SPJ News

SPJ ethics leaders decry editorial interference at LA Times and Washington Post amid debate over presidential endorsements

Mon, 28 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0500

CONTACT:
Caroline Hendrie, SPJ National Executive Director, chendrie@hq.spj.org
Kim Tsuyuki, SPJ Communications Specialist, ktsuyuki@hq.spj.org

Update: Jeff Bezos, the owner of The Washington Post, issued a statement late Oct. 28 saying that he took a principled stand in ordering the paper not to publish its planned endorsement in the presidential race in the interest of combating public mistrust and perceptions of bias that undermine the news outlet’s independence. Read the full statement here and The Post’s story on it, including an update on editorial board member resignations, here.

INDIANAPOLIS – Society of Professional Journalists ethics leaders today denounced the apparent decisions by the owners of the Los Angeles Times and Washington Post to preventing their respective editorial boards from publishing endorsements for president just days before the election.

SPJ ethics leaders worry that this marks the beginning, and not the end, of such interference, which flouts the ideal of editorial independence. The SPJ Code of Ethics states that acting independently is one of four core principles of ethical journalism, and that journalists should "Deny favored treatment to advertisers, donors or any other special interests, and resist internal and external pressure to influence coverage.”

News reports indicate that last week L.A. Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos prevented staff at their respective newspapers from publishing presidential endorsements, leading to resignations and recriminations in both newsrooms.

“Journalists at both publications have pushed back. Good for them,” said Fred Brown, who has been chair of SPJ Ethics Committee several times, starting in 1999 and most recently from 2022 to 2024. “When there is an obvious difference between the candidates, it’s ridiculous and craven not to take a side when your tradition is to endorse.”

Lynn Walsh, a former ethics committee chair and SPJ National president, said, “This is definitely a slippery slope, and I don’t think it’s far-fetched that publishers or part-time owners might try to exert more control over editorial decisions in the future. If ownership begins dictating what stories can or can’t be published, it sets a precedent for compromising journalistic independence, which could lead to deeper restrictions on news coverage over time.”

Andrew Seaman, who chaired the SPJ ethics committee from 2014 to 2018, agreed: “Announcing that an organization that historically endorsed candidates won't do so only weeks before an election leaves a bad taste in people's mouths. My hope is that the firewall between the editorial/opinion pages and the news sections remains strong, but only time will tell. If any good comes from this, it's a public discussion about the role of endorsements, editorial pages, and the importance of independent newsrooms.”

The SPJ Code of Ethics notes that being accountable and transparent is a core principle of ethical journalism, and that journalists should "encourage a civil dialogue with the public about journalistic practices, coverage and news content." Yet, the Washington Post and L.A. Times have failed to fully and transparently disclose the reasoning behind suddenly choosing to break with their past precedents of endorsing candidates.

Despite endorsing presidents in every election since 1976, the Washington Post says it is “going back to its roots” of not endorsing candidates, while the L.A. Times owner has largely skirted the question of why it is not endorsing a candidate. Journalists, including the papers’ own employees, and members of the public have been left to speculate that newspapers’ owners are not endorsing a candidate for fear that doing so will negatively affect their business interests.

SPJ ethics committee member Eric Wishart noted that the Washington Post's decision not to endorse in the presidential race came despite its endorsements in congressional races earlier this month. "As the Post's former editor Marty Baron has pointed out, the paper's sudden policy change so close to the election comes after it endorsed Angela D. Alsobrooks for the U.S. Senate race in Maryland and Eugene Vindman for a House seat in Virginia," Wishart observed. "Why decide to single out the presidential election at the very last minute?"

While SPJ’s ethics leaders object to the recent decisions to cancel planned endorsements, their views vary on whether journalism is best served by news outlets endorsing political candidates.

After all, members of the public often fail to see a difference between a news outlet’s newsroom, which seeks to cover the news in a nonpartisan way, and its opinionated editorial board, and how news outlets seek to keep the two sides separate.

“I am not a fan of impartial news organizations endorsing presidential candidates,” Seaman said. “There was likely a time and place for that to happen – but not in today's climate, where trust in journalism is so low.”

Likewise, Walsh said that she has “never been a fan of endorsements by news organizations.”

“In the past, news outlets could lead people through an experience of consuming the news,” Walsh said. “Opinion was easy to tell apart from the news. It was neatly organized. Those days are over. There’s an abundance of opinion content online. So, my question is: Do people care who a news organization wants to win an election? As trust in news continues to sit at all-time lows, I don’t think they do – if they ever did.”

The SPJ Code of Ethics says journalists should “avoid political and other outside activities that may compromise integrity or impartiality, or may damage credibility.”

Brown said there are two arguments for “reconsidering” endorsements.

“One is that an endorsement creates a suspicion that the newspaper will give the endorsed candidate more favorable coverage,” he said. “If an editorial page doesn’t endorse anyone, that removes one argument supporting political bias in news coverage. The other argument is that they don’t have much effect except in down-ballot races for legislative and municipal offices.”

Andy Schotz, SPJ ethics chair from 2007 to 2010, said he is not convinced that the recent endorsement bans are the “blow to journalism and to democracy” that some purport.

“Many other newspapers don’t endorse, yet they still ably serve their communities and fulfill their journalistic responsibilities,” Schotz said. “But even if you disagree and believe the newspapers must be a beacon through their editorial voice, they've done that, too, repeatedly editorializing on the presidential candidates in various ways. One more editorial urging readers to vote a certain way wouldn't be a groundbreaking opinion.”

Schotz thinks the owners of the Washington Post and the L.A. Times made bad decisions by interfering with the workings of their newspapers shortly before Election Day, possibly to avoid political retribution, without explaining themselves to their readers and staffs. But since both papers already have been so critical of Trump, “withholding that final endorsement editorial won’t rescue newspaper owners Patrick Soon-Shiong and Jeff Bezos' standing with a potential second Trump administration.”

Even so, SPJ strongly supports the journalists who resigned in protest. The SPJ Code of Ethics says journalists should, "Expose unethical conduct in journalism, including within their organizations."

While SPJ's role is not to weigh in on political endorsements, SPJ President Emily Bloch shared the ethics committee's concerns.

“It’s scary to see this play out so close to Election Day,” Bloch said. “It’s also a low blow to the editorial teams working under the presumption of editorial independence. The problem comes down to transparency between leadership and the L.A. Times and Washington Post newsrooms. That transparency has clearly been in short supply.”

SPJ champions journalists by recognizing outstanding achievement, fighting to protect press freedom, promoting high ethical standards and educating new generations of emerging professionals. Support excellent journalism and fight for your right to know. Become a member and give to the Legal Defense Fund, First Amendment Forever Fund or SPJ Foundation.

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SPJ Board of Directors appoints Beatrice Forman, Joseph Hernandez and Khari Johnson as Directors At-Large

Wed, 16 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0500

CONTACT:
Emily Bloch, SPJ National President, eblochjourno@gmail.com
Kim Tsuyuki, SPJ Communications Specialist, ktsuyuki@hq.spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS – The Society of Professional Journalists Board of Directors has approved the appointments of Beatrice Forman, Joseph Hernandez and Khari Johnson to serve as Directors At-Large on the nine-member board.

SPJ National President Emily Bloch selected Forman and Hernandez as her two appointees to serve on the board during her one-year presidency. Johnson was named to complete the remainder of the two-year Director At-Large term of Chris Vaccaro, who won election as Vice President in last month’s board election.

