McCloskey's work earns Wells Key
The closing awards banquet of the SPJ Convention and National Journalism Conference on Saturday night was all about good food, good company and recognizing the men and women whose accomplishments in journalism earned them the respect of SPJ and their peers. Read More

In Pictures: Bill McCloskey, Wells Memorial Key honoree
In pictures: Bill McCloskey, Wells Memorial Key honoree. Read More

Al Smith, Fellow of the Society
The following remarks were prepared by Al Smith, Fellow of the Society, for delivery at the SPJ President’s Installation Banquet Sept. 6, 2008. Read More

Industry Evolving
Multimedia is the buzzword — a do-or-die dictum for every newsroom. Journalists have had to become innovative with the way they report and how they deliver the information. Read More

Donation to needy man sparks introspection
We as journalists are tasked not only to be fair, neutral and responsible, but also to be good to our fellow man. It’s not a small task, but it’s something that is easy once you stop thinking about it. Read More

Weather or not, stand-in speaker delivers the forecast
The session with The Weather Channel Saturday morning was planned to be a panel about the do’s and don’ts of covering severe weather. Read More

Ethics survey doesn’t violate Code of Ethics
Looking for a free lobster dinner? David Cuillier, assistant professor of journalism at the University of Arizona and SPJ FOI Committee chairman, could help out. Read More

SPJ to celebrate 100 years
As SPJ approaches its 100th anniversary, it is working to stay relevant, new SPJ president Dave Aeikens said. Read More

Networking with readers
The conversation can’t end once your story is published, said panelists in a session titled, “Networked Journalism.” User-generated content is the new peg for reporters who want to remain relevant and collaborate with readers online. Read More

Changing industry forces mid-career journalists to adapt
Vicki Smith’s editor called her into a staff meeting at the Press of Atlantic City. He came equipped with a flip chart on which he wrote three letters: ‘www.’ Read More

New officers installed
New national leaders for the Society of Professional Journalists were elected and sworn in to cheers and applause at Saturday’s business meeting. Kevin Smith won the president-elect position by a landslide vote of 106-22. There was a vote by acclimation for all unopposed positions, and all positions were filled. Read More

Landing, succeeding in internship isn't as difficult as you think
Students, listen up. Internships are as essential to your future as Facebook is to your social life. Read More

Journalism project would connect Atlanta foot, bike traffic
Karyn Lu and Lila King are hard at work on a unique civic journalism project that could interconnect Atlanta’s citizens through their own stories. Read More

Explore racial, gender tensions, Hunter-Gault says
Diversity in America and in journalism is at a critical point, and there are many lessons and principles journalists need to keep in mind, Charlayne Hunter-Gault said in a special event Saturday. Read More

Don’t let history repeat itself
Bobbi Jewell tuned in to NBC’s nightly newscast during the 1996 Summer Olympic Games and watched as anchor Tom Brokaw said that her son, Richard, had carried out the bombing at Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park. Read More

Storms stifle plans for convention attendees
A string of tropical storms and hurricanes is headed toward the Atlantic Seaboard as SPJ convention attendees prepare to head home this weekend. Read More

Inter-networking moves to the forefront
Some call it a theory while others argue that it’s the plain truth: The person you know could be just as important as your skills and talents in the news industry. Read More

Journalists go from writing about policy to trying to implement change
There is one item Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin may wish to delete from her resume: television sportscaster. Read More

Breaking the habit
At the SPJ Convention Opening Night Reception Thursday, journalists jostled to bid at the Silent Auction, people laughed over glasses of wine and cans of Guinness — and two nuns in full habits taped interviews with half a dozen convention participants. Read More

Thomas’s key strokes
White House press corps veteran Helen Thomas’s Olivetti Lettera 32 portable manual typewriter is up for auction. She used the typewriter while she covered presidential administrations in the 1970s and ’80s, including for President Nixon’s 1972 visit to China. Read More

Relating to people, humanistic approach important for good stories
Many years before winning a Pulitzer, Tom Hallman graduated near the bottom of his high school class. Now his list of accomplishments, including winning several major features writing awards in journalism and being nominated twice for a Pulitzer, makes it hard for some to believe that he is, as he says, "just an average guy." Read More

