SPJ News

SPJ concerned about lawsuit targeting free speech

Tue, 21 Nov 2023 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 is concerned about X’s lawsuit against Media Matters for America and one of its staff members. The lawsuit filed on Monday is regarding an investigative report the progressive watchdog group published saying that advertisements from major corporations ran beside Nazi content.

“This lawsuit blatantly targets First Amendment rights and free speech. Media organizations must be allowed to hold the powerful accountable,” said SPJ National President Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins. “If X is successful, this could set a very dangerous precedent of preventing the free press from reporting facts.”

News of the lawsuit coincided with an announcement made by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton of an investigation into Media Matters for possible fraudulent activity; and Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey said his team was also looking into the matter.

Elon Musk made a statement on Nov. 17 saying “X works to protect the public’s right to free speech” and that the lawsuit is to protect the public’s right to free expression.

“But what Musk is claiming this lawsuit will accomplish is quite the opposite,” Blaize-Hopkins added.

SPJ will continue to monitor the situation.

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 Fox Sports' host for fabricating quotes

Fri, 17 Nov 2023 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 is aware of the claims that Fox Sports’ host Charissa Thompson fabricated quotes while working as an NFL sideline reporter. The fabrication of quotes is a violation of SPJ's Code of Ethics and a dangerous practice.

Thompson said in a recent interview on the “Pardon My Take” podcast that she sometimes made-up coaches’ quotes during sideline reports, adding that no coach would deny a broad statement. This also isn’t the first time she’s admitted to making up quotes. She first admitted to it in 2022 during her “Calm Down” podcast with Fox Sports reporter Erin Andrews. Andrews said it was something she has also done, which is equally concerning to SPJ.

“Fabricating quotes or other information is unethical and a violation of the SPJ Code of Ethics,” said SPJ National President Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins. “Journalists should strive to seek truth and minimize harm. While some may believe it is harmless to fabricate these types of quotes, it begs the question, if a sports journalist can do so and get away with it, are other journalists doing the same thing? Thompson’s behavior is inexcusable and it damages the credibility of the entire field of journalism and fosters public distrust towards all the journalists who practice the highest ethical standards.”

Other journalists have been calling out Thompson’s behavior for being unethical. SPJ Board Member Kevin Smith told The Washington Post, “This is just appallingly bad journalism to engage in, and to brag about it and defend it as harmless is beyond the pale. SPJ’s ethics code addresses truth, harm, independence and accountability,” Smith added via email Thursday evening. “She gets the trifecta for destroying three ethical tenets with her lying.”

Journalists have also noted that the industry already stereotypes women reporters as “eye candy,” and that Thompson’s admittance only perpetuates that.

According to a report by the Pew Research Center, 46% of reporting journalists are women and only 15% of women journalists report on sports. Lisa Guerrero spoke during her SPJ23 keynote about the sexism and harassment she faced while being a sports reporter.

SPJ strives to maintain high standards and ethical behavior in the practice of journalism. For more information, journalists should refer to the SPJ Code of Ethics.

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 celebrates International Day To End Impunity For Crimes Against Journalists

Thu, 2 Nov 2023 00:00:00 -0500

CONTACT:
Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins, SPJ National President, ashanti.blaize@gmail.com
Zoë Berg, SPJ Communications Specialist, 317-920-4785, zberg@spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS — The Society of Professional Journalists joins other journalism and civic groups in celebrating Nov. 2 as International Day To End Impunity For Crimes Against Journalists.

“In line with the United Nations declaration for this day, we hope the observance of this day draws attention to the threats faced by journalists and communicators in the exercise of our profession,” said SPJ National President Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins.

The Committee to Protect Journalists has recorded the deaths of 31 journalists so far this year. The group noted that since 1992 there have been 956 journalists killed, with more than 79% of those cases going unprosecuted.

While the day is designed to put pressure on governments to arrest and prosecute the killers of journalists, SPJ International Community Co-Chair Dan Kubiske noted that Nov. 2 is also the Mexican holiday of Day of the Dead. He said Mexican journalists are combining the call to end impunity with the Mexican festival of honoring dead family members and friends.

“We understand many journalism groups in Mexico will be dedicating Day of the Dead altars to journalists who have been killed in Mexico because of their profession,” said Kubiske. He said organizers of these events will be placing photos of slain journalists on the altars as a way to remember their sacrifice.

According to the CPJ Global Impunity Index, Mexico has 23 unsolved murders of journalists, putting it at No. 7 in the index ranking.

SPJ encourages journalists around the country to remember journalists who have been killed in action on Nov. 2. It also calls on the United States government to continue to pressure other countries to seek out, arrest and prosecute those who threaten and murder journalists.

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 protection of journalists working in Gaza

Thu, 2 Nov 2023 00:00:00 -0500

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

INDIANAPOLIS — The Society of Professional Journalists joins other journalists and media organizations in expressing deep concern for the safety of journalists reporting on the Israel-Hamas conflict. Journalists in the region have faced a hostile environment that has made reporting difficult.

“Journalists in Israel and Palestine territories face attacks, arrests, threats and censorship making it nearly impossible to continue reporting,” said SPJ National President Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins. “During this time, it is imperative that journalists are able to document what’s happening on the ground so the public can remain informed. Targeting journalists who are simply doing their jobs is unacceptable.”

Since the war began on Oct. 7, at least 33 journalists and media workers have been killed and there have been at least 18 incidents of journalists being targeted while carrying out their work, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Journalists in Gaza face dangerous conditions as they try to cover the conflict amid disrupted communications, extensive power outages and airstrikes. On Oct. 27, the Israeli Defense Force told Reuters and Agence France Presse that it cannot guarantee the safety of their journalists in the Gaza Strip.

Reporters Without Borders has filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court for war crimes committed against Palestinian journalists in Gaza on Wednesday. The organizations said it previously filed complaints regarding eight Palestinian journalists “who were killed in bombardments of civilian areas in Gaza” and an Israeli journalist who was killed on Oct. 7 while covering an attack on his kibbutz by Hamas.

A petition has been signed by nearly 100 French journalists, demanding access to Gaza and for the protection of journalists covering the conflict. The blockade imposed by Israel on Gaza 16 years ago restricts access to the Palestinian territory. Journalists would either need to get authorization from Israeli authorities or enter another way.

SPJ condemns the violence against journalists in Gaza. Journalists must be allowed to report freely and do their job to keep people around the world informed of current events. All journalists who have been arrested must be released without charges, their equipment should be returned and they should not face further persecution. Journalists should never be the target of threats and cyberattacks for informing citizens about important news occurring in their community, county or the world.

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 requests cameras allowed in courtroom for Trump's DC trial

Thu, 5 Oct 2023 00:00:00 -0500

CONTACT:
Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins, SPJ National President, ashanti.blaize@gmail.com
Zoë Berg, SPJ Communications Specialist, 317-920-4785, zberg@spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS — The Society of Professional Journalists requests that cameras are allowed in the courtroom for the trial in United States v. Donald J. Trump. SPJ today joins 19 other media organizations in an application to the federal court for audiovisual access to the trial proceedings. The group also sent a letter to the Judicial Conference today seeking amendment to the rules prohibiting cameras in the courtroom.

Former president Trump has been indicted for conspiring to obstruct the certification of the 2020 presidential electoral vote in Congress on January 6, 2021. The indictment, pending in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, is the first against a U.S. president concerning actions taken while in office.

“This is a historical story that impacts the very fiber of our Democracy,” said SPJ National President Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins. “The public has a right to know how this case unfolds in real time. The only way to ensure this is to allow cameras in the courtroom during the trial.”

The American public has shown interest in the events of Jan. 6. Over 20 million people watched the first prime-time hearing of the House Select Committee’s investigation into the attack, and the indictments against Trump have garnered significant attention from traditional media outlets and the public on social media.

Furthermore, during a time of increased misinformation on social media, it is important for the public to witness this historic trial firsthand. Full video coverage increases the public’s confidence in the judicial process and allows for clearer fact-checking. Plus, previous high-profile trials that have been televised, such as Derek Chauvin’s, have earned widespread praise and helped the public better understand what is happening in the courtroom.

“This case is of interest to all American voters still struggling to make sense of the 2020 presidential election and its aftermath, and who have an opportunity to vote for or against Trump should he become his party’s nominee in the 2024 presidential elections,” said the letter to Judicial Conference Secretary Judge Roslynn R. Mauskopf.

Today, 49 states and the District of Columbia either permit journalists to capture proceedings on their own cameras, authorize courts to provide video or audio webcasts of proceedings, or both, in state courts.

It’s important that the federal court in the District of Columbia allow full access for the trial in U.S. v. Trump. The American public deserves to see for themselves what is happening in the courtroom.

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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Resolutions passed at SPJ23

Wed, 4 Oct 2023 00:00:00 -0500

CONTACT:
Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins, SPJ National President, ashanti.blaize@gmail.com
Zoë Berg, SPJ Communications Specialist, 317-920-4785, zberg@spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS — Each year, Society of Professional Journalists delegates vote on resolutions submitted by members on topics of importance to the Society.

This year's resolutions were voted on by delegates during the Closing Business Meeting at the SPJ23 Journalism Convention.