Bloch swore in the newly named board members during a virtual board meeting on Wednesday, October 16, 2024.

— Director At-Large (president’s appointee): Beatrice Forman covers breaking news, young people, and Philly's unique digital culture for The Philadelphia Inquirer. A Philadelphian by way of New York, Forman graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2022, where she found her groove in local journalism and established a fellowship program at Penn for BIPOC students with financial hardships that would've otherwise prevented them from participating in student media. She previously served as deputy editor of Billy Penn at WHYY. In her spare time, she coordinates U.S. Democracy Day — a democracy-focused journalism collaborative with more than 200 members across the U.S. — and spoils Mango, her dapper orange kitty.

— Director At-Large (president’s appointee): Joseph Hernandez is the associate director of drinks at Bon Appétit and Epicurious, where he also previously served as the research director. Raised in Southern California and Chicago, Hernandez has covered the intersections of food, wine, travel, and culture as a senior editor at multiple entities, including The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Chicago Tribune, Thrillist, and Wine Enthusiast. He holds several professional wine certifications, including an honorary knighthood with the Brotherhood of Port Winemakers. He lives with his husband and their ornery orange cat, Bingley, in Brooklyn. Please, don’t call him Joe.

— Director At-Large: Khari Johnson reports on how artificial intelligence impacts people, their communities, and society and has done so for nearly a decade. He initially focused on reporting on consumer technology and startup funding rounds but today explores AI policy solutions to protect human rights and how AI is used in policing, education, and health care. He currently works as a tech reporter at CalMatters and previously worked at WIRED and VentureBeat.

SPJ champions journalists by recognizing outstanding achievement, fighting to protect press freedom, promoting high ethical standards and educating new generations of emerging professionals. Support excellent journalism and fight for your right to know. Become a member and give to the Legal Defense Fund, First Amendment Forever Fund or SPJ Foundation.

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Emily Bloch sworn in as the Society of Professional Journalists’ 108th national president

Tue, 1 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0500

CONTACT:
Emily Bloch, SPJ National President, eblochjourno@gmail.com
Nadia Gordon, SPJ Communications Coordinator, ngordon@hq.spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS – Philadelphia Inquirer journalist Emily Bloch is the Society of Professional Journalists’ 108th national president.

Bloch, who has served as vice president of the organization this past year, was sworn in during the SPJ Board of Directors online ceremony today via Zoom.

Bloch is a journalist specializing in youth and internet culture and its intersections with diversity and politics. She covers national trending news for the Inquirer. Bloch, 30, and former SPJ President Lynn Walsh tie as the youngest female presidents of the national organization. Walsh has served as a friend and mentor to Bloch over the years.

Bloch, a native Floridian, previously covered education for The Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville while simultaneously specializing in the paper’s digital engagement, Instagram and Reddit strategies. She coins herself “a recovering Floridian thriving in South Philly.” Bloch also reported at The Sun-Sentinel and South Florida Gay News. Her work has been published in Teen Vogue, Cosmopolitan, and The Lily. She’s a proud NewsGuild member.

Bloch is a longtime member and leader of SPJ, first working as a student representative for the Florida Pro Chapter in 2016 and as Region 3 assistant director that same year. In 2019, she became the chapter’s president, and during her tenure, SPJ Florida received back-to-back Large Chapter of the Year honors in 2020 and 2021. The SPJ Race & Gender Hotline was established under her leadership. Bloch was also a member of the SPJ Executive Director Search Committee, which worked for six months to interview, select and ultimately hire SPJ's new executive director.

"It was the in-person trainings and programming the Florida SPJ chapter hosted that first inspired me to get involved with the organization and helped mold my career into what it is today,” Bloch said. “The chops I gained at obituary-writing contests and interviewing seminars helped me learn live, in the field.”

As a practicing journalist and SPJ Leader, Bloch regularly speaks at public events centering around journalism, the First Amendment, student journalism and more. She also speaks to high school and college journalists, visiting their newsrooms through Zoom sessions or attending their classes. Since 2015, she has presented multiple sessions at the College Media Association convention, a partnership she’s excited to extend with the upcoming joint SPJ, CMA and Associated Collegiate Press conference, MediaFest25, in Washington, D.C.

“I want to ensure those same opportunities are around for the next generation of journalists — and better. But to do that, SPJ has to cement its relevance within the media landscape. We can only do that by making sure everyone has a seat at the table. I'm excited to continue to do the work,” Bloch said.

Bloch's goals for SPJ are to extend the organization's reach to critical media roles including search engine optimization, social media, and community engagement experts, to elevate the work of local, alternative and student media outlets, to diversify newsrooms at all levels including the LGBTQ+ community and to highlight the importance of newsroom unions across the industry. In addition, she wants to ensure members and potential members understand SPJ's role in the media landscape as a foundation for ethical journalism.

She takes the reins from Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins, interim associate dean at Santa Monica College and the first Black woman to become SPJ president.

SPJ champions journalists by recognizing outstanding achievement, fighting to protect press freedom, promoting high ethical standards and educating new generations of emerging professionals. Support excellent journalism and fight for your right to know. Become a member and give to the Legal Defense Fund, First Amendment Forever Fund or SPJ Foundation.

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SPJ elects 2024-25 Board of Directors and Regional Coordinators

Mon, 30 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0500

CONTACT:
Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins, SPJ National President, ashanti.blaize@gmail.com
Kim Tsuyuki, SPJ Communications Specialist, ktsuyuki@hq.spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS – The Society of Professional Journalists has elected its 2024-25 Board of Directors and Regional Coordinators. Voting closed at noon EDT today. Newly elected SPJ Board of Directors members and Regional Coordinators for Regions 1, 4, 5 and 9 are:

• Chris Vaccaro as Vice President, running unopposed
• Sara Catania as Secretary-Treasurer, with 56.9% of votes for that role
• Patricia Gallagher Newberry as Director At-Large, with 29.8% of votes for that office
• Nicole DeCriscio as Director At-Large, with 28.5% of votes for that position
• Michelle Watson as Region 1 Coordinator, with 53.4% of votes for that office
• Ginny McCabe as Region 4 Coordinator, with 94.7% of votes for that role
• Nicole DeCriscio as Region 5 Coordinator, running unopposed
• McKenzie Romero as Region 9 Coordinator, running unopposed

A swearing-in ceremony will be held at 5:30 p.m. EDT Tuesday via Zoom. SPJ’s 108th president, Emily Bloch, will be sworn in alongside new 2024-25 Board of Directors members and Regional Coordinators.

SPJ champions journalists by recognizing outstanding achievement, fighting to protect press freedom, promoting high ethical standards and educating new generations of emerging professionals. Support excellent journalism and fight for your right to know. Become a member and give to the Legal Defense Fund, First Amendment Forever Fund or SPJ Foundation.

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SPJ Foundation Freelance Fund establishes pilot mini-grant program

Wed, 18 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0500

CONTACT:
Stacie Overton Johnson, SPJ Freelance Community Chair, stacieovertonjohnson@gmail.com
Kim Tsuyuki, SPJ Communications Specialist, ktsuyuki@hq.spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS – The SPJ Foundation Freelance Fund has established “Mini-Grants for SPJ Freelancers” to support SPJ members seeking to engage in professional activities that advance their careers as independent journalists.

Grants of up to $500 will be awarded to selected SPJ members seeking to improve their skills and ability to succeed as freelancers.

