May 13, 2013

Regional Conference … More than 130 of you gathered in St. Louis for the annual spring regional meeting, a lot of learning and networking. Huge hopes everyone there got a lot to take home. And huge thanks to all who helped make the conference a success, including my regional director predecessor, Liz Hansen, and my associate regional director, Deborah Givens. Our region hosted with Region 7 this year, so the site was centrally located. I had the privilege of announcing 95 Mark of Excellence awards to students. Congratulations to all of you fine young journalists! Thanks, Deborah, for handling all of the reciprocal judging. Next year’s regional conference is probably going to be in Chicago in late March. If you have programming ideas, please share them with me.

Vets’ coverage … An outstanding program at the regional conference as a two-part presentation by the Poynter Institute on covering the veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq. Many of them have trouble finding jobs, recovering from health problems and other issues we need to understand. Former SPJ President Al Cross, a long-time politican reporter, offers his take in his blog: http://irjci.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-story-of-returning-veterans-is-big.html. See a small part of what you missed! And in Chicago, a discussion of mental health coverage brought out presidential adviser David Axelrod, syndicated columnist Clarence Page and others for a discussion moderated by columnist Laura Washington. Here is her report: http://www.suntimes.com/news/washington/20024479-452/jackson-jrs-ailment-is-real.html

Leadership Conference … About 20 of us gathered for the first Scripps Leadership Conference this year, in March in Indianapolis. If you missed it, you have a second chance in Memphis in July. See www.spj.org for deails. This is a great way to learn how to better serve an SPJ chapter, and become a better leader in general. The conferences are being organized geographically, and ours was for Region 5 – but people from several other states attended because they had time then. So, we can do the same. Memphis sounds like a good place to visit, too.

University of Indianapolis … Welcome to our region’s newest chapter! The SPJ board approved the Indy campus chapter this spring. Please let me – or someone else – know if we can provide help.

DePauw University … Could someone step forward to be the adviser to this chapter? It was the first-ever in SPJ (then known as Sigma Delta Chi) 100+ years ago. It reactivated last year, but needs help. Volunteers, please!

Indiana Pro … I can’t say enough good things about that chapter’s awards dinner in April. The Hoosier contest is statewide, and it gets about 600 entries. About 150 chapter members and guests were at the banquet in Indianapolis, including some from the northern part of the state who traveled almost 200 miles. The Friday night event was a $50 buffet, the best banquet meal I ever had! Thanks, Tom Davies and colleagues!

Chicago Headline Club … We get about the same number of entries for our Lisagor contest as Indiana does for its – about 600. Ours, however, is limited to the nine-county Chicago area. And the smaller territory makes it easier for entrants to get to the awards banquet. We had about 360 this year. Aimee DeBat, our executive director, loses a lot of sleep preparing for the banquet – from programs to RSVPs. She puts on a great show. It’s the cheapest awards banquet in the Chicago area: $80 for our members.

Your chapter? … A lot of you are doing lots of things. Send an email to susanstevens@aol.com, and I’ll put you in the next eletter!

$$$$$$$$$ … The SPJ Legal Defense Fund is willing to provide grants of up to $5,000 for journalists in need. The SPJ board increased the maximum this spring. Also, keep in mind that SPJ once a month offers a $500 programming grant to one chapter somewhere in the nation. And your region offers $100 grants any time you need them for good programs. Email me with details, get my OK, save your receipts, and send them to me.

Recruit your colleagues … Would each of you make a point of recruiting at least one new member? And make sure you and your colleagues don’t let your memberships lapse. This is always an uphill battle because we are journalists – not salespeople. But you know ours is a worthy cause. I always cite Freedom of Information, ethics and professional development. There’s a lot more, of course. Take a look at www.spj.org on a regular basis.

Best wishes for good summers,

Susan S. Stevens

Region 5 director

Chicago Headline Club and CHC Foundation secretary

Eastern Kentucky University’s commencement was Saturday, May 11, and the speaker was Michelle Obama. On stage with Obama was SPJ chapter President Kristina Hamon, who was recognized as recipient of the President’s Award, which honors the top senior for the entire university. She was already named the Outstanding Senior for Journalism, Department of Communication and College of Business and Technology.