Here are the resolutions that were approved during SPJ23:

Resolution 1: A Resolution Honoring Jerry Ceppos
Submitted by: Louisiana State University Manship School of Mass Communication Dean Kim Bissell and the Manship School faculty, staff, students, alumni and former Interim Dean Josh Grimm. Also included in this resolution are officers from the 2022 and 2023 LSU SPJ student chapter. 2022-2023 officers are Josh Archote, president; Gabrielle Jimenez, vice president; Piper Hutchinson, secretary; Domenic Purdy, treasurer; Claire Sullivan, social media coordinator; and Freda Yarbrough Dunne, LSU faculty adviser. 2023-2024 officers are Gabrielle Jimenez, president; Lizzie Falcetti, vice president; Maddie Scott, secretary-treasurer; Claire Sullivan, social media coordinator; and Will Mari. LSU faculty adviser.
Delegate action: Approved

WHEREAS Jerome “Jerry” Merle Ceppos was born in Washington, D.C., on October 14, 1946, and died in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on July 29, 2022;

WHEREAS In a career spanning more than 50 years, Ceppos was a top editor at one of the nation’s foremost newspaper companies, dean of two major journalism schools and a 2016 fellow of the Society of Professional Journalists. As an editor and later an educator, he drove a focus on the new technology and its remaking of society. He also championed diversity in the newsroom and the classroom;

WHEREAS Ceppos led the “San Jose Mercury News” when digital media was exploding with innovation, winning two Pulitzer Prizes as its managing editor. He would rise to be the top news officer of Knight Ridder newspapers, including the “Mercury News,” “Miami Herald,” “The Philadelphia Inquirer,” “Detroit Free Press,” “The Charlotte Observer,” “The Kansas City Star” and 26 other daily papers;

WHEREAS as a self-described "geeky" student at Northwood High School in Silver Spring, Maryland, Ceppos edited the school paper, “The Red and Black.” At the University of Maryland, he edited “The Diamondback” and graduated in 1969 with a degree in journalism. After college, Ceppos was a reporter and editor at the “Rochester Democrat and Chronicle” in New York for three years. In 1972, he moved south to become an editor at “The Miami Herald,” the beginning of a long career with Knight Newspapers, later Knight Ridder;

WHEREAS In 1981, Ceppos moved to San Jose, where he quickly rose through the editing ranks. The “Mercury News” Pulitzer Prizes when he was managing editor were for reporting on massive transfers of personal wealth by President Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines out of his country, and for coverage of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake;

WHEREAS In 1996, a year after Ceppos became executive editor, the “Mercury News” published a three-part investigative series, “Dark Alliance,” which made the sensational charge that the crack epidemic raging in Los Angeles was largely sparked by two Nicaraguan emigres selling large amounts of cocaine to raise funds for a CIA-backed rebel army in their home country. An illustration accompanying the stories showed a person smoking crack, superimposed over the logo of the CIA;

WHEREAS When three newspapers, “The New York Times,” “The Washington Post” and “The Los Angeles Times,” published major pieces calling into question the reporting in “Dark Alliance,” Ceppos assigned a reporter and editors uninvolved in the original stories to re-report them;

WHEREAS On May 11, 1997, he published a front-page column, saying the Dark Alliance series had "oversimplified the complex issues of how the crack epidemic in America grew" and "did not include information that contradicted a central assertion of the series." He took personal responsibility for the flawed work, saying, "Few things in life are harder than owning up to one's shortcomings." He said the paper had failed to meet its high standards and would overhaul some of its editing processes;

WHEREAS Though Ceppos faced complaints he had caved to pressure, he was widely praised for accepting criticism and acting transparently. "His candor and self-criticism set a high standard for cases in which journalists make egregious errors," said “The New York Times” in an editorial. He would later receive an award from the Society for his "superior ethical conduct" in handling the aftermath of the series;

WHEREAS In 1999, Ceppos was promoted to vice president for news of Knight Ridder, a role in which, for six years, he identified and recruited top editors, set quality and ethical standards, oversaw the company's Washington and foreign bureaus and, as he put it, "led sometimes recalcitrant newsrooms into the digital age."

WHEREAS Ceppos left Knight Ridder in 2005, just before the publicly traded company was sold and broken up. After consulting for several years, he began a new career as an educator, telling friends he always failed at retirement;

WHEREAS Appointed dean of the Reynolds School of Journalism at the University of Nevada/ Reno in 2008, Ceppos raised the funds to renovate the school's building and update its technology for the future;

WHEREAS After three years at Reynolds, Ceppos moved in 2011 to the Manship School, where he was dean for seven years before transitioning into a full-time teaching role, giving courses on media ethics, American media history and a seminar on fairness in journalism;

WHEREAS Ceppos diversified the faculty and found the resources to endow a chair in race, media and cultural literacy;

WHEREAS As dean of the Manship School, Ceppos started a news service to help fill a void left by declining mainstream news outlets, assigning student journalists to cover state government and undertake investigative projects. He urged them to dig into unsolved murders by Ku Klux Klansmen during the civil rights era, and 90 news sites in Louisiana and Mississippi have run stories by Manship students;

WHEREAS Ceppos’ last published piece appeared several weeks before his death in the “Inter Mountain,” a newspaper in Elkins, West Virginia. It was an appreciation of his high school newspaper adviser, Mary Lee Ruddle, a West Virginia native who died at 95 in June 2022. She had recently told Ceppos how proud she was of his accomplishments. “That’s how Miss Ruddle — to this day, none of us dares call her anything other than ‘Miss Ruddle’ — was, an unrelenting coach who demanded high standards but, importantly, assured us that we could meet her requirements. Her confidence was important for a geeky high-school boy.”

WHEREAS Friends and family gathered on October 20, 2022, at LSU to celebrate Ceppos’ life, leadership, public service and friendship, The Manship School and the LSU SPJ chapter resolve to honor Jerry Ceppos with this resolution marking his remarkable career and life that was foremost led by his kindness, compassion and attention to details. As Ceppos would say to any student, entry-level or seasoned journalist – “Make Your Words Count”;

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the Society, meeting in convention September 30, 2023, in Las Vegas, honors Ceppos’ service and commitment to the field of journalism and the example he set;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be presented to Ceppos’ family.

Resolution 2: A Resolution Thanking Society of Professional Journalists President Claire Regan
Submitted by: Resolutions Committee
Delegate action: Approved

WHEREAS Claire Regan is completing her one-year term as the 106th president of the Society of Professional Journalists;

WHEREAS President Regan showed leadership and strength as we dealt with contentious issues within the Society and giving enormous amounts of her personal time to guide the organization during a time of leadership transition;

WHEREAS she set goals to increase diversity, inclusion and equity in our organization and kept this commitment by exploring all areas of the Society to make her vision a reality;

WHEREAS President Regan instituted a policy of making herself available for individual talks with members on a regular basis, thereby providing a more direct and open line of communication with the membership,

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the Society of Professional Journalists, meeting at a convention September. 30, 2023, in Las Vegas, from members across the country thank President Regan for her years of dedication, commitment and courage to lead the Society

Resolution 3: A Resolution Thanking the Staff of the Society of Professional Journalists
Submitted by: The Resolutions Committee
Delegate action: Approved

WHEREAS the headquarters staff of the Society of Professional Journalists is a small but mighty band of first-rate people who work hard every day to make journalism and journalists themselves stronger;

WHEREAS the Society headquarters staff has stayed connected and committed to the cause of journalism on behalf of the Society’s members despite working from home and during a time of staff changes and financial insecurity,

WHEREAS every staff member is responsible individually for the success of the Society, and all of them are the backbone of the Society every day of every year,

WHEREAS Interim executive Director Jennifer Royer, managed the SPJ team in a tumultuous time to help make the Society a better place for all journalists;

WHEREAS even with the fiscal and staff issues facing the organization, Jennifer Royer and her team stepped up to organize the 2023 SPJ National Convention in Las Vegas with exciting and innovative programming;

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the Society of Professional Journalists, meeting in convention September 30, 2023, in Las Vegas, offers deeply felt and greatly appreciated thanks to the Society staff for its commitment to excellence for the Society all year round, especially during yet another great convention.

Resolution 4: A Resolution on threats to Press Freedom in Nicaragua
Submitted by: International Journalism Community
Co-signers: Louisiana Pro Chapter
Delegate action: Approved

WHEREAS, Nicaragua is a signatory to the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 19 of which states: “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers,” and

WHEREAS, Nicaragua is also a signatory to the 1994 Declaration of Chapultepec, which states in its preamble: "Wherever the media can function unhindered and determine their own direction and manner of serving the public there is a blossoming of the ability to seek information, to disseminate it without restraints, to question it without fear, and to promote the free exchange of ideas and opinions. But wherever freedom of the press is curtailed, for whatever reasons, the other freedoms vanish," and

WHEREAS, Principle 4 of the Declaration of Chapultepec also states: “Freedom of expression and of the press are severely limited by murder, terrorism, kidnapping, pressure, intimidation, the unjust imprisonment of journalists, the destruction of facilities, violence of any kind and impunity for perpetrators,” and

WHEREAS, the government of President Daniel Ortega Saavedra has persisted in his policy of closing independent media outlets and arresting, imprisoning and exiling journalists, and

WHEREAS, in February 2023 the Nicaraguan government stripped more than 300 Nicaraguans of their citizenship and sent them into exile, including several prominent journalists, among them Carlos Fernando Chamorro; and

WHEREAS, more than 180 Nicaraguan journalists remain in exile in Costa Rica trying to keep press freedom alive in Nicaragua by reporting from abroad, including Lucía Pineda Ubau, a television journalist imprisoned in 2018 for reporting on the street protests against President Ortega’s dictatorship; Néstor Arce Aburto, who livestreamed protests before making a narrow escape, and Octavio Enríquez, whose family faced threats as he reported on corruption,

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the Society of Professional Journalists, meeting September 30, 2023, in Las Vegas, condemns these violations of freedom of the press in Nicaragua, and expresses solidarity with its Nicaraguan colleagues as they seek to report the news factually despite a climate of hostility and intimidation; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that SPJ calls upon President Ortega to respect the Nicaraguan government’s obligations under the UN Declaration of Human Rights and the Declaration of Chapultepec by releasing any and all journalists being held for exercising their rights and duties as journalists, by allowing all those in exile to return to Nicaragua to practice their profession, and by desisting from further arrests of journalists, from police raids on media organizations and from acts of intimidation and repression against journalists and their organizations; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this resolution be sent to the Nicaraguan ambassador to the United States, to the office of President Ortega, to the secretary-general of the Organization of American States and to Volker Túrk, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights.

