Indy Pro SPJ

National SPJ honors Pyle, two others

lweidenbener — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 18:20:13 +0000

INDIANAPOLIS – The Society of Professional Journalists is pleased to name Sydney Schanberg, Ernie Pyle and Bob Steele as Fellows of the Society.

Being named a Fellow of the Society is the highest honor SPJ bestows upon a journalist for extraordinary contributions to the profession. Honorees receive a jeweled key and a plaque. Click here for a list of previous honorees.

The Fellows will be recognized at the President’s Installation Banquet Oct. 5 during the 2010 SPJ Convention & National Journalism Conference in Las Vegas.

Here are the details about the honorees:

Sydney Schanberg

Sydney Schanberg is a former New York Times reporter, editor and op-ed columnist, and served as a longtime columnist for Newsday and the Village Voice. In his career, Schanberg opposed the atrocities of war, the injustice of racism, the act of government secrecy, the greed of corporate excesses and the weaknesses of the national media in fighting them. In 1976, he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for international reporting for his coverage in chronicling the collapse of Cambodia.

His column on New York City highlighted the plight of the homeless, the abuses of slum lords, the greed of real estate moguls and the failure of legislative regulation. Schanberg was also a leading advocate for the families of Vietnam War prisoners and missing persons.

Schanberg graduated from Harvard College with a B.A. in government in 1955. He has received the Elijah Parish Lovejoy Award as well as an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Colby College. He was the first James H. Ottaway Sr. Endowed Professor at the State University of New York and is a recipient of the Bart Richards Award for outstanding media criticism from Penn State University.

Ernie Pyle

The nation’s most recognized historical war correspondent; Ernie Pyle captured the quiet heroism of American troops during World War II. His writings gave readers mesmerizing insight to the tragedy of war, but also showed how the comradeship it built would eventually prevail.

Just two years out of college, Pyle was writing about life in the nation’s capital. He honed his abilities to tell stories while writing about aviation. As a civilian, he worked three years as a managing editor at the Daily News in New York. A trip to London at the end of 1940 to report on Nazi bombing there brought Pyle to fame, showing his bosses at Scripps-Howard his unmatched powers of observation and description.

In 1944, Pyle was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his reporting in Europe. He also won a Society of Professional Journalists Distinguished Service Award (later called Sigma Delta Chi Awards) in 1943. According to the Indiana University School of Journalism, where he attended college, Pyle saw his role as one of helping the troops gain victory and not as a watchdog of democracy. Stationed in the Pacific near the war’s end, Pyle died in 1945 while caught in an ambush on the island of Le-Shima.

Bob Steele

Bob Steele is currently the Nelson Poynter Scholar for Journalism Values at The Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Fla., and plays a key role in the Poynter Ethics Fellows program that he initiated in 2001. He is the Phyllis W. Nicholas Director of The Janet Prindle Institute for Ethics and the Distinguished Visiting Professor of Journalism Ethics at DePauwUniversity in Indiana. He has also authored articles, case studies and handbooks for a number of professional organizations and academic journals. Steele co-authored “Doing Ethics in Journalism,” published by the Society of Professional Journalists.

Steele began his professional career in Bangor, Maine, in 1973 as a news reporter for WLBZ-TV. He spent a decade as a reporter, executive producer and news director in Maine, Wisconsin and Iowa. He taught ethics, reporting and media law for five years in the department of journalism at the University of Maine. He also served on the advisory board for DePauw’s Eugene S. Pulliam Center for Contemporary Media.

After receiving a bachelor’s degree in economics from DePauw University, Steele earned his master’s in television-radio from Syracuse University and a doctorate from the University of Iowa, writing his dissertation on journalism ethics. Steele received an honorary Doctor of Journalism degree from DePauw, and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Emerson College in Boston. He served in the U.S. Army from 1969-72, including 10 months as a Signal Corps officer in Vietnam.

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

National conference Oct. 3-5 in Vegas

lweidenbener — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 21:13:49 +0000

Journalism conference in Las Vegas Oct. 3-5 – learn and explore

The Society of Professional Journalists, the nation’s most broad-based journalism organization, is holding its 2010 SPJ Convention & National Journalism Conference Oct. 3-5 in Las Vegas.

It’s the place for all journalists in all media to enhance their skills. From reporters at all levels of experience to newsroom managers, there’s programming and learning opportunities for everyone.

Follow conference developments on Twitter with hashtag #SPJ10 and on the SPJ Convention blog.

