SPJ NEWS RELEASE
Friday, August 15, 2003

CONTACT:
Robert Leger, President, 417/836-1113 or rleger@springfi.gannett.com
Travis Poling, Region 8 Director for Texas and Oklahoma, 210/250-3241 or
tpoling@express-news.net

SPJ calls on Texas A&M University to Keep Journalism Department Alive

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Society of Professional Journalists calls on Texas A&M
University to reconsider a decision that would deprive a quality journalism
education to future generations of students.
Texas A&M recently recommended the elimination of the journalism program
next summer rather than making efforts to improve the level of instruction.
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Texas A&M Board of
Regents have the final say. If A&M officials do not withdraw their
recommendation, SPJ asks that the regents and the THECB to deny the request
and ask university officials to find solutions to strengthen the journalism
program.
There are many issues facing the journalism department, including a
reduction in state funding for the university and too few professors for too
many students.
In a meeting last month with Texas A&M President Robert Gates, members of
the Society of Professional Journalists, Texas A&M Former Journalism
Students Association and the Texas Daily Newspaper Association were told
that the university was still evaluating its options. The following day,
Liberal Arts Dean Charles Johnson recommended that the journalism department
be phased out because he didn't want to take money away from other programs
to improve the standards and faculty for journalism.
"Texas A&M is a university well known for its many traditions, including
producing fine journalists," says SPJ President Robert Leger, editorial page
editor of the Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader. "Today, journalism education is
needed to instill high standards of reporting and editing in students, as
well as emphasizing the ethical concerns of the profession. It is beyond
belief that Texas A&M would turn its back on this need."
Travis Poling, SPJ regional director for Texas and Oklahoma and business
reporter at the San Antonio Express-News, said the university's
recommendation is the "easy solution" rather than the tougher and nobler
course of improving journalism education.
"The university has produced many fine journalists over the decades," Poling
said. "It seems unthinkable that a school as steeped in tradition as Texas
A&M would rather discontinue an important department than reinvigorate the
tradition of providing the building blocks for excellence in journalism."

The Society of Professional Journalists works to improve and protect
journalism. SPJ is dedicated to encouraging the free practice of journalism
and stimulating high standards of ethical behavior. Founded in 1909 as Sigma
Delta Chi, and based in Indianapolis, SPJ promotes the free flow of
information vital to a well-informed public, works to inspire and educate
the next generation of journalists, and protects First Amendment guarantees
of freedom of speech and press.

-END-

Terry Harper
Executive Director
Society of Professional Journalists
Sigma Delta Chi Foundation
3909 N. Meridian St.
Indianapolis, Indiana 46208
(317) 927-8000, ext. 220
(317) 920-4789 - fax
tharper@spj.org

SPJ News / President's Report

July 23

TO SPJ MEMBERS

The executive committee of the national board of directors met in Washington, D.C., on July 12. The meeting followed the presentation of the Sigma Delta Chi awards at a black-tie (optional) banquet Friday night at the National Press Club. Next year, we plan to add to the award ceremony a writer's workshop with the winners as panelists.

Here's a recap of action taken by the executive committee, followed by my president's report recapping SPJ activities for the past quarter:

CHAPTER ANNUAL REPORTS
The committee heard a report on how we're doing with the new pro chapter graduated requirements annual reports. As of the time of our meeting, 15 chapters had received preliminary scores of 4 -- although the scoring is not complete yet -- with only two chapters at the 1 star level.

However, 34 professional chapters had not yet filed their reports (in reading through the list, some of these have not been active in a while; others were surprises). The executive committee set an absolute, drop-dead date of July 31 for chapters to get reports in or lose their vote at the national convention. (Regional directors have the list of which chapters have filed or not filed.)

Why didn't we stick with the original due date? We recognize we're turning an ocean liner. In the past, chapters have been able to show up at convention, dash out a handwritten report and keep their votes. (Your president speaks from personal experience). Moving from that history to a position where chapters actually lose their vote for not filing on time will take several steps. This is the first step.

Those chapters that scored a 1 or lower are immediately eligible for assistance from HQ staff, the chapter doctor and their regional director, under the guidelines approved by the board at the September 2002 convention. At next summer's executive meeting, those chapters that have not improved to a 2-star rating will either be granted another year of assistance or be placed on probation. Chapters placed on probation continue to receive assistance, but if they do not reach the 2-star rating after one year the executive committee can declare them inactive or revoke their charter.
We have begun a two-year process that will wipe off the rolls those chapters that have existed in name only for years if not decades - or give members in those areas impetus to reactivate those chapters.

This same process will begin for campus chapters next year. As of the executive committee meeting, 70 percent of chapters listed as active had filed reports.

MICHAEL KELLY, AND OTHER JOURNALISTS WHO DIED IN IRAQ
A resolution recognizing the sacrifice of Michael Kelly, David Bloom and other journalists who gave their lives reporting on the war in Iraq will be presented to delegates for their approval at the opening session. We are inviting Kelly's widow and/or mother to accept a framed copy of the resolution (which is why we are breaking precedent on the timing of the resolution vote) and to speak at the opening session.

FINANCES
The financial report: As of the end of May, we were running a slight deficit of $558 on total revenue of $1,048,155. With grants scheduled to be transferred into our bank account, Terry expects to end the year close to even, perhaps even with a small surplus. This is a tremendous improvement over the previous two years.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK
The committee gave the green light to proceed with a coffee-table quality magazine for the New York convention in 2004. A three-month study of the market suggests this magazine could net as much as $183,000 for SPJ and the New York City chapter. The more reasonable expectation, though, is for a net of just under $100,000. The magazine would have the added benefit of raising SPJ's profile in the nation's media capitol.

