Please join us at our upcoming events:

• July 18, 2009 - Front Page Follies Knoxville Marriott Ballroom, 500 Hill Avenue. For details on honorees and tickets, please click HERE!

• August 2, 2009 Board Retreat 3-5 p.m. at 1802 Pinoak Court, Knoxville. An orientation and planning session for the newly elected board of directors.

• August 27-29, 2009 - National SPJ Convention, Indianapolis. This is SPJ’s 100th anniversary, so don’t miss it! Earlybird discounted registration is available until August 2. Information about the convention and registration may be found HERE.
  

• Summer-into-Fall Kickoff - Bloopers night OR Ethics Poker or a surprise! We’re planning a fun event to get the new year started, so stay tuned for details!

2010

• We will be hosting the Region 12 Conference in the spring, tentatively set for April 9-11, 2010. Planning is already underway that could include a second annual Environmental Journalism Conference in conjunction with the SPJ Regional, so mark your calendar now!
  

Program Details

Preparations for the 31st Annual Front Page Follies are now underway! For honoree and ticketing information, please click HERE!

Previous Events

The Golden Press Card Awards for work done in 2008

About 70 finalists and guests cheered at The Foundry May 15, 2009 as awards were made reflecting excellent work from last year.  All the results are available HERE.

While all the awards represent hard work, two are considered “Best in Show.” One is the Horace V. Wells Jr. Community Service Award, won this year by Matt Shafer Powell of WUOT-FM. The other is the Golden Press Card Award, chosen as best of all those which won the Award of Excellence–the best of the best. This year the honor went to Knoxville journalist Ed Hooper for his book, Knoxville in the Vietnam Era. Congratulations to all!

Media Ethics and Credibility Town Hall

Dozens of members of the public attended the SPJ Media Ethics and Credibility Town Hall April 30, 2009 at the Howard Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy in Knoxville.

The East Tennessee Chapter is honored to have been one of ten chapters across the country selected to hold the town hall during Ethics Week. Moderator Richard Griffiths of CNN led the session by asking the panel of news managers and a nationally-known blogger some pointed questions involving various ethical scenarios. Panelists included Bill Shory, news director at WBIR-TV, Jack McElroy, editor of the Knoxville News Sentinel, Michael Grider of VolunteerTV.com and Glenn Reynolds, a UT law professor who also writes Instapundit.com.

The ethics scenarios asked the journalists and online writers what they would do upon getting Twitter tips about a reported airplane crash and an assertion that the former Microsoft chief had severe thumb injuries from using a Blackberry.  Panelists noted that Twitter, a social networking tool virtually unknown a year ago, is now being used by most news organizations as a source of tips to be checked out as well as a notification system to build brand loyalty among viewers/readers.

The most spirited response by the panel as well as  audience questions and comments came concerning comments left by the public on online news Web sites. Some felt there should be no “prior restraint” by the media managers, that damaging comments should be removed as soon as noticed, and that the media are moving more into a role of “discussion manager.”  Others felt comments should be screened and more effort by the media should go to their traditional products than to assume everyone is using the internet and social networking tools.

Panelists and audience alike seemed to agree that “citizen journalists” can be every bit as credible and reliable as journalists with a “capital J,” but that until one’s track record is proven it’s risky to rely on their reports without further verification. Reynolds told a story about a tip he received but did not use because he didn’t know the authenticity of the tipster. A week later the story was front page news in the New York Times. It was noted that there are no tests or criteria for someone to work as a “journalist” and that the line between news reporting and opinion/analysis has been fading.

Another point that came up is that bloggers or citizen journalists are not likely to replace the traditional media’s role as watchdog with deep pockets who can spend a week to pursue involved stories, although Reynolds pointed out that if bloggers are “obsessive” or consider a certain beat their “hobby,” they can do deeper digging than many traditional media outlets in the current economy.

SPJ’s large and diverse membership consistently identifies ethics as one of the organization’s most important missions. The SPJ Code of Ethics, first adopted in 1926, is an industry standard. One element of the code is to “invite dialogue with the public over journalistic conduct.”  Copies of the SPJ Ethics code were distributed to the audience and a framed copy presented to Griffiths at the end of the evening. Many thanks to ETSPJ president Mia Rhodarmer and program chair Michael Grider for making the arrangements and also to VP Elenora Edwards for bringing a wide variety of refreshments for the attendees. (A copy of the Code of Ethics may be found Here.)

Ethics Poker Party

Texas Hold’Em is THE card game of the decade, and SPJ has a special twist. Our specially marked decks contain sentences from the SPJ Ethics Code and if you get a matching pair of these you win special prizes. A small but spirited group honed betting and bluffing skills while reading our Ethics Code painlessly April 17. It was our way of helping celebrate 100 years of the Society of Professional Journalists for those who couldn’t make it to Indianapolis for the main event. And the pizza was great!