We were also thrilled when the First Lady specifically mentiioned the Society of Professional Journalists student chapter for service work done by our students for taking the money they had raised to help pay expenses to the regional conference and instead giving it to an Eastern Kentucky newspaper whose office had been destroyed by a tornado.

– Dr. Deborah T. Givens
Department of Communication
Eastern Kentucky University
SPJ Region 5 associate director

Here’s the White House blog:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/05/12/first-lady-michelle-obama-delivers-commencement-address-eastern-kentucky-university

Coming up this weekend…

Reporting on veterans, social media from top to bottom, and much more!

April 26-28 in St. Louis

SPJ Regions 5 & 7 Spring Conference

Region 5 (Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky) and Region 7 (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska) are bringing you the best of the brightest topics and also collegiate journalism awards beneath the Gateway Arch.

Everything about the conference is at http://www.spjinstl2013.com/#

Details in brief:

The schedule includes an informal welcome gathering in the hotel lobby from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Friday, April 26. The Mark of Excellence Awards luncheons are at noon to 1:30 p.m. Saturday; the pro development sessions will start at 8 a.m. Saturday (register starting 7 a.m.) and run to 5 p.m. Saturday. A regional strategy meeting will be on Sunday morning. To speed things along, we’ll have two luncheon banquets, one for each region’s Mark of Excellence awards. Lunch is covered in your registration fee. Otherwise, it is $25 – reserve and pay ahead of time. Contact Region 5 director Susan Stevens at susanstevens@aol.com or Region 7 director David Sheets at dksheetsSPJ@gmail.com.

Here are our professional development programs:

Veterans Affairs
Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan created a new kind of reporting challenge: battle-scarred veterans trying to re-enter civilian society. A two-part program by veterans advocates and military staff will explain the issues many reporters face, and how to approach them. Discussions will be led by Col. David Sutherland, with the Center for Military and Veterans Community Services, Erica J. Borggren, of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs, Amy Terpstra, associate director of the SocialIMPACTResearchCenter at Heartland Alliance, and Steve Wahle, a Marine Corps veteran of Afghanistan and a fellowship program associate with the The Mission Continues. Thanks to the Poynter Institute and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
The law & ignorance
Journalists may not need a law degree, but they need a broad understanding of legal precedent and case law as it pertains to their beats. Attorney Mary Schultz of Schultz & Associates LLP of St. Louis explains what every journalist should know about the law and probably doesn’t.

Social media 101
You cannot ignore this increasingly important part of journalism. Your tutors: Ray Long, Chicago Tribune statehouse reporter, and Alissa Groeninger, a former statehouse reporter and now a features writer and Voice Editor for the State Journal-Register.

Social media in journalism
Aggregation. Live curation. Storytelling. Promotion. Learn how to make social media work for you. Erica Smith of Infuz shows how to do that whether you’re a journalist with a large news organization or a freelancer trying to make it independently.

Using Twitter in political reporting
Covering the political beat with Twitter sounds confining. After all, who can flesh out the nuances of government 140 characters at a time? Christopher   Ave, political editor at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and STLToday.com, explains how you can do it – and do it well.

Using drones in journalism
Look up! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s the latest tool for journalists to gather information. Drone aircraft are swooping into media coverage of danger spots and secret locations –and sometimes they catch flak. Bill Allen from the University of Missouri explains.

Quick & dirty investigations
Think you don’t have time to do great investigative journalism on a tight schedule and meager budget? Think again. Mark Horvit, executive director of Investigative Reporters and Editors, demonstrates short, simple tasks that can turn digital data into great stories.

Digital teamwork
Television and online journalists have the same goals but distinct ways to convey information. Now, as the digital marketplace becomes dominant, the two must find ways to combine knowledge and resources. A panel discussion offers solutions.

 Hyperlocal future
Neighborhood-level news appears to be entering a rough patch in its evolution. Cincinnati broadcaster and former St. Louis hyperlocal journalist and editor Holly Edgell explains how it’s too soon to give up on bringing neighborhood news to the masses.

 Ethics and media
Good journalism requires good behavior on the journalist’s part. But how is that possible when the line between good and bad seems to change all the time? Elizabeth Donald of SPJ’s Ethics Committee explains how to keep pace in the fast-moving realm of digital news gathering.

