outstanding work published or broadcast in 2012.

Click here to see a list of winners and view their work.

Dating back to 1932, the awards originally honored six individuals for contributions to journalism. The current program began in 1939, when the Society granted the first Distinguished Service Awards. The honors later became the Sigma Delta Chi Awards.

Founded in 1909 as Sigma Delta Chi, SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to a well- informed citizenry; works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists; and protects First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press.

Sigma Delta Chi Awards Banquet: Join Us!
The Society of Professional Journalists cordially invites you to attend the Sigma Delta Chi Awards Banquet. Follow this link to get the details and purchase tickets to the event.

Pulliam Award and Fellowship applications: Nominate someone or apply today

Eugene C. Pulliam Fellowship
The Eugene C. Pulliam Fellowship awards $75,000 to an editorial writer or columnist to help broaden his or her journalistic horizons and knowledge of the world. The money can be used to cover the cost of study, research and/or travel in any field. Click here for more information and learn how to apply.

Eugene S. Pulliam First Amendment Award
The Sigma Delta Chi Foundation presents the Eugene S. Pulliam First Amendment Award, honors a person or persons who have fought to protect and preserve one or more of the rights guaranteed by the First Amendment. The recipient wins $10,000 and is presented an engraved crystal at the Excellence in Journalism 2011 conference in New Orleans. The honoree receives transportation to and lodging at the event. Learn more about the award and how to apply here.

The postmark deadline for nominations is June 22.

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