Middle East correspondent went from witnessing history to trying to help
Martin Fletcher, who’s covered virtually every major event in the Middle East for 35 years, said he tries to spend as much time as possible in the field to get his information. Read More

Candidates make their pitches
National SPJ delegates gathered Friday for the annual pre-election opening business session. Read More

Awards recognize outstanding journalists
During the Mark of Excellence Awards Luncheon Friday, students and educators were recognized for journalism in print, broadcast and online. Four awards honored those who went beyond the classroom to protect the First Amendment and ensure a future for journalism. Read More

How to attend conventions without breaking the bank
It doesn’t take a math genius (a.k.a. most non-journalists) to know training conventions can be costly. As companies look for ways to cut costs, many have done away with paying for employer’s convention trips and even industry association fees. Read More

Politics, new-media sessions mark start of annual convention
Politics was on SPJ Convention and National Leadership Conference attendees’ minds as scores of professional and aspiring journalists gathered at the opening reception for the Atlanta convention. Read More

Pulitzer winning journalist discusses investigative series, career
When Brett Blackledge began reporting on bankrolling and cronyism within Alabama’s two-year college system, he knew very little about the system’s inner workings. Read More

Top 10 places to visit in Atlanta
Stop. Put down the bourbon. Step away from the bar. Explore the best Atlanta has to offer. Take a walk, hop on MARTA or take a short cab ride to see these sights. Read More

SPJ membership rises more than 6 percent
The Society of Professional Journalists’ board members gathered one last time Wednesday under the direction of President Clint Brewer. Read More

Seasoned journalists offer words of wisdom
The first five years are always the toughest. It’s the time to figure out whether or not journalism is the right career or whether it’s time to move on. Read More

Expo offers more education, jobs with online focus
The networking, card-gathering and pen-collecting began Thursday as journalists trickled into the Journalism Expo Trade Show to kick off the 2008 SPJ Convention and National Journalism Conference. Read More

From Middle America to Mideast: Allam’s meteoric rise impressive here and abroad
For young journalists, it may be hard to imagine that in a few short years you can go from writing term papers to reporting from the streets of Iraq. Hannah Allam, the Mark of Excellence Luncheon keynote speaker, did just that. Read More

Covering Latino community requires getting past labels
The editor of the leading Spanish-language newspaper in Georgia said the media should treat Latinos like one famous alien in particular who came to the United States without papers: Superman. Read More

Pioneering journalist to address industry’s future
Charlayne Hunter-Gault likes a newspaper in her hand. The pioneering journalist will speak at the 2 p.m. Saturday super session about protecting journalism’s future. Read More

Social networks ease reporting
The way journalists relate to sources and readers is changing because of social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook, said Nick Hoover, a technology writer for InformationWeek magazine. Read More

SPJ looks for passage of shield law with veto-proof majority in second vote
In July, about a dozen Society of Professional Journalists members lobbied U.S. senators to pass the Free Flow of Information Act. Despite the efforts of SPJ President Clint Brewer and others, debate on the bill was closed with a 51-43 vote, effectively killing the bill. Read More

Elrick, Schaefer to receive Pulliam Award for exposing Detroit mayor’s wrongdoing
Detroit Free Press reporters used FOIA to reveal Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and his chief of staff, Christine Beatty, lied under oath. Read More

Frequent posting important to generating blog hits
Eyeballs are the currency of new media, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism professor and WNBC-TV technology reporter Sree Sreenivasan said Thursday. Read More

Watergate saga continues to make waves, draw crowds
Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein discussed “All the President’s Men,” the 1976 movie about the Watergate investigation and journalism in general. Read More

A tale of sexuality or hypocrisy?
Idaho Sen. Larry Craig’s June 11 arrest in a Minneapolis airport restroom and the resulting media coverage has opened up discussion on whether journalists should report on sexual orientation. Read More

To name or not to name
Withholding a source’s name is one thing, but going to jail for one is another. Columnist Robert Novak and former Time Inc. editor-in-chief Norman Pearlstine discussed the distinction between confidential and anonymous sources. Read More

Stone, Seigenthaler among award winners
Top awards were given at the President’s Installation Banquet on Saturday night to various SPJ members running the gamut from radio reporter to veterans in the field. Read More

Brewer promises an expanded SPJ
Incoming President Clint Brewer said he plans to expand the SPJ tent “by reaching out to bloggers, social media practitioners, online journalists and minority journalists more than ever before.” Read More