“With this mini-grants program, we're addressing the financial challenges freelance journalists often encounter, giving them the support they need to keep their focus on creating impactful stories,” said SPJ Freelance Community Chair Stacie Overton Johnson. “By reducing the stress and worry of covering expenses, these mini grants will have meaningful impact for journalists who are out there doing the work on their own.”

SPJ Foundation President Hagit Limor said the Foundation is proud to continue to support SPJ’s freelance members. “In today’s rapidly evolving industry, these grants offer essential resources for independent journalists who are on the front lines of reporting and storytelling,” Limor said.

The grants may be used for:
• freelance- and journalism-related skills training and workshop registration or tuition fees;
• travel assistance to attend skills training, workshops and conferences; and
• entry fees for contests and prize competitions to showcase work produced on a freelance basis.

Grant funds are not to be used for equipment, subscriptions or other operating expenses of the freelancer’s business, or for expenses related to a specific assignment or client project.

“Journalism thrives on diverse voices and perspectives,” said SPJ Foundation Vice President Evelyn Hsu. “With our large and vibrant freelance community at the heart of this new program, we are committed to empowering our members with the resources they need to continue their vital work.”

The funding cycle for this pilot program will close on Dec. 15, or when all funds set aside for it have been allocated. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis.

The Society of Professional Journalists Foundation is a public foundation dedicated to ensuring that those who carry on the tradition of a free press are prepared for the challenge. The SPJ Foundation supports educational and professional needs of journalists and journalism students. Support excellent journalism and fight for your right to know. Give to the SPJ Foundation.

SPJ champions journalists by recognizing outstanding achievement, fighting to protect press freedom, promoting high ethical standards and educating new generations of emerging professionals. Support excellent journalism and fight for your right to know. Become a member and give to the Legal Defense Fund, First Amendment Forever Fund or SPJ Foundation.

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Cicero Independiente and MuckRock, Los Angeles Times, Retro Report win New America Award

Wed, 11 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0500

CONTACT:
Lou Harry, SPJ Manager of Publications and Awards, lharry@hq.spj.org
Kim Tsuyuki, SPJ Communications Specialist, ktsuyuki@hq.spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS — The Society of Professional Journalists is honored to announce the 2024 recipients of its New America Award. This award honors public service journalism that explores and exposes issues of importance to immigrant or ethnic communities in the United States.

This year’s New America division winners are:
• Audio winner – Los Angeles Times for “Foretold”
• Television winner – Retro Report for “Generations Stolen”
• Print/online winner – Cicero Independiente and MuckRock for “The Air We Breathe”

“Foretold” by Los Angeles Times staff is a nine-episode podcast that follows Paulina Stevens, who decided to change the course of her life after being married at 17 years old and becoming a mother at 19. This series documents the consequences of Paulina’s decision to leave her community and redefine her identity. Los Angeles Times reporter Faith Pinho hosts the series and deconstructs the myths and stereotypes that surround the Romani people.

“The Air We Breathe” by Cicero Independiente and MuckRock staffs investigates air pollution in Cicero, Illinois. The results show Cicero’s air quality is much worse than surrounding Cook County neighborhoods, and it’s worse than what the Environmental Protection Agency, the city and an air tracking project by Microsoft have reported.

The overall excellence award winner “Generations Stolen” by Retro Report examines the history of Indigenous child removal and forced adoptions. In 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Indian Child Welfare Act, which established legal protections for Native families and affirmed the authority of tribal governments over their children. Retro Report explores why the Act was needed, documenting in Indigenous people’s own words their painful experiences and shining a light on steps Indigenous families are taking to heal old wounds. “I want America to be aware of what happened to us,” Denise Lajimodiere, a citizen of the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe, said. "I call it America's best-kept secret.”

The story demonstrates how Indigenous families are turning to one another and to ceremonies and customs as a pathway to recovery. "Divulging these stories that I’ve kept in my vaults for 50 years – I think it’s a way for me to heal,” said Dennis Decoteau, a citizen of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, who was 11 years old when federal agents removed him from his family and took him to the Wahpeton Indian Boarding School. “But those wounds are still there. They’re still there after 50 years. So, time doesn’t heal all."

New America Award Judges said, “'Generations Stolen' documents a disturbing look inside the Indian Border Schools. Quietly and effectively told. There is an excellent use of rare photos and video. Excellent work that exceeded the excellent work from all the other entries.”

Read more about the New America Award, including past recipients.

SPJ champions journalists by recognizing outstanding achievement, fighting to protect press freedom, promoting high ethical standards and educating new generations of emerging professionals. Support excellent journalism and fight for your right to know. Become a member and give to the Legal Defense Fund, First Amendment Forever Fund or SPJ Foundation.

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SPJ strongly condemns Oklahoma Dept. of Ed. for denying journalists access to news conference

Fri, 23 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0500

CONTACT
Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins, SPJ National President, ashanti.blaize@gmail.com
Nadia Gordon, SPJ Communications Coordinator, ngordon@hq.spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS – The Society of Professional Journalists strongly condemns the Oklahoma State Department of Education’s decision to deny KFOR-TV journalists access to a news conference with State Superintendent Ryan Walters in Oklahoma City.

“This is actually the third time it’s happened in less than a month,” said one of the journalists, Dylan Brown, who was denied access to the August 22 news conference along with KFOR photographer Kevin Josefy. “My news director has worked in the Oklahoma City market for 33 years, and she says she’s never experienced anything like this.”

When asked by SPJ for comment on his denial of access to the KFOR journalists, Isett said in email, “Our office works with hundreds of journalists across the state and around the country to keep the public informed about the success Oklahoma students are seeing under Superintendent Walters. We will not work with tabloids who consistently editorialize and report false information rather than inform the public.”

SPJ National President Ashanti-Blaize Hopkins noted that, “It is not in Dan Isett’s power to choose whether a news outlet is ‘legitimate’ or not. This is a blatant violation of press freedom by a government agency. By denying these journalists access to the news conference, he illegally prevented them from carrying out their duty to inform the public.”

The SPJ Code of Ethics states that journalists “have a special obligation to serve as watchdogs over public affairs and government,” and that they should “seek to ensure that the public’s business is conducted in the open, and that public records are open to all.”

SPJ champions journalists by recognizing outstanding achievement, fighting to protect press freedom, promoting high ethical standards and educating new generations of emerging professionals. Support excellent journalism and fight for your right to know. Become a member and give to the Legal Defense Fund, First Amendment Forever Fund or SPJ Foundation.

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$175M California journalism agreement sparks debate on industry impact and inclusivity

Thu, 22 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0500

CONTACT:
Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins, SPJ National President, ashanti.blaize@gmail.com
Kim Tsuyuki, SPJ Communications Specialist, ktsuyuki@hq.spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS — The Society of Professional Journalists calls on California decisionmakers to ensure that yesterday’s groundbreaking agreement between California lawmakers and Google to provide new funding for news outlets serves as a genuine step forward in reversing our nation’s alarming decline in newsroom employment.

The first-in-the-nation partnership will provide $175 million for local journalism across California and will fund an AI research program. News outlets report that the deal departs significantly from legislation promoted by both news publishers and media employee unions earlier in the year.

“It is concerning that journalists appeared to lose their seat at the table as this initiative was negotiated,” said SPJ National President Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins. “At the very least journalists should be deeply involved in how this plan will be rolled out, as it could potentially impact their livelihoods.”

Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) led the effort and said, “this partnership represents a cross-sector commitment to supporting a free and vibrant press.” California news publishers will be beneficiaries of a News Transformation Fund, which will be administered by University of California, Berkeley, Graduate School of Journalism.

The Media Guild of the West and the Pacific Media Workers Guild denounced the agreement, citing the omission of support for journalist-run news cooperatives, among other concerns.

“As other states study this effort for lessons on how to bolster local journalism, I hope California leaders will set an example that both centers and honors the input of working professionals who fight tirelessly to keep the public informed,” Blaize-Hopkins said.

SPJ champions journalists by recognizing outstanding achievement, fighting to protect press freedom, promoting high ethical standards and educating new generations of emerging professionals. Support excellent journalism and fight for your right to know. Become a member and give to the Legal Defense Fund, First Amendment Forever Fund or SPJ Foundation.

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SPJ celebrates the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich

Thu, 1 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0500

CONTACT

Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins, SPJ National President, ashanti.blaize@gmail.com
Nadia Gordon, SPJ Communications Coordinator, ngordon@hq.spj.org

The Society of Professional Journalists celebrates the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was falsely accused by Russian authorities of spying and sentenced to 16 years in prison. He was the first foreign correspondent charged with espionage in Russia since the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the year he was born.

Moscow also released Radio Free Europe/Radio liberty reporter Alsu Kurmasheva, who was wrongly accused of spreading false information about the Russian government and sentenced to 6 ½ years in prison after a secret trial.

The journalists’ release is part of the largest East-West prisoner swap since the Cold War. Gershkovich and more than a dozen others jailed by the Kremlin were exchanged for Russians held in the U.S. and Europe.

“Evan Gershkovich was imprisoned for over a year, and while we are grateful to hear news of his release, he should have never been arrested in the first place. SPJ continues to condemn the unjust imprisonment of journalists around the world who are simply doing their jobs serving as the eyes and ears of the people,” said SPJ National President Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins. “SPJ calls on governments internationally to recognize that it is not a crime for journalists to seek the truth and report it.”

According to the Wall Street Journal, just before noon EDT today at an airport in Turkey’s capital, Ankara Gershkovich and other Americans left a Russian aircraft and were then transported to an aircraft lounge on a Turkish plane.

SPJ champions journalists by recognizing outstanding achievement, fighting to protect press freedom, promoting high ethical standards and educating new generations of emerging professionals. Support excellent journalism and fight for your right to know. Become a member and give to the Legal Defense Fund, First Amendment Forever Fund or SPJ Foundation.

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SPJ strongly condemns sentencing of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich

Fri, 19 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0500

CONTACT:
Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins, SPJ National President, ashanti.blaize@gmail.com
Kim Tsuyuki, SPJ Communications Specialist, ktsuyuki@hq.spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS – The Society of Professional Journalists strongly condemns the conviction and 16-year sentence of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich imposed by a Russian court. Gershkovich was convicted Friday of espionage after a speedy, closed-door trial that has been deemed a sham by the U.S. government. The trial began on June 26 and took place over only three hearings.

“Evan Gershkovich in no way, shape, or form received any semblance of a fair and free trial. This conviction and 16-year sentence are unjust, shameful and sets a dangerous precedent for journalists working abroad. Journalism is not a crime, and Evan was simply doing his job as a journalist,” said SPJ National President Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins. “SPJ calls on the U.S. government to do everything in its power to bring him home safely.”

According to the Wall Street Journal, Russian authorities have produced no public evidence to support their allegations, and the Russian government has shown interest in swapping Gershkovich for Russians being held in the West.

SPJ champions journalists by recognizing outstanding achievement, fighting to protect press freedom, promoting high ethical standards and educating new generations of emerging professionals. Support excellent journalism and fight for your right to know. Become a member and give to the Legal Defense Fund, First Amendment Forever Fund or SPJ Foundation.

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SPJ Stands With Hong Kong Press Freedom Advocate Selina Cheng After Firing

Thu, 18 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0500

CONTACT

Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins, SPJ National President, ashanti.blaize@gmail.com
Nadia Gordon, SPJ Communications Coordinator, ngordon@hq.spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS — The Society of Professional Journalists stands with Selina Cheng, the new chair of Hong Kong's leading media professional group who was fired from the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday. Cheng, who covers automobile and energy sectors for the Journal, was elected chair of the Hong Kong Journalists Association June 22 and assumed the position July 1.

“The firing of Cheng sends a chilling message to all those attempting to resist encroachments on press freedom in Hong Kong. This move is especially unfortunate at a time when press freedom advocates in the United States and elsewhere are fighting to help Cheng's fellow WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich withstand his unjust imprisonment in Russia and regain his freedom,” said SPJ National President Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins.

In a press briefing, Cheng said a senior editor told her that her job was eliminated due to restructuring. However, Cheng says she believes she lost her job due to her refusal to withdraw from the election for the leadership post after a supervisor's request. She said she was also told that her role with the HKJA would be “incompatible” with her employment at the Wall Street Journal.

According to the Guardian, a spokesperson for Dow Jones, the WSJ’s parent company, said: “While we can confirm that we made some personnel changes today, we don’t comment on specific individuals. The Wall Street Journal has been and continues to be a fierce and vocal advocate for press freedom in Hong Kong and around the world.”

SPJ believes advocating for press freedom around the world is crucial to ensure that truth is reported, and ethical journalism thrives. We believe journalists are some of the most influential advocates for the field, and that includes Cheng and her work in Hong Kong.

SPJ champions journalists by recognizing outstanding achievement, fighting to protect press freedom, promoting high ethical standards and educating new generations of emerging professionals. Support excellent journalism and fight for your right to know. Become a member and give to the Legal Defense Fund, First Amendment Forever Fund or SPJ Foundation.

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Announcing the 2023 Sigma Delta Chi Awards, MOEy and Corbin Gwaltney winners

Tue, 9 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0500

CONTACT:
Lou Harry, SPJ Manager of Publications and Awards, lharry@hq.spj.org
Kim Tsuyuki, SPJ Communications Specialist, ktsuyuki@hq.spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS – The Society of Professional Journalists is proud to recognize recipients of the 2023 Sigma Delta Chi Awards, honoring outstanding professional journalism produced last year.

Winners were announced tonight during a virtual awards ceremony hosted by SPJ National President Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins. The video is archived on the SPJ YouTube channel.

More than 100 established veteran journalists, who served as SDX Awards judges, selected 71 official winners from over 1,200 entries. Dozens of local and national news organizations from print, TV, radio and online received SDX Awards, including The Marshall Project, Detroit Free Press, Los Angeles Times, Bloomberg, Deseret News, Wyoming Public Media, NBC News and many more.

Sigma Delta Chi Awards categories include breaking news, documentaries, editorials, photography and more. This year, the investigative, features and podcast categories were expanded.

In addition to the professional SDX Awards, the announcement also celebrated student journalism. SPJ Foundation Vice President Evelyn Hsu announced the winner of the MOEy, the top student award. The MOEy Best in Show award recognizes the best student journalism in the country and is given to the top entry among national Mark of Excellence award winners.

This year’s MOEy award goes to the NYCity News Service team at the Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at City University of New York for “South Bronx businesses battle back.” The judges said, “This project harnesses the power of hyperlocal journalism. Kudos to the NYCity News Service team for stepping off campus and immersing themselves in the South Bronx community with engaging stories of post-pandemic successes and struggles. The video vignettes profiling local shop and restaurant owners highlight the rich diversity of this corner of New York City. Each piece in the three-part series is strengthened with data, graphics and embedded links that provide further context for the reader. Outstanding teamwork, impactful storytelling.”

