SPJ/LA Announces Journalism Award Winners

 LOS ANGELES – The Greater Los Angeles chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists will honor five local journalists at its 34th annual awards banquet this spring.

 The Distinguished Journalist honorees are Andrew Blankstein, a staff writer at the Los Angeles Times; Denise Nix, a staff writer at the Daily Breeze; Dave Lopez, Orange County Correspondent for CBS2/KCAL9 News and Claudia Peschiutta, a reporter for KNX 1070 Newsradio. Celeste Fremon, creator and editor of WitnessLA.com, is the  recipient of the chapter’s Distinguished Work in New Media Award.

 SPJ/LA presents Distinguished Journalists awards to members of the profession who demonstrate good news judgment, a strong sense of ethics and a passion for getting the story right. Honorees are journalists who have achieved a record of accomplishments over the course of several years. For the past three decades, the chapter has recognized reporters, editors and photographers in print and broadcast journalism. In 1997, the chapter began honoring journalists in four categories: television, radio, newspapers with a circulation of less than 100,000 and newspapers with a circulation of 100,000 or more.

The Distinguished Work in New Media award was created in 2008 and is given to a journalist who uses the new media’s unique characteristics and capabilities while striving to uphold traditional journalism’s highest standards of honesty, accuracy, responsibility and accountability.

 The awards banquet will be held April 27 at the Omni Hotel in Los Angeles. Tickets are $80 for members, $90 for non-members; tables of 10 are $800. To make a reservation, contact Roberta Wax at (818) 718-8184 or spjbanquet@hotmail.com.

 The Society of Professional Journalists is the nation’s largest and most broad-based journalism organization, dedicated to promoting high standards of ethical behavior and encouraging the free practice of journalism. Founded in 1909 as Sigma Delta Chi, SPJ works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists and protects First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press.

 Distinguished Journalist Award Winners

Television

Dave Lopez is an award winning reporter and the Orange County correspondent for CBS 2 News. Lopez joined CBS 2 in 1977 as a general assignment reporter, and within a year became the station’s Orange County correspondent. With a total of 30 years in the TV news industry, 25 of those years at CBS 2, he has covered every major breaking event in Los Angeles. Lopez covers both news and features within the region, frequently breaking exclusive stories. Lopez reported extensively on the Nicole Brown/Ronald Goldman murders and subsequent O.J. Simpson trial for CBS 2 and most recently the San Diego kidnap-murder case of David Westerfield. Lopez attended East Los Angeles College and graduated from California State University in Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Arts in journalism. He has two grown children and lives in Long Beach.

 Radio

Claudia Peschiutta is a general-assignment reporter at KNX 1070 Newsradio. She has more than a decade of journalism experience and has covered everything from fires to trials. The UCLA graduate began her career as a print journalist, working for several newspapers, including the Glendale News-Press and the Los Angeles Business Journal. Peschiutta became a broadcast journalist in 2002 when she joined KFWB-AM (980). She went on to become the West Coast correspondent for the FOX News Radio network. Peschiutta missed covering local, breaking news and went to KNX in 2006.

 Print (Circulation over 100,000)

Andrew Blankstein is an award-winning staff writer for the Los Angeles Times, where he currently covers breaking news with a focus on public safety and the justice system. Blankstein this year celebrates his 20th year at The Times. As a reporter, Blankstein has covered thousands of important stories over the past 14 years about natural disasters, law enforcement and crime, celebrities, environmental and transportation issues, human interest, courts and local government.  As one of the first writers at The Times to harness the potential — and power — of breaking news on the Web, Blankstein played a key role in building the substantial audience for latimes.com and more recently, the “LA Now” blog. Blankstein graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst with a degree in history and a secondary emphasis on public law.

 Print (Circulation under 100,000)

During 15 years of professional journalism in Los Angeles, Denise Nix has had two stints at the Los Angeles Daily Journal, and also worked at The Associated Press and the now-defunct entertainment news Web site Inside.com. For most of her career, Nix has covered the law — first with a focus on the civil side and now, at the Daily Breeze, her reporting brings her into all aspects of the legal world and at every level of the justice system. In addition to traditional dailies and features for the print edition, Nix also contributes to a successful blog and maintains an online court tracker. She lives in Redondo Beach with her husband, Kevin, and their two children, Holden, 5, and Riley, 3. Denise earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism at San Francisco State University.