Be your own best editor
Writing and editing are distinct skills few journalists master at once. Freelancers have little choice. Veteran newspaper journalist-turned freelancer David Sheets explains how independent journalists can become their own best editors.

Sign Up Soon!
Go to this link at Eventbrite to make your conference reservation: http://spjregions5and7.eventbrite.com

Conference fees:
Professional member — $75
Student member — $30
Non-member — $100
Student non-member — $50
No refunds will be made after April 26.

Special hotel rates
The Drury Plaza Hotel at the Arch is the setting for this year’s joint regional convention. A block of rooms has been set aside for our group. If the Drury is full, ask the hotel to find you alternative lodgings. Or do it on your own. Both Illinois and Missouri have scores of hotels and motels!

Our sincere thanks
The McCormick Foundation, the Poynter Institute, and Thompson Coburn LLP are major contributors to this conference. They are helping keep costs down for those attending the conference and providing top speakers. We cannot thank them enough!

Two former presidents of the Bluegrass chapter of SPJ were inducted into the
Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame Tues. April 23 in Lexington, Ky. They are
John Nelson of Advocate Communications and Bill Goodman of Kentucky
Educational Television.

April 3, 2013

Know thy neighbors … Regional Conference details … Both professionals and students are invited – encouraged – to attend. We will have a lot of educational sessions and we will pass out a lot of Mark of Excellence awards. Our Region 5 is joining with Region 7 to produce a bigger and better conference than either could produce alone. Mark your calendars: April 26-28. The sooner you register, the lower the cost. More details are at http://www.spjinstl2013.com/#. Go to this link at Eventbrite to make your conference reservation: http://spjregions5and7.eventbrite.com. Click here to make reservations.  The Drury Plaza Hotel at the Arch. Or go to https://wwws.druryhotels.com/Reservations.aspx?groupno=2163724 Great rates! Four students sharing a room will pay about $30 each a night. Breakfast is included. And so is a cocktail hour, if you are old enough.

 Scripps Leadership Conference … Hope those of you who attended learned a lot that you have taken home to your chapters. It was good to meet more of you Region 5 members – and I hope to see all of you and many of your colleagues April 26-28 at the spring conference in St. Louis. (I learned some things too. For example, don’t rely on email. Pick up the phone and make those calls. Better yet, see those people in person.)

NKU shows smarts … Only one college chapter in two years has applied for a program grant from their region. And that’s NorthernKentuckyUniversity, which has collected about $100 each of these two years. All college chapters are eligible. Just send a description of a great program to susanstevens@aol.com to get initial approval. Then save your receipts and send them on to get a check.

Thanks, DePaul … The student chapter has great T-shirts. The back reads “We do it AP style” above a sketch of a newspaper. The SPJ logo and DePaulUniversity are on the front. Sorry, DePaul says they are not for sale. Maybe your chapter would like to do something similar.

Susan S. Stevens
SPJ Region 5 director
Chicago Headline Club and CHC Foundation secretary

March 22nd, 2013

Learn from the experts: SPJ in St. Louis April 26-28

By Susan Stevens

SPJ Regions 5 & 7 present pros from the Poynter Institute, Investigative Reporters and Editors, SPJ leaders and more!
April 26-28 in St. Louis

This year, Region 5 (Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky) and Region 7 (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska) are working together beneath the Gateway Arch to bring you a conference to remember. Sessions include:

Veterans Affairs
 Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan created a new kind of reporting challenge: battle-scarred veterans trying to re-enter civil society. A two-part program by veterans advocates and military staff explains the issues many media increasingly face, and how to approach them. Col. David Sutherland with the Center for Military and Veterans Community Services, and Erica J. Borggren of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs lead the discussions. Thanks to the Poynter Institute and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.

Quick investigations
Think you don’t have time to do great investigative journalism on a tight schedule and meager budget? Think again. Mark Horvit, executive director of Investigative Reporters and Editors, demonstrates short, simple tasks that can turn digital data into great stories.