Resolution 5: Resolution on Iran and Press Freedom
Submitted by: International Community
Delegate action: Approved

WHEREAS following the outbreak in Iran of demonstrations protesting the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini a year ago while in police custody more than 20 journalists were arrested merely because they covered those demonstrations, and

WHEREAS the Iranian government also arrested journalists covering Amini’s funeral, and

WHEREAS many of the journalists who were arrested were also placed in solitary confinement and forcefully interrogated at Evin Prison, considered one of the worst prisons in the world, and

WHEREAS threats have been made against Iranian journalists in the United States and against organizations hosting those journalists

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the Society of Professional Journalists, meeting in convention September 30, 2023, in Las Vegas, strongly asserts that journalists in Iran must be allowed to report freely and do their job to keep people around the world informed of what is happening in Iran. All journalists who have been arrested must be released without charges, their equipment should be returned and they should not face further persecution.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Society also condemns efforts to silence journalists speaking out on behalf of those arrested in Iran.

Resolution 6: Resolution on threats to journalists in Central America and Mexico
Submitted by: International Community
Delegate action: Approved with amendments

WHEREAS journalists in Central America remain under threat from government and paramilitary organizations; and

WHEREAS a free press is the cornerstone of democracy and civil society, and

WHEREAS the people of Central America have expressed their desire for more equitable societies and freedom of expression, and

WHEREAS dire threats remain against press freedom in Central America, and

WHEREAS, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 73 news media workers have been killed in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua in the past 30 years, and

WHEREAS the governments of these four countries are also taking actions that restrict the ability of journalists to carry out their job, and

WHEREAS the Guatemalan government has regularly engaged in actions to prevent media outlets from reporting on corruption, and

WHEREAS a primary focus of the Guatemalan government efforts are aimed at elPeriódico, including arresting its founder on financial violation charges and four of its reporters for “violence against women” because of a story that linked the daughter of the president of the Constitutional Court to corrupt practices, and

WHEREAS a growing number of journalists in El Salvador are finding that their mobile phones have been infected with the Pegasus spyware, which is only available to government agencies, and

WHEREAS a proposed law in El Salvador includes a prison sentence of 15 years if a news organization reports on gang activity in the country, and

WHEREAS Honduras has the largest numbers of journalists killed in Central America with no progress on arresting their murderers, and

WHEREAS the court system in Honduras is being used by major landowners to prevent journalists from covering indigenous affairs, and

WHEREAS the Nicaraguan government has continued its long-time feud with La Prensa, the oldest newspaper in the country, including charging reporters with conspiracy against the state because of their reporting on a group of nuns deported by the government, and

WHEREAS the Nicaraguan government arrested, charged and convicted the publisher of La Prensa of money laundering and “fake news” without allowing public access to the proceedings, and

WHEREAS in 2023 alone the Nicaraguan government has closed about 20 independent news outlets, accusing the operators of disrupting society,

WHEREAS, according to press freedom organizations around the world, Mexico has been called the most dangerous place for journalists outside an active war zone, and

WHEREAS the Committee to Protect Journalists has reported 152 media workers have been killed in Mexico since 1992, and

WHEREAS the Mexican government has not aggressively investigated most of the killings of Mexican journalists, putting Mexico among the Top 10 countries in the CPJ Index of Impunity,

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the Society of Professional Journalists, meeting in convention September 30, 2023, in Las Vegas, calls on the governments in Central America and Mexico to immediately order prosecutors to move with all due haste to identify, charge and try the murderers of our colleagues; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED the Society calls on these governments to respect their obligations under the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights and the Declaration of Chapultepec by releasing any and all journalists being held for exercising their rights and duties as journalists; and by desisting from further arrests of journalists, from police raids on media organizations and from engaging in acts of intimidation and repression against journalists and their organizations, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this resolution be sent to the Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemispheric Affairs, the Secretary-General of the Organization of American States and to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Resolution 7: A Resolution in Support of Electronic Media Coverage of Former President Trump’s Criminal Trials
Submitted by: Resolutions Committee
Delegate action: Approved

WHEREAS the United States Supreme Court has recognized that trials are “public property,” and that the First Amendment and Sixth Amendment guarantee both the accused and the public a right to a publicly conducted trial, assuring that justice is dispensed legitimately and without favor;

WHEREAS the former president of the United States has been indicted on felony changes and is facing trial in at least two federal jurisdictions, the U.S. district courts for the District of Columbia and the Southern District of Florida;

WHEREAS the offenses charged in these indictments go to issues of paramount public concern, including efforts at destabilizing the nation’s electoral system by, according to federal prosecutors, attempting to overturn the results of a legitimately conducted election for president of the United States, manifesting in deadly violence at the United States Capitol;

WHEREAS the rule that prohibits cameras or other electronic recording devices in federal criminal trials is 77 years old, a relic of a time when videography was a novelty and not an everyday reality of American life, and when cameras were noisy and obtrusive and difficult to operate in a courtroom non-disruptively;

WHEREAS while cameras in courts were a rarity at the time the federal prohibition was enacted in 1946, all 50 states now make allowances for photographic and videographic coverage, with no indication of any detrimental impact on the ability of courts to dispense justice;

WHEREAS two successful federal pilots of cameras in civil trials and appellate hearings demonstrated conclusively that it is eminently possible, using contemporary technology, for cameras to operate unobtrusively in a way that contributes to public understanding of the judicial system;

WHEREAS the interests of history require that these groundbreaking criminal cases – the first involving a former president of the United States as a defendant – be memorialized in a form other than artists’ pencil drawings;

WHEREAS the same type of civil unrest that resulted in the lethal attack on the U.S. Capitol and its police force on Jan. 6, 2021, is foreseeable if the public doubts the legitimacy of the

former president’s trials – as former president Trump himself has foretold, using social media to warn of “death and destruction” if his followers perceive that he has been treated unjustly;

WHEREAS the advent of social media, “deepfake” technology and other developments antedating the enactment of Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, and the leading federal court cases interpreting it, renders it impracticable for judges to control the flow of inaccurate or even wholly fabricated information about trials that is calculated to inflame outrage, without the antidote of reliable first-hand observation to inoculate a distrustful public;

WHEREAS the courtrooms in which the former president’s trials are scheduled to take place are so small that only a handful of public observers will be able to view the proceedings in-person, and;

WHEREAS legal counsel for the former president has publicly declared that electronic media coverage would in no way interfere with Mr. Trump’s ability to obtain a fair trial, and to the contrary, would be desirable for public understanding of the proceedings.

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the Society of Professional Journalists, meeting in convention September 30, 2023, in Las Vegas, calls on Congress and the federal judiciary to take every necessary step, with immediate dispatch, to ensure that still and video cameras – whether operated by the news media, or by the courts themselves – memorialized the proceedings in each trial in which the former president is a defendant;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Society calls on the Judicial Conference and the applicable district courts to use routinely available technology – including technology already in use successfully in the state-court prosecution of former President Trump in Fulton County, Georgia – to livestream the trial proceedings on YouTube or a comparable public-facing platform, with reasonable safeguards the courts may find necessary to protect legitimate interests in juror confidentiality and the security of classified documents;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED the Society urges the federal judiciary to ensure that, at a minimum, the public receives what it received from the U.S. Supreme Court during the height of the COVID pandemic – the ability to listen to real-time audio of the court proceedings, and an archival copy of each proceeding accessible for playback – which is the very least that history requires of these unprecedented trials.

Resolution 8: A Resolution Opposing Improper Information Gatekeeping
Submitted by: Kathryn Foxhall, SPJ Washington, D.C., Pro Chapter
Delegate action: Approved

WHEREAS the Society of Professional Journalists knows that the control of information by people in power is one of the most abusive, corrosive and deadly things in human societies;

WHEREAS the Society of Professional Journalists has documented the pervasiveness of bans in organizations on employees or others speaking to the press or on their speaking to the press without reporting to authorities, often through public information offices;

WHEREAS the Society of Professional Journalists, as the world nears four years of the Covid pandemic, recognizes that former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention media relations director has said these controls and others became tighter on that agency over several presidential administrations, that they constrain the agency’s ability to get its messages out,

WHEREAS the Society of Professional Journalists understands that such controls cannot be in effect without frequently limiting what people will tell journalists, including information that is critical to public understanding;

WHEREAS the Society celebrates what is believed to be the first suit by a journalist challenging these gag rules in a U.S. public agency; that is, the legal action filed in August by Brittany Hailer against the Allegheny County Jail;

WHEREAS the Society understands that such limitations on the independent information gathering will severely harm journalist’s ability to overcome existential threats including pandemics and climate change;

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED the Society of Professional Journalists, meeting in convention in September 30, 2023, in Las Vegas, calls on reporters, editors and publishers everywhere to eschew such arguments as “good reporters get the story anyway” and actively explain and openly oppose these permission-to-speak restrictions, just as journalists would expose other corruption;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED the Society communicate with Freedom House; the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization; and the World Health Organization to ask them to recognize these controls as violations of press freedom and threats to public health and urge those organizations to oppose them in all nations.

