SPJ DC summer events: drones for newsgathering, baseball outing

 Published Date: March 5, 2018

SAVE these dates . . .

Monday, July 9 – at 6:30 p.m., “Up in the Air — Using Drones to Cover Stories,” a program detailing what you need to know to use drones for newsgathering will be held at the Medill School of Journalism, 1325 G St. NW, Suite 730, near Metro Center on the Red, Orange and Blue lines. Several speakers are committed to the panel, including Greg Agvent, who as senior director of CNN Aerial Imagery heads the leading drone-based reporting team in the country — one of the very few teams allowed to fly over people. Also speaking will be Charles Tobin, a partner at the law firm Ballard Spahr and co-chair of its Media and Entertainment Law Group. He advises some of the country’s top media companies on the evolving rules of using drones for reporting and when newsrooms can and can’t use drone footage and photos shot by others. DC Pro board member Dee Ann Divis, an award-winning reporter, a former MIT Knight Science Journalism Fellow and the editor of “Inside Unmanned Systems” magazine, will moderate. Program will start with light refreshments and end by 8:30 p.m. For more information, and to register, go to the Eventbrite form here.

Friday, Aug. 17 – at 7:05 p.m., SPJ DC chapter members will see the Nats play the Miami Marlins at Nationals Park. As an added incentive that evening, the Nats’ promotion will be a Hawaiian shirt give-away.  The first 20,000 fans entering Nats Park will receive a free Nats Hawaiian shirt. Specially priced tickets will be available to SPJ members and their guests in mid-July, but mark your calendar now. RSVP to chapter President Jonathan Make, press@warren-news.com, or 202-872-9200. SPJ DC member Bill McCloskey has graciously arranged for this outing.

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Chapter elections

Congratulations to the next chapter board. After voting ended May 15, the results are:

President
Jonathan Make

Vice-President
Randy Showstack

Treasurer
Amy Fickling

Recording Secretary
Kathryn Foxhall

Board of Directors (2-year terms)
Julie Asher
Kenneth Jost

Continuing in their two-year terms on the board are April Bethea and Dee Ann Divis. The chapter board thanks departing board members Vice President Alice Ollstein, Treasurer Eric Falquero and at-large director Ana Pinilla for their service.

The new board will be sworn in and begin its term on June 12 at the annual dinner, which doubles as the chapter’s annual meeting.

VACANCIES: There are two at-large board seats vacant, one for a two-year term and one for the one year remaining in a vacated two-year term. If you are interested in being considered for one of the seats, contact chapter President Jonathan Make at press@warren-news.com.

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What we’ve been doing ….

June 4: How to Use Facebook – for Journalists


How to use Facebook and its social media offshoots, particularly Instagram, isn’t all that different for journalists than how to do, well, journalism. Many of the same tenets hold between the practice of journalism and the promoting and communicating of it. That’s a takeaway from an event Monday night at Georgetown University’s School of Continuing Studies sponsored by the Society of Professional Journalists and organized by its DC Pro Chapter.

So says chapter President Jonathan Make on his blog here.

May 9: History of Lampooning Presidents by Political Cartoonists

In case you missed our Twitter coverage from this fun, social and educational program, you can look at the thread here.

Congratulations to Denise Frazer Bean, whose name was drawn from the hat to win an original editorial cartoon by Steve Artley, whose work and philosophy of political commentary were featured for the program.

 

 

 

April 19: Mixer with SPJ DC and George Mason U. student SPJ chapter

Once again, chapter President Jonathan Make memorialized an event on his blog, this one a mixer at the National Press Club with the student SPJ chapter at George Mason University.

We included a tour of the Press Club premises by Kathryn Foxhall (on left in red jacket), 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. But the students also got some pointers from pro members about getting a job in the profession once they graduate. (DC Pro members in the photo: front row, far right Julie Asher in teal jacket; behind her in the next row back, Steve Goodman; and just to the left and slightly behind Goodman, at-large board member April Bethea. Organizing the event for GMU SPJ was that chapter’s President Lauryn Cantrell, immediately to the left of Goodman.)

