CONTACT:
Claire Regan, SPJ National President, cregan@spj.org
Zoë Berg, SPJ Communications Specialist, 317-920-4785, zberg@spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS — The Society of Professional Journalists is mourning the death of Dee Ann Divis, an award-winning journalist, investigative reporter, newspaper editor and manager. Divis was an active SPJ member for many years and was the president of the SPJ Washington, D.C., Pro Chapter until her death on Nov. 22.

"Dee Ann Divis was the quintessential SPJ member — a dedicated journalist, a generous volunteer, a steady leader," said SPJ National President Claire Regan. "Her contributions were most recently appreciated when she served on the planning committee for MediaFest22. Though she wasn't able to attend the convention, the session she so passionately proposed, 'Up in the Air – Using Drones to Cover Stories,' inspired and informed a roomful of attendees.”

Divis won numerous awards for her writing, including the Robert D.G. Lewis Watchdog Award in 2012, the highest journalistic honor awarded by the D.C. Pro Chapter. She was most recently the founder and editor of Navigation Outlook, which provided deep, original reporting on GPS and PNT technologies, and freelance journalist for Al Jazeera and other news outlets. Divis believed “deeply in the importance of independent, fact-based journalism, and [generously] shared her time and experience to inspire and grow other journalists,” her obituary said.

“The SPJ Board of Directors is grateful for Dee Ann's service to the Society and sends condolences to her family and friends,” Regan said.

A vigil for Divis will take place on Friday in Columbus, Nebraska, and her funeral will be Saturday. In lieu of flowers, her family requests a donation to Alley Cat Allies, the Animal Welfare League of Arlington, Virginia.

SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to informing citizens; works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists; and fights to protect First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press. Support excellent journalism and fight for your right to know. Become a member, give to the Legal Defense Fund or give to the SPJ Foundation.

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