Resolution 9: Resolution Title: Ensuring Fiscal Accountability and Transparency within the Society of Professional Journalists
Submitted by: Jennifer Ellis, Region 12 Coordinator
Co-signers: Donald W. Meyers, Region 10 Coordinator; Loretta McGraw, Region 7 Coordinator; Joe Radske, Region 6 Coordinator; Sue Kopen Katcef, former SPJ National Vice President Campus Chapter Affairs; and Lauren Bartlett, former national director at large
Delegate action: Approved with amendment

WHEREAS the Society of Professional Journalists is dedicated to upholding the highest standards of journalism and fostering a commitment to ethics, accuracy, and transparency;

WHEREAS SPJ is funded by the dues of its members and various sources of revenue, and it is essential to maintain fiscal responsibility and transparency in the management of these resources;

WHEREAS the SPJ Board of Directors is legally obligated in its role as a Board to uphold its fiduciary responsibility to the organization and membership and is, in fact, annually briefed on those responsibilities, which include approving the annual budget and making financial decisions on behalf of the organization;

WHEREAS, the SPJ Board of Directors has a fiduciary duty to share information about significant budget shortfalls with all of its members;

WHEREAS it is imperative to ensure that any significant expenses that significantly deviate from the approved budget receive proper scrutiny and approval to safeguard the financial stability of SPJ;

WHEREAS transparency and inclusivity in decision-making processes are fundamental principles that SPJ should uphold;

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED:
1. The Society of Professional Journalists Board of Directors will ensure, at minimum, quarterly meetings of the Finance Committee, whose responsibility includes ongoing reviews of the current and future budgets. Minutes from the Finance Committee meeting and the quarterly financial reports will be posted to the SPJ website.
2. The Society of Professional Journalists Board of Directors shall require a vote in public for any expense that represents a drastic deviation from an approved budget.
3. The Society of Professional Journalists Board of Directors will notify all members by email when a budget shortfall of 25% or more has occurred during an existing budget year or is projected in an upcoming budget.
4. For this resolution, a "drastic deviation" shall be defined as any expense resulting in an overage of 25% or $5,000, whichever is greater, beyond the line-item budgeted amount as approved by the Board of Directors.
5. Prior to the vote, a thorough explanation and justification of the proposed expense, including its potential impact on SPJ's financial health and objectives, shall be provided to enable informed decision-making.
6. In the event that a majority of the board rejects the proposed expense, the Board of Directors shall reassess the budget as a whole and consider whether amendments are necessary.
7. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon its adoption and shall be communicated to all SPJ members to ensure their awareness and understanding of the new fiscal accountability and transparency measures.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this resolution shall take effect immediately upon its adoption and remain in force until it is amended or repealed by convention delegates or membership vote.

Resolution 10: A Resolution to Study and Present a Bylaws Amendment Increasing the Number of Directors Serving on the SPJ National Board
Submitted by: Jennifer Ellis, Region 12 Coordinator
Co-signers: Donald W. Meyers, Region 10 Coordinator; Loretta McGraw, Region 7 Coordinator; Joe Radske, Region 6 Coordinator; Ginny McCabe, Region 4 Coordinator; Sue Kopen Katcef, former SPJ National Vice President Campus Chapter Affairs; and Lauren Bartlett, former national director at large
Delegate action: Approved

WHEREAS following recommendations by a task force headed by Patti Newberry, the Society of Professional Journalists voted in 2017 to shrink its 23-member Board of Directors to nine positions to attract qualified leaders without barriers such as geography and special interest, and

WHEREAS after much debate and deliberation, board members and delegates came to believe that a smaller board would be more nimble, better able to make decisions quickly, and

WHEREAS two appointed director positions were added to the board to bring particular expertise or address any gaps in diversity, and

WHEREAS there is no specific mechanism to ensure that students and regional coordinators who work directly with chapters have representation on the board of directors, and

WHEREAS some members are concerned about encouraging a diverse and robust pipeline of experienced Board leadership into SPJ’s highest offices, and

WHEREAS some members feel the current model, with a third of the board consisting of the president and two one-year appointees, too narrowly consolidates power, especially as the delegates consider for a second time a governance change eliminating delegates as the supreme legislative body of the organization, and

WHEREAS some members would like to see fairer representation of the membership on the board, and

WHEREAS some members believe the current board structure does not serve the Society’s needs and should be reviewed, and

WHEREAS the SPJ Board of Directors acknowledged in 2017 that the proposed restructuring of the Board might need to undergo review and changes in the years ahead;

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the Society of Professional Journalists, meeting in convention on September 30, 2023, in Las Vegas, calls on the Society President and Board of Directors to appoint a task force consisting of Regional Coordinators, Chapter leaders, past leaders, Community leaders and unaffiliated members to explore alternative board configurations and lengths of service including removing appointed directors, adding at least one Regional Coordinator representative, and increasing the number of directors serving on the national board.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the SPJ Board will consider the task force’s recommendations and share them with all Society members no later than the April board meeting, with an opportunity for feedback and suggestions.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Board is directed to implement the recommendations of the taskforce,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Board is directed to implement the recommendations of the task force;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this task force will consist of at least one current Society board member who cannot be the chair, and all meetings will be open to Society members, with recordings of the meetings available on the Society’s website.

Resolution 11: Establishing an Official Year-Round Communication Channel for SPJ Members
Submitted by: Jennifer Ellis, Region 12 Coordinator
Co-signers: Donald W. Meyers, Region 10 Coordinator; Loretta McGraw, Region 7 Coordinator; Joe Radske, Region 6 Coordinator; Sue Kopen Katcef, former SPJ National Vice President Campus Chapter Affairs; and Lauren Bartlett, former national director at large
Delegate action: Approved

WHEREAS the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) is dedicated to fostering excellence in journalism and promoting the free flow of information;

WHEREAS SPJ members are spread across the country, and it is essential to facilitate communication and collaboration among members year-round;

WHEREAS members enjoy a communication platform through an app at the annual convention, it is insufficient to meet the need for ongoing communication and exchange of ideas among SPJ members;

WHEREAS technological advancements offer options for creating a digital platform to facilitate year-round communication among SPJ members at little to no cost;

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the Society of Professional Journalists, meeting in convention September 30, 2023, in Las Vegas, directs the Board of Directors and Headquarters Staff or another appointed SPJ member volunteer to take the necessary steps to establish an official year-round communication channel for SPJ members.

1. Establishment of a Year-Round Communication Channel: a. The SPJ Board of Directors and Headquarters Staff shall collaborate to create and implement a little to no-cost digital platform or communication channel accessible to all SPJ members. b. This platform shall be designed to enable members from across the country to communicate, share information, and exchange ideas throughout the year.
2. Features and Functions: a. The year-round communication channel shall include discussion forums, chat rooms, message boards, and private messaging capabilities. b. It shall also provide a platform for sharing resources, organizing events, and seeking input from the SPJ membership on matters of importance. c. The platform shall be user- friendly and accessible to members of all backgrounds and technological proficiency levels.
3. Privacy and Security: a. The SPJ Board of Directors and Headquarters Staff shall ensure that the year-round communication channel maintains the privacy and security of member information. b. Appropriate measures shall be put in place to safeguard against unauthorized access or misuse of the platform.
4. Promotion and Training: a. The SPJ Board of Directors and Headquarters Staff shall develop and implement a plan for promoting the new communication channel to all SPJ members.
5. Regular Updates and Maintenance: a. The year-round communication channel shall be subject to regular updates and maintenance to ensure its effectiveness and relevance to the needs of SPJ members. b. Feedback from members shall be actively sought and used for continuous improvement.
6. Implementation Timeline: a. The SPJ Board of Directors and Headquarters Staff shall establish a timeline within a year for the development and launch of the year-round communication channel, with progress updates provided to the membership.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this resolution shall take effect immediately upon its adoption and remain in force until it is amended or repealed by convention delegates or membership vote.

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-

Delegates at SPJ23 vote to replace delegate system with 'one member, one vote'

Wed, 4 Oct 2023 00:00:00 -0500

CONTACT:
Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins, SPJ National President, ashanti.blaize@gmail.com
Zoë Berg, SPJ Communications Specialist, 317-920-4785, zberg@spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS —The Society of Professional Journalists delegates voted to replace the system that makes them the ruling body for the Society with a “one member, one vote” system at the Closing Business Meeting of the SPJ23 Journalism Convention.

Beginning next year, instead of delegates making the decisions about bylaws amendments and resolutions, every SPJ member will have a vote.

The amended bylaws now read, “All members of the Society in good standing seven days prior to the date and time balloting begins shall be eligible to vote … for any referendums for the general membership in good standing that may appear on the ballot.”