AWARDS
The committee selected the winners of various awards.

Fellows will be presented to Hodding Carter III, CEO of the Knight Foundation, former Mississippi publisher and aide to President Carter; Cynthia Tucker, editorial page editor of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution; and Stetson Kennedy, 1940s muckraker and Klan buster. All three will appear on a panel moderated by John Seigenthaler Sr.

The Helen Thomas Award for Lifetime Achievement will go to Ed Barber, general manager of the Independent Florida Alligator since 1976.

The Wells Key and other member awards will be announced at the convention.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call or drop me an e-mail.

Robert Leger
SPJ President
Editorial Page Editor, Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader
836-1113 or rleger@spj.org


PRESIDENT'S REPORT
July 12, 2003

When the full board last met, at the end of April, our first National Ethics Week had just begun. Jay Shelledy was still editor of the Salt Lake Tribune, and Jayson Blair was still just another byline in the New York Times.

We could not have timed the week any better. Ethics -- or amazing lapses of it -- was the talk of journalism for much longer than a week. Ethics Committee Chair Gary Hill and I were called by reporters from across the country. The SPJ Code of Ethics was held up as an example of the sort of guideline journalists everywhere should follow. While the immediacy of the conversation has subsided, the issues raised by the many ethical lapses in late spring have not gone away. Ethics has always been one of our core missions; I hope at this meeting we will develop a plan for confronting this challenge and taking advantage of an opportunity for SPJ to demonstrate its leadership.

Other highlights of the past three months:

FOI
As they have all year, freedom of information issues remained at the top of the agenda.

The first joint meeting of our Sunshine Chairs and the National Freedom of Information Coalition was held in Nashville, under the expert guidance and planning of Frank Gibson. By all accounts, it was the most successful and energized meeting either group had had in years. FOI Chair Ian Marquand inducted the first three members into the States FOI Hall of Fame -- Bob Johnson of New Mexico, Sue Hale of Oklahoma and Michael Donoghue of Vermont.

SPJ is closely involved in two other attempts at collaboration. We have a seat on the steering committee of a broad coalition of journalism, library, environmental and open-government groups organized by OMB Watch. The coalition's purpose is to amplify the voice for open government and push a public education campaign on the importance of FOI. We're also involved in an attempt to create a journalism-group coalition focused on quicker, louder action when FOI is threatened -- and eventually becoming more pro-active in pushing for greater openness.

The threats keep mounting. A CIA middle-manager recently floated the idea of stopping intelligence leaks by charging reporters, editors and publishers as traitors. He may be a wild hair, but the piece reads like a trial balloon. "Sensitive but unclassified" is gaining traction. And open-government advocate Scott Armstrong warns that non-disclosure agreements that the Department of Homeland Security will require local officials to sign pose the threat of spreading the Bush White House's penchant for secrecy into every state and local government.

The Department of Homeland Security issued its draft FOI regulations. We, along with every other journalism organization, filed comments pointing out how bad they were and suggesting ways they could better serve the public as a whole. Letting companies declare what information could be kept from public view is hardly the best way to protect public safety.

HIPAA went into effect, and Ian Marquand's committee provided useful information to members on how to deal with these onerous regulations. We continued to collect examples showing how HIPAA stops the flow of critical information to the public, and we will join with other journalism groups to try to convince the federal government to change the rules.

On the amicus front, we're on a losing streak. Courts have ruled against efforts to get the names of post-9/11 detainees and people pardoned by the immediate past governor of South Dakota. The Supreme Court, after initially taking the Nike vs. Kasky case, declined to rule. The federal appeals court in Chicago ordered three reporters to turn notes over to lawyers in Ireland, a case we were ready to pledge LDF support for before it ended abruptly. The same Chicago appeals court agreed to hear the Governors State University student press case en banc, a worrisome development given that the three judge panel was unanimous in its original ruling for the students. LDF chair Christi Tatum is following this case.

INTERNATIONAL JOURNALISM

An energized International Journalism Committee, under the leadership of Maria Trombly, continues to extend SPJ's voice. It spoke up loudly against a military plan to censor newly free Iraqi newspapers, noting the contradiction in following a war of liberation with measures no different than those imposed by Saddam Hussein.

After three French journalists flying into Los Angeles to cover a video game conference were deported because they had no visas, the committee called on Congress to change the rules. Currently, visitors from friendly nations coming to this nation for stays of less than 90 days do not need to get visas -- unless they are journalists. Again, government policy and practice sends a message to other countries inconsistent with the United States' founding principles.

The Journalists Association of Korea, which had invited us to a conference in Seoul at the end of June, postponed the meeting until early October. We are awaiting further details.

DIVERSITY
Sally Lehrman continues to do yeoman's work in improving and spreading the word about the Diversity Sourcebook and toolbox. She has promoted it in a number of venues, and is almost single-handedly raising SPJ's credibility on this important issue. This is one of our signature projects and one we should be extremely proud of.

MEMBERSHIP
The Ted Scripps Leadership Training Program returned this summer after a one-year hiatus. It was the best one I've attended, in part because Executive Director Terry Harper and programs coordinator Carrie Copeland altered the outline. The first half of the weekend was devoted to general leadership skills that will benefit participants in their SPJ roles, their work roles and in other volunteer activities. The second half returned to SPJ-specific information. I heard some truly excellent discussion among participants, great exchanges of information, and some good suggestions for ways we can keep these exchanges going throughout the year.

