This issue of Dateline has a lot of material in it! In case you aren’t inclined to read everything, here is a list of dates or deadlines mentioned:
April 19
June 12
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Dateline Awards contest deadline is March 2
Get some recognition for your best work from 2017. Enter the SPJ DC Pro annual Dateline Awards contest. We are now accepting applications from print and broadcast media outlets and freelancers throughout the D.C. metropolitan area. All entries must be submitted online through the BetterBNC website and are due March 2, 2018. The fee is $30 per entry, and with online payments, there is a $2 processing fee per entry added.
Winners and finalists will be honored at the chapter’s Hall of Fame and Dateline Awards dinner June 12, 2018, at the National Press Club.
If you have any questions about the competition, email Chris Slattery, Dateline Awards Contest coordinator, at spjdatelineawards@gmail.com
Know a journalism student at a local university? Scholarships available
SDX-DC, the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation of Washington, D.C., is seeking applicants for its 2018 journalism scholarships. Applicants must currently be in their sophomore or junior year in the Spring 2018 semester at a D.C. area college or university. This year, SDX-DC also will make available one scholarship for an area high school senior who plans to enroll in an area community college with the intention of pursuing a journalism degree, or a current local community college student. All applicants must show a demonstrated interest in pursuing a career in journalism, and the best candidates will have experience through campus media or internships at media outlets.
Eligible students are encouraged to apply here. The deadline is Feb. 26. Those who are awarded scholarships will earn at least $3,000 toward tuition and the mentorship of established journalists. Please share this link with college journalists and journalism educators.
Thinking about a run for office for 2018-2019 chapter year?
Are you interested in being considered as a candidate to run for the DC Pro chapter board for the 2018-2019 chapter year? Officer positions are president, vice president, recording secretary, corresponding secretary and treasurer. Of the six at-large board seats, three are up for election each year, unless a seat has been vacated before the term ends, in which case that seat would be up for election for the year remaining in the term. Currently, there will be three two-year terms and one one-year term on the next ballot. Send an email expressing interest to spjdcchapter@gmail.com, and it will be forwarded to Stephenie Overman, chair of the Nominating Committee. Also on the committee is now Paul Byers, former DC Pro board member and retired TV news producer.
Want to serve on the chapter board to fill out an unexpired term?
SPJ DC Pro has a current vacancy on its board of directors. If you are interested in being involved in chapter planning by serving along with other members of the hands-on, working board, let us know in an email to spjdcchapter@gmail.com. We’ll get in touch with you and discuss expectations and answer your questions. You would serve until the new board is sworn in in June 2018, but you might decide to run for a full term after you test the waters.
You must be a member in good standing – that is, a member of national SPJ and the DC Pro chapter who is current on his or her dues – to be on the board. The board meets once a month, usually at the National Press Club, in the evening, 7 to 8:30 p.m. Between meetings, the board is active in carrying out the programming, recruiting and fellowship efforts that help define the organization’s mission. Your time commitment is largely up to you, but we do ask that you attend the board meetings regularly and volunteer for tasks that you then see through, whether on your own or by soliciting other chapter volunteers to assist you.
Sunshine Week is March 11-17: Some local events involving SPJ
The annual celebration of Sunshine Week is coming up, and SPJ DC Pro is involved in several events that will celebrate access to public information.
March 9 Preview Sunshine Week at Newseum event:
“Sunshine Week 2018: Fighting for Transparency and Freedom of Information”
8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., Knight TV Studio
Join several of the nation’s leading journalism and freedom of information advocates to preview Sunshine Week 2018. Attendees can take part in:
◊ a preview of a national Sunshine Week report by the American Society of News Editors
◊ a presentation by the Society of Professional Journalists on its new “whistleblower” project
◊ a discussion of how journalists report the news when open government and press freedom are under assault, and how to help the public trust accurate, reliable news reporting
◊ a presentation by Open the Government of a report — spotlighting the White House, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Justice, and Department of Homeland Security — on the primary challenges to having an open and accountable government, and discussing the secrecy challenges journalists and others face, and how it has impacted their advocacy work, reporting, and personal lives
◊ an announcement from the American Library Association of its 2018 James Madison award winner.
Free; registration required (see link above).