The winners of the Corbin Gwaltney Awards for Best All-Around Student Newspapers were also announced by The Chronicle of Higher Education Senior Editor Sarah Brown.

The award is named after Corbin Gwaltney, founder of The Chronicle of Higher Education. He was a media innovator who built the Chronicle to be the most respected publication in higher education. There is one award in the large division (10,000+ students) and one in the small division (1-9,999 students). Each winner receives a $5,000 prize, provided by The Chronicle of Higher Education.

This year, the winner in the small school division is the staff of The Pendulum from Elon University. Judges said, “The Elon Pendulum does an excellent job with a strong local news section that includes government and enterprise efforts.” The winner in the large school division is the staff of Indiana Daily Student from Indiana University. “Indiana Daily Student … reads like a professionally produced community newspaper,” said a judge. “They produce enterprise work that’s relevant to the university and the community.”

Blaize-Hopkins closed the presentation by saying, “As you have seen and heard, there’s a lot of great work being done by journalists. On behalf of the Society of Professional Journalists and the many volunteer judges for the SDX and Mark of Excellence awards programs, congratulations to every one of these winners, as well as so many others whose work made the judge’s decisions so difficult.”

All SDX winners are listed and have their work displayed on the SPJ website. Select SDX winners will be featured in the fall issue of Quill, the magazine of the Society of Professional Journalists.

Sigma Delta Chi was created as a student organization in 1909 and eventually grew to become SPJ, the longest-serving and most broad-journalism organization in the United States. SPJ continues to honor its history by retaining the original Greek letters in the awards presented.

SPJ champions journalists by recognizing outstanding achievement, fighting to protect press freedom, promoting high ethical standards and educating new generations of emerging professionals. Support excellent journalism and fight for your right to know. Become a member and give to the Legal Defense Fund, First Amendment Forever Fund or SPJ Foundation.

The SPJ Foundation is a public foundation dedicated to ensuring that those who carry on the tradition of a free press are prepared for the challenge. The SPJ Foundation supports educational and professional needs of journalists and journalism students. Support excellent journalism and fight for your right to know. Give to the SPJ Foundation.

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SPJ Board Postpones National Public and Member Awards Until 2025

Thu, 27 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0500

CONTACT:
Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins, SPJ National President, ashanti.blaize@gmail.com
Kim Tsuyuki, SPJ Communications Specialist, ktsuyuki@hq.spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS — The Society of Professional Journalists Board of Directors today voted to postpone awarding public and member honors as well as national chapter awards for 2024.

“We look forward to being back to an in-person convention next year so that honorees can be properly recognized,” said SPJ National President Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins. “All the award-winners deserve to be recognized in person, have a chance to address the membership and express their excitement for being honored.”

A communication will be sent to all who made nominations for the 2024 awards, expressing SPJ’s regret and encouraging them to consider re-nominating in 2025.

The awards affected are:
• Distinguished Teaching in Journalism
• Ethics in Journalism
• Fellows of the Society
• Historic Sites in Journalism
• Sunshine Award
• Howard S. Dubin Outstanding Pro Member
• David L. Eshelman Outstanding Campus Adviser
• Julie Galvan Outstanding Graduate in Journalism
• Robert D.G. Lewis First Amendment
• Wells Memorial Key
• Outstanding Professional and Campus Chapter

The Board voted to suspend the 2024 national convention during the 2023 Las Vegas convention in September, due to budgetary considerations. SPJ, the College Media Association and Associated Collegiate Press plan to host a joint conference once again in Washington, D.C., in October 2025. The three groups held a successful joint MediaFest22 convention in October 2022.

SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to informing citizens; works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists; and fights to protect First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press. Support excellent journalism and fight for your right to know. Become a member, give to the Legal Defense Fund or give to the SPJ Foundation.

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SPJ urges Mississippi Supreme Court to overturn lower court order that threatens journalists’ First Amendment rights

Thu, 13 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0500

CONTACT:
Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins, SPJ National President, ashanti.blaize@gmail.com
Kim Tsuyuki, SPJ Communications Specialist, ktsuyuki@hq.spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS — The Society of Professional Journalists urges the Mississippi Supreme Court to overturn a lower court order against Mississippi Today that threatens the First Amendment rights of journalists and Mississippians.

“SPJ is proud to stand up for journalists and journalism against those who try to silence them,” said SPJ National President Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins. “We urge the Mississippi Supreme Court to issue a ruling that, for the first time, expressly recognizes Mississippi journalists' right to protect their sources of information and their unpublished newsgathering materials.”

In July 2023, former Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant sued for defamation, in part over since-retracted remarks from its CEO, Mary Margaret White. Later, editor-in-chief Adam Ganucheau and reporter Anna Wolfe were added as defendants. Mississippi Today declined to turn over confidential information, including sources, citing “reporter’s privilege.” However, last month, a lower court issued an order stating that Mississippi’s appellate courts have never recognized reporter’s privilege, so the newsroom was given a deadline to turn over any information that related to confidential sources. Mississippi Today has appealed to the Mississippi Supreme Court.

“In a state with such little government accountability, Mississippians routinely learn about the actions of their public officials only because of journalism like ours. If this court order is upheld, every Mississippian would stand to lose a fuller understanding of how some leaders truly operate when their doors are closed and they think no one is watching,” says Ganucheau in an editor’s note on its website.

Cases such as this continue to serve as a reminder of why journalists need a federal shield law. Reporter’s privilege is a First Amendment right that is recognized by 40 states. In January, the House of Representatives unanimously passed the PRESS Act, which would shield journalists from having to disclose their sources except under limited circumstances. SPJ continues to urge the Senate to follow suit and pass the legislation quickly. Those who agree that the PRESS Act should be passed can call, write or message their senators, encouraging them to vote in favor of this important legislation.

“We will always fight for the First Amendment and those who seek truth and report it,” Blaize-Hopkins said. “Without journalists, citizens are kept in the dark, giving those in power no accountability and freedom to abuse that power.”

SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to informing citizens; works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists; and fights to protect First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press. Support excellent journalism and fight for your right to know. Become a member, give to the Legal Defense Fund or give to the SPJ Foundation.

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SPJ urges swift action by Senate panel on federal shield law to protect journalists

Thu, 30 May 2024 00:00:00 -0500

CONTACT
Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins, SPJ National President, ashanti.blaize@gmail.com
Nadia Gordon, SPJ Communications Coordinator, ngordon@hq@spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS – The Society of Professional Journalists  joins more than 120 other signatories, including journalism organizations, First Amendment advocacy groups, attorneys and law professors, urging leaders of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee to prioritize action on long-stalled legislation creating a federal shield law to protect journalist-source confidentiality.

The letter urges U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Lindsey Graham, respectively the judiciary committee’s chair and ranking member, to schedule a markup of the Protect Reporters from Exploitative State Spying Act (PRESS Act, S.2074).The PRESS Act is a bipartisan federal shield law that would protect journalist-source confidentiality, subject to common-sense exceptions, such as cases involving terrorism, other serious emergencies, or journalists suspected of crimes. In January, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed the legislation.

“Federal legislation shielding journalists from compelled disclosure of their sources is long overdue,” said SPJ National President, Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins. “SPJ urges the Judiciary Committee to act on this urgently needed legislation without delay.”

