May 27, 2020
"Ironically, local journalism has never been more important or sought after. Print and digital readership are soaring, even with fewer journalists. To be sure, there are other important voices in a community’s news and information ecosystem, but none have the scale or impact of the local print and digital newspapers…"

— Frank Blethen , publisher of the Seattle Times and
founder of the Save the Free Press Initiative
WHAT'S HAPPENING
This week, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted to move forward with the nomination of conservative filmmaker Michael Pack  to lead the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which oversees  Voice of America  and other government-backed international broadcast outlets. President  Donald Trump  encouraged Pack’s nomination when he criticized Democrats for what he said was an effort to block key appointees in the midst of the pandemic. Trump tied Pack’s nomination to criticism of VOA , which he said was being “disgusting toward our country,” while the White House accused it of spreading Chinese propaganda. The federally funded but independently operated news outlet, VOA, has defended itself against such attacks. Pack's critics are worried he will alter the U.S. broadcast outlet into a propaganda vehicle for the Trump administration.

Sunday’s front page of The New York Times was void of its usual photographs, articles and graphics. Instead, the news outlet used the space to list names of people whose lives have been lost to the coronavirus pandemic and mark the approach of the grim milestone of 100,000 deaths. Each entry was accompanied by a phrase that depicted the uniqueness of the life lost. The names were pulled from obituaries and death notices of COVID-19 victims from newspapers large and small across the country. USA Today’s front page also honored those who have died from the coronavirus.

A lot of information is still unknown about the COVID-19 pandemic and new facts and studies come to light every day, but journalists often aren't okay with reporting information with holes.  Lauren Harris writes for CJR , "In the reality of an ever-shifting global crisis, journalists are only able to present a few pieces of a constantly-evolving puzzle." When journalists report pieces of information as if they’re the whole picture, the story and its meaning become distorted. "When a clear beginning, middle and resolution are not discernible, the demand for any morsel of new information can confuse, rather than clarify, the story,"  Michael Socolow writes for Nieman Lab . "Journalists rushing to amplify any small update can mistakenly inflate its importance with sensational headlines or hyperbolic broadcast framing."
SPJ QUICK FIX
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the in-person Sigma Delta Chi Awards banquet has been canceled. But that isn’t stopping us from celebrating the great journalism of 2019. Mark your calendar for Noon EDT June 26 to tune in to a live announcement of all the SDX Award winners. More details are coming soon!

SPJ mourns the death of its Former President William Small, who passed away Sunday after a brief illness unrelated to the coronavirus. Small had been a CBS News  Washington Bureau Chief,  NBC News  President, United Press International President and Chairman of the News & Documentary Emmy Awards. He was previously recognized with SPJ’s Wells Key Award and twice received the Distinguished Service Award for Research in Journalism. He was 93.
 
SPJ’s International Community is hosting a webinar series on Tuesdays for the next few weeks. The next talk will be with Will Ripley, an award-winning correspondent for CNN based at the network's Asia Pacific headquarters in Hong Kong, at 8 p.m. Tuesday. Register here . A link to the webinar will be sent on the day of the event. Upcoming guests for the #ICTalks are George Steinmetz , Sonia Shah and Maria Ressa .

We're in the middle of a pandemic and it can be tough to motivate yourself as a freelancer. Come learn how to set goals that will propel you toward the career and life you want as the SPJ Freelance Community works with you to create a life and career roadmap. Join the SPJ Freelance Community and author Debra Eckerling at 3 p.m. EDT Thursday for a goal setting workshop as they go through some of the steps based on Eckerling’s book, "Your Goal Guide: A Roadmap for Setting, Planning and Achieving Your Goals."
 
We’re hiring! SPJ is searching for a Director of Education who will be responsible for developing a wide spectrum of curriculum and delivery methods that position SPJ as an innovator and leader in journalism education . The ideal candidate will have in-depth knowledge of emerging journalism trends and a firm understanding of the journalism community. Working remotely may be possible. Deadline to apply is 5 p.m. EDT June 17.
 
SPJ is seeking candidates who are interested in serving on the SPJ Board of Directors or as a regional coordinator. Open positions for the national board are president-elect, secretary-treasurer and two at-large directors. Regional coordinator positions are open for regions 1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9. Individuals can declare their candidacy by emailing Program Coordinator Matthew Kent . Voting is scheduled to take place electronically during the Excellence in Journalism conference in September.
 
As an SPJ member, you could already be eligible for a special discount on GEICO car insurance. But now through October 7, GEICO is proud to combine the GEICO Giveback – a 15% credit for both current and new customers, in addition to your special discount. Get a quote today.
 
SPJ continues to monitor the spread of the coronavirus and how it could affect SPJ events and conferences. Further updates, COVID-19 information and resources are available on SPJ.org . SPJ members experiencing financial difficulties renewing their membership or who recently were laid off from full-time employment in the media industry can apply for a dues waiver that now grants 12 months on their SPJ membership. To submit the waiver request, fill out this form .
 