March 13 D.C. Open Government Coalition Open Government Summit
6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., American Bar Association
The DCOGC’s seventh annual Open Government Summit has moved to a new location for 2018. The event, supported by SPJ DC Pro, begins with a 6:30 p.m. reception, with the program from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., at the American Bar Association, 1050 Connecticut Ave. NW, 5th floor, above the Farragut North Metro station at Washington Square. The reception continues after the program.
The program will focus on three critical areas now in the forefront of transparency issues in the D.C. government: legislation to seal or expunge criminal records; the future of the D.C. Office of Open Government (OOG), an independent office under the Board of Ethics and Government Accountability (BEGA); and how to improve the availability of open data to District residents.
Traci Hughes, recently dismissed by BEGA as the OOG’s director, will be interviewed by the WAMU’s reporter Martin Austermuhle as part of the program.
The event is free and open to all, but pre-registration is required.
The DCOGC works to enhance the public’s access to government information and ensure transparency in the D.C. government. The event and reception also is supported by the American University School of Communication and its Journalism Division.
March 14 Government Accountability Project and SPJ program
“Truth Be Told: Whistleblowers, Journalism & Democracy”
How reporters rely on whistleblowers, who risk everything, to learn the truth
7 p.m. to 9 p.m., UDC David A. Clarke School of Law
The Whistleblowers:
Brandon Coleman, an ex-Marine and addiction specialist with the Department of Veterans Affairs, blew the whistle on the Phoenix VA’s failure to monitor and care for suicidal veterans.
Larry Criscione, an engineer and Reliability and Risk Analyst with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), reported to Congress that the NRC was deliberately concealing evidence contained in a report of severe flood risks at 39 nuclear plants sited on waterways downstream from reservoirs and dams that could lead to worse damage than at Fukushima.
The Journalists:
Joe Davidson is a journalist for the Washington Post, where he writes the Federal Insider, a column that covers the federal government.
Jenna McLaughlin is an intelligence reporter for Foreign Policy, where she focuses on the culture, dynamics, and events happening in the National Security Agency, the Central Intelligence Agency, and the other 15 members of the intelligence community.
Moderators:
Dana Gold, attorney and Government Accountability Project’s director of education
Danielle McLean, national SPJ’s Freedom of Information Committee Chair and investigative reporter at ThinkProgress in Washington
Co-sponsored by the Government Accountability Project, the Society of Professional Journalists’ Freedom of Information Committee and the SPJ DC Pro.
Hosted by the David A. Clarke School of Law at the University of the District of Columbia.
Location:
4340 Connecticut Ave., NW
Room 168
Van Ness Metro station
Registration is free; sign up here.
Polish that resume, prepare for annual Journalism Job Fair
Journalism Job Fair
Saturday, April 7, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Georgetown University Continuing Education campus
640 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Near Chinatown/Gallery Place Metro station
Meet recruiters from top news organizations at the 5th annual Washington, D.C., Journalism Job Fair. As the largest annual journalism job fair in D.C., this event offers candidates of all experience levels the chance to connect with a variety of news outlets that are looking for new talent.
SPJ DC Pro has participated in planning and executing the event since its inception. Please refer to this Facebook page for news on the fair and updates on companies that sign up to recruit.
The job fair is organized by the Georgetown University Master of Professional Studies in Journalism program and the Washington, D.C., chapters of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, the Asian American Journalists Association, the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Society of Professional Journalists, the Washington Association of Black Journalists, and the Journalism & Women Symposium.
Register:
$10 early bird registration offered until Friday, March 9
$15 regular registration offered until Monday, April 2
We will accept walk-ins for $20 the day of the fair. Doors will close at 1:30 and walk-ins will not be accepted after this time.
For any questions, please email dcjournojobfair@gmail.com. Please note that we are not able to offer refunds to registrants.
Free prep session: Maximizing your Journalism Job Fair experience
The Georgetown University graduate journalism program is hosting a free prep session for those who plan to attend the April 7 Journalism Job Fair. Join the panel discussion on March 5, 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Learn how to do advance preparation for meeting with recruiters. The discussion will be led by representatives from CBS, NPR and The Wall Street Journal, companies that will be recruiting at the fair this year. They’ll share their advice on ways to improve your resume, approach recruiters and make an impression. They will also share the skills they are looking for as they search for talent for their companies.