 Distinguished Work in New Media

Celeste Fremon is the creator and editor of WitnessLA.com, a Los Angeles-based social justice news Web site and an award winning freelance journalist specializing in gangs, law enforcement, corrections policy and education policy. She has written for the LA Weekly, the Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Magazine, Good Housekeeping, the Utne Reader and Salon. Fremon is the author of “G-Dog and the Homeboys,” and the upcoming, “An American Family,” which follows a parolee and his family during his first four years out of prison. She teaches journalism at the USC Annenberg School for Journalism & Communication and is a visiting lecturer at the University of California, Irvine, where she teaches literary journalism as it relates to social justice. Fremon is a regular commentator on KNBC’s new show, The Filter, and a senior fellow for social justice/new media at the Institute for Justice and Journalism.

SPJ-LA MIXER: THE ROAD FROM FACT TO FICTION TUESDAY, JAN. 26

TJ Sullivan

The LA Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists invites you to our January Mixer on Tuesday January 26th.　

Writer TJ Sullivan has traveled the road from journalism to book author and will share his insights at a Society of Professional Journalists’ mixer on Jan. 26 in downtown LA. Sullivan has written for several publications, including the Los Angeles Times, and is a contributor at LAObserved.com. He’s also the author of “Boon,” the story of a young newspaper reporter who believes in the power of truth, at least until she tries to buy a house in the suburbs of LA.

The mixer is free and open to all! Please let us know you’re coming by sending an e-mail to: spjlosangeles@gmail.com.

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. To learn more about SPJ-LA, visit our Web site: spjla.wordpress.com 　

WHAT: SPJ-LA’s January Mixer

WHO: Our guest will be writer TJ Sullivan

WHEN: 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 26

WHERE: We’ll meet in the back room at the Redwood Bar and Grill, 316 W. 2nd Street in downtown L.A.; 213-680-2600. Street and lot parking is available in the area. The bar is close to the Civic Center Red Line Metro stop.

COST: It’s free fun for all! (You’ll have to buy your own drinks. Happy hour ends at 7 p.m. so get your drinks early!) ________________________________________

NBC News’ ‘checkbook journalism’ crossed ethical line

The Society of Professional Journalists’ Ethics Committee is appalled NBC News breached widely accepted ethical journalism guidelines by providing the plane that carried David Goldman and his son Sean back to the United States from Brazil after a high-profile custody battle.

NBC conducted an exclusive interview with David Goldman during the flight it financed and another exclusive interview once the Goldmans returned to the United States.

Journalists know this practice as “checkbook journalism.”

The SPJ Code of Ethics urges journalists to act independently by avoiding bidding for news and by avoiding conflicts of interest.

By making itself part of a breaking news story on which it was reporting — apparently to cash in on the exclusivity assured by its expensive gesture — NBC jeopardized its journalistic independence and credibility in its initial and subsequent reports. In effect, the network branded the story as its own, creating a corporate and promotional interest in the way the story unfolds. NBC’s ability to report the story fairly has been compromised by its financial involvement.

“The public could rightly assume that NBC News bought exclusive interviews and images, as well as the family’s loyalty, with an extravagant gift,” Ethics Committee Chairman Andy Schotz said.

The news media’s duty is to report news, not help create it. The race to be first should not involve buying — directly or indirectly — interviews, an unseemly practice that raises questions of neutrality, integrity and credibility.

“Mixing financial and promotional motives with an impartial search for truth stains honest, ethical reporting,” Schotz said. “Checkbook journalism has no place in the news business.”

The SPJ Code of Ethics also urges journalists to “clarify and explain news coverage and invite dialogue with the public over journalistic conduct.”

“NBC must now, belatedly, explain why it entangled its news reporting and corporate interests in this story, as well as the terms of any deal it made with the Goldman family,” Schotz said. “NBC also is ethically bound to adequately disclose its active role in the story in each of its future reports on the Goldmans.”

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. For more information about SPJ, please visit www.spj.org.

BREAKING NEWS: Shield law passes committee – Goes to Full Senate

The Society of Professional Journalists would like to share this breaking news with you about one of the issues SPJ has been tracking closely for several years:
 
The shield law bill, S. 448, has passed the Senate Judiciary Committee. It will now go to the full Senate.
 
More information will follow on www.spj.org. You can also follow these latest headlines and developments on Twitter: @spj_tweets.
 
Thank you for your support of this important legislation. We ask for your continued advocacy to protect the free flow of information.

