May Newsletter
The three-day weekend is almost here and so is SPJ/LA’s May newsletter! Hello and welcome!
The latest news . . .
SPJ/LA reached out last month to several Southern California journalism organizations, asking them if they would be interested in working together to respond to a series of incidents in which reporters were mistreated by law enforcement. Several have signed on and the group is currently going by a simple name: the Los Angeles Journalists Coalition.
One initial step for the coalition was to secure a meeting with Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore, where representatives of SPJ/LA and other groups laid out their concerns about incidents at Echo Park Lake and elsewhere. The coalition also took part in a meeting hosted by the office of Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl.
Our chapter, along with other members of the coalition, also has been tracking Senate Bill 98, a bill that has the potential to provide protections for journalists covering demonstrations. Law enforcement agencies have raised cost concerns and the bill is very much a work in progress.
Coming up . . .
Some news for SPJ/LA’s 2021 Scholarships applicants: The deadline to apply has been extended to June 1, 2021. Student journalists in Los Angeles, Orange and Ventura counties can download the application form here. Good luck to all!
Just a reminder: One of SPJ/LA’s six scholarships has a brand new mission. The Richard D. Hendrickson Memorial Scholarship has been refocused to serve students of color who are interested in print or text/online journalism.
SPJ/LA is also trying to figure out how we will celebrate this year’s Distinguished Journalists Awards honorees. With things starting to reopen and COVID-19 vaccines being administered at a rapid clip, our chapter put out a survey asking supporters to give their opinion on how the event should be staged – virtually or in person, indoors or outside.
2020 Distinguished Journalists Award honorees
Because of COVID-19, last year's event was entirely virtual. This year, a majority of our survey respondents said they’d like an in-person event -- but would prefer that it be outdoors.
Our chapter is also hard at work on our annual chapter report, which must be submitted to SPJ national by the end of the month. As we assemble the information, we’re realizing we have a lot to be proud of from the past year. More to come on that!
ICYMI . . .
The L.A. chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists recently hosted the panel “Take Care: An Interactive Conversation on Managing Wellbeing On the Job,” which featured a panel of experts who work in the wellness space. You can watch the May 15 discussion here.
From the national organization . . .
SPJ condemned the Israeli government's decision to destroy a high-rise in Gaza that housed The Associated Press and other media outlets. Our national organization called for an investigation into the attack, saying it "endangered the lives of journalists and complicated their ability to document the human toll of the conflict." Read more about it here.
Read other SPJ news here.
Fun Fact . . .
The national organization and its chapters take pride in promoting and advancing ethical journalism. SPJ’s Ethics Hotline is available to answer your ethical questions while reporting. You can also refer to the Society’s Code of Ethics here for best practices.
Finally . . .
As always, my thoughts about membership -- wrapped up in three words: Please join us!
If you’re already an SPJ/LA member, thank you for your support. If you're not, learn about our chapter here and why you should consider joining. And if you have questions, please contact me at navidnonahalspjla@gmail.com.
Please follow SPJ/LA on Twitter and join us on Facebook.
Believe and stay safe!
Navid Nonahal
Membership Committee Chair
SPJ/LA