It is imperative that the PRESS Act be signed into law, considering court decisions against journalists such as Catherine Herridge, who was held in contempt of court for refusing to divulge her sources for reporting for Fox News about an online school’s alleged ties to the Chinese military.

The bill includes “a broad definition of ‘covered journalist’ that includes anyone who regularly gathers and reports news. This recognizes the evolving nature of the profession and affords the same protections to freelance journalists and independent outlets that are enjoyed by the likes of the Wall Street Journal and Fox News,” the letter states.

Additionally, the PRESS Act would prevent future executive branch officials from targeting journalists and their sources. “Subject to a few sensible exceptions, the bill would prohibit most subpoenas of reporters’ phone and email records, a tactic used by Democratic and Republican administrations to attempt to uncover reporters’ sources. It would also protect local journalists who report on matters unrelated to politics,” the letter states.

Similar shield bills passed in the House in 2007 and 2022, but none were as strong as the PRESS Act.

SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to informing citizens; works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists; and fights to protect First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press. Support excellent journalism and fight for your right to know. Become a member, give to the Legal Defense Fund or give to the SPJ Foundation.

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SPJ calls for action by journalists against gag rules after key legal win

Thu, 23 May 2024 00:00:00 -0500

CONTACT:
Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins, SPJ National President, ashanti.blaize@gmail.com
Kathryn Foxhall, SPJ Freedom of Information Advocate, 202-417-4572, kfoxhall@verizon.net
Kimberly Tsuyuki, SPJ Communications Specialist, 317-920-4785, ktsuyuki@hq.spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS — The Society of Professional Journalists is issuing a call to action for journalists to fight government restrictions on employee speech rights following what is believed to be the first time a journalist has won a legal settlement against gag rules on workers in public agencies.

The settlement came in a suit brought by investigative reporter Brittany Hailer against the Allegheny County Jail in Pittsburgh for its rules prohibiting employees from speaking to the press or posting information on social media. After rounds of negotiations with Hailer’s attorneys, the county agreed in April that its employees and contractors “have constitutional rights to speak on matters of public concern when acting as private citizens and not purporting to represent the view of the [Allegheny County Bureau of Corrections].”

Now, in a call to action, SPJ is urging journalists to consider similar legal action; use the case for discussions and editorials opposing such speech restrictions; and educate the public about the dangers of such censorship.

“This settlement is of historic importance,” said SPJ National President Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins. “Gag rules are being adopted in all kinds of federal, state and local agencies, from congressional offices to schools and police departments. The settlement shows journalists that they can fight these widespread restrictions -- and why they should.”

SPJ is calling on journalists to review SPJ’s Gagged America resource collection and move vigorously against employee speech restrictions. We encourage news outlets and journalism organizations to:

-Use the Allegheny County settlement as inspiration for legal action against constraints on journalists’ speaking with employees, including mandates that reporters go through public information officers.

-Use the settlement’s statements on First Amendment rights to oppose such gag orders in contacts with officials and in editorials.

-Research and report on speech controls in particular states, localities or institutions.

-Educate journalists, officials and others on the history and the impact of such censorship.

-Join forces with other news organizations, advocacy groups, journalism schools, and press associations to demand answers from public officials and mount legal challenges.

-Push for open access to people, along with pushing for open access to documents, to help ensure the documents are fully understood.

-Call on organizations of public relations professionals to oppose restrictive practices, which serve to hide critical information.

SPJ’s resources on gag rules include a legal analysis and road map for action by journalists authored by Frank LoMonte, then head of the Brechner Center for Freedom of Information and a current member of SPJ Foundation Board of Directors. The 2019 analysis states that “media plaintiffs should be able to establish that their interests have been injured, whether directly or indirectly, to sustain a First Amendment challenge to government restraints on employees’ speech to the media.”

The Allegheny County settlement says policies, “may not regulate the employee when they speak on matters of public concern as private citizens on their own time, provided they are not in uniform and do not otherwise create the impression they are speaking in an official capacity….”

Such restrictions have been found to be unconstitutional in past cases brought by employees or their unions.
 
The Yale Law School Media Freedom and Information Access Clinic and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press represented Hailer in the case. She was director of the Pittsburgh Institute for Nonprofit Journalism when the suit was filed and is now with the Marshall Project.
 
SPJ helped engender the case by writing about the issue to the Yale clinic and others and has made numerous public statements since.

Blaize-Hopkins, SPJ’s president, said, “After years of opposing these dangerous information restrictions, SPJ and other journalists are deeply grateful to Hailer and her attorneys for this outstanding work.”

Kathryn Foxhall, a point person for SPJ on the issue, said, “Information control is one of the most abusive, deadliest forces in human history. This case serves as a model for other journalists to move against this kind of insidious censorship, which far too often goes unchallenged.”
 
SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to informing citizens; works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists; and fights to protect First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press. Support excellent journalism and fight for your right to know. Become a member, give to the Legal Defense Fund or give to the SPJ Foundation.

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Resources:
- A Society of Professional Journalists resolution on “allowing federal employees to freely talk with the press” notes that “journalists’ obligation to do all they can to seek the full truth includes fighting against barriers to understanding the full truth and reporting those barriers to the public.”
-SPJ has sponsored seven surveys showing the restrictions are pervasive in federal, state and local government, education, science organizations, police departments, etc.
-Glen Nowak, a former CDC head of media relations and a longtime communications employee, has said that since the 1980s the restrictions on CDC staff have grown tighter with each presidential administration; every contact with a reporter is controlled by the higher political levels; and that this system “works” for officials in terms of suppressing information.
- A recent article in FAIR.org and an earlier one in Columbia Journalism Review examine the gag rules.
-The New England Chapter of SPJ sponsored a Zoom program on the Allegheny suit, moderated by First Amendment attorney Frank LoMonte, who has written a  legal pathway for such actions. 
-A Maryland, Delaware, and District of Columbia Press Association podcast episode features the lawsuit by journalist Brittany Hailer and one of her lawyers, RCFP attorney Paula Knudsen Burke. 
-Among many communications over the years, 25 journalism and other groups wrote to the Biden Administration’s Office of Science and Technology Policy asking for the elimination of such restrictions in the federal government. 
-Journalism groups’ FOI officers told  the New York Times, “The press should not be taking the risk of assuming that what we get is all there is when so many people are silenced. We should be openly fighting these controls.” The longer version of the letter is here. 
-A review of recent actions is in the PR Office Censorship blog.

SPJ Foundation awards over $45,000 in grants to seven initiatives and journalism programs

Thu, 23 May 2024 00:00:00 -0500

CONTACT
Hagit Limor, SPJ Foundation President, hilmormedia@gmail.com
Nadia Gordon, SPJ Communications Coordinator, ngordon@hq.spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS — Seven journalism organizations and not-for-profits will receive more than $45,000 from the Society of Professional Journalists Foundation as part of its 2024 grant cycle.

SPJ Foundation grants are being awarded to Louis E. Ingelhart First Amendment Program, Trust Kit: How To Build Trust As A Freelancer program, LGBTQ+ Newsroom Outreach Program, Indigenous Journalists Association Indigenous Media Initiative, the Spark Training Program, Summer High School Journalism Institute and the ReNews Project for initiatives and programs that align with the Society’s Mission.

