CONTACT:
Beth King, Communications Manager, (317) 927-8000, ext. 211, bking@spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS – Christine Tatum, assistant business editor at The Denver Post was installed as president of the Society of Professional Journalists Aug. 26 during the Presidents’ Installation Banquet at the 2006 SPJ Convention and National Journalism Conference in Chicago.

Clint Brewer, executive editor for the Nashville City Paper, was elected as president-elect. He will be installed as president at SPJ’s 2007 convention in Washington, D.C. David Aeikens, a reporter at The St. Cloud (Minn.) Times, was elected secretary-treasurer.

Immediate past-president David Carlson, professor and director of the University of Florida’s interactive media labs, remains a member of the SPJ national board and its executive committee.

In a speech that closed the convention, Tatum told the audience she is excited to lead SPJ at a time when the journalism industry and its colleagues desperately need support. Additionally, she stated one of her goals includes raising awareness about the changing face of journalism, specifically the newspaper industry. “It’s an exciting time in journalism with tools such as the Internet and interactive media,” said Tatum.

“Newspapers need to reflect that shift,” said Tatum. “Those newsrooms (that do not change) are going to quickly find all they are doing is sitting around in one room talking to themselves. They need flexibility and creativity.”

Tatum’s complete speech is available at: http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/spj2006/default.asp.

Also elected to SPJ’s board of directors were:

* Director At Large Sally Lehrman, Independent journalist, science and medical reporter, Expert fellow, USC Annenberg Institute for Justice and Journalism
* Campus Adviser At Large Sue Kopen Katcef, lecturer/executive producer, Philip Merrill College of Journalism, University of Maryland
* Student representative Erin Smith of Ohio University
* Student representative John Patrick of the University of La Verne
* Region 1 Director Carolyn James, ACJ Community Communications
* Region 4 Director Kevin Z. Smith, assistant professor of journalism at Fairmount State University
* Region 5 Director Richard Roth, Senior Associate Dean of the Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern University
* Region 7 Director Ron Sylvester, staff reporter, The Wichita (Ks.) Eagle
* Region 8 Director Travis Poling, business writer, San Antonio Express-News
* Region 9 Director Deb Hurley, Associate professor of journalism at Metropolitan State College of Denver
* Region 12 Director Sonny Albardo, News Editor, The Commercial Appeal

These individuals join current board members to make up the Society’s 23-member board of directors.

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

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