In late May, our membership number hit its highest level in years, 10,253. The next week, it fell to 9,727. This is partly a function of the way we count members, but it also points to what we all know is our greatest membership challenge: Retention. I think we need to do a better job of understanding why members come and go so easily. Mary O'Neil of the office staff keeps a running list of phone calls she makes after a member doesn't renew. It is helpful, but to really get to the heart of this I believe we will need to find the money for a member survey.

SPJ IN THE NEWS
Ethical discretions, as noted above, brought a lot of press calls to SPJ. Committee chairs took a number of calls. I took calls and was quoted in Editor & Publisher, Reuters, the Boston Globe, the Hartford Courant, American Journalism Review (an upcoming issue), the Deseret News, El Mercurio, Asa Hi (a Japanese language newspaper in New York City), El Tiempo, a Colombian newspaper, the Kent Stater student newspaper, and the Strategist (a magazine for the pr industry; the focus was whether the string of bad ethics news would hurt the relationship between reporters and p.r. professionals). Sig Christensen of the San Antonio paper called about embedded reporters, in light of the statement of principles, and the Mesa Tribune called regarding their reporter who was convicted on overblown charges of trespassing.

I also appeared on Jim Bohannon's national talk radio show (June 6), Peter B. Collin's satellite radio show (May 15; I was on at the same time as the San Francisco columnist who was fired after being arrested at an anti-war rally), and on a talk radio station in Palm Springs (June 9).


SPJ News / President's Report

Dear SPJ member:
Three months ago I shared with you my President's Report from the executive committee's winter meeting. Last weekend, the full board met in Indianapolis. I am proud to share with you my report to the board. SPJ continues to take a leading role in protecting journalism and advocating for ethics and freedom of information. My report details some of those activities.

It is followed by a summary of your board's actions at the Indianapolis meeting. If you have questions or comments on any of this, you can email me at rleger@spj.org or give me a call at 417-836-1113.

Robert Leger, SPJ President
Editorial Page Editor
Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader


President's Report
TO: SPJ Board
FM: Robert Leger
April 26, 2003

This is a great time to be a member - and a leader - of SPJ. Let's start with the big headline: Membership went back over 10,000 in January. That's an increase of 25 percent since our nadir in the low 8,000s just two years ago. A lot of people deserve credit.

We'll keep working to push that number higher, as it makes our collective voice stronger. But we also need to give greater attention to retention. Our churn, to use a newspaper term, is high. The last week of each month this year our numbers have averaged over 10,000; the first week of the month they've dropped to 9,700 or lower as lapsed memberships are removed from the rolls. Keeping members is as important as recruiting new members, and it will require the same dedication and hard work from chapter leaders, regional directors, officers and staff. It means lots of points of contact. It requires active chapters keeping members involved. It requires us better communicating what we are doing on the national level for all of our members.

We're good at recruiting new members. Now, we need to get just as good at keeping them.

Membership isn't the only thing that's up. So are our finances. After bleeding buckets of red ink the past two years, we're running well into the black for the first half of this fiscal year. Executive Director Terry Harper has done a tremendous job in his first year of righting our ship.

Regional conferences this year have been a tremendous success, particularly those that were part of our partnership with IRE. I attended four conferences, all of which were of top-notch quality. I've heard speeches by Helen Thomas and Tony Hillerman, by a past and future Poynter president, and by Pulitzer Prize winners. Regional directors and conference planners have much to be proud of.

We have many other successes to celebrate.

FOI
Our annual lobbying trips to Capitol Hill are intended to plant seeds, to let legislators know about our interest in certain issues. We don't expect immediate results. This year, though, we got one. Baker and Hostetler attorney Bob Lystad and I visited the staff of Sen. Bob Graham, D-Fla., urging him to sign on to the Restore FOI Act sponsored by Sens. Leahy and Levin. The act would patch the hole blown into FOIA by the bill creating the Department of Homeland Security. Within two weeks, Graham had become a co-sponsor.

We also visited with the staff of freshman Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, who campaigned as a champion of FOI. They showed interest but were noncommittal. I have since asked our Texas chapters to write letters to the senator, urging him to become a co-sponsor. Having a Republican sign on would enhance the chances of success.

In other FOI actions, we have:
* Provided members with information on the onerous federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which will make it more difficult to determine the number and nature of injuries, or even if someone has been admitted to a hospital. We've also asked members to let us know about difficulties they have and how their inability to get information harmed the public. We'll use this information to lobby for a change in the rule.

* Called on the New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ to reverse their decisions punishing al-Jazeera by revoking or denying permission to broadcast from their trading floors. We neither defended nor criticized al-Jazeera's content, but noted that decisions based on content violate the spirit of the First Amendment and set a bad precedent for other countries that seek to limit the press. (Ironically, the government of Saddam Hussein followed the stock exchange's lead and kicked al-Jazeera out of Baghdad a week later.) The NYSE responded with a letter indicating it may make accommodations; NASDAQ's response was angry and unapologetic.

* Called on Congress to open taxpayer-funded research done by the Congressional Research Service. These reports currently are available only to members of Congress.

* Commended the Supreme Court for the timely release of audio tapes of oral arguments in the University of Minnesota affirmative action cases. I also used the letter as an opportunity to renew the plea for cameras in federal courtrooms.