The panelists are: Rolando Arrieta, production manager, NPR; Nell Henderson, editor, Global Central Banks, The Wall Street Journal; and Lorna Jones, senior producer, CBS.
Journalists at all professional levels will benefit from this discussion. Ample time will be dedicated for a Q&A session. Consider attending even if you aren’t going to the April Job Fair.
Attendees must RSVP. Email dcjournojobfair@gmail.com with questions.
This event is sponsored by the Georgetown Masters of Professional Studies in Journalism program, and the Washington, D.C., chapters of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Asian American Journalists Association, and the Society of Professional Journalists, and the Washington Association of Black Journalists and the Journalism & Women Symposium.
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Job opportunity
Position open: Journalism instructor at George Mason University
The Department of Communication at George Mason University is looking for a new journalism instructor and program coordinator. The person hired for this position will teach journalism courses and help coordinate and manage GMU’s undergraduate journalism programs. The position announcement contains details on position qualifications and the application process.
Review of applications began Feb. 15 and will continue until this position is filled for the Fall 2018 semester. For full consideration, applications must be received by March 15, 2018.
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SPJ DC-GMU SPJ student chapter mixer April 19 at NPC
SPJ DC Pro will host a mixer with journalism students from George Mason University at the National Press Club in the McClendon Room on April. 19, 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. There is no cover charge to attend, and you can purchase drinks and food on your own.
We’ll include a tour of the Press Club premises by Kathryn Foxhall, board member of DC Pro and a Press Club member who is active on issues involving press access to government and the Freedom of Information Act.
SPJ DC members must RSVP to SPJ DC President Jonathan Make at press@warren-news.com (or 202-872-9200) and graduate students must RSVP to GMU SPJ President Lauryn Cantrell at lcantre2@masonlive.gmu.edu. It’s important that you RSVP in advance, so that you will be able to be admitted through the security gates into the Press Club.
The club is at 529 14th St. NW, 13th floor, Washington.
Journalism online tools training
We’re sorry the Google Tools training session, “Digital Tools to Fight Fake News,” planned for Feb. 12 had to be canceled due to the schedule of the trainer. We’ll be rescheduling it, and those who registered will have the first option to sign up for the new date.
Additionally, national SPJ just announced it is partnering with the Facebook Journalism Project to offer free training to journalists to improve digital storytelling.
SPJ will train journalism professionals to teach Facebook tools to other journalists in newsrooms, classrooms, journalism institutions and conferences. Those trainers will then participate in a “Train-the-Trainers” summit March 5-6 in New York, where sessions will include tools for journalists, including Live, groups, video, insights and safety features.
Use this link to request training. DC Pro will be working on organizing a session in Washington once the trainers are trained.
One more tool to fight fake data: ‘graphicacy’
He’s got a catchy name for his educational tour to improve “graphicacy,” or visual literacy — the ability to accurately read and comprehend charts and graphically presented information. He’s Alberto Cairo, Knight chair in Visual Journalism at the University of Miami who teaches data visualization and infographics in the Journalism and Interactive Media master’s degree programs. He’s been in journalism for 20 years, and is a consultant for companies including Google and Microsoft.
He spoke in Washington on Jan. 26 at the Urban Institute on “Visual Trumpery: How to fight against fake data and visualizations – from the left and from the right.” He says “trumpery” is a word that means “worthless nonsense, something that is showy and deceitful at the same time. Trumpery can occur in text, verbally, or visually.”
He called his talk non-partisan, and focused on “examining misleading charts, graphs, and data maps designed by individuals and organizations from across the political spectrum.”
His talk focused on four main questions:
1) Is the graphic based on reliable sources and data?
2) Does the graphic include enough information to be truthful?
3) Is the data correctly presented?
4) Did the journalist or designer take uncertainty into account?
“I believe a literate, numerate, and graphicate citizenry is the best antidote for a world where trumpery runs rampant,” Cairo says.
The first rule for readers of graphics, he said, is to not stop at first glance: read beyond the title and pay attention to what you are reading and seeing. Charts are meant to be read, not just seen. At the same time, you need to get your mind away from the truism “a picture is worth a thousand words,” because that might make you read too much into a graphic visualization. He said you should always tell yourself “a chart shows as much as it hides,” so also have an undercurrent of wondering what may be missing from what you are seeing.