A happy footnote to this item is that one of the attendees, Angelique Arintok (seen in the middle of the photo in a purple dress and black tights), would just a few days later learn that she’d been awarded an SDX Foundation of Washington scholarship for her senior year next academic year at George Mason University.

 

2018 CALENDAR for UPCOMING DC SPJ CHAPTER EVENTS

June 19     noon, SPJ DC freelance lunch, National Press Club. Please let Stephenie Overman know if you plan to attend at saoverman@gmail.com.

June 26     SPJ DC Pro board meeting, 7 p.m., McClendon Room, National Press Club

July 9        “Up in the Air — Using Drones to Cover Stories,” Practical tips on using drones in newsgathering session, 6:30 p.m.  at Medill School of Journalism near Metro Center. Details on registering coming soon. Stay tuned.

Aug. 17        7:05 p.m., SPJ DC at Nats vs. Marlins at Nats Park. Hawaiian shirt night. Details to be announced soon.

Sept. 27-29    EIJ18 national SPJ convention in Baltimore. Early-bird member registration through July 25.

                                       ——Past Events——-

Local Sunshine Week events to add to your calendar
co-sponsored by SPJ DC Pro and other organizations

GREETINGS JOURNALISM ENTHUSIASTS!
SPJ DC is joining organizations across the country in marking Sunshine Week, an annual initiative to promote the importance of open government and access to public information. Sunshine Week 2018 is March 11-17 and we invite you to participate in these free programs co-sponsored by our chapter:
— Tuesday, March 13: Open Government Summit, led by the D.C. Open Government Coalition; 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. American Bar Association, 1050 Connecticut Ave. NW, 5th floor.

The summit will focus on proposed local legislation to seal or expunge criminal records; the future of the D.C. Office of Open Government; and progress toward implementing the District’s new open data policy.

Among the speakers are Traci Hughes, who was recently dismissed as the director of the Office of Open Government; Philip Fornaci, director of the D.C. Prisoners’ Project at the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs; Amy Brittain, an investigative reporter at The Washington Post; and Barney Krucoff, chief data officer of D.C. Office of the Chief Technology Officer.

Interviewers and moderators for the event include WAMU reporter Martin Austermuhle and WRC-TV’s Mark Segraves.

Please register for this event to be allowed in, click here

 

— Wednesday, March 14:  Truth Be Told: Whistleblowers, Journalism & Democracy, co-sponsored by the Government Accountability Project, the Society of Professional Journalists’ national Freedom of Information Committee and SPJ DC Pro;  7 p.m. to 9 p.m., UDC David A. Clarke School of Law,  4340 Connecticut Ave., NW., Room 518

Panelists include Brandon Coleman, an ex-Marine and addiction specialist with the Department of Veterans Affairs, who blew the whistle on the Phoenix VA’s failure to monitor and care for suicidal veterans; and Larry Criscione, an engineer and analyst with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, who revealed 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.

Joining them will be journalists Joe Davidson, who writes the Federal Insider column for The Washington Post; and Jenna McLaughlin, an intelligence reporter for Foreign Policy. The moderators will be Dana Gold, attorney and Government Accountability Project’s director of education, and Danielle McLean, national SPJ’s Freedom of Information Committee chair and investigative reporter at ThinkProgress.

To register for this event, click here.

Other Sunshine Week programs with ties to SPJ or SPJ DC:

 

Sunshine Week Preview this week:
— Friday, March 9: Fighting for transparency and freedom of information; 8:30 a.m. to noon. Newseum, 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW.

This preview of Sunshine Week will include, among other things, a discussion of reports by the American Society of News Editors and Open the Government; a presentation on SPJ’s new “whistleblower” project by Danielle McLean, SPJ’s national Freedom of Information Committee chair; and a discussion of reporting the news when open government and press freedom are under assault. SPJ will be unveiling at this event a new initiative — a whistleblower project in cooperation with the Government Accountability Project, which will include guides for journalists and training opportunities.