Voting on referendums will coincide with SPJ’s annual officer elections, as outlined in SPJ bylaws. General Membership Meetings will mark the beginning and end of the Society’s convention and include discussion of any proposed resolutions and bylaws amendments.

Referendums may be brought by the SPJ Board of Directors, the Bylaws Committee or SPJ members. “Proposals to amend these bylaws may only appear on the ballot if they have been discussed in a public meeting of the national board of directors at least 60 days before the annual election, whether the idea originated with the Bylaws Committee, with the Board, or with a member in good standing,” the adopted bylaws amendment reads. It also states, “The exact wording of proposed amendments to these bylaws shall be sent to all members of the Society in good standing no later than 30 days before the annual election in which the proposed amendments will appear on the ballot.”

Learn more about how the changes affect SPJ bylaws by reading the proposed changes that have now been ratified. The changes became effective immediately following the Closing Business Meeting.

Prior to the annual convention, SPJ members were invited to give feedback. The official bylaws displayed on the SPJ website will be updated to reflect this vote.

The other two proposed bylaws amendments were not passed by delegates. The proposed changes to term periods for SPJ’s national officers was voted down, and the “Participatory Standards at Society of Professional Journalists events" were sent back to the Bylaws Committee for further discussion.

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 elects 2023-24 Board of Directors and Regional Coordinators

Tue, 3 Oct 2023 00:00:00 -0500

CONTACT:
Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins, SPJ National President, ashanti.blaize@gmail.com
Zoë Berg, SPJ Communications Specialist, 317-920-4785, zberg@spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS — The Society of Professional Journalists swore in its 107th president Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins and its membership has elected the 2023-24 Board of Directors and Regional Coordinators.

Most election winners were sworn in at the SPJ23 Journalism Convention Closing Business Meeting by 2022-23 National President Claire Regan. She also swore in Blaize-Hopkins, who is the first Black woman to become SPJ president. Blaize-Hopkins is a journalism professor at Santa Monica College and became vice president of SPJ in 2022.

Blaize-Hopkins selected two appointees to join the SPJ Board of Directors as at-large directors serving for one year. They were sworn in at the SPJ Board meeting on Sunday by Blaize-Hopkins, along with the other winners who were not at SPJ23.

Additions to SPJ’s 2023-24 Board of Directors:
— Vice President: Emily Bloch is a multimedia journalist specializing in youth and internet culture. She covers national trending news for the Philadelphia Inquirer. Bloch served as an at-large director, SPJ Florida past president, Executive Director Search Committee member and community coordinator. She is the 2020 SPJ Howard Dubin Outstanding Pro Member Award recipient.
— Secretary-Treasurer: Daniela Ibarra is a journalist at KSAT-TV in San Antonio. She has served as an SPJ at-large director, Diversity & Inclusion Committee vice-chair, 2022 Student Leadership Institute coach and a member of the SPJ Multimedia Journalists Safety Task Force, Code of Conduct Committee and 2022 Convention Planning Committee.
— At-Large Director (two-year term): Chris R. Vaccaro is a media executive, professor and author from Long Island, currently working in an executive role with a sports media company and as the director of graduate journalism and adjunct assistant professor at Hofstra University. He has served as the SPJ Region 1 coordinator, Regional Coordinator Caucus chair and board member and past president of the Press Club of Long Island.
— At-Large Director (two-year term): Wesley Wright is a college journalism adviser at Florida Atlantic University. He is the executive vice president of the SPJ Florida and runs a project partly funded by SPJ called the ReNews Project, which seeks to revive student media organizations at Historically black colleges and universities and Hispanic-serving institutions nationwide.
— At-Large Director (president’s appointee): Carolyn Burt is an audience engagement producer at Southern California News Group. She served on the 2023 Convention Planning Committee and was an SPJ student reporter at MediaFest22.
— At-Large Director (president’s appointee): Reginald Hardwick is the news/public affairs director at Illinois Public Media, the NPR and PBS member stations based at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He has won seven regional Emmy Awards and an Edward R. Murrow Award.

New Regional Coordinators:
— Region 2: Stephenie Overman is a long-time freelance journalist who specializes in covering labor and workplace issues. She previously held this position.
— Region 3: Michael Koretzky is the editor of Debt.com. He previously held this position.
— Region 6: Joe Radske teaches at North Dakota State University and Minnesota State University - Moorhead. He previously held this position.
— Region 7: Loretta McGraw is an English as a second or foreign language educator, freelance journalist, producer and music promoter in the Des Moines Metropolitan area. She previously held this position.
— Region 8: Laura Garcia is the afternoon/evening news editor at The Texas Tribune. She previously held this position.
— Region 10: Donald W. Meyers is a multimedia journalist at the Yakima Herald-Republic covering crime and courts. He previously held this position.
— Region 11: Ankita M. Kumar is journalist, content strategist and product manager currently working for Ovis.
— Region 12: Jennifer Ellis is the creative services managing editor at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. She previously held this position.

Regional Coordinators serve staggered two-year terms, with only some being up for re-election each year.

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-

Bill Ketter named Wells Memorial Key recipient, SPJ’s highest honor

Sun, 1 Oct 2023 00:00:00 -0500

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

LAS VEGAS – The Society of Professional Journalists honors Bill Ketter with the Wells Memorial Key. This award is the highest honor for an SPJ member. Ketter has been a member of SPJ for 62 years and is an outstanding leader in the Society.

Ketter began his SPJ leadership roles as vice president of the New England Pro Chapter in 1971 and went on to serve as president of the chapter. He was also chair of the New England Academy of Journalists, which was created by SPJNE, and served two terms as the Region 1 Coordinator before turning his attention to climbing the ladder at the American Society of Newspaper Editors – he served as president of ASNE in 1995.

During the early 1990s, Ketter prevented the New England chapter from folding. He was able to raise $50,000 to ensure that the chapter and its great achievements would live on. Ketter has also spent the last two decades volunteering his time as a member of the SPJ Foundation Board.

“It has been our great pleasure to serve with Bill on the Foundation board for many years. His wisdom and breadth of top-tier experience gives him a powerful and authoritative voice in Foundation meetings. When he speaks, everyone listens,” said a nomination letter from 20 SPJ leaders, including past presidents and Foundation board members.

“For decades, Bill Ketter has been one of the nation’s most respected and admired journalists, and this award would be a fitting tribute by an organization he has served and loved throughout that exemplary career… He is a repository of wisdom and principle, and someone I consider to be one of the Foundation’s and the Society’s top and most influential leaders,” said SPJ Foundation Board Member Alex Jones.

He also supports SPJ nationally through auctioning off excursions on his sailboat to the SPJ Legal Defense Fund, and this past year, Ketter offered to match up to $500 in gifts made on SPJ Day of Giving.

“While all of these well documented aspects of Bill’s career and service to the Society, to the Foundation and to his surrounding community are testimony of his worthiness of the Wells Key, what speaks even more loudly is that his efforts and longstanding devotion continue to inspire young journalists to support SPJ in the spirit of improving and protecting journalism,” said past SPJ president Christine Tatum.

Ketter was honored at the President’s Award Banquet at the SPJ23 Journalism Convention, SPJ’s annual convention.

Named for Chester C. Wells, the second president of the Society, the Wells Memorial Key is awarded to an SPJ member who has performed outstanding service to the Society in the preceding year or through a period of years.

Read more about the selection process and previous winners.

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-

Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins sworn in as 107th president of Society of Professional Journalists

Sun, 1 Oct 2023 00:00:00 -0500

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

LAS VEGAS — Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins was sworn in as the 107th president of the Society of Professional Journalists during the President’s Awards Banquet at the SPJ23 Journalism Convention, SPJ’s annual convention held in Las Vegas. She became the first Black woman sworn in as SPJ national president in its 114-year history.

Blaize-Hopkins is a journalism professor at Santa Monica College, where she is also the faculty advisor of the institution’s award-winning student-run newspaper, The Corsair. In her role at Santa Monica College, she also serves as an equity coach, assisting faculty in equitizing curriculum and closing equity gaps amongst students of color.

She was a television news anchor and reporter for eleven years, working for stations in El Paso, Texas; Las Vegas; and Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas. Before her career in higher education, which included stints at Richland College, Loyola Marymount University and the University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, Blaize-Hopkins ran a successful public relations/marketing firm and video production company. She has been recognized numerous times for her work as a journalist, including with a regional Emmy award and several nominations.

Blaize-Hopkins joined SPJ in 2017 as a board member of the SPJ Greater Los Angeles Pro Chapter. She quickly rose through the ranks, becoming the chapter’s vice president and then president. During her tenure on the board of SPJ LA, Blaize-Hopkins was instrumental in building a coalition of journalism organizations, First Amendment advocacy groups and media unions to address issues of press freedom in the state. The coalition successfully lobbied the California state legislature and the governor to pass a bill that would prevent law enforcement from detaining or arresting journalists while covering incidents of civil unrest. That law is now in place and the coalition’s work continues focused on advocating for journalists targeted by law enforcement.

At the national level, Blaize-Hopkins served as chair of the SPJ Nominations Committee and Executive Director Search Committee in 2022. She was also on the SPJ Delegate Taskforce that same year.

Blaize-Hopkins’ goals for the Society are to focus on the future and sustainability of local news, diversify newsrooms at all levels, upskill professional and student journalists by providing consistent programming and to shine a light on the mental health needs of all journalists, but especially journalists of color and journalists in the LGBTQ+ community. In addition, Blaize-Hopkins wants to ensure all SPJ members and potential members truly see the benefits of joining SPJ.