“The SPJ Foundation is dedicated to protecting freedom of speech and the press, emphasizing our mission to help advocate for an open government,” said SPJ Foundation President Hagit Limor. “We are pleased to support these initiatives that focus on fostering diversity and encouraging excellence for both student and professional journalists.”

The College Media Association and the Student Press Law Center’s Louis E. Ingelhart First Amendment Program is named to honor Ingelhart, a journalism professor who dedicated much of his life to studying, writing and teaching the First Amendment. He was a tireless champion for scholastic journalism, nationwide. This award is given annually to professional journalists, institutions or advisers who have made extraordinary, long-term contributions in support of the First Amendment.

The Trust Kit: How To Build Trust As A Freelancer from Trusting News is another addition to its step-by-step guide for journalists and educators ready to demonstrate credibility and actively earn trust. Guides include: engagement; ethics and fairness; how news works; topics and platforms; and newsroom culture.

The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists’ LGBTQ+ Newsroom Outreach Program is a project that seeks to educate newsroom leaders with LGJA and to discuss LGBTQ coverage issues. Meetings have already launched in Washington, D.C., New Orleans and Colorado.

The Indigenous Journalists Association Indigenous Media Initiative (formerly the Red Press Initiative) educates on the value of an Indigenous free press to the well-being of Indigenous people, communities and nations. The initiative also teaches contextual reporting about Indigenous people and issues necessary to overcome the biases and stereotypes portrayed in the media.

Wildfire Media’s Spark Training Program helps individuals, teams and journalists raise funds for documentary and civic advocacy projects through education and mentoring. The program is online and offers interactive classes with downloaded learning materials that explore proposal writing, fundraising strategies and successful pitch approaches, in addition to one-on-one mentoring with award-winning journalists and funding experts. The program also offers free or partial scholarships through its scholarship fund to Spark Cohorts based on funding availability.

The 2024 SPJ Region 1 Northeast Summer High School Journalism Institute at Emerson College in Boston is a program for students that offers workshops, touring the campus and telling stories related to their landscape and environment that will be edited and critiqued by peers. At the end of the experience, students will have published links to their work. The faculty and volunteer trainers are SPJ leaders from across the northeast who have been planning and coordinating the event for the last year.

The ReNews Project is a program directed by SPJ Board of Directors member Wesley Wright and is also funded by SPJ Region 3 and the SPJ Florida Pro Chapter. The ReNews Project is a collaboration between press organizations and media companies that seeks to restart or revive dormant student newspapers at Historically Black Colleges and Hispanic Serving Institutions by removing barriers that stand between students and their desire to do good journalism. The ReNews Project visits campus newsrooms to meet interested students and train them, followed by virtual advising for the rest of the school year. Student staff at newsrooms the Project assists are offered perks including free SPJ memberships, waived entry fees to its Mark of Excellence contest and registration fees for its annual convention for the first year and more.

SPJ Foundation grants primarily support SPJ and provide support to organizations and causes that further the Society’s mission. Grant requests are first reviewed by the Foundation Grants and Awards Committee. Its recommendations are then sent to the SPJ Foundation Board of Directors for review and selection.

View previous recipients.

The Society of Professional Journalists Foundation is a public foundation dedicated to ensuring that those who carry on the tradition of a free press are prepared for the challenge. The SPJ Foundation supports educational and professional needs of journalists and journalism students. Support excellent journalism and fight for your right to know. Give to the SPJ Foundation.

SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to informing citizens; works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists; and fights to protect First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press. Support excellent journalism and fight for your right to know. Become a member, give to the Legal Defense Fund or give to the SPJ Foundation.

-END-

SPJ announces 2023 Mark of Excellence National Winners

Tue, 21 May 2024 00:00:00 -0500

CONTACT:
Lou Harry, SPJ Manager of Publications and Awards, lharry@spj.org
Kim Tsuyuki, SPJ Communications Specialist, ktsuyuki@hq.spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS – The Society of Professional Journalists is pleased to announce national winners of the 2023 Mark of Excellence Awards, recognizing collegiate work published or broadcast in 2023. This year, 67 students and staffs from 37 universities across the United States are receiving national honors.

National contenders were previously recognized as first-place winners in one of the SPJ’s 12 regional competitions. The results of those competitions can be found in the April-May 2024 SPJ News archive. Each first-place regional winner advanced to the national competition.

The national-only categories this year are Collaborative Journalism, Editorial Cartooning and Sports Videography.

These awards honor the best in student journalism. As such, judges were directed to choose only those entries which they felt were outstanding work worthy of a national honor.

School divisions are based on student enrollment, which includes both graduate and undergraduate enrollment. Schools with more than 10,000 students are designated as large schools.

National winners will advance to the contest for the MOEy Best in Show, SPJ’s top prize.

The MOEy and two Corbin Gwaltney Awards for Best All-Around Student Newspaper, will be announced during the Sigma Delta Chi awards ceremony happening in June. This virtual event may be viewed on the SPJ YouTube channel.

The 2023 Mark of Excellence national winners are:

Print/Online

Breaking News Reporting (Large)
Students react with anger, activism after Palestinian student shot in Vermont — by Staff, The Brown Daily Herald, Brown University

Breaking News Reporting (Small)
Rutgers week long strike marks historic win for union workers — by Julia Meriney, Ruby Voge, Jessica Romero Silver, The College VOICE, Mercer County Community College

General News Reporting (Large)
Tessier-Lavigne research investigation and reporting on retractions — by Theo Baker, The Stanford Daily, Stanford University

General News Reporting (Small)
“One of the worst nights of my life” — by Gabi Morando, The Butler Collegian, Butler University

In-Depth Reporting (Large)
The long return — by Staff, Montana Native News Project/Missoulian, University of Montana

In-Depth Reporting (Small)
Alamance-Burlington schools grapple with financial strain after summer mold crisis — by Sophie Rosenthal, Elon News Network, Elon University

Feature Writing (Large)
Miami ... merged — by Lily Wahl, Taylor Stumbaugh, The Miami Student, Miami University

Feature Writing (Small)
One and only RandyLand — by Mackenzie Phillips, Off the Bluff Magazine, Duquesne University

Sports Writing (Large)
Ryland Zaborowski doesn’t let autism stop him from crushing baseballs — by Jack Schmelzinger, The Miami Student, Miami University

Sports Writing (Small)
“When I play soccer, I feel 100% completely Talia” — by Caleb Denorme, The Butler Collegian, Butler University

Editorial/Opinion Writing
Editorials — by Editorial board, The Harvard Crimson, Harvard College

General Column Writing
The green transition, Housing scarcity, Campaign finance — by Chance Phillips, The Crimson White, University of Alabama

Sports Column Writing
SportsMonday — by Nicholas Stoll, Paul Nasr, Connor Earegood, The Michigan Daily, University of Michigan

Corbin Gwaltney Award for Best All-Around Student Newspaper (Large)
Indiana Daily Student — by Staff, Indiana Daily Student, Indiana University

Corbin Gwaltney Award for Best All-Around Student Newspaper (Small)
Elon Pendulum — by Staff, The Pendulum, Elon University

Best Single-Issue Student Magazine
Scienceline KIDS — by Staff, Scienceline, New York University

Best Ongoing Student Magazine
El Espejo magazine — by Staff, El Espejo, Texas A&M University-San Antonio

Best Affiliated Website
The Post — by Staff, The Post, Ohio University

Best Independent Online Student Publication
Infodemic — by Staff, Infodemic, Syracuse University