Legislative Alert: Shield Law in Danger this Morning

SPJ has learned that Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-California) and Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) may propose a detrimental amendment to S. 448 — more commonly referred to as the federal shield bill — in the Senate Judiciary Committee this morning. The amendment would limit who is protected by the bill to a “salaried employee” or “independent contractor” of a news organization.  This language would likely exclude from coverage many online journalists, freelancers without contracts, and students or volunteer journalists, among others. The amendment would also exclude people who publish anonymously or pseudonymously.

SPJ is adamantly opposed to this amendment. This morning, President Kevin Smith is on Capitol Hill to express the Society’s strong opposition. We encourage you to contact members of the Senate Judiciary Committee as early as possible this morning to tell them that you do not support an amendment that limits who is protected by the bill. The Committee is slated to vote on this bill at 10 a.m. Eastern (for a live webcast of the meeting, click here). Please be sure they hear from you before that time.

The following is a list of Senate Judiciary Committee members (Click on names for contact information):

Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), Ranking Member
Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.)
Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.)
Edward Kaufman (D-Del.)
Richard Durbin (D-Ill.)
Charles Grassley (R-Iowa)
Benjamin Cardin (D-Md.)
Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.)
Al Franken (D-Minn.)
Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.)
Tom Coburn (R-Okla.)
Arlen Specter (D-Pa.)
Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.)
Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)
John Cornyn (R-Texas)
Orrin Hatch (R-Utah)
Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Chairman
Herb Kohl (D-Wis.)
Russell Feingold (D-Wis.)

For your convenience, we have provided a letter that includes key information regarding the amendment. Please feel free to use this when you contact the senators:

Dear Senator [INSERT LAST NAME]

I’m writing to express opposition to a proposed amendment to S. 448 – the Free Flow of Information Act – that would limit the definition of “covered person” to a salaried employee or independent contractor of a news agency. As a journalist and member of the Society of Professional Journalists, and as someone who cares deeply about freedom of the press, I am concerned that this newly proposed language would limit the impact and scope of the potential law and erroneously exclude freelance journalists not already contracted to a news agency.

Journalists of all types, including those not salaried or under contract, play an essential role in the gathering and dissemination of news and information. The proposed amendment would only cover salaried employees or independent contractors working for an entity that “publishes a newspaper, book, magazine or other periodical.” By this narrow definition of a covered person, many journalists would be excluded, including:

-Online journalists working for Web-only publications such as Slate or Salon.

-Student journalists and volunteer journalists working for community news organizations.

-Freelance journalists who have not secured a contract with a news outlet but who are otherwise doing legitimate reporting and research in preparation to secure a contract.

Additionally, the proposed amendment would exclude anonymous journalists and those who publish under a pseudonym. While the linchpin of journalism is to be open, honest and ethical, there are certain instances that necessitate not revealing the name of a reporter or author. For example, many foreign correspondents working for U.S. media outlets might use a pseudonym when reporting from countries with particularly harsh views toward press freedoms. Journalists who publish in this way, though not the norm for most in the industry, do so to avoid violence and harm as a result of their reporting. This type of reporting is absolutely critical, as it often exposes government corruption, human rights violations and other issues that might otherwise go unreported.

For further evidence of the importance and necessity of anonymously sharing news and information, look no further than the beginnings of this great country. Many of the founding fathers – from Thomas Jefferson to Benjamin Franklin to John and Samuel Adams – published and shared information in this way. They did this to avoid scrutiny from a government that sought to stifle their ability to inform citizens. I’d hate to see what would have happened to the development of the United States had they not done so.

Sincerely,

[INSERT NAME]

To learn more about SPJ’s efforts, click here. Read shield law press releases sent earlier this year on SPJ News.

 Thank you for your immediate action to support this pivotal legislation.

SPJ Supports Shield Law Compromise

Leaders of the Society of Professional Journalists welcome the compromise the Obama administration, senators and news organizations reached on a federal shield law that would protect journalists, their sources and the public’s right to know. Although SPJ does not believe S. 448 is a perfect bill, the Society’s leaders carefully examined the proposed legislation, and on behalf of its more than 8,000 members, have decided to support the protections granted to journalists.

SPJ now urges the Senate Judiciary Committee to pass S. 448 quickly so that the full Senate can consider the piece of legislation that is vitally important to a free and independent press. 

“As one of the largest journalism organizations in the country, and with the most potentially affected by federal shield law protection, we are not where we had hoped to be with this legislation,” said SPJ President Kevin Smith. “However, after meticulously and attentively deliberating the language of the new bill and vetting it via counsel and the SPJ Government Relations Committee in order to completely understand the impact of the legislation, SPJ is supporting this latest compromise and hopes for its quick passage from the Senate Judiciary Committee tomorrow.”