“The journalism industry is at a turning point, and I truly believe SPJ can position itself to build coalitions with like-minded journalism organizations in order to affect real sustainable change,” said Blaize-Hopkins. “We have to engage in policy discussions at the highest level. We have to produce research and reports that provide a more equitable way forward for the news business. Our very Democracy is at stake, and we don’t have the option to do nothing.”

Attracting a diverse group of new members to SPJ is also one of her goals.

“I hesitated to join SPJ for several years because I just didn’t see anyone who looked like me in leadership positions. It made me feel like I didn’t belong in the organization. But I decided to be the change that I wanted to see in SPJ,” she said. “Representation matters and I hope that I can show through my leadership and my diverse board of directors, that there is a place for everyone at SPJ.”

Blaize-Hopkins is the proud daughter of an immigrant father from Antigua. She grew up in Virginia Beach with her mother. She earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology at Columbia University and received her master’s degree in journalism at the University of Miami.

She takes the reins from Claire Regan, an assistant professor at Wagner College in New York City and a contributing writer to the Staten Island Advance.

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 Foundation creates fund to support Ukrainian journalists

Fri, 29 Sep 2023 00:00:00 -0500

CONTACT:
Hagit Limor, SPJ Foundation President
Zoë Berg, SPJ Communications Specialist, 317-920-4785, zberg@spj.org

LAS VEGAS — The Society of Professional Journalists is establishing a fund through its Foundation to support Ukrainian journalists as they continue reporting during the Russian invasion.

“A key part of SPJ’s mission is to improve and protect journalism and to encourage a climate in which journalism can be practiced freely. This is difficult enough in a war zone but doubly so when journalists become targets just for doing their jobs," said SPJ Foundation President Hagit Limor.

Russian forces invading Ukraine have targeted groups of journalists with drones and sniper fire. Sixty-six Ukrainian journalists have been killed, 10 while carrying out their professional duties. Russian secret police have arrived in newly occupied areas with lists of journalists to arrest. Twenty-two journalists have been kidnapped. Most are still being held in occupied areas.

The invasion also has forced 233 media outlets to close, some because of shelling, with other television facilities and editorial offices seized, including all the equipment necessary for reporting.

“SPJ believes the free flow of information is vital to a well-informed citizenry,” said Limor. “Contributions to this fund will help buy new equipment for journalists to use. It will help publications to reopen to deliver vital information citizens there need. They deserve the insight that can only come from local journalists who are able to report independently.”

SPJ is distributing the funds with the help of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine. Funding so far has helped cover the costs of re-establishing an existing newspaper in a newly liberated area, replaced gear or provided new equipment to help Ukrainian journalists continue reporting, and gave emergency donations to journalists whose apartments were destroyed in the recent Russian missile attacks.

Many SPJ chapters already have contributed, including the Deadline Club, New Jersey Pro Chapter, New England Pro Chapter and SPJ Florida. Individual SPJ members have also taken action, visiting Kyiv in June 2023 to bring $15,000 worth of gear for local journalists.

The Ukraine Journalists Fund is tax-exempt and 100% of the money goes to helping local Ukrainian journalists continue to do their jobs. You can donate here.

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 recognizes Ohio University with campus program honors

Fri, 29 Sep 2023 00:00:00 -0500

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

LAS VEGAS – The Society of Professional Journalists has recognized the Ohio University Chapter with its Campus Program of the Year award. It was chosen from a select group of campus chapters by SPJ’s 12 regional coordinators for its outstanding work in supporting the Society’s mission, members and journalism.

Ohio University is being recognized for its program “Breaking News Simulation.” The program was a free simulated news event for student journalists to experience what it’s like to report on a breaking news event. Students were given multiple ethical dilemmas and a red herring storyline to navigate. They were also judged by their journalism professors at the end of the event.

Ohio University was honored at the Collegiate Excellence Awards at the SPJ23 Journalism Convention in Las Vegas.

Read more about the selection process and past winners.

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-

William Paterson University named 2023 SPJ Outstanding Campus Chapter

Fri, 29 Sep 2023 00:00:00 -0500

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

LAS VEGAS – The Society of Professional Journalists has recognized its chapter at William Paterson University as Outstanding Campus Chapter.

William Paterson University hosted 40 events focused on diversity, ethics, freedom of information and professional development. WPSPJ also launched what is believed to be the first podcast created by an SPJ campus chapter, which features interviews between with journalists who have been invited to campus or been shadowed members. The chapter also created the beta version of a digital archive where the public can access videos of their past educational events. It also contributed to the revitalization of the campus newspaper, the Beacon.

WPSPJ was one of six finalists for the Campus Chapter of the Year; the other finalists were University of Central Florida, Ohio University, Texas A&M University-San Antonio, University of La Verne and University of Arkansas.

William Paterson University was honored at the Collegiate Excellence Awards at SPJ23 Journalism Convention in Las Vegas.

Read more about the selection process and past winners.

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 recognizes Chicago, Indiana and Cincinnati chapters with Chapter of the Year Awards

Thu, 28 Sep 2023 00:00:00 -0500

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

LAS VEGAS – The Society of Professional Journalists is recognizing Chicago Headline Club, Indiana Pro Chapter and Greater Cincinnati Pro Chapter as the Pro Chapters of the Year. The chapters are being honored for their commitment to SPJ’s mission and the journalism profession.

The Large Chapter of the Year award is open to chapters with 75 or more members, and the Small Chapter of the Year is open to chapters with fewer than 75 members.

The Large Chapter of the Year, Chicago Headline Club, performed exceptionally in the area of freedom of information, which was recognized in its Circle of Excellence Award for First Amendment & FOI. Its FOIA Fest returned this year as a fully hybrid event, encompassing a day of in-person programming which was also presented online in a live, interactive format. This year's fest consisted of more than a dozen sessions, including in-depth conversations on using the Freedom of Information Act for groundbreaking journalism, hands-on workshops with experts and live Q&As with funders and public records officials. A total of 152 early-career journalists, members of the public and working reporters attended. The FOIA Fest Bootcamp was created to provide young journalists of color with access to mentorships which are often unavailable inside traditional newsrooms. This year's cohort included 15 early-career reporters who were paired with experienced journalists for guidance on a FOIA-driven project.

The chapter also annually presents the Watchdog Award, which honors Chicago-area journalists that defend and protect everyday folks. Typically built from lengthy FOI-driven investigations, award recipients call attention to situations in which the public is being harmed or poorly served by the government, institutions or businesses at any level.

Chicago Headline Club also provides ethics resources for journalists. The Ethics Advice Line for Journalists continues to be a free, on-demand service offered in partnership with Medill at Northwestern University to any journalist facing an ethical dilemma and in need of professional advice — even on a tight deadline.

There are two Small Chapter of the Year winners — Indiana Pro Chapter and Greater Cincinnati Pro Chapter.

The Indiana Pro Chapter made great strides in FOI and professional development. In May, the chapter hosted a live broadcast discussing the change to Indiana law that allows cameras in state courtrooms. Under the direction of chapter vice president Megan Kramer, the chapter invited a panel of experts including attorneys, public information officers and a retired judge.

The chapter also hosted a group of international journalists that were visiting as part of the Edward R. Murrow Program for Journalists, organized through the U.S. Department of State. Nearly a dozen journalists from across the globe visited the WTHR Channel 13 studios and newsroom to learn about American journalism and journalists and share information about their own storytelling techniques and tools. The chapter also hosted a Law School for Journalists program at the federal courthouse, in partnership with the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Indiana.

The Greater Cincinnati Pro Chapter excelled in partnering with other organizations to further journalism, locally and across the globe. It partnered with The Cincinnati Police Department, Greater Cincinnati Association of Black Journalists, the Cincinnati Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and Greater Cincinnati Black PR Pros to ensure the chapter’s programming touched more than just journalists and media professionals.

The chapter reached out to the community-at-large and universities through public forums and in educational sessions. It engaged local journalists and the public throughout the tri-state area with programs that focused on important topics such as diversity, ethics, freedom of information and First Amendment issues. The Greater Cincinnati Pro Chapter also partnered with the SPJ Freelance Community to host a quarterly event series for freelance writers.

The winning chapters, which were chosen by SPJ’s 12 regional coordinators, were honored during the Opening Business Meeting at the SPJ23 Journalism Convention.
Read more about the selection process and past winners.

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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E.W. Scripps School of Journalism named Historic Site in Journalism

Thu, 21 Sep 2023 00:00:00 -0500

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

INDIANAPOLIS – The Society of Professional Journalists has named 1 Ohio University, 200 Schoonover Center in Athens, Ohio as a Historic Site in Journalism. The address is the location for the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University, one of the oldest journalism schools in the nation.

SPJ’s Historic Sites program honors the people and places that have played important roles in American journalistic history.

“The Scripps Journalism School, long recognized as a national leader in journalism education, has come a long way since the first journalism class was offered in 1923,” wrote E.W. Scripps Journalism Professor Eddith Dashiell. “From its humble beginnings with a single journalism writing course to a fully accredited journalism program in the Scripps College of Communication, it has become a prominent school for aspiring journalists.”

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. The first journalism class was offered in 1923 and in 1982, through a generous $1.5 million gift from the Scripps Howard Foundation, it was named after E.W. Scripps.

