Mark Your Calendars!

Flickr: ASurroca

Spring 2012 Events in Journalism

(Compiled by Patti Newberry)

• Monday, Jan. 23, 6 p.m., Upham Hall 1: Glenn Muschert, associate professor of sociology and gerontology at Miami, presents: “Media and Violence Control: Communication in School Shootings.”
• Wednesday, Jan. 25: Deadline to enter annual SPJ student journalism competition, Mark of Excellence. Visit http://www.spj.org/a-moe.asp for details. MU-SPJ will pay for three entries per media group. Individual entries (all online) are encouraged beyond that.

• Thursday, Jan. 26, 4 p.m., Williams Hall studio (tentative): MU-SPJ presents “Branded: Journalism Job Search 2012” with Laura Baverman, MU grad and Cincinnati Enquirer business reporter; Chip Mahaney, director of digital content for E.W. Scripps Co.; and other TBA discuss need for cutting-edge skills in today’s journalism job market.
• Monday, Jan. 30, 8 p.m., Hall Auditorium: CNN anchor and chief medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta  presents “Medicine in Times of War and Disaster,” as guest of Lecture Series. Ticket distribution begins Jan. 25 at Shriver Center Box Office. JRN will have spots at 4:15 p.m. small-group Q&A at Bishop Hall Living Room and 6 p.m. dinner at Shriver Center Harrison Room.
• Saturday, Feb. 4, Ball State University, Muncie, Ind.: Journalism Job and Career Fair, hosted by Hoosier State Press Association Foundation. To interview with one of 25 Indiana newspapers, students must register at wwww.HSPAFoundation.org/jobfair by Jan. 27.
• Thursday and Friday, Feb. 16-17: Journalism scholar and University of Illinois professor Robert W. McChesney is guest for the CAWC’s Robert E. Strippel Memorial Continuing Dialogue on Social Justice and Human Rights program.

o       Keynote speech, “Media and Democracy and the Coming Upheaval,” Thursday, Feb. 16, 7:30 p.m. in Shriver Center Heritage Room.

o       Symposium, “Media and the (Im) Possibility of Democracy: A Call to Action,” Friday, Feb. 17, 9-11:15 a.m. in McGuffey Hall 322.

• Monday, March 12 (week of): JRN scholarship applications and MU-SPJ Excellence in Journalism entry forms available.

• Wednesday, March 14, 7 p.m., Benton Hall 102: Ben Wedeman, CNN’s senior international correspondent based in Cairo, Egypt, talks about “The Great Arab Revolt: Tales from the Trenches.”
• Wednesday, March 14, 7 p.m., Miami Middletown Campus Center: American political activist Ralph Nader, a five-time candidate for U.S. president, talks about politics and the presidency.
• Monday, March 19, 4 p.m., place TBA: Ann Hagedorn, Miami writer-in-residence, presents “The Writing Life” about her long-form non-fiction books.
• Friday-Saturday, March 23-24, Lansing, Mich.: SPJ Region 4 Conference. Details TBA.

• Friday-Sunday, April 20-22: WMUB reunion, organized by Bob Long. Details TBA.
• Monday, April 2, 5 p.m. – Deadline for JRN scholarship applications and MU-SPJ Excellence in Journalism contest.
• Thursday, April 26, 4 p.m., MacMillan Hall Great Room — JRN Program Recognition event. Watch for your invitation!
• Saturday, May 5, 10 a.m., Williams Hall Courtyard – Senior Sendoff. Invite your families, seniors!

 

Weekly Meeting Times

Fill in your availability for this semester’s weekly SPJ meetings using the link below. Our first meeting will be held in 232 Williams Hall next week.

http://www.doodle.com/mcvhb5dpb7y9gwy2

Happy first week back, everyone!

Journalism: “Playing a bad hand well, over and over again”

By Amelia Carpenter, President

I just finished reading the last chapter in “Make it Memorable” by Bob Dotson. Dotson is the national correspondent for NBC News Today Show. His LinkedIn profile sums up his interests and reporting style:

Courtesy of ronaldhole, Flickr

“I search the neglected corners of our country, seeking the extraordinary in ordinary lives. I look for the kind of guy who may never run for mayor, or go to the moon, or transplant a heart, but whose story may touch a viewer’s heart. My reports, “American Story with Bob Dotson,” are seen on the TODAY show and other NBC News programs. Over the years I’ve saved more than 6,000 original story tapes, whenever my bosses, looking to save space, tossed them out. He preserved not just the stories themselves, but every field cassette. For three decades, they were maintained at my own expense in air-conditioned rooms – first in his basement then, as the collection grew, in warehouses. NBC donated that archive to the Oklahoma Historical Society. All are now available to scholars at the Society’s new 64 million dollar museum next to the State Capitol.”