* Spoke against city policies in Minneapolis and Chesapeake, Va., that gagged city employees and funneled all press inquiries to the mayor or his spokesman. We noted that this denied citizens accurate and timely information about the operations of their local government.

* Assisted reporters in Jacksonville, Fla., in dealing with the police department's move to a scrambled radio signal.

SPJ also signed on to four amicus briefs in the past three months:
* The Supreme Court agreed to hear Nike's appeal of a California decision that essentially said the corporation has no First Amendment rights. We earlier signed on to an amicus urging the court to take the case; now we have signed on to an amicus supporting Nike's argument.

* We joined the Sioux Falls Argus Leader in seeking to force release of pardons granted by former South Dakota Gov. Janklow. The amicus argues that any privacy interests are easily trumped by the public's interest in knowing about the administration of justice. Pardons simply cannot be closed records. The district court, however, ruled in favor of the governor.

* We continued to join in challenging the Children's Internet Protection Act, which seeks to protect children from graphic material on the Internet but infringes on adult's First Amendment rights in doing so.

* We joined the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press in urging the Supreme Court to uphold a decision opening ATF records to the city of Chicago. As has been well reported, congressional action made that case moot.

* We urged the Supreme Court to take a prior restraint case from New Jersey involving a high-profile murder case. To our disappointment, the court declined, letting an unfriendly lower-court decision stand.

Ethics
As we meet, the first Ethics in Journalism week (or fortnight) is underway. I'll let the committee report on this stand, but let me add that I am impressed with the creativity that went into the programs being presented around the country, funded by an SDX grant. As I tell anyone who will listen, SPJ's first task is to fight for and defend First Amendment and FOI issues. But at the same time we are demanding our rights, we need to accept our responsibilities. Ethics in Journalism week is an excellent way of making the point.

Through an initiative from the committee, SPJ also sent a letter to the Coca-Cola company regarding our Code of Ethics. A shareholder offered a proposal to have Coke refrain from matching employee contributions to NPR until NPR is "certified" as being in compliance with the code in its coverage of the Israel-Palestine conflict. Our letter noted that the code was designed to encourage discussion about the ethical performance of news outlets, but that it was never intended to be used in a judicial or quasi-judicial fashion. Because of that, we opposed the shareholder's effort to use it in that fashion. The company's shareholders did too, voting the proposal down 98-2 percent.

International Journalism
I made my final appointments, naming Maria Trombly as chair and Robert Buckman and Dan Kubiske as co-chairs of the international journalism committee. They immediately got to work, promoting Trombly's Journalists Guide to the Geneva Conventions and writing a letter to Fidel Castro protesting his arrests of journalists and other independent thinkers. More is on the drawing board.

Outreach
In January, the executive committee met in Austin. I and other officers met with people who had left SPJ and the local chapter in protest. Hard feelings remain; some won't die down easily, but I believe our meetings started the process of mending fences. I am hopeful that Austin will soon return to the ranks of our most active and committed chapters.

In March, I met with RTNDA executive director Barbara Cochran to discuss a proposal for public service broadcast ads promoting the importance of freedom of information. We plan to continue our talks.

Our invitation to visit Korea June 22-30 was made official. I am still in the process of putting together the delegation. We'll have a full report of the visit in the first Quill after we return.

******************
Summary of board action, April 26, 2003

Subject: SPJ News: Guide to war coverage
Date: Wednesday, March 26, 2003 1:34 PM

Dear Colleague:

The texts of the Geneva Conventions are available in most good libraries and on the Web from organizations such as the United Nations and the Red Cross. However, they can be difficult to read, hard to search, and impractical to use on deadline.

To address this issue, the Society of Professional Journalists created the "Journalist's Guide to the Geneva Conventions." Funded by a grant from the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation, the work was authored by Maria Trombly, a freelance journalist, former war correspondent and now the chair of SPJ's International Journalism Committee. It was edited by former committee chair John Hopkins of the Miami Herald.

It offers an easy-to-use alphabetical reference guide to the Geneva Conventions, as well as the full texts of the conventions themselves. The guide entries are cross-linked to the relevant portions of the conventions, providing an easy way to look up hundreds of topics such as "orphans," "war crimes," and "wounded prisoners of war."

Patterned after the AP Stylebook, the "Journalist's Guide to the Geneva Conventions" can be found online at no charge at www.genevaconventions.org. Printed copies are available from the Society of Professional Journalists by calling 317/927-8000. Paperback editions are available for $12; special waterproof editions are available for $25. Shipping is $6.

We hope this resource material will help you in your reporting.

Robert Leger
President

Maria Trombly
International Committee Chair

SPJ News Release - Tuesday, March 25, 2003

CONTACT:
Maria Trombly, international journalism committee chair,
413/323-8949, maria@trombly.com
Robert Leger, president, 417/836-1113, rleger@spj.org

A resource compiled by the Society of Professional Journalists can
help reporters navigate the Geneva Conventions

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- The texts of the Geneva Conventions are
available in most good libraries and on the Web from organizations
such as the United Nations and the Red Cross. However, they can be
difficult to read, hard to search, and impractical to use on deadline.

To address this issue, the Society of Professional Journalists
created the "Journalist's Guide to the Geneva Conventions." Funded by
a grant from the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation, the work was authored by
Maria Trombly, a freelance journalist, former war correspondent and
now the chair of SPJ's International Journalism Committee. It was
edited by former committee chair John Hopkins of the Miami Herald.