But don’t forget that it’s taking place in the Entertainment Capital of the World. There will be lots to do and see both in and out of the convention hotel, the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. Click here to see hotel rates, book a room and even look for a roommate.

For programming, check out our half-day workshops that can benefit editors and front-line reporters. Some workshop topics include Using Social Media Tools to Reach Content-Hungry Audiences; Creating Multi-Platform Stories; and Acquiring and Posting Government Data.

For entertainment, check out all the fun things you can do around the city, whether it be seeing the famous Bellagio fountains or attending a Vegas show.

The best part is the affordable, budget-conscious price for early registration*:

SPJ Professional Member: $185
Professional Non-Member: $285
SPJ Student/Post-Grad Member: $135
Student/Post-Grad Non-Member: $185
Adviser/Retired: $135

*Early registration prices are only available until Sept. 8!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER.

If you’re not a professional SPJ member, you can become one for only $72. Plug that into the equation and…

Conference registration ($185) + annual membership ($72) = $257

Non-member conference registration = $285

Come to Vegas for our 2010 Convention and then stay with SPJ to have professional development and training at your fingertips all year long.

Click here to learn more about becoming a member, or contact Membership Coordinator Linda Hall at lhall@spj.org or at 317-927-8000 ext. 203.

Learn more about the event at the SPJ Convention website. If you have any questions, please call us at 317-927-8000 or e-mail coordinator Chris Vachon.

This will be the most informative journalism conference of the year. Remember: The professional development you receive in Vegas WON’T stay in Vegas.

We hope to see you in October.

Two high school students win SPJ scholarships

lweidenbener — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 18:52:00 +0000

The Indiana Professional Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists is pleased to announce its 2010 scholarship winners, Michelle Hu of Carmel High School and Emily Theis of Southport High School.

Hu and Theis were chosen based on a combination of their grades, extra-curricular media activities and an essay on the topic, “As a future journalist, how do you think journalists can make a difference?”

Each earns a one-time scholarship of $2,500. The chapter’s scholarships are funded by proceeds from the annual Best in Indiana Journalism competition.

Michelle Hu is a senior in the top three percent of her class at Carmel High School. She was a National Scholastic Press Association Multimedia Story of the Year finalist. In 2009, she was one of 42 attendees of J Camp, a prestigious multicultural experience for aspiring high school journalists sponsored by the Asian American Journalists Association. Michelle has worked for three years in leadership roles on Carmel’s student newspaper, HiLite. This year she served as editor-in-chief, overseeing an 80-member staff. She is also Youth Director and editor for Y-Press, a youth news media outlet. James Streisel, Michelle’s newspaper adviser at Carmel, says this about her: “She understands the news and, more importantly, the role of the media in covering that news. She understands her audience and what that audience needs and wants to know to be informed, educated and entertained.

Emily Theis is a senior at Southport High School, where she ranks seventh out of 480 students. She spent a year as a features reporter on her school paper and was promoted to managing editor of content this year. She has attended the National Scholastic Press Association’s national convention in Washington D.C. as well as Ball State University’s annual J-Day convention. Last year, Emily received not one, but two first place awards in a contest sponsored by the Women’s Press Club of Indiana. The awards were for coverage of the environment and feature writing. Her journalism teacher at Southport, Mike Klopfenstein, says Emily is one of the best student writers he’s ever advised: “She writes with impressive mastery of language and flow, and she takes pride in her ability to tackle big projects, constructing complex pieces of writing that require synthesis of massive amounts of information.”

Here are their winning essays:

Michelle Hu’s winning essay

Journalism was never in my plans until high school, but from the moment I realized how interesting it was, I’ve prepared myself for a career in the field since. For my sixteenth birthday, instead of asking for something many teenagers typically ask for, I wanted an SLR camera to learn photography. I developed my skills through practice, and I view professionals’ photos on Time.com daily to find out what my own style is. Not only that, but I’ve been teaching myself how to use audio equipment and video recorders (I’m quite an amateur, but improving nonetheless) and learning as much as possible about each media form.

I’ve done this merely because I know that’s what the industry expects these days: a jack-of-all-trades. When I attended a competitive, multicultural journalism camp in Boston this past summer sponsored by the Asian American Journalists Association, all the professionals there encouraged us to move into a medium we had never explored before. I initially signed up for print journalism; instead, I ended up writing two stories and producing an audio slideshow.

