Registration is now open! The 2010 SPJ Convention & National Journalism Conference will take place from October 3-5 in Las Vegas.

— Official Convention Site
— Register Online
— Highlights
— Schedule
— Pricing Details
— Professional Development Programs
— Hotel and Travel Information
— Things to do in Vegas

As we face the many challenges of an evolving industry, strengthening SPJ’s diversity efforts is more important now that at any time in our organization’s history. The goal of the Diversity Leadership Fellows program, ultimately, is to increase the diversity participation of SPJ members within national committees and on the national board of directors. One of the ways to obtain this goal is to bring SPJ members of color to the convention and involve the Fellows in many aspects of the conference. This program is funded by the SDX Foundation.

The following people were selected to received Diversity Leadership Grants to attend the 2010 SPJ Convention & National Journalism Conference in Las Vegas.

Ever wonder what, exactly, goes into putting SPJ's annual convention together? This new blog, brought to you by the people helping put the 2010 National Convention together in Las Vegas, will give you an inside look, with new stories about convention planning, events, speakers and more appearing each week.

Latest entries:
– Doing social media the safe way
– Covering war and the military
– A website worth 10,000 words
– Gearing up for multi-media journalism
– An “explosion” of opportunity

The proposed Free Flow of Information Act, also known as the federal shield law, protects journalists from having to reveal their sources and documents. The law, if enacted, maintains vital information for citizens and ensures journalists and confidential informants won’t be silenced due to the threat of federal prosecution or subpoena.

For more information — including news updates, a message from SPJ President Kevin Smith, a shield law timeline and a list of journalism organizations that support the shield law — and to find out how you can help, please visit our redesigned shield law page.

The Society of Professional Journalists is here to support student journalists nationwide as they begin to mold their careers. Whether it’s a campus chapter, student media outlet or individual, SPJ is here to offer advice, training and up-to-date information on important freedom of information decisions.

Follow this link for resources that can help you and your chapter regarding freedom of information news and education.

May 2010 Print Institute Recap: May 23-26, 2010 was filled with lessons, hands-on training and networking opportunities as thirty-four journalists gathered in St. Petersburg, Fla. for SPJ’s Reporters Institute. Continue reading

June 2010 Broadcast Institute Recap: June 13-16, 2010 was filled with video critiques, networking opportunities and conversations on “eating the pizza” as twenty-nine journalists gathered in St. Petersburg, Fla. for SPJ’s Reporters Institute. Continue reading

SPJ Works: SPJ Reporters Institute a worthwhile program — take their word for it: By all accounts, the SPJ Reporters Institute for early career broadcast and video journalists was an overwhelming success. Continue reading

Since 2007, SPJ has held the Reporters Institute program to benefit early-career journalists. Graciously funded by the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation, the Reporters Institute brings 36 reporters together for three days of training, networking and camaraderie. The Institute, for journalists in years 1-3 of their career, was developed by industry trainers and young journalists who were dealing with the same challenges our participants face every day.

SPJ will hold two Reporters Institute program in spring of 2011. Check back often for information on upcoming Reporters Institute programs.

Coming to a state near you: Training in accessing public records!

Access Across America was a national FOI training tour for journalists that ran April 27 through June 11, 2010. It was sponsored by SPJ through a grant by the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation and aimed to spread training in acquiring public records. Freedom of Information Committee Chairman David Cuillier traveled the country by car providing training for chapters, newsrooms and open government coalitions. The intent was to reach as many journalists as possible, particularly those at smaller organizations who can’t afford to send people to conferences.

Cuillier completed the tour June 10 when he returned to his home state, Arizona. Cuillier visited 33 states, held 55 programs, covered 14,135 miles and talked to 1,009 people. The FOI guru said the tour “was the most rewarding experience of (his) professional life!” And based on the helpful feedback, we can confidently say that the 1,009 people Cuillier met with walked away from the sessions with a rewarding experience, too. Cuillier shares what he learned on his tour in his final blog post.

Dave's Access Across America Blog: Latest Entries
– A call to action: Hold the line on access!
– Day 45: Tour ends, but it’s just the beginning!
– Day 44: Coordinate a media dogpile
– Starting to see results from the tour
– Day 43: Teach readers about useful records

SPJ will invest $5,000 to fund local chapter programs during 2010-2011, and your chapter could receive up to $500 for your program or activity. All fully chartered SPJ chapters in good standing with the national organization are eligible to submit a grant proposal. Your chapter must have filed a 2009-2010 annual report by the stated deadline to be eligible. The deadline for Chapter Grant proposals is September 15, 2010, so apply today!

SPJ is seeking qualified individuals to serve as officers and directors for 2010-2011. The board of directors provides vision, direction and leadership to SPJ, the nation's largest journalism organization. Elections will be held at the 2010 SPJ Convention and National Journalism Conference in Las Vegas. For more information on available seats and to find out how you can participate, please follow this link.

2009 Sigma Delta Chi and Mark of Excellence Award Winners Announced

Announcing winners of the 2009 Sigma Delta Chi Awards for journalism: The Society of Professional Journalists is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2009 Sigma Delta Chi Awards for excellence in journalism.

Judges chose the winners from over 1,300 entries in categories covering print, radio, television and online. The awards recognize outstanding work published or broadcast in 2009. Read the complete release

SPJ announces 2009 Mark of Excellence national winners: The Society of Professional Journalists is pleased to announce the national winners of the 2009 Mark of Excellence Awards, recognizing collegiate work published or broadcasted during 2009. This year, student journalists submitted more than 3600 entries. Read the complete release

MOE Regional Winners: Click on each region's number to read a press release and see a list of winners in that region.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12

SPJ picks three members a month for a Q&A about freedoms, challenges and advice journalists have regarding access. The page is updated the first Tuesday of every month, so keep checking back to read the responses!

What Else is New at SPJ.org?

Legal Defense Fund Auction: Donation information and form are now available.

2010-2011 Chapter Grants Form Now Live: SPJ will invest $5,000 to fund local chapter programs during 2010-2011, and your chapter could receive up to $500 for your program or activity. For more information and to apply, follow this link.

Reporting Tools: Census Resources for Journalists: Covering the 2010 U.S. Census? Let this collection of links and resources assist in your reporting.

— 2010 Convention: At-a-glance schedule now available
— 2010 Working Press: Eligibility information, application available
— 2010 Convention: Hotel/travel information now available