Journalism aloft
Look up there, in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s the latest tool for journalists to gather information. Drone aircraft are swooping into media coverage of danger spots and secret locations — and sometimes they catch flak. Bill Allen from the University of Missouri explains.

Edit yourself
Writing and editing are distinct skills few journalists master at once. Freelancers have little choice. Veteran newspaper journalist-turned-freelancer David Sheets explains how independent journalists can become their own best editors.

Hyperlocal future
Neighborhood-level news appears to be entering a rough patch in its evolution. Cincinnati broadcaster and former St. Louis hyperlocal journalist and editor Holly Edgell explains how it’s too soon to give up on bringing neighborhood news to the masses.

Ethical behavior
Good journalism requires good behavior on the journalist’s part. But how is that possible when the line between good and bad seems to change all the time? Elizabeth Donald of SPJ’s Ethics Committee explains how to keep pace in the fast-moving realm of digital news gathering.

Digital teamwork
Television and online journalists have the same goals but distinct ways to convey information. Now, as the digital marketplace becomes dominant, the two must find ways to combine knowledge and resources. A panel discussion offers solutions.​

Sign Up Soon

Register now to get the early rates for SPJ members and non-members. Go to this link at Eventbrite to make your conference reservation: http://spjregions5and7.eventbrite.com Full refunds will be granted through that date. Refunds of 50 percent will be granted up to one week before the event. No refunds will be granted after April 20.
Conference reservation rates through April 1 are as follows:
Early bird professional member — $75
Early bird student member — $30
Early bird professional non-member — $100
Early bird student non-member — $50
Conference reservation rates after April 1:
Professional member — $120
Student member — $60
Non-member — $150
Student non-member — $75

Special hotel rates

The Drury Plaza Hotel at the Arch is the setting for this year’s joint regional convention. A large block of rooms has been set aside for attendees, and there will be two luncheon banquets for each region’s Mark of Excellence awards. Breakfasts are free for everyone and Saturday lunch is too. The schedule includes an informal welcome gathering on Friday, April 26, Mark of Excellence Awards luncheons mid-day Saturday, pro development sessions Saturday morning and afternoon, and a regional strategy meeting Sunday morning.
Individual or group reservations can be made at a reduced rate of $129 for SPJ attendees. Click here to make reservations. This special rate and availability are guaranteed up to March 26.

The location not only has fine amenities and fabulous views, but also is close to downtown historic sites, sports venues, shopping, and nightlife.

Sponsorships available

What’s the next best thing to attending this year’s regional conference? Sponsoring it. The Society of Professional Journalists encourages anyone who supports responsible, ethical journalism to help cover the costs of sessions and attendees. Sponsors will be recognized at the conference and have their logos posted on our website.

More information on the conference and on becoming a sponsor is available through Region 5 director Susan Stevens at susanstevens@aol.com or Region 7 director David Sheets at dksheetsSPJ@gmail.com.

A lot is happening with SPJ’s Indiana Professional Chapter – and we want to take this opportunity to let you know what is going on and invite all of you to take part.

FANTASTIC CONTEST RESPONSE: We had a great response to this year’s Best in Indiana Journalism contest, with entries jumping 25 percent from a year ago. Thank you to all who entered! Proceeds from the contest make the chapter’s scholarship program possible. Members of SPJ chapters from around the country are working to judge the entries now. Winners will be notified in the weeks ahead of the awards banquet April 19 at the Indianapolis Marriott North. So mark your calendars to join in celebrating the Best in Indiana Journalism.

CONFONTING FOI ROADBLOCKS: The Indiana Pro Chapter and the Indiana Coalition for Open Government are sponsoring a program on how to overcome obstacles from government officials in dealing with Freedom of Information requests. The program for journalists and the public will feature two past winners of the chapter’s Indiana Journalist of the Year award and two experts on Indiana’s public access laws. ICOG President Gerry Lanosga will outline a report he prepared on Indiana’s FOI laws (http://www.stateintegrity.org/indiana ). He’ll join panelists Tim Evans of The Indianapolis Star, Kara Kenney of WRTV and attorney Dan Byron, an ICOG board member who has represented WISH, for discussion and Q&A. The program marking national Sunshine Week is 1 p.m. Saturday, March 16, at the Nora branch library at 86th Street and Guilford Avenue in Indianapolis.