I’d like to think I know where journalism is going, and that I’m well prepared for it. I hope to become a Middle East correspondent after majoring in Political Science and studying Arabic… and hopefully, I can give a voice to the millions of unheard men and women in the region. Though many say that print journalism is dying out, news certainly is not, and I hope to jump on the opportunity of technology as soon as possible. With the release of the iPad, the future of print rests perhaps on the success of the tablet computer. Sports Illustrated has already developed a sample issue and I just know that all of my work for the past four years and next four years will surely prepare me for the revolution of journalism.

Emily Theis’s winning essay

Journalists have been typically associated with a pad and pen, a text-laden front page “EXTRA,” and an inquisitive, investigative nature that pursues truth. Perhaps the only facet of this “typical journalist” that will endure is the final one: the driving force behind a passion for getting the facts. As the world of information changes, journalists can make a difference by using this information to help build a sufficiently and accurately informed society.

Although the development and boom of the Internet has dramatically increased the amount of previously newspaper-specific information available, it has not resulted in a better-informed society. In fact, the result has been quite the opposite. It is the job of the evolving journalist to present the information in a way that the public can trust and access easily. Journalists are responsible for sifting through the piles of extraneous and inaccurate information that are now floating about the world and sorting them into reputable and concise reports. Although this methodology is not yet clearly defined in the ever-changing world of technology, the pure necessity of its determination will keep the journalistic industry afloat, in whatever form it takes. News corporations are already utilizing the public’s methods of communication with downloadable pages and quick updates on Twitter. The journalism of the future will, and must, follow these footsteps and bring the public the information it needs to hear the way it wants to hear it.

Journalists have a simple job to change the world by informing it – accurately. Problems cannot be fixed unless they are recognized as problems, and people can’t draw correct conclusions without correct information. In the ever-evolving arena of information, it is the job of the journalist to change the inaccurate internet and gossip-driven world and therefore change the world itself.

Congratulations to all our winners!

lweidenbener — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 19:43:58 +0000

Congratulations to all the winners in SPJ’s Best in Indiana contest.

We’re truly proud of all the amazing work our fellow Hoosier journalists have done and thrilled that so many of you could join us at the annual awards dinner to be honored.

We’d love to list all the winners here, but there are just way too many!

So instead, please link to the list and check out your favorite categories.

Congrats again to all the winners and everyone who entered.

Best in Indiana Journalism banquet set for April 23. Buy your tickets now!

lweidenbener — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 18:07:53 +0000

Reserve a seat at the annual Best in Indiana Journalism awards banquet, scheduled for Friday, April 23, 2010 at the Indianapolis Marriott North, 3645 River Crossing Parkway.

Registration and cocktail hour begin at 5:30 p.m., with dinner served at 6:30 p.m.

Questions? Contact contest coordinator Rob Higley at rhigley@revealconsulting.com or 578-1440.

For the banquet, individual seats cost $50; tables for eight are $500. (An additional surcharge of $2 per seat is also added by PayPal.)

Go here to purchase tickets.

We are informing award winners as the judged entries are returned from other Society of Professional Journalists chapters, but we are still awaiting results in some categories.

Ball State offers digital media workshop

lweidenbener — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 22:24:30 +0000

Are you falling behind the digital media curve? Do you know how to make your web stories shine? Can you make a web video or use Facebook to enhance your stories?

If the answer to any of those questions is no, then you should check out Ball State’s “Journalism in Transition” day long training workshop on May 13.

The HSPA Foundation is sponsoring the program in cooperation with Ball State’s journalism and telecommunications departments. If you’re an HSPA member and register by April 2, you pay just $30, which includes lunch. Pay a little more if you sign up later and just $75 if you’re not a member of HSPA.

There are two tracks — one for editorial and one for advertising — and the workshops will be taught by BSU professors.

Want more information? Click here to get a flier with a sign up form.

IUPUI creates new campus chapter; seeks pros like you for critiques

lweidenbener — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 17:37:48 +0000

Journalism students at IUPUI have formed a new campus chapter of SPJ.

To celebrate, the student chapter will host a “Slice & Dice” at the new Student Media Center from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 15. The “slice” is free pizza; the “dice” is a critique of student portfolios.

That’s where professional journalists like you come in. The chapter is in search of professional journalists willing to meet with students and critique their portfolios — plus answer questions about the industry.

If you would be willing to volunteer your time, contact IUPUI student Tara Puckey at tarapuckey@me.com or (765) 381-0927.

Free workshop in Indy: Investigating the busines of college sports

lweidenbener — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 19:34:20 +0000

You’re invited to a free workshop in Indianapolis on March 10: “Investigating the Business of College Athletics” with Pulitzer Prize winner Buzz Bissinger.

The class will teach you how to dig into the finances of your local college’s athletic program.