It offers an easy-to-use alphabetical reference guide to the Geneva
Conventions, as well as the full texts of the conventions themselves.
The guide entries are cross-linked to the relevant portions of the
conventions, providing an easy way to look up hundreds of topics such
as "orphans," "war crimes," and "wounded prisoners of war."

Patterned after the AP Stylebook, the "Journalist's Guide to the
Geneva Conventions" can be found online at no charge at
<http://www.genevaconventions.org>www.genevaconventions.org. Printed
copies are available from the Society of Professional Journalists by
calling 317/927-8000. Paperback editions are available for $12;
special waterproof editions are available for $25. Shipping is $6.

The Society of Professional Journalists works to improve and protect
journalism. SPJ is dedicated to encouraging the free practice of
journalism and stimulating high standards of ethical behavior.
Founded in 1909 as Sigma Delta Chi, and based in Indianapolis, SPJ
promotes the free flow of information vital to a well-informed
public; works to inspire and educate the next generation of
journalists; and protects First Amendment guarantees of freedom of
speech and press.

-30-

 

SPJ News Release - Tuesday, February 25, 2003
CONTACT:
Robert Leger, President, 417/836-1113 or cell 417/425-9140 or rleger@spj.org
Kimberly Hundley, vice president, SPJ Valley of the Sun (Phoenix) chapter,
(602) 579-4111, kimrosehundley@hotmail.com

Charge against Arizona reporter has chilling effect on newsgathering process

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- A criminal trespassing charge against an Arizona
reporter seeking comment from a former police officer facing murder charges
is an affront to a free press, the Society of Professional Journalists says.
SPJ President Robert Leger and SPJ's Valley of the Sun (Phoenix)
professional chapter criticized the charges against Bryon Wells as an
attempt to chill the newsgathering process.
Wells, a police reporter with the East Valley & Scottsdale Tribune, went to
the Chandler, Ariz., home of former Chandler Police Officer Dan Lovelace on
Nov. 6, according to police reports. He opened an unlocked 3-foot-high gate
marked with a "no trespassing" sign, walked to the front door and rang the
bell. A woman appeared from the side of the house. Wells identified himself.
When she asked him to leave, he did.
The next day, Lovelace was indicted on charges of second-degree murder and
endangerment in the Oct. 11 shooting of Dawn Rae Nelson of Phoenix in a
drugstore drive-through lane. Lovelace was fired after the shooting.
Wells was charged last week with criminal trespassing, a class 1
misdemeanor, and is scheduled to appear March 26 in Chandler Municipal
Court.

The extreme rarity of a police officer being charged with murder made the
Lovelace story one of high public interest. Wells was simply trying to be
fair in seeking the officer's side of the story, said SPJ President Robert
Leger.
Authorities are prosecuting Wells because he is a journalist, said Leger,
editorial page editor for the Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader.
"A 12-year-old whose baseball bounced into Lovelace's yard, ran there to
find it and then ran off, would have spent about as much time on the
property as Bryon Wells did," Leger said. "I don't imagine authorities
prosecuting such a kid. Why are they going after Wells? The only reason is
because he wanted to ask a question. When authorities start prosecuting
legitimate news gathering efforts, we all are in trouble."
Tribune attorney Dan Barr said prosecutors do not dispute that Wells was
polite throughout the brief exchange and left immediately after being asked
to do so.
Phoenix SPJ Chapter Vice President Kimberly Hundley said while she
understands Lovelace's desire to shield himself and his family from intense
media coverage, the charges against Wells are out of proportion to the
reporter's actions.
"Does Scottsdale prosecute door-to-door salespeople who might walk past a
sign but leave immediately when asked by the homeowner? How about Mormon
missionaries, or Girl Scouts selling their cookies?" Hundley said.
Hundley said Wells was trying to give Lovelace every opportunity to speak on
his own behalf so Wells' newspaper could provide a fair and balanced report
on this traumatic case.
"The filing of criminal charges should frighten anyone who cherishes the
First Amendment right of a journalist to seek out the subject of a story and
invite him to tell his side," Hundley said.
The Society of Professional Journalists works to improve and protect
journalism. SPJ is dedicated to encouraging the free practice of journalism
and stimulating high standards of ethical behavior. Founded in 1909 as Sigma
Delta Chi, and based in Indianapolis, 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.

-30-

SPJ News / President's Report

Colleagues:

As of Friday, SPJ's membership stands at 10,009. This is the first time we
have been over 10,000 in several years. It's an increase of nearly 1,000
members over a year ago at this time, and a significant leap from the low we
hit a couple of years ago.

Many factors go into any membership increase. We have aggressively recruited
members over the past year. We have increased our profile in fighting for
freedom of information at a time when it is under siege. Newspapers and
broadcasters are hiring again.

And SPJ chapters are doing great work, putting on great programs and
fighting their local FOI battles. I know many of you have personally
recruited members one-on-one or through your programming efforts. You
deserve to share in the credit and the glow of this accomplishment.

Thank you, and congratulations. Now, onward to 11,000.

Robert Leger
Editorial Page Editor,  Springfield (MO) News-Leader
President, Society of Professional Journalists
651 Boonville,
Springfield, Mo. 65806
417.836.1113...... Fax: 417.837.1381


SPJ News / President's Report

TO: SPJ members
FM: Robert Leger
Jan. 18, 2003

Colleagues:

The following report was presented to the executive committee at its January
meeting in Austin, Texas. I believe it's equally important to let all of our
members know what your Society is doing. We intend to use our email list to
more regularly provide you with information about the Society's work, as
well as to send tip sheets that you can use in your daily work. If you have
questions about anything in this report, don't hesitate to contact me at
rleger@spj.org.