If you’re graduating soon, or if you’re a campus adviser, don’t forget to order your SPJ graduation cords ! They are a great way to show your journalism pride and commemorate all your journalism accomplishments. Thinking about what to give a journalism grad? Gift them an SPJ Post Grad Membership ! Any newly joining Post Grad member can receive three years for just $75.
 
The  Eugene C. Pulliam Fellowship for Editorial Writing  awards $75,000 to an outstanding editorial writer or columnist to help broaden his or her journalistic horizons and knowledge of the world. Eligibility requirements apply.  Deadline to nominate is June 20.

ElectionSOS will offer free, four-week classes during the months of June, July, August and September. Registration is offered for three different focuses: Engaged Elections, Trustworthy Elections and Election Protection.
 
Sierra magazine is planning a themed issue for later this year that will examine life after the pandemic and is looking for stories exploring how the world might change — for better or worse — after this scourge passes. It’s looking for narrative-driven features, profiles, investigative deep-dives, quirky dispatches, reported essays, personal essays, photo essays and other enterprise reporting that can bring such questions to life.  Send pitches and proposals and view submission guidelines .  
GET A GIG
KGAN in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is seeking a sports director to participate in the planning of its shows and produce content. The winning candidate will be someone who embraces social media and knows how to consistently engage with the audience. Applicants must have live commercial television experience and at least five years of on-air experience.
 
The Daily News in Longview, Washington, is hiring an editor to direct and oversee the newsroom. The editor will play a vital role on the senior management team. A bachelor’s degree from four-year college or university and at least 10 years of newsroom management experience are required.
 
Colorado Public Radio in Denver is looking for a climate and environment editor to lead a team to generate radio features and newscast spots around climate, weather, water and the environment. The ideal candidate will have experience generating engaging content across multiple platforms, be able to inspire the team’s reporters and play an important role on the news leadership team. Minimum of five years of strong journalism experience is desired.

FIGHTING FOR THE FIRST AMENDMENT
One way SPJ supports journalism is by initiating and joining amicus (or “friend of the court”) briefs to support First Amendment and open records cases through its  Legal Defense Fund . Here is one of the most recent cases SPJ has signed onto: 
 
This case concerns Maryland’s Code of Criminal Procedure relating to the “Broadcast Ban,” which states “a person may not record or broadcast any criminal matter, including a trial, hearing, motion, or argument, that is held in trial court or before a grand jury.” The plaintiffs are journalists and community organizations who possess recordings of several Maryland criminal hearings and trials, which are routinely made available by Maryland courts themselves. The plaintiffs challenge the constitutionality of the Broadcast Ban.

The   amicus brief  argues that (1) the Broadcast Ban hinders reporting on Maryland’s judicial system, thus depriving the public of unique, newsworthy information; (2) the Broadcast Ban violates the public’s rights of access to judicial records and impermissibly restricts the publication of lawfully obtained information on a matter of public concern; and (3) medium-specific regulations on speech, like the Broadcast Ban, pose unique and significant constraints on news reporting and should be invalidated even if the Court construes the Broadcast Ban as a content-neutral regulation.  
 
View all of SPJ's most recent efforts to assist journalists and journalism in court and elsewhere  on the LDF in Action page . 
LEARN SOME STUFF
Google News Lab is doing a live training on Election Tools 2 p.m. EDT Thursday. The session will be recorded and available on YouTube and the  website  shortly afterward. As part of its efforts to combat misinformation, Google News has also added a new lesson on using Google's Fact Check tools. If there are topics you'd like Google News to cover in future livestreams, fill-out this  form .
 
Looking for more learning opportunities? Don’t forget to check out  SPJ's events calendar !  You’ll find the latest journalism webinars and e-learning offerings from our journalism friends and partners to help you do your job and continue your professional development. 
ETHICS ESSENTIALS
At least 10 local stations across the country ran some form of a package produced by Amazon spokesperson Todd Walker on their news broadcasts this week. The script, provided by Amazon, promotes the corporation’s health and safety efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Only one station that ran the segment acknowledged Walker was an Amazon employee, not a news reporter, while two others noted Amazon had supplied the video.
 
SPJ’s Code of Ethics states journalists should “identify sources clearly. The public is entitled to as much information as possible to judge the reliability and motivations of sources.” In addition, reporters need to “provide access to source material when it is relevant and appropriate” and “identify content provided by outside sources, whether paid or not.”
GIVE A LITTLE
As the spread of the coronavirus continues, local, state and federal officials throughout the United States have  locked down information  from the public, and newsrooms are experiencing  layoffs, furloughs and closures . In a crisis such as this, the public needs — and has the right to know — information from the government that directly affects their lives. Journalists are most often the ones delivering such information. Please consider “giving a little” to the cause, whether that be a  financial donation to an SPJ fund or the Journalists’ Emergency Fund .
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