To register, click here. Registration is required.

 

— Wednesday, March 14: National Press Club panel on media access in the Trump administration; 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., 529 14th Street NW (13th floor, Zenger Room). The event, sponsored by the Freedom of the Press Committee, will examine limits on access to public information under the Trump administration and how they vary agency-to-agency and compare to previous administrations.
Panelists include Kathryn Foxhall, freelance healthcare journalist, SPJ DC Pro recording secretary and member of national SPJ’s Freedom of Information Committee, and a member of the NPC Freedom of the Press Committee; Julie Pace, Associated Press Washington Bureau chief; Kimberly Leonard, Washington Examiner healthcare reporter/co-chair of DC chapter of Association of Health Care Journalists; and Tom Devine, Government Accountability Project legal director.

The moderator will be Rachel Oswald, Congressional Quarterly reporter and vice chair of the Freedom of the Press Committee.

To register, click here.

Want to learn more?

Get information on other programs in the Washington region and beyond at www.sunshineweek.org

WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU IN THE SUNSHINE!!!

 

 

 

Bylaws revisions pass at membership meeting Jan. 27

 

The revisions to the chapter bylaws were approved on two separate votes.
The proposed revisions to the chapter bylaws were approved on two separate votes during the Jan. 27, 2018, membership meeting.
Chapter member Robert Becker, who also chairs the national SPJ Bylaws Committee, speaks during the discussion of proposed revisions to the chapter bylaws.
Chapter member Robert Becker, who also chairs the national SPJ Bylaws Committee, speaks during the discussion of proposed revisions to the chapter bylaws.

SPJ DC Pro members vote to approve proposed changes
to chapter Constitution and By-laws

At its Membership Appreciation meeting on Saturday, January 27, 2018, SPJ DC Pro recognized several for their longtime memberships and approved during the business session important changes to the rules governing the chapter, meant to help bring SPJ DC into the 21st century by recognizing electronic and other record keeping and also instituting good governance and journalism practices like keeping events on the record.

There was considerable discussion, overseen by Bylaws Committee members Amy Fickling and April Bethea, among some of the 23 attendees about the proposed revisions at the all-member meeting. A decision was made to vote on whether to approve the bulk of the bylaws changes that were researched over several years by various members serving on the Bylaws Committee and approved unanimously by the SPJ DC board, reserving several sections of concern to some members present for separate consideration and vote. The bulk changes were approved by a 19-4 vote. Some members, including Bob Becker, were concerned that these changes were not sufficiently in keeping with the national SPJ bylaws.

Following the first vote, discussion turned to a particular portion of the proposed revisions that would allow the chapter to have electronic record keeping. Becker and some others continued to voice concerns about this, including Kathryn Foxhall, who is on the national SPJ Freedom of Information Committee and who crusades for media and public access to government records, as well as access to the government employees who best can interpret the data contained in those records. After further discussion, these sections of changes also were approved, 17-4, with one abstention.

After the voting, members recognized longtime chapter members for their years of SPJ membership, mostly marked by anniversaries at five-year intervals. Bruce Harrison has been a member for 65 years, starting from when he was a journalism student at the University of Alabama. He graduated in 1954 with a “Sigma Delta Chi” ribbon on his diploma. SDX is what SPJ started out as in 1909. In his brief remarks Saturday, he recommended that journalists not tweet in the middle of the night and also lamented that some online journalism isn’t always completely accurate. Other members recognized for various milestones were Hank Wieland (52 years), Kenneth Jost (45 years), Bill McCloskey and Dan Kubiske (30 years), Steve Taylor (15 years) and new at-large member of the SPJ DC board, Randy Showstack (20 years). A complete list of all members hitting 5-year anniversary milestones is here: https://spjdc.org///2018/01/chapter-starts-new-year-nod-press-freedom/.