The compromise is welcome news after the White House proposed changes to S. 448 at the beginning of October that would have essentially rendered the bill useless. The changes would have weakened the previously proposed shield law and offered little to no protection for reporters who refuse to disclose confidential sources. SPJ rejected those changes and its members supported the Society’s efforts by contacting Senate Judiciary Committee members and the White House.

Although SPJ leaders are pleased with many of the revisions in the latest compromise, such as a broader definition of who will be covered, they are disappointed that the new bill does not cover “non-confidential” information. In practical terms, this would include any interview notes, unpublished footage or other material in which there was no prior confidentiality agreement.

However, SPJ is pleased that the revised legislation provides a shield for journalists protecting their confidential sources in criminal and civil proceedings. The bill covers subpoenas issued by grand juries and special prosecutors, in addition to prosecutors, civil litigants and criminal defendants. This revision requires that the party seeking confidential information first exhausts alternative sources; proves that there is a high need for the information; and conducts a public-interest balancing test before a federal court will compel disclosure of source information. 

In criminal cases, reporters may be forced to demonstrate that there is clear, convincing evidence that the public’s right to know is more important than disclosure of requested information. However, in civil proceedings, the legislation provides more protection, including in cases regarding the Privacy Act. The legislation also states that federal judgesmay overturn subpoenas for reporters’ testimony if the judges determine that the public’s right to know outweighs the need for the government to know the source. 

Another change in the legislation that is attracting attention is the inclusion of bloggers, freelance journalists and student journalists to the definition of protected individuals. To define a journalist, a test is applied to assess if the person is regularly gathering information for public dissemination, instead of by whether or not the journalist is paid by a news organization — a definition that was included in previous drafts of the bill. 

Stipulations that have not changed in this version refer to the treatment of information regarding terrorist activity and harm to national security. The compromise also does not allow protections for journalists when information is required to stop or prevent death, kidnapping or substantial bodily harm. 

“All along this bill-drafting process we have strongly advocated the protection of journalists and their sources from unnecessary federal intrusion,” Smith said. “We hope soon we can tell the American public that journalists now have some protection to help ensure the stories that matter to Americans will continue to be told for their benefit and the press’ watchdog role on the government has been strengthened.”

SPJ is the largest of many media organizations that have supported a federal shield law for years, joined by the Newspaper Association of American, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, Radio Television Digital News Association, and Investigative Reports and Editors, among others.

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. For more information about SPJ, please visit www.spj.org.

Free Speech Assembly, October 24, in Los Angeles

The First Amendment Coalition invites you to a unique day-long conference on issues in journalism, technology and public policy- explained and debated by leading experts from the standpoint of freedom of speech and freedom of information. Admission is FREE, but to secure one of only 25 spaces still available, you have to register NOW:
http://www.firstamendmentcoalition.org/events/

When: Saturday, Oct. 24

Where: Southwestern Law School’s Biederman Entertainment and Media Law Institute in Los Angeles.

 The event is FAC’s annual Free Speech and Open Government Assembly, jointly sponsored by the Coalition, the Biederman Institute and the McCormick Foundation.

For our colleagues in the ethnic media, some sessions will be conducted in Spanish and Vietnamese, as well as English.

The program includes panel discussions on topics ranging from journalists’ use of social media for reporting, to new online tools to track the influence of money on legislation, to journalism training sessions on how to get sophisticated, insider news stories (and avoid being “spun” by government officials on one hand, or union officials on the other) about: local police and the criminal justice system;  public school financing and the ranking of schools and teachers; salaries and pensions of government employees; and much more.

You’ll hear from featured speakers:

• 2009 Pulitzer Prize winner (“public interest” category) and Wall Street Journal reporter Alexandra Berzon (in a conversation with LA Times media columnist James Rainey)
• Alex Jones, author of the just-released “Losing the News” and director of Harvard University’s Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy.

Enjoy debates among our expert panelists, including: Dan Gillmor, Director, Knight Center for Digital Media Entrepreneurship; Geneva Overholser, Director  of the USC Annenberg School of Journalism;  Claudia Nuñez, La Opinion; Evan Hansen, Editor-in-Chief, Wired.com; Neil Budde, President, DailyMe; Ricardo Sandoval, Sacramento Bee; Mary Perry, EdSource; Kathryn Baron, Fellow, UC Berkeley; and LA Times reporters Mitchell Landsberg and Matt Lait.