Dotson includes a Reporter’s Checklist at the back of his book I think is worthwhile for Miami journalism students to know about if you have or will not take JRN 314 with Joe Sampson.

Some of the questions Dotson asks himself during an assignment: (The following excerpt can be found on pages 99 through 101).

• How can I make this a compelling story with universal values that appeal to a wide audience?
• Is my writing strong, tight, free of information that people would already know?
• Does the story build to a close?
• Are there elements of surprise within the visuals or sound to attract and hold viewers?
• Is the subject matter interesting, concrete, important – not just another fluff piece?
• Does my piece meet and answer the “So what?” test? Does it contain historical perspective that defines the story’s larger context? Does it address a larger issue?

… the list continues.

Dotson’s final though was most powerful for me, and I hope it sparks some inspiration for other aspiring journalists:

“Just remember – success in this business does not depend on being dealt a good hand. It’s playing a bad hand well, over and over again.”

November Update

• Mark of Excellence Awards: All SPJ members must submit at least two entries. Apply online by Jan. 25, 2012. And, tell your friends! Entries are $9 and must be from the 2011 calendar year.
• Check out our regional award winners from Miami University last year!
• Put this on your calendar: SPJ Dinner Date, 7 p.m. Nov. 17 @ Fiesta Charra

Advice: Broadcast Careers

For those of you looking to go into broadcast, Jam Sardar, News Director for WLNS in Michigan has some really good things to say. Even for those of you who think you’re set on print journalism … this is worth taking a look at.

Fall Photos

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It’s Friday!

Have a great weekend everyone! Go to a hockey or football game!

The time has come to pay the price…

Hi Folks,

It’s that time of year again. Time for dues. The link below is the quickest way to pay. I also take checks in person.  If you’re having a moment of misguided trust, I also happily accept cash.

There are both national and local dues (local are $5). If you are a freshman or sophomore I highly recommend paying for four years at once as a money saver.

https://www.spj.org/members_login.asp

Also, as treasurer I have the authority to send the SPJ mascot after you and your loved ones if you don’t pay in a timely fashion 😀 For clarification on this threat, reference the below linked youtube video.

-Kaitlin Schroeder, SPJ Treasurer

Taming the Twitterverse

One of the hottest topics at this year’s Online News Association Conference was the way in which journalists can better utilize Twitter.

Twitter has become this lightning fast, personalized news source that offers reader interactivity unlike anything else. Social media in general now plays a huge role in the newsroom, but it’s not as easy as you think to integrate your newsroom with social media. It takes patience, tenacity in your online presence, and a friendly, personalized experience for the reader.

“40% of Twitter users are just listening, coming to Twitter as wire service,” Erica Anderson says in the “Twitter for Newsrooms: Toolkit 101” ONA Conference session. Anderson is part of Twitter’s media partnership team in San Francisco.

Some people just listen, but there’s a trend that really has me interested.

While on a trip to the Boston Globe during the conference, I heard an interesting story from the social media desk. Earlier this year during the August 23^rd east coast earthquake, the staff saw tweets about the earthquake before they even felt it.

Say a story is breaking right in front of you on Twitter, but the facts are coming from @joe-shmo in Virginia. Can you take that source for their word? Trust your journalistic instincts, and check the facts. If you retweet something and it turns out to be false or inaccurate, your followers will stop trusting you. Think of Twitter as a legitimate news source. If you’re unsure of the accuracy, tweet at the person and ask them to call you. Confirm the facts with your source and ask follow up questions. Treat it like you would any other situation in the field.

More recently, in fact just last night, I was sitting at home watching the Cardinals and Phillies duke it out on TV. Around 8p.m. I went onto to Twitter to comment about a play I saw and all of sudden, my Twitter feed started to light up with Steve Jobs comments.

In the following minutes, it was incredible what happened. I had the news before CNN.com posted it, before NYTimes.com posted it, and before the 24hour news networks reported it. I saw it unfold before my eyes. That’s the kind of incredible power that Twitter has. Take a look at the graph of the trending term “Steve Jobs.”

Take a look at the term “earthquake” in this next chart.

Sure enough, on August 23^rd at 2p.m., Twitter explodes. According to the United States Geological Survey, the earthquake hit at 1:51pm, ET. If you click on each chart, you can view tweets from those moments.

Suddenly we have all of these documented first hand accounts, all time stamped, occasionally with location, and even photo evidence. It’s citizen journalism at its finest. And best of all – it’s free.

T-Shirt Time!

Watch video. Post shirt size and which shirt(s) you would like below as a comment.

The Pub Crawl long sleeve shirt is finalized, as is the SPJ member shirt. SPJ shirts will be short sleeve, heather gray with this quote on the back:

“You can start a story with a quote twice in your career. Once when you’re an intern, and again if the Pope ever says f—.” (Thanks to Kaitlin and Overheard in the Newsroom for this one)

Price estimates coming soon …