An accredited journalism school by the Accrediting Council for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication for more than seven decades, the Scripps School has produced some of the most noteworthy journalists, academics and industry leaders in the past 100 years, including Pulitzer Prize winners Clarence Page, Wes Lowery, John Kaplan, Michel du Cille, Jane Kronholz and Donal Henahan.

The school also has a long history with SPJ. The Ohio University chapter of SPJ was founded in 1932 and accepted both student and professional members of Sigma Delta Chi at the time. By 1971, the chapter was the largest student chapter in the U.S. and developed a reputation of excellence within SPJ’s student membership.

The SPJ Central Ohio Pro Chapter endorsed the Scripps School nomination.

A bronze plaque will be placed at 1 Ohio University, 200 Schoonover Center to distinguish it as a National Historic Site in Journalism with a ceremony held later this year.

More details about the award, as well as maps of places named National Historic Sites in Journalism dating back to 1942 can be found here.

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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ProPublica, The Texas Tribune, The Marshall Project, Military Times, City Bureau, The Maine Monitor honored with SPJ Sunshine Award

Tue, 19 Sep 2023 00:00:00 -0500

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

INDIANAPOLIS – The Society of Professional Journalists has named five journalists and reporting teams as winners of its annual Sunshine Award.

This year’s winners are:
— Brett Murphy of ProPublica for his investigation into 911 call analysis
— Lexi Churchill, Vianna Davila, Megan Rose and Ren Larson of ProPublica and The Texas Tribune for documenting military injustice
— City Bureau for its website Documenters.org
— Samantha Hogan of The Maine Monitor for investigating jails that record attorney-client calls
— Perla Trevizo, Lomi Kriel, Andrew Rodriguez Calderón, Jolie McCullough, Keri Blakinger, James Barragán, Davis Winkie and Marilyn Thompson of The Texas Tribune, ProPublica, The Marshall Project and Military Times for their investigation on Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s border initiative, Operation Lone Star

A judging panel, composed of members of the SPJ Freedom of Information Committee and Board of Directors, bestow these awards each year to individuals and organizations for their notable contributions to open government.

ProPublica

ProPublica Reporter Brett Murphy first heard about “911 call analysis” while investigating a district attorney’s office accused of a murder case in Louisiana. The technique refers to police and prosecutors using the cadence, grammar and word choice of people reporting emergencies to reveal a killer. He set out to track how far this “junk science” had embedded itself in the justice system, who was spreading it and whom it had been used against.

Murphy documented more than 100 cases in 26 states, interviewed around 120 people and sent more than 80 public records requests to local agencies. His months-long investigation produced a two-part series called “Words of Conviction.”

The first story involves Jessica Logan, a mother convicted of killing her baby.” after a detective analyzed her 911 call. After local authorities refused to release autopsy records and photos, Murphy enlisted Logan’s family to sign waivers to compel the government to release them. The records were then presented to a panel of outside pathologists, whose conclusions contradicted the coroner’s. Shortly after publication, the Supreme Court of Illinois agreed to take another look at Logan’s case.

The second story profiles Tracy Harpster, the one who started 911 call analysis, and names the institutions that embraced and enabled him. This story found that some prosecutors know that 911 call analysis is “junk science” but have snuck it into court anyways to win convictions.

Murphy’s stories have been used as educational tools and several district attorney’s offices have warned about the dangers of prosecuting crimes the wrong way. Now, some attorneys are calling for punishment of prosecutors who have used the technique while knowing it was inadmissible in court.

ProPublica and The Texas Tribune

In December 2021, Congress reached a deal to overhaul the military justice system, stripping commanders of most of their authority to prosecute sexual assaults and several other types of criminal cases. Reporters Lexi Churchill, Vianna Davila, Megan Rose and Ren Larson from ProPublica and The Texas Tribune discovered major gaps in the legislation, as well as commander’s continued influence over the military justice system.

Last summer, the U.S. Navy moved forward in prosecuting a sailor named Ryan Mays for allegedly setting ablaze the USS Bonhomme Richard in an act of arson. The incident followed two preventable, deadly collisions at sea. Rose reported on the Navy’s failures that led to the collisions and found that the case against Mays was weak. The investigation showed that Navy criminal investigators focused on Mays despite the lack of evidence and the conclusions of a different investigation that pointed to widespread failures which left the ship vulnerable to the deadly fire. Rose’s investigation revealed that Mays was being scapegoated. Mays was acquitted in September and his defense lawyers credited ProPublica’s work as part of the outcome.

During that time, Churchill, Davila and Larson found that soldiers accused of sexual assault in the Army are less than half as likely to be placed in pretrial confinement than those accused of offenses such as drug use and distribution. Commanders’ uneven treatment of soldiers became clear through the accounts of Pfc. Christian Alvarado and Pvt. Olivia Ochoa. Alvarado was accused of sexually assaulting five women before commanders placed him in confinement, while Ochoa was placed in confinement for more than three months for using drugs and mouthing off to her superiors. The reporters obtained records that showed commanders did not initially place Alvarado in confinement, even after he admitted to two of his assaults. He then went on to assault another woman.

After the investigation was published, U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar called for congressional hearings to examine pretrial confinement. She said she plans to explore ways to ensure all cases across the military are held to the same standard.

City Bureau

City Bureau created Documenters.org in 2019 with 40 volunteer coders building 93 web scrapers to collect public meeting data across disparate government websites. The base of Documenters.org, City Scrapers, remains an open-source resource that anyone can use and contribute to.

Documenters are local Chicago residents who are trained and paid to take notes at local public meetings, spaces that harbor huge potential for government transparency, but that often receive no media coverage and produce minimal records. This program evolved from a small pilot in Chicago to an expansive network with nine cities across the country and counting.

The website has had several contributions to open government in Chicago and beyond. In Chicago, City Bureau launched the Newswire newsletter, which synthesized notes from the website, for community members, local politicians and reporters. In Detroit, Documenters produce accessible online summaries of local public meetings. In Atlanta, Documenters.org houses the only public record of the Public Safety Training Center Community Stakeholder Advisory Committee. In Minneapolis, Documenters appealed to expand streaming access and remote participation to livestreamed public meetings.

The Maine Monitor

The investigative reporting project series “Eavesdropping in Maine Jails” documented how nearly 1,000 confidential calls were recorded and shared with investigators by six county jails between June 2019 and May 2020. Samantha Hogan found that dozens of additional phone calls were recorded and listened to by law enforcement, without the knowledge or consent of defense lawyers or their clients.

Hogan made more than 100 public records requests to county sheriff's offices and jails for call data, policies, inmate handbooks and emails and conducted three dozen interviews with attorneys, defendants, sheriffs and the former chief justice of the Maine Supreme Court. County sheriffs were reluctant to release data that would show how many times their jail’s phone system had illegally recorded attorney-client calls. Hogan pursued the release of this data, and The Maine Monitor made the data public online through a searchable database.

The series prompted several county sheriffs to restrict access to recordings made by the jails' phone systems to only top jail administrators. Securus Technologies, which provides inmate phone services to most Maine jails, made hundreds of attorney phone numbers private and unrecorded in the jails’ phone systems in May 2020 and again in May 2022. The company also added new warnings at the start of phone calls to notify parties if the call is private, if it will be recorded or if it can be monitored. All 14 Maine county jails that contract with Securus Technologies made these changes. Last year, prosecutors in Kennebec County dismissed a felony indictment against a man accused of domestic violence after a defense attorney said that one of the state’s investigators monitored three confidential phone calls.

The Texas Tribune, ProPublica, The Marshall Project and Military Times

The investigative team of Perla Trevizo, Lomi Kriel, Andrew Rodriguez Calderón, Jolie McCullough, Keri Blakinger, James Barragán, Davis Winkie and Marilyn Thompson from The Texas Tribune, ProPublica, The Marshall Project and Military Times investigated Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s claims about his border initiative, Operation Lone Star. Gov. Abbott said that Operation Lone Star would be a multibillion-dollar crackdown on the criminals who were “streaming across the border.” He repeatedly proclaimed the success of the initiative saying he deployed thousands of Department of Public Safety troopers and National Guard members to the border, made 11,000 criminal arrests and caught millions of lethal doses of drugs. The reporting team found this was not true.

After months of questioning from reporters, the Department of Public Safety acknowledged that it had incorporated arrests with no connection to the border and stopped counting more than 2,000 charges, including some for cockfighting, sexual assault and stalking. Of those, about 270 charges were for violent crimes, which are defined by the FBI as murder, manslaughter, rape, robbery and aggravated assault.

The Department of Justice launched an investigation into allegations of civil rights abuses that had come to light through reporting on Operation Lone Star. Texas Military Department improved temporary housing for soldiers after the reporters found they were sleeping in semi-truck trailers, and TMD took steps to speed up the purchase of lifesaving devices and began training troops to use them safely following the reporting about the soldier who drowned.

The winners will be honored during the President’s Awards Banquet at the SPJ23 Journalism Convention in Las Vegas, Sept. 30.

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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Austin American-Statesman, Chicago Tribune, ProPublica and The Washington Post earn SPJ Ethics in Journalism Awards

Mon, 18 Sep 2023 00:00:00 -0500

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

INDIANAPOLIS – The Society of Professional Journalists is bestowing its Ethics in Journalism Award to Tony Plohetski of the Austin American-Statesman; Jodi S. Cohen and Jennifer Smith Richards of ProPublica and the Chicago Tribune; and William Wan of The Washington Post.

