June 27 Panel: Media Coverage of the Transgender Community

The Greater Los Angeles Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists invites you to join us for a discussion regarding media coverage of the transgender community on Thursday, June 27.

Panelists will discuss what reporters should be aware of when reporting on the transgender community. They will also give their insight into media coverage, tips for reporters, and potential story ideas. The event is co-sponsored by the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center and the L.A. chapters of the Asian American Journalist Association, National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association and National Association of Hispanic Journalists.

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Our Statement: Urging Support for the Federal Shield Law

The Greater Los Angeles chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists joins with the national organization in calling for the passage of a federal shield law to protect journalists.

We urge the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives to open the way for serious consideration of the Free Flow of Information Act, H.R.1962 and S.987. The recent news that federal authorities monitored reporters at The Associated Press and FOX News underscores the urgent need for a federal shield law. … Continue Reading

SPJ/LA Announces 2013 Scholarship Opportunities

The Greater Los Angeles chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists will award scholarships to students interested in pursuing careers in journalism.

Students from Los Angeles, Orange and Ventura counties who have completed at least their freshman year of college, as well as graduate students from those same counties, are eligible to apply for all scholarships. High School seniors from Los Angeles, Orange and Ventura counties are eligible to apply for the Bill Farr Memorial Scholarship.

The application deadline is June 10, 2013 and the awards will be announced in July 2013.

The financial awards range up to $1,000 for each of the following scholarships:

• Ken Inouye Memorial Scholarship – This scholarship is awarded to a college journalist of color and is aimed at increasing ethnic diversity in newsrooms. Ken Inouye was a 22-year-old cameraman for the International News Service, covering the Korean War, when he was killed aboard an Army aircraft. ($500-$1,000)
• Helen Johnson Memorial Scholarship – This scholarship is awarded to a college student pursuing broadcast journalism. This award honors the late Helen Johnson, a producer of “Channel 4 News Conference” and an associate producer of “Meet the Press.” ($500-$1,000).
• Carl Greenberg Memorial Scholarship – This scholarship is awarded to a college student pursuing investigative or political reporting. Carl Greenberg was a political reporter at the Los Angeles Times, famed for being singled out by Richard Nixon as the only reporter who covered him “fairly.” ($1,000).
• Bill Farr Memorial Scholarship – This scholarship is awarded to high school seniors or college students who demonstrate a strong intent to pursue a career in journalism. The award honors the late Bill Farr, a reporter for the Los Angeles Times who sat in county jail for 46 days for refusing to tell a judge which lawyers had violated a gag order during the Charles Manson murder trial. ($500-$1,000).

On recommendation of the judges, these awards may be divided among two or more equally promising applicants. Scholarship funding is renewable, but renewal is not automatic. Previous winners who continue to meet eligibility requirements may apply to renew their awards. Renewal requests are considered along with all other scholarship applications and given no preference.

Primarily, awards are based on applicants’ potential to succeed in news media careers. However, financial need is considered if all other qualifications of competing applicants are equal.

Applicants may apply for more than one scholarship by checking all of the appropriate boxes on the form, but no more than one scholarship will be awarded to any applicant. Multiple applications will be discarded.

The scholarship application is available here.

Questions? Please contact SPJ/LA Scholarship Chair Tammy Audi at auditammy@gmail.com

Join Us at Our Mixer Honoring Sandi Gibbons

The Greater Los Angeles Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists invites you to join us for a mixer honoring Sandi Gibbons of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. After 24 years with the DA’s Office, Gibbons is retiring on March 31.

Prior to joining the DA’s Office, Gibbons was a reporter for City News Service. She was at the Ambassador Hotel the night Sen. Robert Kennedy was assassinated, and went on to cover the trials of Sirhan Sirhan and Charles Manson.

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

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A Few Photos from the 2013 Awards Banquet

Banquet Awardees (L-R): Beverly White (NBC4), Jean-Paul Jassy (attorney, counsel for SPJ/LA), Sharon Waxman (The Wrap), Jeff Fager (CBS News Chairman and banquet speaker), Marty Sauerzopf (City News Service), Dan Evans (Los Angeles Times community newspapers), Andy Ludlum (KNX 1070 Newsradio, KFWB News Talk 980)

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Job Opportunity at Cal State Fullerton

Cal State Fullerton is looking for a full-time journalism lecturer and student media adviser who will primarily be responsible for advising The Daily Titan.

All the details can be found on this PDF.