Robert Leger
SPJ President

Let's start with the best news. At the Fort Worth convention, we were able
to celebrate membership growth for the first time in years. We were up 500
members over a year ago. Today, we're up nearly 1,000 members over a year
ago -- and knocking on the door of going back over 10,000 members.

Membership chair Howard Dubin has again made a generous contribution; he,
Terry Harper and I have planned an aggressive recruitment campaign; and I
expect we will continue to see membership rise. We have a great story to
tell. We are working for all journalists. There are so many reasons to join
-- and to recruit more members.

Let's add some more good news: The Fort Worth convention netted $27,000, the
best showing since Indianapolis in 1999.

And two more piece of good news:

-- The Scripps-Howard Foundation has awarded a $50,000 grant to underwrite
the Ted Scripps Leadership Retreat for 2003. No retreat was held last year,
and I am delighted we will be able to resume this valuable tool this summer.
Dates and details will come shortly.

-- SPJ, through the Council of Presidents of National Journalism
Organizations, was awarded a $200,000 Knight Foundation grant to create a
web site that will list every journalism training program or session in the
country. This will be a valuable resource for all journalists.
Defending the First Amendment
Our active advocacy to protect and improve journalism is bringing results.

In the past four months, we have:

-- Put together a coalition of 16 journalism groups that issued a Statement
of Principles focused on media coverage of a potential war in Iraq. The
statement encouraged allowing journalists to travel with troops, file using
their own equipment and, most importantly, not be subject to "prior review"
-- the military euphemism for censorship. The statement noted that we are
encouraged by recent statements coming from the Pentagon, but believe the
real test is how those statements translate to actions if the United States
becomes involved in a war. Last week, the Pentagon said it would embed
hundreds of reporters with troops and allow them to file stories without
review.

-- Stood for the rights of student journalists at the University of Miami,
Southern Utah University and Murray State University in Kentucky. The
outcomes: a victory for student press freedom at Murray State, a
wait-and-see at Southern Utah and a frustrating brick wall at the private
University of Miami.

-- Signed onto amicus briefs in five cases:
1. Seeking the release of names of people detained after or in connection
with the Sept. 11 attack.
2. In defense of a Wakefield, Minn., reporter, who was subpoenaed to name
confidential sources in a civil defamation lawsuit. The case is before the
Minnesota Supreme Court.
3. Seeking cameras in the courtroom for the trial of accused D.C. sniper
John Mohammed. The motion was rejected.
4 & 5. Asking the Supreme Court to hear two important First Amendment cases.
The first is Nike's assertion that it has a First Amendment right to answer
critics regarding conditions in its overseas plants. The California Supreme
Court ruled 4-3 that Nike's statements were intended to sell products and
thus fell under state unfair trade practices law. The court last week agreed
to hear that case. The second case challenges New Jersey court rulings that
prohibit any news media contact, now and forever, with the jurors who heard
the Neulander murder trial.

SPJ also has been approached about writing an amicus brief in a case
involving the military newspaper Stars and Stripes and Pentagon employee
Linda Tripp. At last report, it was uncertain where this request might go.

-- Victories were scored in three cases SPJ supported.
1. The Utah Supreme Court threw out the state's criminal libel law as in
violation of the First Amendment. This case involved a Utah teen charged
with criminal libel for posting on his personal web site unflattering
statement about his high school principal. The prosecutor, however, has
refiled charges under a different statute.
2. The 4th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled against a Virginia prison
warden who sought to file a libel suit in Virginia against two Connecticut
newspapers for content filed on their web sites. This is an important
decision in a developing area of libel law. The newspapers' case was argued
by Bob Lystad of Baker & Hostetler.
3. The Colorado Supreme Court declined to recognize the tort of "false
light." The case involved a newspaper feature story about a Denver crime
family; one of three children without a criminal record sued because he was
included in the story. The Rocky Mountain News was represented by Bruce
Sanford of Baker & Hostetler.

-- In a letter over my signature, SPJ objected to a new Federal Energy
Regulatory Agency rule that is the foothill to the mountain of "critical
infrastructure" and "sensitive but unclassified" battles that lie ahead.
"The Society is concerned with the Commission' promulgation of a Rule that
purports to make energy infrastructure information available to 'those with
a need' for it, but (for all practical purposes) excludes the media from
obtaining such information by requiring non-disclosure agreements even in
the event that the media could show 'need,' " we said in the letter.

-- SPJ issued a statement urging the Hong Kong government to turn away from
a new "national security" law that would impose strict but vague
restrictions on journalists and cut important information off from Hong Kong
citizens. International Journalism co-chair Dan Kubiske spearheaded this
effort.

-- Victory in Florida: SPJ's Mid-Florida Pro and South Florida Pro chapters
(as well as President-elect Mac McKerral) were key players in the state's
Sunshine Coalition. The coalition worked for passage of Amendment No. 4,
which required any future exemptions to the state Sunshine Law to pass in
both houses of the legislature with a two-thirds majority. It passed with a
79 percent yes vote - a majority surpassed only by support for the death
penalty.