 Check out the full program at

http://www.firstamendmentcoalition.org/2009/09/assembly 

In addition to the regular sessions, the event will afford opportunities for informal conversations and socializing for the journalists, lawyers, academics, students, public officials, community activists and other guests.

All this is FREE, thanks to FAC’s sponsors and contributors. However,  there are only 25 free spaces still available. To reserve one, RSVP NOW at the Assembly registration page . . .
http://www.firstamendmentcoalition.org/events

. . .or send an e-mail to cfac@cfac.org (with your full name email and phone number).

SPJ-LA Halloween Mixer will Feature Chief Coroner’s Investigator

 JOIN US TUESDAY, OCT. 20th @6:30 p.m.

You’ve seen him at crime scenes. Here’s your chance to hang out with Craig Harvey outside the yellow tape!

The Greater LA Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists invites you to join us for a Halloween mixer – featuring the chief investigator for the LA County Department of Coroner - on Tuesday, Oct. 20 in downtown LA.

The mixer is free and open to all! Please let us know you’re coming by sending an e-mail to: spjlosangeles@gmail.com

 

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. To learn more about SPJ-LA, please click here: http://spjla.wordpress.com/about/

WHAT: SPJ-LA’s Halloween Mixer
WHO: Our guest will be Craig Harvey, chief investigator, LA County Department of Coroner
WHEN: 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 20
WHERE: We’ll meet in the back room at the Redwood Bar and Grill, 316 W. 2nd Street in downtown L.A.; 213-680-2600. Street and lot parking is available in the area. The bar is close to the Civic Center Red Line Metro stop.
COST: It’s free fun for all! (You’ll have to buy your own drinks. Happy hour ends at 7 p.m. so get your drinks early!)

Making or Breaking News: The State of the News Business 2009

The Radio and Television News Association of Southern California invites you to attend the news networking event of the year! Mark your calendars, and see attached flyer.

“Making or Breaking News: The State of the News Business 2009″

Our networking reception and discussion will be held at UCLA on Monday, October 19th, 2009.

Here are the highlights:

KEYNOTE SPEAKER:

Harvey Levin – Founder of TMZ

PANEL MEMBERS: 

Andy Ludlum – Program Director, KNX 1070 Newsradio and KFWB News/Talk 980

Jose Rios – VP and News Director, KTTV-TV and KCOP-TV

Kris Knutsen - Managing Editor, Local News Service

MODERATOR: Frank Mottek

WHEN: Monday, October 19th, 2009

Hors d’Oeuvres Reception: 6:00 – 7:00 PM

Program: 7:00 – 8:30 PM

Dessert Reception: 8:30 – 9:15 PM

WHERE: Lenart Auditorium, Fowler Museum of Cultural History, UCLA

PARKING: Convenient parking in Lot 4 on the UCLA campus.

Enter UCLA from Sunset Blvd. at Westwood Plaza. Drive ahead to the Parking Information Booth in Lot 4.

PARKING COST: $10.-  

ADMISSION COST: General Admission -$20 Students w/ID - $10

                                            UCLA Students and Faculty - Free

Reserve your place NOW by calling RTNA: 562-987-4545 or e-mailing rtnasc@rtna.org

SPONSORS:

Western States Petroleum Association

UCLA

City News Service

High School Journalism Workshop and Skills Competition

California State University, Northridge’s Journalism Department faculty and students are gearing up for the annual High School Journalism Workshop and Skills Competition, Saturday, Oct. 17, on the San Fernando Valley campus.

 This “Generation J” event is co-sponsored by the Greater Los Angeles chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and supported by generous donations from SPJ LA and Avid Technology, Inc.

 More than 150 young journalists and their advisers from dozens of Southern California public and private schools and youth media projects are expected at the all-day conference. The “Generation J” project is designed to give the high school journalism students opportunities to connect with newsroom professionals in a wide variety of workshops, and to test their skills in writing and visual communication contests. “Generation J” is an SPJ national project to help young journalists build the newsrooms of tomorrow.

 News, features, opinion, broadcast and multimedia storytelling are among the conference topics, along with sessions designed for the advisers. CSUN Journalism faculty members also participate in the presentations. Students from the campus SPJ chapter are involved in planning and staffing the event, which is held in Manzanita Hall on the Northridge campus.

 For more information, contact Linda Bowen in the CSUN Journalism Department, at linda.s.bowen@csun.edu or at 818-677-3238.