At the start of the meeting, Showstack was sworn in by Fickling. The chapter board met in the same location at 9 a.m. prior to the 10:15 a.m. membership meeting.

The meeting was in Bethesda, Maryland, at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center, centrally located in the downtown area of the city and immediately adjacent to the Bethesda Metro station. Following the meeting, many attendees repaired to a nearby restaurant for lunch and drinks and camaraderie.

Steve Goldstein, a 44-year SPJ member, brought with him to the meeting the SPJ emblem he ordered hand-made from wood. It incorporates the old SDX name and the new Society of Professional Journalists monikers.

Steve Goldstein, a 44-year SPJ member, brought with him to the meeting the SPJ emblem he had ordered hand-made from wood some years ago. It incorporates the old SDX name and the newer Society of Professional Journalists moniker.

Membership longevity certificates went to (from left) Bill McCloskey (30 years), Dan Kubiske (30 years), Bruce Harrison (65 years), Kenneth Jost (45 years), Hank Wieland (52 years), Steve Taylor (15 years) and Randy Showstack (20 years).
Membership longevity certificates went to (from left) Bill McCloskey (30 years), Dan Kubiske (30 years), Bruce Harrison (65 years), Kenneth Jost (45 years), Hank Wieland (52 years), Steve Taylor (15 years) and Randy Showstack (20 years).

 

PAST EVENTS:

DON’T FORGET, RSVP FOR

SPJ DC Pro
Membership Appreciation Meeting Jan. 27
with important bylaws revision vote

WHEN: 10:15 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Jan. 27
WHERE: Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center, Bethesda, Maryland
DIRECTIONS: Near exit of Bethesda Metro stop
RSVP: online here or email: spjdcchapter@gmail.com

Calling all SPJ DC Pro Chapter Members:

WHAT: You’re going to enjoy chatting with fellow chapter members and celebrating the membership milestones of several during the chapter’s Membership Appreciation Meeting on Saturday, Jan. 27, 10:15 a.m. to noon.

You’ll also be participating in a business meeting of the chapter – that’s something we haven’t done in recent memory of some long-time chapter members! The main item of business will be to formally vote on whether to approve proposed changes to the chapter’s Constitution and Bylaws. The proposed revisions are submitted as a final version by the chapter Executive Board, reflecting comments made during the membership comment period from mid-October to mid-November.

A wide array of members worked on this comprehensive set of revisions for some time.Past chapter president Maurine Beasley, who served as Bylaws Committee chair in 2016, said her first attempt at an update seemed to present a monumental challenge: keep the spirit of the bylaws as a bare bones document but also allow the chapter to communicate with new technology not defined in the original documents. She said she commends the work of the chapter board in crafting a proposed “document that manages to incorporate both the open nature of the chapter’s traditional self-government and the efficiency of the digital age.”

The revisions include memorializing the chapter’s commitment to openness and transparency.

You can find the revisions at https://spjdc.org///information-constitution-bylaws/. Questions? Email Bylaws Committee members Amy Fickling and April Bethea at spjdcchapter@gmail.com.

WHAT ELSE: If you have other matters to bring before the membership during the meeting, you can use the chapter email address at spjdcchapter@gmail.com to let us know in advance, or come prepared to add them to the meeting agenda. Also come prepared to introduce yourself – we’re planning to give you an opportunity to share our journalism involvements and generally celebrate the profession at a time when our work is stymied or even ridiculed by the public institutions we are trying to make sure are serving the public interest as they should be.

GETTING THERE: There is no cost to you to attend. We’ll have light snacks and coffee and water. RSVPs are appreciated for preparations, and you can respond by sending an email to spjdcchapter@gmail.com. Or you can respond using the electronic invitation.