-- Victory in Missouri: The Missouri Supreme Court had approved a rule
closing jury lists and questionnaires. Your president was in a group of
representatives from the state's three largest papers and the Missouri Press
Association who visited with six of the seven judges, pointing out to them
the value of keeping the lists open. Two weeks later the court issued a
rewritten rule that keeps jury lists open, but closes questionnaires.


FOI work
Last year, the effort to use "critical infrastructure" to blow a hole in the
federal Freedom of Information Act seemed dead in the water -- until the
November election results rolled in. The Homeland Security bill was rapidly
revived, and though we made a gallant effort to oppose the FOI provisions we
were standing in front of a steamroller. Our extensive efforts throughout
the summer and fall to forge a reasonable compromise were flattened. This
horrible bill is now law.

Geneva Overholser posted a cogent observation on the Internet. Coverage of
the debate about the Homeland Security bill told readers and viewers about
the labor rules dispute and protections for vaccine makers, but said nothing
about the destruction of FOI. SPJ's FOI Alert generated phone calls from
editorial writers, but nothing from news reporters. I suspect reporters fear
they are writing "inside baseball" or will be perceived as protecting their
interests, both of which are incorrect. FOI laws protect the public, which
uses them far more often than journalists. It is difficult to win these
legislative battles if the public doesn't know they're being fought.

Key battles face us in the year ahead. SPJ will continue to speak loudly and
forcefully on these issues, and I hope we will have plenty of company in the
journalism community.

-- "Sensitive but unclassified" is a frightening idea that has been floating
about in Congress and the White House for the past year or so. The proposal
is to limit public access to information that is in the public record but
which someone in government fears is too "sensitive" to be disseminated.
-- Whistleblowers made the cover of Time magazine as the People of the Year.
Yet judicial activism has gutted protection for federal government
whistle-blowers, and a bill that would have provided real protections was
blocked by a House subcommittee chairman last year. We need to support this
effort as it continues this year.
-- Basic First Amendment rights are being eroded. When President Bush visits
a town, protesters are often restricted to areas far from the official
entourage. The method is spreading. When a neo-Nazi group and its opponents
scheduled competing rallies in Lewiston, Maine, police announced that no one
could take a camera or tape recorder into either rally without prior
permission. Police also said that any signs, which had to be made on soft
material, would have to get their OK. Nothing too inflammatory would be
allowed. SPJ and its local chapter objected. We will continue to watch for
further opportunities to speak up for the free speech/free press rights of
all Americans.


The president travels
I've made two visits in the first quarter of my term. I was on hand in
Chicago as the Headline Club kicked off its impressive Les Brownlee series.
I spoke at a symposium on the media and crime coverage at Central Missouri
State University in Warrensburg. I was invited to resume the tradition by
which SPJ presidents make Fort Worth their first chapter visit, but the date
conflicted with a U.S. Senate debate in Missouri at which I was one of the
panelists.

"FIRST PERSON"
October 2002

To: SPJ Leaders
From: Robert Leger, SPJ President, rleger@spj.org
****************

Greetings:
When I was installed as president at the Fort Worth convention a few weeks
ago, I made two key promises:

* SPJ will remain at the front of the battle for FOI.
* We will give greater attention to the health of our chapters.

You'll hear plenty from me over the next year about FOI. The point of this
newsletter is to let you, the chapter leaders of the Society, know about
changes that will affect you directly.

For starters, the national board made your life easier. At the national
convention, the board simplified professional chapter requirements.

Under the old system, every chapter had to meet the same requirements: six
board meetings and six chapter meetings a year, including four
professionally oriented meetings. Some of the topics were mandated. And
there were additional requirements to inspire the next generation, publish a
newsletter and be represented at the national convention.

All of these requirements had to be met for a chapter to be considered in
good standing and be able to vote at the national convention. As we all
know, a lot of chapters that didn't meet every single requirement were
casting votes.

The board could have either cracked down, withholding recognition from
chapters that didn't reach every point, or make the requirements more
reasonable. We chose the latter course.

A committee chaired by former at-large director Jamie Gonzales, and
including members from large, medium and small chapters, developed a new
graduated chapter requirements system. The full policy is attached to this
e-mail correspondence. (A committee led by Jim Highland, vice-president for
campus chapter affairs, is working on a similar policy for student
chapters.)

To summarize, the new professional requirements set four levels -- one star,
two stars, three stars and four stars. A chapter ranking from two stars up
is considered in good standing, and there are incentives for chapters that
reach the top two levels. Your chapter is free to decide which level to
strive for.

Chapters that rank at the one-star level are considered in need of
assistance. That will come from your regional director, the chapter doctor
(more on that in a moment) and headquarters staff.

After one year, if the chapter does not rise above the one-star level, the
national board's executive committee will decide whether to continue the
assistance period for up to a year or place the chapter on probation. A
chapter on probation continues to get help, but if it does not reach
two-star status within a year the national board can declare it inactive or
revoke its charter.

The expectation is that a charter will be revoked only when a chapter is
absolutely morbid. The goal is to help chapters remain active. That's why
the policy builds in a two- to three-year period for rebuilding, with help
from headquarters and volunteer leaders.

Which brings me to the chapter doctor. I am pleased to announce that former
President Kyle Niederpruem -- one of two Wells Key winners this year -- has
agreed to take this important position. She'll be a resource for chapters
wanting to get better. She's seen what has worked at top-notch chapters, she
knows chapter leaders across the country and she'll bring more than a fair
share of creativity to this job. I can't begin to tell you how excited I am
that she agreed to do this.