‘Feet to the fire’
Chuck Todd urged SPJ members who report for local news outlets to be the ones to force the presidential candidates to talk specifics about the Iraq war, Social Security and other issues. Read More

Ashton awarded highest honor for active participation since 1975
The "dynamic and fabulous" personality receives the Wells Memorial Key award for helping to prove that women should be taken seriously. Read More

Soon, you can join SPJ for life
SPJ supporters will have the option – for a one-time payment – of joining the society for the rest of their lives. Read More

Staying Power
Want to know how to run a successful SPJ chapter? Richard Johns has the answers. Read More

An Added Value
Don’t head for home just yet. SPJ has a half-day of workshops and discussions planned for Sunday, the final day of the conference. Read More

Sounds like a story
Adding sound to your stories can make them sing. Broadcast journalists offered this advice on enhancing stories with better use of sound. Read More

Beyond the bar
More goes on in a courthouse than just trials. Here are some tips for finding stories off the docket. Read More

Give 'em a boost
Chapter leaders share their best ideas for getting people involved. Read More

You’re Hired!
It’s never too early to start the job-hunting process, said a panel of journalists during a session on how to “Get a Job! Keep a Job!” Here are 5 tips on how to advance your career. Read More

See you next year in Atlanta
If you like peaches, peanuts and Coca-Cola, start planning for the 2008 SPJ Conference in Atlanta. Read More

In Memoriam
A pressman for The Wall Street Journal, which is printing SPJ’s convention paper, died on the way to work Thursday night. Read More

Chatter Box
Question: How has Watergate influenced you as a journalist? Read More

Eye on the Convention
As the SPJ Convention revs up, our photographers will be taking snapshots of attendees. Check out our daily favorites. Read More

The Iraq Story: ‘Why am I here?’
Leila Fadel is covering the “most important story in the world.” Still, it rarely lands her byline on the front page. Related: Blog - Covering the War in Iraq | Blog - Words of Wisdom | Read More

Life Is Good
Terry Harper, executive director of SPJ, is living with brain cancer. But don’t cry for him. Related: McKerral Gets Sheared - Video | Read More

White House press corps defends its work
White House reporters do a lot of work, but the public sees only small portion of it in the final story or broadcast. That was one message five veteran correspondents conveyed Friday at a session examining whether the White House press corps acts as a government lapdog or watchdog. Read More

Courage and coaching
An SPJ chapter's struggle for press freedom was recognized at the 2006 Mark of Excellence Awards on Friday. Related: Award List | Read More

Chen offers personal anecdotes, guidance to young journalists
Joie Chen delivered an honest portrayal of the industry to the many aspiring young journalists in the room. She touched on such realities as newsroom discrimination, article bias and working with difficult people. Read More

Grimm receives McGruder diversity award
Joe Grimm, a longtime recruiter for the Detroit Free Press, received the Robert G. McGruder Award for Diversity Leadership during the Associated Press Managing Editors conference, also occurring here in Washington. Read More

Defenders Wanted
Veteran journalist John Seigenthaler Sr. urged his colleagues Friday to continue to defend the First Amendment and to seek and report the truth. Read More

Speaker opposes shield law, sparks disagreement with journalists
A law professor who opposes a federal shield law for journalists argued Friday with dozens of reporters who are anxious for such protection. Read More

Censored
Mark Goodman, former executive director of the Student Press Law Center, said that before publishing controversial content, newspapers should print clear editor’s notes if an article, for example, is a parody and has the potential to offend. Read More

President to focus on diversity committee and expanding SPJ chapters
Hours away from his inauguration as SPJ president, Clint Brewer is already talking about his plans for next year. Read More

Newseum misses its deadline
Those eager to explore the seven-level, 250,000-square-foot museum of news that looms over Pennsylvania Avenue and Sixth Street Northwest will have to wait. For how long no one is sure. Read More

Pulitzer winner says consequences abound for ignoring ‘the race beat’
Christine Kraly is concerned that the newspaper she reports for is participating in a kind of subtle racism. Read More

Tale of the tape
Making an audition tape for a television news director can be a nerve-wracking experience so here are some tips to create a great resume/audition tape. Read More

Hot Topic
Global warming is the biggest environmental story of the 21st century, and journalists should be prepared to cover it. Read More