Art/Graphics/Multimedia

Breaking News Photography
Bill banning gender-affirming care for Utah minors passes — by Xiangyao “Axe” Tang, The Daily Utah Chronicle, University of Utah

General News Photography
Community remembers Arlington police officer’s life, impact — by Christine Vo, The Shorthorn, University of Texas at Arlington

Feature Photography
The most eloquent prayer — by Ava Rosvold, Byline Magazine, University of Montana

Photo Essay/Slideshow
Always dancing — by Clare Grant, Elon News Network, Elon University

Illustration
Navigating student finances — by Star Neil, The Signpost, Weber State University

Photo Illustration
Warning signs of abusive relationships & where to go for help — by Fern Barber, Beaver's Digest, Oregon State University

Sports Photography
Roundup bull rider — by Ava Rosvold, Bozeman Daily Chronicle, University of Montana

Editorial Cartooning
Editorial cartoons — by Teddie Bernard, F Newsmagazine, School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Best Use of Multimedia
Down to ride — by Thomas Denome, Elon News Network, Elon University

News Videography
Crowded waters: Invasive European frog-bit threatens Green Bay wildlife — by Seeger Gray, Green Bay Press-Gazette, Northwestern University

Feature Videography
Focus on the Everglades: Behind the scenes — by Finn Wilson, UMTV, University of Miami

Sports Videography
Kayaking instructor spreads love of NYC waterways — by Naoufal Enhari, NYCity News Service, City University of New York

Data Visualization
Working it out: Which gym has less traffic? — by Junwon Choi, Jessica Nguyen, Daily Bruin, University of California, Los Angeles

Audio

Radio News Reporting
‘Let’s not lose our humanity at this time’ — by Anna Colletto, KBIA, University of Missouri School of Journalism

Radio Feature
Texas archeologists team up with Indigenous communities in Paint Rock excavation — by Sheridan Wood, KACU, Abilene Christian University

Radio In-Depth Reporting
Transgender Floridians weather the political storm around their rights — by Siena Duncan, WUFT News, University of Florida

Radio Sports Reporting
Playing for something bigger — by Jordan Leonard, WAER, Syracuse University

Best All-Around Radio Newscast
Carolina Connection — by Staff, Carolina Connection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Podcast (Narrative)
Breaking the Bank: Unpacking Gen Z’s financial insecurity — by Grace Pagel, Media Milwaukee, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Podcast (Conversational)
'We're human beings': Homeless Chapel Hill residents ask for kindness, respect — by William Christensen, Carolina Connection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Broadcast

Television Breaking News Reporting
Tustin hangar fire — by Alexandra Coenjaerts, Tess Martinelli, Sophy Acosta, Gavin Nguyen, Chapman News, Chapman University

Television General News Reporting
Purple for Mackinzie — by Ophelie Jacobson, WUFT News, University of Florida

Television Feature Reporting
A woman's journey from addict to caregiver — by Bella Zafer, Cassis Tingley, DU Media, University of Denver

Television In-Depth Reporting
Food insecurity — by Metia Carroll, Haylee Kennedy, Erin Rogers, Ella Wales, LSU Tiger TV, Louisiana State University

Television Sports Reporting
The Anthony Robles story — by Noelle Blumel, Cronkite News, Arizona State University

Best All-Around Television Newscast
UATV — by Staff, UATV News, University of Arkansas

Best All-Around Television News Magazine
Carolina Week — by Staff, Carolina Week, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

All Platforms

Arts/Entertainment/Fashion Journalism
Behind the curtains: Theatre production sparks outrage and community disapproval — by Kloe Witt, The Maroon, Loyola University New Orleans

Campus Reporting
Wrongful death lawsuit, dining contracts, etc. — by Sean Scott, The Miami Student, Miami University

Collaborative Journalism
America after Roe — by Staff, Carnegie-Knight News21, Arizona State University and other schools

Cultural Criticism
Wahidi's what's happening — by Safa Wahidi, The Emory Wheel, Emory University

Food/Restaurant Journalism
Momos as a form of resistance — by Sajina Shrestha, AudioFiles, City University of New York

Investigative Reporting
Dead Wrong — by Staff, NYCity News Service, City University of New York

Regional Political Reporting
Texas' DEI reporting — by Drew Shaw, The Shorthorn, University of Texas at Arlington

Retail/Small Business Journalism
South Bronx businesses battle back — by Staff, NYCity News Service, City University of New York

Science/Environment/Climate Reporting
Assets to axes: How Harvard’s land investments inspired fear in Brazil’s Cerrado — by Sazi T. Bongwe, Jade Lozada, The Harvard Crimson, Harvard College

SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to informing citizens; works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists; and fights to protect First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press. Support excellent journalism and fight for your right to know. Become a member, give to the Legal Defense Fund or give to the SPJ Foundation.

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SPJ condemns arrest of freelance reporter at UCLA and demands charges be dropped

Mon, 6 May 2024 00:00:00 -0500

CONTACT
Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins, SPJ National President, ashanti.blaize@gmail.com
Caroline Hendrie, SPJ Executive Director, chendrie@hq.spj.org
Kim Tsuyuki, SPJ Communications Specialist, ktsuyuki@hq.spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS — The Society of Professional Journalists condemns today’s arrest of freelance journalist Sean Beckner-Carmitchel at the University of California, Los Angeles and demands that authorities immediately drop a criminal charge against him.

Beckner-Carmitchel was arrested Monday morning while recording video as police detained dozens of UCLA protesters in a parking structure. Beckner-Carmitchel faces a charge of misdemeanor conspiracy to commit a crime.

“This unwarranted arrest flagrantly violates Sean’s First Amendment right to film police and protesters on public property,” said SPJ National President Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins. “It was to curb exactly this sort of over-reaction by law enforcement officials that a coalition of journalism organizations, media unions and First Amendment advocacy groups pushed successfully for California’s Senate Bill 98, which Governor Newsom signed into law two years ago.”

SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to informing citizens; works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists; and fights to protect First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press. Support excellent journalism and fight for your right to know. Become a member, give to the Legal Defense Fund or give to the SPJ Foundation.

-END-

SPJ-led coalition demands Texas authorities drop charges against photojournalist Carlos Sanchez

Wed, 1 May 2024 00:00:00 -0500

CONTACT
Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins, SPJ National President, ashanti.blaize@gmail.com
Caroline Hendrie, SPJ Executive Director, chendrie@hq.spj.org
Kim Tsuyuki, SPJ Communications Specialist, ktsuyuki@hq.spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS — The Society of Professional Journalists has assembled a coalition of 43 signatories, including journalism organizations, First Amendment advocacy groups and media unions, all calling on the Texas Department of Public Safety to abandon its misguided pursuit of criminal charges against photojournalist Carlos Sanchez, who was arrested while covering protests at the University of Texas at Austin.

“We, organizations that collectively represent and advocate on behalf of thousands of journalists, strongly urge the county attorney to decline prosecution of these charges and denounce authorities’ handling and escalation of the underlying incident. In addition to preventing a journalist from reporting the news as it was happening, their actions exert a chilling effect on reporters covering protests and law enforcement’s response to them, both during and beyond the current wave of campus demonstrations,” the statement says.

The statement is also being sent to the Travis County Attorney, the Texas Department of Public Safety and Texas Governor Greg Abbott.

SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to informing citizens; works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists; and fights to protect First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press. Support excellent journalism and fight for your right to know. Become a member, give to the Legal Defense Fund or give to the SPJ Foundation.

-END-