Strategically, always read the x-axis and the y-axis labels – demand an appropriate amount of data and detail, and distrust summary statistics and isolated figures. Does the information reflect appropriate uncertainty and reveal a margin of error? Is the right data being used to illustrate a story, and is its origin disclosed?
While taking a critical eye to the perusing of visualizations, also keep in mind your own biases, he said. You want to avoid self-deception, and not twist facts to fit your own agenda – as a reader and as a journalist who is presenting the data. Don’t automatically assume that if there is a graphic presentation of an interesting theory (e.g., benefits of eating chocolate), the correct conclusion was charted.
“A critical thinking revolution won’t lead us anywhere if it isn’t paired with a moral reasoning revolution,” he said.
— By Amy Fickling
Membership passes SPJ DC Pro bylaws revisions at meeting
At its membership meeting Jan. 27 in Bethesda, Maryland, SPJ DC Pro passed board-recommended revisions to the chapter Constitution and By-laws, in two separate votes, taking in all the revisions except one proposed new article (19-4), then new Article Twelve (17-4-1). Read more about the meeting here.
Once copy editing on the revisions has been completed, the new version will be posted on spjdc.org.
Before the discussion and vote, the newest member of the DC Pro board, Randy Showstack, was duly sworn in to office.
Are you saving June 12 on your calendar for Dateline Awards dinner?
The chapter’s annual Hall of Fame and Dateline Awards dinner is set for June 12 at 7 p.m., preceded at 6 p.m. by a reception. In addition to recognizing the finalists and winners in the annual Dateline Awards contest, we’ll induct three into the chapter’s journalism Hall of Fame, and hear from them about their distinguished careers and thoughts on the profession. Watch your email for more information, and your mailbox for the formal invitations to be mailed in April.
2018 CALENDAR for UPCOMING DC SPJ Chapter EVENTS
March 5 Pre-Journalism Job Fair prep session, 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Georgetown University Mass. Ave. campus, 640 Massachusetts Ave. NW (must register, no walk-ins)
March 9 Newseum hosts a Sunshine Week preview with a program focusing on fighting for transparency and access to public information, 8:30 a.m. to noon (must register)
March 13 D.C. Open Government Coalition Open Government Summit, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., American Bar Association, 1050 Connecticut Ave. NW, 5th floor (must register)
March 14 Government Accountability Project and SPJ program: “Truth Be Told: Whistleblowers, Journalism & Democracy, How reporters rely on whistleblowers, who risk everything, to learn the truth,” 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., UDC David A. Clarke School of Law, 4340 Connecticut Ave., NW, Room 168
mid-March Freelance group meeting, noon to 1 p.m., National Press Club, 529 14th St. NW, 13th floor
Contact Stephenie Overman, saoverman@gmail.com for the date.
March 22 SPJ DC Pro board meeting, 7 to 8:30 p.m., McClendon Room, National Press Club
April 7 Journalism Job Fair at Georgetown University Mass. Ave. campus, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
April 13-14 Region 2 conference in Richmond, Virginia, area, with Virginia Press Association
April 19 Happy hour mixer of SPJ DC Pro and GMU SPJ student chapter, 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., National Press Club, 529 14th St. NW, 13th floor (must RSVP to get access code)
May 7 Program being planned featuring editorial cartoonist Steve Artley, 6 p.m. Location TBD.
May 10 SDX Foundation of Washington board meeting, noon, McClendon Room, National Press Club
June 12 Annual Dateline Awards/Hall of Fame Dinner at the National Press Club. Reception 6 p.m., dinner at 7 p.m. We will honor 3 outstanding journalists who have spent at least 25 years working in Washington media. Also, a Distinguished Service Award will go to a person whose efforts have improved journalism or the work of journalists in Washington. Contact HOF Nominating Chair Steve Taylor (juxta747@gmail.com) with any names you wish to submit for consideration, even if those suggestions may roll forward to next year.
June 21 informal happy hour at National Press Club with chapter leaders, national SPJ board and SDX board members in town for the national SPJ Sigma Delta Chi Awards dinner the following night at the National Press Club, 6:30 p.m. Details later about letting us know you plan to attend the happy hour.
June 22 national SPJ’s Sigma Delta Chi Awards dinner, 6 p.m. cocktails, 7 p.m. dinner, National Press Club