We will meet in WEST ROOM-A  at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center, located just off the Bethesda Metro stop in downtown Bethesda, Maryland. When you get to the top of the escalators exiting the Bethesda Metro stop, go left through the bus bay. The street just outside the bay is the one where the B-CC RSC is located, and it is almost straight ahead of you, with parking beneath it. Walk around to the entrance. The West Room-A is on the second floor. There is free parking in several Montgomery County garages in the area, with Metropolitan Garage #49 in the same block as the B-CC RSC. This also will be the last weekend for free Saturday parking at Metro parking lots, as fees will go into effect on Feb. 1 at 36 locations.

CHAPTER BOARD MEETS BEFOREHAND: Those wishing to attend an SPJ DC board meeting can arrive at 9 a.m. for that on Saturday, Jan. 27. Following the membership meeting (we have to be out of the building by noon), we plan to continue the camaraderie in an informal setting at a nearby bar or restaurant, if there is enough interest in doing so.

WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THERE!!

Here are the SPJ membership milestones among chapter members in 2017:

65 years — Bruce Harrison

60 years — James Golden

45 years — Kathy (Kay) George, Kenneth Jost

40 years — Betty Cole Dukert

35 years — John Nuhn

30 years — Dan Kubiske, Bill McCloskey, Myrna Wahlquist

25 years — Willie Schatz, William Theobald

20 years — Ann Augherton, Randy Showstack

15 years — Andy Schotz, Steve Taylor

10 years — Carla Bundy, Steve Goodman, Robert Higginbotham

5 years — Theo Emery, Christopher Farrell, Christina Kielich (ASSOCIATE), Sally Kubetin, Christine Lawrence, Wayne Rash

Maybe your 5- or 10-year anniversary milestone will be in 2018?

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Upcoming event: C’mon, get happy! Nov. 14 happy hour

Want to kick back a little after work and mingle with some fellow journalists and aspiring journalists?

On Nov. 14 SPJ-DC Pro is hosting a get-together for the chapter and students participating in Georgetown University’s Master’s in Journalism program, starting at 6 p.m. We will gather on the mezzanine at the National Press Club (note change in location inside Club).

Come for some informal talking and sharing ideas. Get to know other chapter members and see why you’ll want to get more involved in activities we plan and carry out.

SPJ-DC is taking care of providing the event space and the camaraderie, and you’ll pick up the tab (cash bar) for whatever you decide to eat or drink during the evening.

An entry code will be needed to access the Press Club, so let us know if you are planning to be there. Email us at spjdcchapter@gmail.com (subject: Nov. 14 Happy Hour) in case you don’t receive an Eventbrite notice. We’ll then send you the code right before that evening.

———–

How to Work With Whistleblowers

This year, some of the biggest and most important stories broken in DC have been the result of a government whistleblower sharing information with a journalist. Whistleblowers and journalists are essential partners, but those relationships are more at risk than ever.

The Society of Professional Journalists and the Government Accountability Project invite you to a training that will offer journalists key insights and tips for working with whistleblowers to report on serious violations of public trust while ensuring the employee source is not put at greater risk of reprisal in the process.

Space is limited! Reserve your seat today! Registration closes on Oct. 1. No tickets will be available at the door.

The topics presented by trained legal experts will include:

  •  Whistleblowing 101: What (and who) is a Whistleblower?
  •  The Legal Landscape: The Complicated Patchwork of Whistleblower Protection Laws
  •  Working with Whistleblowers
    • The Primacy of Trust
    • Unique Challenges of Working with Whistleblowers
  •  Practical Pointers
    • Locating whistleblowers
    • Preserving Anonymity
    • FOIA work based on whistleblowers

Where: 640 Massachusetts Ave NW Washington, DC 20001

When: October 2, 2017, 5:30-7:00 pm (food provided)

Cost: Free to SPJ members and Georgetown students; $5.00 for non-members.

Want to come to this event and others for free? Join SPJ today! https://www.spj.org/joinapp-quick.asp

RSVP on Eventbrite.