Word Count
Better use of numbers adds up to a better story and here are some tips for dealing with digits. Read More

All in One
Learn the necessary steps to thrive as a mobile journalist, also known as a “backpacker,” in the 21st century with these guidelines from John Strauss, news and multimedia editor for IndyStar.com. Read More

Perfect Pitch
Freelancing can be a lucrative career if you have the right connections and skills. In “Mining the Freelance Market,” a group of editors offered their insights Friday on how to break into the scene. Read More

Chatter Box
Question: What story would you be willing to go to jail for? Read More

Resolutions
The SPJ Resolutions Committee made 11 proposals and the full context is provided online. Read More

Venturing outside of convention walls
There are three things you are guaranteed to find when you leave the convention and enter the Metro: a businessman, a member of the homeless community and an overexcited, yet afraid-to-be-mugged tourist with a Washington D.C. map. Related: Photos | Video | Read More

Going, going, gone
During the Legal Defense Fund auction Thursday night, Mac McKerral auctioned off the chance for someone in the audience to shave off his hair — or at least what he had left of it. Related: Video | Read More

Classy Kickoff
Sipping glasses of Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, more than 350 SPJ members got to know each other a little better Thursday night at the convention’s opening reception. Read More

Auction raises estimated $18,000
The money raised at the auction will go toward the SPJ Legal Defense Fund, which provides grants to journalists working to defend the First Amendment. Read More

Senator asks SPJ to help create laws to open records, protect journalists
Sen. John Cornyn urged SPJ members to help him work on a legislative proposal to make government information more open and available to citizens and to shield journalists who use controversial information from criminal prosecution. Related: Dennis Kucinich Off the Cuff - Blog | Read More

Kiplinger continues a family tradition
As a young boy, Austin Kiplinger learned journalistic values by practically “living” in his father’s office. Decades later, he imparts these values to those just starting their careers. Read More

Your Space or Mine?
Journalists will be able to get to know a variety of experts in a convention event modeled after a popular dating scene. Read More

Student editor, blogger recall the case that rocked Duke University
The Duke lacrosse case is closed, but discussion of the case is far from over. Read More

SPJ leaders want to see more candidates, ‘ladder’ or not
SPJ President Christine Tatum wants to see more people involved in the organization’s elections. Read More

Strategic plan provides a ‘guiding light’
The SPJ strategic plan was passed Wednesday afternoon by the board of directors, setting into motion a “guiding light” for staff and leadership that begins in the 2007-2008 year, SPJ executives said. Read More

Recruiters, prospects share a goal: Filling a job opening
More than 20 recruiters from media companies nationwide are scouting for talent through Saturday afternoon at the annual Journalism Expo Trade Show in the Regency Ballroom. They need to fill vacancies and identify talented prospects for the future. Read More

Getting that offer you can’t refuse
Suggestions for making a good impression with recruiters as the first step to getting a job offer. Read More

Switching the pen for a camera
In a world where news has slowly shifted from paper to Web pages, it has become increasingly important that staff members of any media corporation learn each other’s jobs. Read More

Lights! Camera! Multimedia!
A few tips and tricks to develop your video-friendly skills. Read More

Oyez! Oyez! Oyez!
What to know before you go cover the Supreme Court. Read More

Busted! Take the bite out of crime reporting
Covering the police beat is about more than sifting through reports for the blotter. How far is too far when it comes to getting the edge on a big crime story? Share your thoughts. Read More

Congressional Reporting with Attitude
Some tips for reporting what’s going on in Congress. Read More

Hitting a home run with your sports coverage
Sports fans want the latest news and how you can deliver everything the fans want. Read More

Simple searches save time on the Web
Resources to help you navigate the internet and find what you are looking for. Read More

Earn better marks on the education beat
Covering education is more than attending school board meetings and writing about test scores. Ways to dig deeper to find bigger stories. Read More

A Capital Draw
This week, Washingtonians will see a lot more journalists than usual. But many of them have traded in their reporter’s notebooks for name badges and totes. Read More

Chatter Box
Question: What do you want to do outside of the convention? Read More

#SPJ08 @ Twitter
• spj08: How much should I charge?: Hi guys, I've seen this circulating a few places and thought it might be helpful. http://tinyurl.com/6l4bdk
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