“Writing Green,” March 27, 2009 at Calhoun’s On the River

Our chapter’s first Environmental Jouranlism Conference was a big success with about 70 participants registered. You may see excellent coverage of it by Randy Neal at Knoxviews.com. Very extensive coverage is available also Here as well.

“Different faces: how the media cover race and diversity”, Feb. 29, 2009 at Cansler YMCA.

The news media have come a long way since the days of segregation in the United States, but still have a long way to go, according to our three panel­ists: Saadia Williams, former executive direc­tor of the Race Relations Center of East Tennessee; Rev. Harold Middlebrook, longtime Civil Rights activist and now pastor at the Canaan Baptist Church; and Loida Ve­lazquez, representing the Latino community.

“I’ve seen change, but I must say to you that all of that change came with struggle,” said Middlebrook, who challenged the media to continue to work toward colorblindness.  Both Middlebrook and Williams took issue with the way blacks are portrayed in the news media, suggesting that showing mug shots of accused black criminals be­fore they’ve been tried by a jury of their peers taints the public’s view black people in general. “Media is so powerful and so influential that they may just not understand the power that they have,” said Williams.

Velazquez’s concerns centered mostly around terminology used when news me­dia report on issues involving the Latino community. She said the terms “illegal immigrant” and “illegal alien” are inappropriate. She suggested using the word “undocu­mented.”  Velazquez said she feels the Latino experience is becoming similar to the African-American experience, and that only the words and nomenclature used are different. All of the panelists agreed that nega­tive images of minorities not only shape the views and opinions of others, but can also have a negative impact on members of those minority communities. Thanks to program chair Michael Grider for his report and to see more, please check out his entire story in the March 2009 edition of Spot News.

December 4 Holiday Party! 6 p.m. at Cherokee Bluff Condo Clubhouse

The holiday season got a good kickoff as the chapter’s hard-core partiers gathered for Buddy’s BBQ, a host of yummy side dishes and 5 or 6 different variations on a chocolate brownie theme for dessert. Overdose on chocolate! The Crazy Gift Exchange was tamer this year, with only a couple of gifts “stolen,” but everyone ended up with the gift they wanted. Time got short, so Ethics Poker will be rescheduled for its own night when card sharks can have plenty of time to amass a pile of pennies and become more acquainted with the SPJ Ethics Code at the same time.

November 20 Freelancing for Fun and Profit

Our freelance program took on greater relevance than we had thought while planning it as the economy worsened drastically during the runup to the session. Two dozen audience members learned two main things: freelancers don’t have to worry about being laid off because they always have a job (though times may get lean); and unless you have a burning desire to write and/or photograph, quit now, because you won’t make it as a freelancer. Veteran freelancer and editor Katy Koontz said it’s vital to make and keep publishing contacts and recommended social networks like Linked In and organizations like the American Society of Journalists and Authors (www.asja.org/), Publishers Marketplace (www.publishersmarketplace.com/) and Society of American Travel Writers (www.satw.org). Christina Southern said that the News Sentinel Community Section she edits planned to extend to more counties, creating more freelance opportunities. She noted that she prefers to receive a pitch for an idea rather than the entire story. Photog Colby McLemore, who works with Koontz, advised submitting photos and writing the story around them to prevent editors from using stock photos as illustrations. He said strong visuals increase the marketability of proposals. And nationally-experienced photographer, Patrick Murphy-Racey encouraged freelancers to “learn new tricks,” including video and still photography for Web sites and blogging. He said prospective employers want to see your style on your blog. Panelists provided other freelance tips:

• Recycle the same story to multiple newspapers in different markets.
• In general, send finished articles to newspapers (but note Southern’s preference above) and send query letters to magazines.
• Write brief, bright query letters to get attention and tell why you are the right person to write the proposed article.
• Research publications before querying the editors; use the same tone and style in your query letter as used in the publication.
• Provide audio and video with articles, as most print products want additional content for their Web sites.
• Check editors’ names rather than risk directing a query letter to someone who has left the publication.
• Never become discouraged at rejection; send rejected work somewhere else immediately.

October 23 Covering Tragedy: A Town Hall Meeting

Here is a story about our program that past president John Huotari wrote for The Oak Ridger

Overall, the media did a good job covering recent fatal high-profile shootings in Knoxville, a reverend, county schools superintendent and police chief said last week. One of the shootings was at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church in July, and the other was at Central High School in August. Although there were some “bumps in the road,” the media reporting and analysis following the high school shooting, which left one student dead, was “pretty good,” said Jim McIntyre, Knox County Schools Superintendent. Meanwhile, coverage of the church shooting, which killed two people, was handled well also, although not perfectly, the Rev. Chris Buice said. Buice and McIntrye, along with Knoxville Police Chief Sterling P. Owen IV, were at a town hall discussion last week where panelists discussed the media’s role in covering tragedies, like the two shootings already mentioned as well as another fatal one at Knoxville Center mall. The discussion was sponsored by the East Tennessee chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and was held in the East Tennessee History Center auditorium on Gay Street. The public officials and panelists from the press talked about the role the media can play in quickly answering important questions, such as: Is the shooter still at large? Are any of my friends or relatives affected?

