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

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

What:
SPJ/LA mixer honoring Sandi Gibbons.

Who:
Sandi Gibbons, spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

When:
Thursday, April 4 at 6:30 p.m.

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.

Cost:
It’s free fun for all! (You’ll have to buy your own drinks. Happy hour ends at 8 p.m.)

Parking: 
Street and lot parking is available in the area. The bar is close to the Civic Center Red Line Metro stop.

RSVP
Adolfo Flores SPJ/LA
323-519-9540
SPJLosAngeles@gmail.com

Contact
Adolfo Flores SPJ/LA
323-519-9540
SJPLosAngeles@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. 

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)

Drinks before the banquet.

CBS Chairman Jeff Fager

CBS Chairman Jeff Fager’s opening remarks.

Banquet Team (L-R): Board Member Roberta Wax, Vice President Navid Nonahal, President Alice Walton and Associate Board Member Natalie Windsor

Jeff Fager, CBS News Chairman, Linda Deutsch, AP correspondent and Frank Mottek, Business News Anchor, CBS/KNX Los Angeles

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. 

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

The Greater Los Angeles chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists is pleased to announce CBS News Chairman Jeff Fager as the speaker for its 2013 awards banquet.

The annual event will be held Thursday, March 14 at the Hilton Hotel in Universal City. 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 SPJLosAngeles@gmail.com or contact the chapter’s Roberta Wax at (818) 718-8184.

Jeff Fager became the first chairman of CBS News in February 2011, after re-shaping its flagship broadcast, 60 MINUTES, into an editorially more vibrant and news-conscious program that regularly makes Nielsen’s Top 10 and wins unprecedented amounts of awards. His efforts to improve the hit program online have also made the 60 MINUTES brand a hit on the Internet and the model of successful electronic journalism in the digital age. In January 2012, Fager guided the re-launch of the network’s morning news program, CBS THIS MORNING, into a broadcast critically acclaimed for its fresh focus on harder news and its new team of talent.

In recognition for these and his other achievements, he received the Paul White Award, the highest honor given by the Radio, Television, Digital News Association.

Fager came to the chairman’s position with more than 30 years of experience at every stage of the electronic news business, including 15 years at the executive producer level, seven of those at the helm of 60 MINUTES.  The Producers Guild of America voted him best producer in non-fiction television four times; he made TV Week’s top 10 list of most powerful television news executives; and in 2012, The Hollywood Reporternamed him one of the “35 Most Powerful People in Media.”

As the executive producer of the “CBS Evening News with Dan Rather” from 1996 to 1998, Fager led the broadcast’s highly praised rededication to hard news, enterprise reporting and increased foreign coverage.  By the time he left to start “60 Minutes II,” the CBS EVENING NEWS had gained more than one million viewers over the previous year, a gain unmatched by competitors.

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, SPJworks 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 SPJLosAngeles@gmail.com  or
Call SPJ/LA’s Roberta Wax at (818) 718-8184

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

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.

“I learned the most about the changing aspect of covering the news. It just made me think a lot,” said Joe Marchelewski, public relations manager for the Shernoff Bidart Echeverria Bentley law firm.

Panelist Megan Garvey, assistant managing editor for digital at LATimes.com, started out by reflecting on how several news organizations in December initially misidentified the shooter who killed 20 children and six adults at an elementary school in Newton, Conn.

Even when subsequent reports from sources and other news agencies might cause a reporter or editor to question the accuracy of their original story, it can take awhile to find out the truth and make updates.

“You don’t want to make a mistake on top of a mistake. So you have to leave (the original story) up for a while until you know,” said Garvey.

However, once the original story has been corrected, in Garvey’s opinion, it should not be deleted from the news organization’s website.

“My personal feeling is we should leave up the original reporting with a strong correction, otherwise it seems like you’re trying to pretend like it didn’t happen,” she said.

Today’s reporters still need to follow long-established rules such as reporting information in context, getting two people to confirm information and verifying sources, just at a much faster speed than the pre-digital days.