Buzz Bissinger (shown at right), Pulitzer winner and best-selling author of Friday Night Lights, and Rob King, vice president and editor-in-chief of ESPN Digital Media, will headline a distinguished group of trainers for this daylong workshop.

Joining them will be Jodi Upton, sports database editor for USA Today; Steve Berkowitz, sports projects editor at USA Today; and Wallace Renfro, vice president and senior adviser to the president of the NCAA.

The seminar, which will be on the eve of the Big Ten Basketball Tournament in Indianapolis, is sponsored by the Donald W. Reynolds National Cen ter for Business Journalism at Arizona State University and hosted by the National Sports Journalism Center at Indiana University’s IUPUI campus and the Associated Press Sports Editors.

The workshop is free, but space is limited. Sign up today! (Can’t make it? Check out our online training.)

Bissinger, the author of Vanity Fair’s February cover story on Tiger Woods, will deliver a luncheon keynote speech at the seminar on narrative writing.

At 7 p.m., Bissinger will discuss the state of sports media in America with Tim Franklin, director of the National Sports Journalism Center. That event, sponsored by the IU National Sports Journalism Center, is also free.

AGENDA: “Investigating the Business of College Athletics” free workshop on March 10 in Indianapolis

8:30 a.m. Sign-in and Continental Breakfast

9 a.m. Welcome and Introduction

9:15 a.m. Roadmap to Financial Information on College Athletic Programs — Wally Renfro

10:15-10:30 a.m. Break

10:30 a.m. Follow the Money – Revenue and Expense Database for Division I Schools –– Steve Berkowitz, Jodi Upton

11:15 a.m. Case Study: Analyzing the Revenue/Expense Data — Berkowitz, Upton

Noon Lunch – Narrative Writing: How to Make All These Numbers Sing –– Buzz Bissinger (Including Q-and-A)

1:30 p.m. Getting What You Need from Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Requests — Berkowitz, Upton

2:15 p.m. What You Need to Know about Coaches’ Contracts — Berkowitz, Upton

3-3:15 p.m. Break

3:15 p.m. Case Study: Analyzing Coaches’ Contracts — Berkowitz, Upton

4 p.m. Finding Great Stories in Message Boards and Social Media –– Rob King

5 p.m. Adjourn

Enter soon for Sigma Delta Chi awards

lweidenbener — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 20:13:40 +0000

SPJ honors daily publications with Sigma Delta Chi Awards

Gain national recognition. Be honored by your contemporaries.

Celebrate journalism.

The Sigma Delta Chi Awards
contest deadline is
Friday, Feb. 12.

The awards honor excellence in professional journalism and are given annually by the Society of Professional Journalists. Please view the award categories to learn more about entering your work!

Our new online submission process allows you to enter easily and efficiently. You can read more about last year’s winners in the 2009 awards issue of Quill magazine. National winners will be honored at the SPJ National Convention Oct. 3-6 in Las Vegas.

We encourage you to enter your work as soon as possible. The closer we get to the deadline, the busier our servers become with entrants’ activities. DEADLINE: Friday, Feb. 12.

New: Spring conference in Chicago

lweidenbener — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:23:25 +0000

The Society of Professional Journalists is proud to offer cutting-edge professional development for everyone in the journalism industry. With the coming spring, SPJ continues this tradition with its 2010 spring journalism conference in Chicago, Ill., that is specifically held for journalists from Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky. The conference is March 26-27 and will offer plenty of great programming for all attendees, from seasoned professionals to students.

Spend the weekend with fellow journalists networking and learning from the industry’s best and brightest. Three outstanding speakers are confirmed for the event; click here to learn more about their backgrounds and the issues they’ll discuss. The conference also features professional development sessions on a variety of issues like freelancing, multimedia, journalism ethics and new journalism business models.

A special thank-you to Loyola University Chicago (Downtown Water Tower Campus) for their in-kind donation of meeting space. The event will be co-hosted by the Loyola University Chicago student chapter of SPJ.

Read more about the schedule and accommodations and register online today.

The conference is open to any and all, not just SPJ members. Please share this information with your friends and colleagues.

PLEASE NOTE: If you register by March 9 you will receive the early-registration fees! The price for professional non SPJ members is $90; the student non-member price is $70. After March 9, the price for professional non SPJ members is $110 and $90 for student non SPJ members.

Take advantage of the early prices and register today! This is a conference you do not want to miss.

Contact Heather Porter at (317) 927-8000 ext. 204 if you have questions.

We hope to see you in Chicago!

Karen Grabowski
SPJ Communications Coordinator