This award honors journalists or news organizations that perform in an outstanding ethical manner demonstrating the ideals of the SPJ Code of Ethics. Winners are selected by members of the SPJ Professional Standards and Ethics Committee and SPJ Board of Directors.

Tony Plohetski is being recognized for his reporting for of the Austin American-Statesman during the Uvalde school shooting. Plohetski was the first journalist to obtain an image from inside the school in June 2022. He also obtained a full 77-minute video that showed police officers not entering the classroom as police have been trained to do.

In the letter nominating Plohetski’s reporting, executive editor of the Austin American-Statesman Manny García, said Plohetski followed the SPJ Code of Ethics to minimize harm, balance the public’s need for information against potential harm and to seek truth and report it. Once the video was obtained, the newsroom focused on attempting to reach the family members of the 21 victims to ensure they knew they would be publishing the videos.

On July 12, 2022, the Statesman published an edited portion of the video with a narrative written by Plohetski. The entire video was also released with minor edits for privacy, as requested by the victim’s families. Plohetski is being honored for showing truth and accountability in his reporting.

Jodi S. Cohen of ProPublica and Jennifer Smith Richards of the Chicago Tribune are being recognized for the project “The Price Kids Pay,” examining how some Illinois schools found loopholes to enforce school discipline. Cohen and Richards traveled thousands of miles to hearings and submitted public records requests but encountered ethical challenges. They faced a pressing ethical question of how much detail about young people should be included to expose the injustice. The nomination letter written by ProPublica senior editor George Papajohn and Chicago Tribune investigations editor Kaarin Tisue noted how the reporters took care to minimize harm.

“Publishing students’ names alongside the reasons they were involved with police would create another long-lasting public record — one that college admissions officers or potential employers could easily find through an internet search,” Papajohn and Tisue wrote.

Cohen and Richards ended up only using the first names of students and avoided using parent’s last names if doing so would easily identify their child. Those who agreed to use their full names were briefed on the long-term implications of being identified. The news organizations made sure to not take any photos without the family’s permission. The project led to a new Illinois bill being proposed to stop ticketing in schools and the U.S. Department of Education has opened a civil rights investigation into one of the schools.

Washington Post reporter William Wan is being recognized for a series of stories that explored systemic problems for mentally ill youth but also captured the struggle of individuals trapped in those systems. The ethical challenges he faced revolved around intimately reporting on suicide and mental health without further traumatizing the victims, causing a contagion effect or making sure the interviewees weren’t passively written about.

“The interviews for these stories were among the most intense of my career. Many involved asking teens and young adults about the most traumatic episode of their life – the moment they tried to end it,” Wan wrote.

The subjects of the stories included a mother giving up custody of her son to face court charges to get him help; Yale University’s inadequacy in dealing with mental illness; an autistic teen waiting months in the ER for a psychiatric bed; and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge’s reputation for being “a magnet for suicides in the region.” Wan’s reporting prompted change. Child-welfare workers helped get the son into a long-term treatment facility; Yale announced major changes, reversing its policies on nearly every issue that was raised; the Maryland Hospital Association called for urgent action; and local leaders discussed the urgent need for suicide barriers on the Bay Bridge.

The winners will be honored during the President’s Awards Banquet at the SPJ23 Journalism Convention in Las Vegas, Sept. 30.

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 announces finalists for 2023 Pro Chapter of the Year

Fri, 15 Sep 2023 00:00:00 -0500

CONTACT:
Lou Harry, SPJ Manager of Publications and Awards, lharry@hq.spj.org
Zoë Berg, SPJ Communications Specialist, 317-920-4785, zberg@spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS – The Society of Professional Journalists annually honors select chapters for their commitment to SPJ’s mission and journalism. SPJ has named the finalists for its Pro Chapter of the Year Awards.

These finalists were chosen by SPJ’s 12 regional coordinators from the 2023 regional honorees.

Large Chapter of the Year is open to chapters with 75 members or more, while Small Chapter of the Year is open to chapters with fewer than 75 members.

The three finalists for the Large Chapter of the Year award are the Chicago Headline Club, SPJ Florida — Professional Chapter and the New England Pro Chapter.

The three finalists for the Small Chapter of the Year award are the Indiana Pro Chapter, the Greater Cincinnati Pro Chapter and the St. Louis Pro Chapter.

"There is an incredible amount of inspiring work being done by our SPJ chapters across the country," said Chris R. Vaccaro, SPJ Region 1 coordinator and Regional Committee Caucus chair. "The regional coordinators have the pleasure of reviewing entries and are pleased with the level of planning and execution of creative programming from so many chapters. Congratulations to all regional honorees. We're looking forward to honoring national winners at SPJ23."

Winners of Large Chapter of the Year and Small Chapter of the Year will be announced during the Opening Business Meeting at the SPJ23 Journalism Convention in Las Vegas on Sept. 28.

Read more about the selection process and past winners here.

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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Dan Kubiske, Ginny McCabe recognized for outstanding contributions to SPJ with Howard S. Dubin Award

Wed, 13 Sep 2023 00:00:00 -0500

CONTACT:
Lou Harry, SPJ Manager of Publications and Awards, lharry@hq.spj.org
Zoë Berg, SPJ Communications Specialist, 317-920-4785, zberg@spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS — The Society of Professional Journalists has selected Dan Kubiske and Ginny McCabe to each receive a Howard S. Dubin Outstanding Pro Member Award for contributions to their SPJ chapters and regions.

Each year, this award is given to no more than two members — one from a chapter of 75 or more members and one from a chapter of less than 75 members. The award is in honor of Howard Dubin, longtime member of SPJ’s Chicago Headline Club. Dubin not only contributes time and money to the Society, but also remains dedicated to service at the chapter level and as treasurer of the SPJ Foundation Board of Directors.

Kubiske is treasurer of the Washington, D.C., Pro Chapter and co-chair of the International Community. He has been an SPJ stalwart for more than thirty years. He is a past president and vice president of the D.C. Pro Chapter and, when he taught journalism at George Mason University, he organized an SPJ student chapter.

For the International Community, Kubiske has lined up numerous globe-spanning live discussions, focused on threats to journalists in Latin America, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia and other places; press freedom in Africa, Turkey, the Philippines and elsewhere; and on the difficulties involved in covering the struggles of international refugees.

“Dan has made these contributions to SPJ while spending many years living and working overseas in Mexico, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Dominican Republic, Brazil and Honduras,” said Stephenie Overman, Region 2 Coordinator, Denise Dunbar, D.C. Pro Chapter acting president, and Elle Toussi, SPJ International Community co-chair. “He has worked as a freelance journalist around the globe. And even when abroad, Dan always found ways to contribute to SPJ back home.”

McCabe is serving her third term as the president of the Greater Cincinnati Pro Chapter and her second term as the Region 4 coordinator. McCabe became a Cincinnati Chapter board member in 2010, serving as the secretary for five years before stepping into the presidency. She is also on the Freelance Community board, where she has served as its secretary, and has served on various SPJ national committees.

Under McCabe’s leadership, the Cincinnati Chapter has expanded board leadership membership to include more broadcast and multimedia journalists and continues to maintain a healthy fiscal management policy. She has also helped cement a partnership between the chapter and the Greater Cincinnati Association of Black Journalists and plan the SPJ Regions 4-5 conference.

“When I think of Cincinnati SPJ, I think of Ginny McCabe. Her dedication both to our craft and to this chapter has been admirable long before she became president,” said Lisa Murtha, freelance journalist and Greater Cincinnati Pro Chapter member. “Always with a smile, she is happy to help anyone who needs guidance and connect greater Cincinnati journalists to one another. She’s a kind and welcoming leader for our chapter and does a great job embracing journalists from every kind of media and making us all feel like we belong.”

Kubiske and McCabe will be honored during the President's Awards Banquet at the SPJ23 Journalism Convention in Las Vegas, Sept. 30.

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 announces 2023 professional chapter regional honorees

Tue, 12 Sep 2023 00:00:00 -0500

CONTACT:
Lou Harry, SPJ Manager of Publications and Awards, lharry@hq.spj.org
Zoë Berg, SPJ Communications Specialist, 317-920-4785, zberg@spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS – The Society of Professional Journalists is delighted to announce a select group of professional chapters that are being honored for their work in advancing the Society’s principles and mission, as well as the journalism profession itself.

Annually, SPJ’s 12 regional coordinators select professional chapters in their respective region that have shown overall excellence. The Pro Chapter of the Year Awards finalists will be chosen from these regional winners.

SPJ is delighted to announce the following winners:
Region 1: New England Pro Chapter
Region 2: Virginia Pro Chapter
Region 3: SPJ Florida — Professional Chapter
Region 4: Greater Cincinnati Pro Chapter
Region 5: Chicago Headline Club and Indiana Pro Chapter
Region 7: St. Louis Pro Chapter
Region 8: Fort Worth Pro Chapter
Region 9: Colorado Pro Chapter
Region 11: Greater Los Angeles Pro Chapter and Valley of the Sun Pro Chapter
Region 12: Northwest Arkansas Pro Chapter

The 2023 Pro Chapter of the Year Awards finalists will be announced later this week, and the winners of Large Chapter of the Year and Small Chapter of the Year will be announced during the Opening Business Meeting at the SPJ23 Journalism Convention in Las Vegas on Sept. 28.

Large Chapter of the Year is open to chapters with 75 members or more, while Small Chapter of the Year is open to chapters with fewer than 75 members.

Read more about the selection process and past winners here.

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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