KEEP UP WITH THE CHAPTER AND JOIN: For the latest updates on Indiana Pro Chapter activities and other journalism happenings, join the chapter’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/indyprospj?ref=hl. If you aren’t an SPJ member, please consider joining by going to http://www.spj.org/whyjoin.asp. If you have more questions, email the chapter at indyprospj@gmail.com

SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS: The chapter is now accepting applications for a $2,000 scholarship that will be awarded to an Indiana college journalism student. The winner must be active in student media or an SPJ chapter. Deadline to enter is March 29. All the details and the application form are at: http://indyprospj.org/?page_id=281. Please spread the word to any good candidates you know.

GREAT CONFERENCE OPPORTUNITY: SPJ’s regional conference will be April 27 in St. Louis. The program includes sessions such as improving digital teamwork between online and TV journalists, experts from Poynter discussing issues on reporting about Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans and about how drone aircraft are swooping into media coverage of danger spots and secret locations. All the program and registration details are available http://www.spjinstl2013.com/#

Thanks for all your support Indiana Pro Chapter of SPJ!

Two regions, one conference

What’s better than one regional conference?
How about two regionals at the same time.

This year, Region 5 (Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky) and Region 7 (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska) are working together beneath the Gateway Arch to bring you a conference to remember. Sessions include:

Reporting on returning veterans
Your brother, son, sister, daughter and other people across your community are veterans. Afghanistan. Iraq. Previous wars. How many of them have problems readjusting to civilian life? Finding jobs. Finding solutions to mental and physical health problems. Very special programs at this convention will consider how we should report on our vets. They’ll be brought to you by experts from the Poynter Institute. Thanks to the Robert McCormick Foundation.

Digital teamwork
Television and online journalists have the same goals but distinct ways to convey information. Now, as the digital marketplace becomes dominant, the two must find ways to combine knowledge and resources.

High planes drifters
Look up there, in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s the latest tool for journalists to gather information. Drone aircraft are swooping into media coverage of danger spots and secret locations — and sometimes they catch flak.

Copy editing for freelancers
Writing and editing are distinct skills few journalists master at once. Freelancers have little choice. A veteran newspaper journalist-turned-freelancer explains how independent journalists can become their own best editors.

Sign Up Soon

Register now to get the early rates for SPJ members and non-members. Go to this link at Eventbrite to make your conference reservation: http://spjregions5and7.eventbrite.com Full refunds will be granted through that date. Refunds of 50 percent will be granted up to one week before the event. No refunds will be granted after April 20.

Conference reservation rates through April 1 are as follows:
Early bird professional member — $75
Early bird student member — $30
Early bird professional non-member — $100
Early bird student non-member — $50

Conference reservation rates after April 1:
Professional member — $120
Student member — $60
Non-member — $150
Student non-member — $75

Special hotel rates

The Drury Plaza Hotel at the Arch is the setting for this year’s joint regional convention. A large block of rooms has been set aside for attendees, and there will be two luncheon banquets for each region’s Mark of Excellence awards. The tentative conference schedule includes an informal welcome gathering on Friday, April 26, sessions the following Saturday, and a regional strategy meeting Sunday morning.

Individual or group reservations can be made at a reduced rate of $129 for SPJ attendees. Click here to make reservations. This special rate and availability are guaranteed up to March 26.

The location not only has fine amenities and fabulous views, but also is close to downtown historic sites, sports venues, shopping, and nightlife.

This is the first time St. Louis has hosted a regional conference in three years. At the suggestion of Region 5′s leadership, the GatewayCity’s proximity to Southern Illinois, south and central Indiana, and western Kentucky also proved an optimum location for that region’s burgeoning membership in those areas.

Sponsorships available

What’s the next best thing to attending this year’s regional conference? Sponsoring it. The Society of Professional Journalists encourages anyone who supports responsible, ethical journalism to help cover the costs of sessions and attendees. Sponsors will be recognized at the conference and have their logos posted on our website.

More information on becoming a sponsor is available through Region 5 director Susan Stevens at susanstevens@aol.com, or Region 7 director David Sheets at dksheetsSPJ@gmail.com.