Keep up to date with more posts like this by following SPJ/LA on Twitter and Facebook. 

Don’t Miss Out on SPJ/LA’s 2013 Awards Banquet

Tickets are still available for the 2013 Distinguished Journalist Awards Banquet hosted by the Greater Los Angeles chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

The event will be held Thursday, March 14 at the Hilton Hotel in Universal City. The banquet speaker will be CBS News Chairman Jeff Fager. Tickets are $90 for SPJ members and $110 for non-SPJ members. A table of 10 can be purchased for $900. To RSVP, please email SPJBanquet@gmail.com or contact the chapter’s Roberta Wax at (818) 718-8184. Checks and credit cards accepted.

Time Warner Cable is the event sponsor. KNX 1070’s Frank Mottek, the voice of the KNX Business Hour, will serve as the master of ceremonies.

This year’s Distinguished Journalist honorees include longtime regional journalists practicing in print, radio, television and new media. They include: Marty Sauerzopf, city editor at City News Service; Dan Evans, editor for the Los Angeles Times community newspapers; Andy Ludlum, director of news programming at KNX 1070 Newsradio and KFWB News Talk 980; and Beverly White, general assignment reporter at NBC4. Sharon Waxman, chief executive officer and editor-in-chief of TheWrap.com, is the recipient of the chapter’s Distinguished Work in New Media Award. Jean-Paul Jassy, attorney and counsel for SPJ/LA, will receive the chapter’s Freedom of Information Award.

SPJ/LA presents the Distinguished Journalist 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.

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. The Los Angeles professional chapter marked its 75^th anniversary in 2009.

When

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Where
Hilton Universal City
555 Universal Hollywood Drive
Universal City, CA 91608

Cost
SPJ Members: $90
Non-members: $110
Tables of 10 available for $900

RSVP
E-mail SPJBanquet@gmail.com or
Call SPJ/LA’s Roberta Wax at (818) 718-8184

Contact
Navid Nonahal, SPJ/LA
(818) 317-2234
spjlosangeles@gmail.com

CBS News Chairman to be 2013 Banquet Speaker

Corrections, UGC and More: Ethical Issues in the Digital Space

By Naomi Ogaldez

Correcting online news reports and verifying user-generated content were among the topics discussed at a recent digital media ethics panel hosted by NBC4 in Burbank.

“Ethical Issues in the Digital Space,” moderated by NBC4 Tech/Social Media Reporter Mekahlo Medina, attracted 45 journalists and public relations professionals on Jan. 16.

“It was billed as a panel discussion but it was really more like a collaborative meeting, with everyone around the table,” said Julie Walmsley, freelance journalist. “It was really a productive conversation among journalists, acknowledging their challenges and sharing practices and protocols.”

The discussion clarified many questions the attendees had about covering breaking news under nail-biting deadlines. … Continue Reading

Statement from SPJ/LA’s President

Jan. 13, 2013

Contact info:

Alice Walton, President
Greater Los Angeles Chapter
Society of Professional Journalists
alicemwalton@gmail.com

LOS ANGELES — The board of the Greater Los Angeles Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists announced today following a special meeting on Saturday that information had surfaced showing unauthorized withdrawals had been made from the chapter’s checking account.

Sarah Baisley, the chapter’s treasurer for many years, was removed from her position by the chapter president and ad hoc budget committee members after the unauthorized withdrawals were discovered following a review of chapter finances undertaken in the course of implementing SPJ/LA’s new finance policy, which adopted best practices recently recommended by the national organization.

SPJ/LA president Alice Walton said a preliminary review of chapter accounts revealed significant unauthorized withdrawals were made in 2010 and 2011, but emphasized that the full extent of potential losses was unknown at this time due to incomplete records.

Walton said SPJ/LA chapter board members have hired an attorney and will seek the services of a forensic accountant to compile as clear and complete a picture as possible of the extent of the unauthorized activity and the true state of the chapter’s finances. She said the withdrawals were discovered on the evening of Jan. 2, when a member of the ad hoc budget committee was reviewing the available records with the treasurer.

“Once we have a better accounting,” Walton said, “that information will be turned over to the proper law enforcement authorities without delay.”

Walton said the chapter was committed to an open and transparent accounting of the situation and to its ongoing efforts at putting safeguards in place to ensure that nothing similar could occur again in the future. She said that the day after the losses were first discovered, the financial institutions were contacted and measures taken to protect SPJ/LA assets.

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