She'll work closely with Julie Grimes, our deputy executive director who was
the other Wells Key winner this year. Julie's duties now include membership.
Like Kyle, she knows what works, who has done it and how to connect chapter
leaders.

Kyle and Julie will respond to specific requests. But I've also asked them
to be proactive, sharing with you good ideas they hear about from other
chapters. There's a lot of good thinking out there, and we ought to be
sharing it more.

You can contact Kyle at 317/977-2206 ext 25 or kyle@hirons.com. Julie is at
317/927-8000 ext. 216 or jgrimes@spj.org.

If you have any questions or comments on the new chapter requirements,
please send them my way. You can reach me at rleger@spj.org or 417/836-1113.

Robert Leger, SPJ President
Editorial Page Editor, The Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader

----- SPJ First Person Newsletter -----
This communications tool is provided for leaders of the Society of
Professional Journalists. Distribution and wide dissemination is encouraged
for chapter mailings and other communications to members. This e-mail
newsletter also will be archived at www.spj.org under ''First Person -
monthly reports from the national president.''

For more information about any of the items in this newsletter, contact SPJ
President Robert Leger at rleger@spj.org. To change your subscription
information, contact SPJ Deputy Director Julie Grimes at jgrimes@spj.org.

------------------------------------------------------
Julie Grimes, Deputy Executive Director
Society of Professional Journalists
3909 N. Meridian St., Indianapolis, IN 46208
317/927-8000 ext. 216 ~ Fax: 317/920-4789
jgrimes@spj.org ~ www.spj.org
------------------------------------------------------

 

SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS

Graduated Professional Chapter Requirements

(Approved Sept. 11, 2002, by the national SPJ board)

 

Four Stars

Three Stars

Two Stars

One Star

Rewards

  1. Four-star chapters would receive a 35 percent discount of the price of registration for two delegates to attend the national convention.
  2. Four-star and three-star chapters would be recognized annually in Quill and awarded a certificate at the national convention. Such chapter would also be recognized at regional conventions.
  3. Four-star chapters would be able to buy SPJ merchandise at a 20 percent discount. Three-star chapters could buy SPJ merchandise at a 10 percent discount.
  4. Any extra bags from the national convention would be divided first among four-star chapters, then to three-star chapters.
  5. Improved chapters (those making the step to the three- and four-star level) will be recognized at the national convention.
  6. SPJ Headquarters will finance one chapter mailing (i.e. newsletter, regional conference information) for four-star chapters.

implementation

The annual report is the primary evidence of professional chapter activity or inactivity. Chapters may submit additional evidence no later than 30 days after the annual deadline for the submission of the annual report.

Pro chapters that meet the requirements of a two-star chapter or better are considered active chapters.

If, after examination of the annual report and any additional evidence, the headquarters staff determines a pro chapter is a one-star chapter or less, then the chapter shall receive the following attention, which is in accord with Article Five, Sections 13, 14, 15 and 16 of the SPJ Bylaws:

STEP ONE: ASSISTANCE.

From the time of the determination by headquarters staff that a pro chapter is ranked as ‘one star’ until the deadline for submitting the chapter’s annual report in the next following calendar year, the chapter will be receive assistance. Headquarters staff, in consultation with that chapter’s regional director, will help and advise chapter officers to raise the chapter to the ‘two star’ level.

STEP TWO: PROBATION.

If after the deadline for submitting the chapter’s annual report in the calendar year following the year Step One begins, the chapter has again failed to advance to the ‘two star’ level, the headquarters staff will forward the matter to the Executive Committee. The committee will decide at its annual summer meeting whether to continue — by no more than one more calendar year — the assistance period, or to classify the chapter as under probation.

Under probation, the headquarters staff, in consultation with that chapter’s regional director, will continue to provide assistance to chapter officers. But in placing a chapter on probation, the Executive Committee must forward to the chapter president and to the chapter’s regional director written notice of the chapter’s probationary status. Probationary status may last no more than one calendar year. If in the judgment of the headquarters staff the chapter improves to the ‘two star’ level, by the end of this one calendar year, it shall be immediately returned to normal, active status.

STEP THREE: INACTIVE STATUS/REVOCATION STATUS.

If after the deadline for submitting the chapter’s annual report at the end of the probationary year the chapter has again failed to improve, the headquarters staff will forward the matter to the national Board of Directors at its annual fall meeting. The board may choose one of the following options:

1. Declare the chapter inactive. The chapter will be deemed ineligible to send delegates to the national convention. Local dues collected after the declaration will become the property of the national organization; however, SPJ may decide to allow such local dues to be held for the chapter until such time it returns to active status, when those dues can be returned to it by decision of the Board of Directors or the Executive Committee.

As soon as the following July 1, the chapter may reapply for active status. The Board of Directors or the Executive Committee may then grant the chapter active, but probationary status (Step Two above), and it must meet requirements set forth in Step Two in order to return to normal, active status.

2. Declare the chapter’s charter revoked. The chapter immediately ceases to exist and its officers’ terms of office immediately end. Chapter members in good standing with the Society shall have the option of affiliation with an active chapter, to which they shall pay local dues. At any time after the revocation, members in the geographic area of the former chapter may apply to form a new chapter under Article Five, Sections 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the SPJ Bylaws.

A chapter declared inactive by the Board of Directors may have its charter revoked by either the board or the Executive Committee at any time after it has been declared inactive.

Hawaii SPJ