Panelist Jonathan Lloyd, managing editor for NBCLA.com, raised the topic of user-generated content. He said that the TV station has always used photos provided by outsiders, but now that technology has improved, there are ethical questions that need to be answered before deciding whether to post user-generated content.

NBCLA.com has a system for accepting pictures and videos from the public that gives disclaimer-relinquishing rights and makes the contributor provide contact information. Lloyd recommended that journalists use their instincts when choosing whether to use the content submitted.

“Your enemy is immediacy and the novelty of having that image,” said Lloyd. “We reach out to that person. You’re not only reaching out to confirm, but also to maybe get yourself a real good story. And that leads to providing context to the story. A lot of it is research.”

He displayed images that were obviously fake and others that looked altered, but, in reality, were authentic. He explained his process to ensure that the potentially bogus photos were real before using them.

Panelist Alice Walton, political reporter for KPCC 89.3 FM and founder of TheCityMaven.com, transitioned the discussion to how non-traditional journalists can more effectively handle ethical issues.

Walton advised bloggers to be transparent, report the truth and establish a group of professionals willing to give advice when a problem comes up.

“You can’t make ethical decisions in a vacuum,” said Walton. “You have to create a community for yourself, a ‘kitchen cabinet’ of advisors.”

Walton’s advice was especially helpful to independent journalists.

“Alice’s comments about creating her blog, her specific answers to my questions about growing as a writer without an editor and protecting one’s self legally when doing investigative pieces were really valuable,” said Walmsley.

After the discussion concluded, a handful of attendees toured the NBC4 studio. They learned how the newsroom is run and were able to take some memorable snapshots at the news desk.

Naomi is a CSUN journalism student. Follow her on Twitter at @Nogaldez.

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.

#     #     #

What does the online entrepreneur do when she is selling ads to companies or politicians that she might have to write about? What does the web editor do when his boss wants aggregated content that doesn’t seem like it’s been aggregated?

Our panel of experienced digital journalists – each with a strong background in conventional as well as new media – will discuss ethical issues that have come up in their own experiences, and take your questions.

Moderated by NBC4’s Mekahlo Medina, our panelists will be:

• Megan Garvey, assistant managing editor for digital, LATimes.com
• Jonathan Lloyd, managing editor, NBCLA.com
• Alice Walton, political reporter, KPCC 89.3 FM and founder of TheCityMaven.com

Refreshments will be served.

When
Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013
6 p.m. Networking Reception
7 p.m. Panel discussion

Where
NBC4 Studio
3000 W. Alameda Ave.
Burbank, CA 91523

Cost
Free for members and non-members

Parking
Parking information will be provided to attendees the week of the event.

RSVP
Please RSVP by Friday, Jan. 11, 2013 as space for the event is limited to 40 people.
E-mail SPJLosAngeles@gmail.com  or
Call SPJ/LA President Alice Walton at (310) 595-5612

Photo: Eunix./Flickr/Creative Commons License

McCormick & Schmick’s is on Via Rodeo in Beverly Hills

Join the Greater Los Angeles chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists for a festive holiday party in the heart of Beverly Hills. The party includes generously served hot and cold hors d’oeuvres, mini desserts and a no host cash bar. Space is limited.

RSVP now to join your friends, SPJ/LA members, print, online, and broadcast journalists on November 29th in Beverly Hills.

When
6:30 – 9:30 p.m., Thursday, November 29th, 2012

Where
McCormick & Schmick’s Pacific Seafood Grill
206 N. Rodeo Drive
On the Via Rodeo
Beverly Hills, CA  90210
Phone: (310) 859-0434

Cost
$25 for SPJ/LA members
$40 for non-members
Non-members who join SPJ/LA the night of the event will enjoy the member price.
Give yourself the gift of SPJ/LA membership.

Parking
$5 after 6 p.m. with a two-hour validation. Otherwise, $7 flat rate after 6 p.m. in the Via Rodeo parking structure with elevator to the party. Metered parking also available.

RSVP
Please RSVP at spjlosangeles@gmail.com or call the SPJ/LA hotline at (323) 259-3350.

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

Photo: St Stev/Flickr/Creative Commons License