Even in the rush to get information out, though, journalists have to continue to strive to be accurate, the panelists said. “I would rather be third on the air and get it correct than be first on the air and get it wrong,” said Jamie Foster, WATE-TV news director. The primary concern for journalists covering the shootings was to determine whether the shooters were in custody and to inform and protect the public, said Steve Crabtree, WVLT-TV news director. The journalists described a range of initial reactions to news of the shootings, including their personal concern for family and friends and, in particular, disbelief that there could have been a shooting at a church in Knoxville. But the media representatives said they also reacted to the shootings as journalists, scurrying to get out vital information. “You’re going to have a human reaction, but we’re going to respond as journalists,” said John North, News Sentinel continuous news editor. “If you don’t react that way, you shouldn’t be in this profession.” Reporters and their bosses had to quickly determine how to cover the stories, judging credibility of sources and sifting through lots of information, including some bad information. “We know that it has a large effect on people, and we want to get it right,” Foster said. While journalists might request information more urgently on major news stories, the police have to continue to follow certain protocols, Owen said. When in doubt, “We have to err on the side of being conservative” when deciding what information to release, Owen said. Besides North, Foster and Crabtree, media panelists included Bill Shory, WBIR-TV news director, and Catherine Howell, news director for WNOX-FM and WIVK-FM. John Huotari can be contacted at (865) 220-5533. Huotari is the immediate past president of the East Tennessee chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

Golden Press Card Award Banquet May 9, 2008

More than 80 journalists and guests attended our annual banquet at The Foundry Friday night to congratulate winners of this year’s competition. The top two awards overall are the Horace V. Wells, Jr. Community Service Award and The Golden Press Card Award given to the top entrant among all the Award of Excellence winners in all categories. This year we had unprecedented ties in both categories. The Wells Award went to Scott Barker, Rebecca Ferrar, Ansley Haman, Hayes Hickman of the Knoxville News Sentinel for “Knox County Turmoil;” and the Channel 10 News Team, WBIR-TV won for “Knox County Files.” The Judges said, “this is an ultimate public service with continuing commitment to follow through.” The Golden Press Club Award was also shared by the two media on the same subject. For this award, the Knoxville News Sentinel’s entry was “Knox County Chaos” by Rebecca Ferrar and Ansley Haman. For the first time, ETSPJ held a High School Essay Contest in which the chapter winner will go on to the National SPJ level to compete with contemporaries from across the country for scholarships worth up to $1,000. The ETSPJ winner was Christopher Bernard of Knoxville, who was presented with a certificate and a check for $50 during the GPC banquet. The other awards in dozens of categories, may be viewed to the right under “WINNERS.”

Open Records/Meetings Seminar March 6, 2007

About 60 citizens, reporters and students attended our lively session on Tennessee’s evolving Open Records and Open Meetings law, how to ensure officials comply with it and what to do if they don’t. It was co-sponsored by the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy and the UT School of Journalism and Electronic Media, and was funded by a grant from the Society of Professional Journalists.

Legislative Luncheon Informative

The latest word on proposed amendments to Tennessee’s Sunshine Law plus a look into the legislature’s crystal ball were offered at a luncheon January 26, 2008, at Calhoun’s.

Holiday Party A Great Success!

The Maplehurst Inn’s lovely decorations were a festive backdrop to our party December 11, 2007, that brought together longtime ETSPJ members with some new faces, making for a lively evening. Organizers Amanda Greever and Christine Jessel introduced a new wrinkle into the Crazy Gift Exchange. Recognizing that those who draw higher numbers allow a better chance to “steal” previously opened gifts, they divided the assemblage into two groups. We had to vie against each other at Pictionary, where categories were along journalism and Christmas themes. One team quickly proved itself the frontrunner, so the “losers” had to choose the first half of the gifts and risk “theft” — which became rampant at the end, with several coveted gifts changing hands several times. Watch for some photos in Spot News and here soon!

Professional Development Workshop: “Shooting Video for the Web”

About 40 East Tennessee journalists attended this lively and informative session November 29, 2007, that told how anyone can economically acquire hardware and software to add good quality videos to a Web site. TV, newspaper, and academic expertise was shared with tips for shooting effective material with a camera costing as little as $150 and using freeware to edit and post to the Web. Thanks to all the presenters and attendees!

UT CAMPUS PARKING

Many of our events are held at the University Center on the UT campus. To get there from Cumberland Avenue, turn south onto Philip Fulmer Way, a block east of 16th Street. The UC is on the corner and the garage is just beyond the UC. A little farther south is parking lot S-9 at the corner of Andy Holt Ave. and Philip Fulmer Way. This is generally available in the evenings at no cost unless there’s a sporting event or concert. To see a UT map, click UT campus map.

(Updated 6/18/09)