Regional journalism groups join forces to address common issues
SPJ DC Pro joined representatives of several journalism groups at a gathering at the National Press Club on Jan. 14, 2019, to discuss how the organizations can work together.
During this inaugural discussion — the groups’ plan is to make this a continuing dialog — areas for potential joint efforts and coordination emerged:
- federal and state journalism shield laws
- educating the public about what reporters do
- the First Amendment and media, and access to government
- the state of the media business and of local journalism.
The group met for about an hour and a half. It agreed to reconvene in about a month. For other groups interested in joining the efforts, a point of contact for the collaboration is the Maryland, Delaware, District of Columbia Press Association’s Executive Director Rebecca Snyder: rsnyder@mddcpress.com.
To promote their efforts, the representatives are using the Twitter hashtag #WhoTellsYourStory.
Attending the meeting were (as seen in both photos on this page, from left to right and from back row to front row) Sue Kopen Katcef of the University of Maryland Philip Merrill College of Journalism, a national Society of Professional Journalists board member representing campus chapters and a member of SPJ DC Pro Chapter; Maryland, Delaware, District of Columbia Press Association Executive Director Rebecca Snyder; Reporters Without Borders Communications Officer Noni Ghani; SPJ DC Pro Chapter President Jonathan Make; MDDC President Brian Karem; Maryland Professional Chapter SPJ President Anna McCachren-Walsh; and Baltimore Association of Black Journalists (BABJ) Immediate Past President Nicki Mayo.
“At a time when press access and working journalists are being threatened and compromised we will not cower. We believe in journalism and will continue to shine light on the truth.” — Nicki Mayo
For the web addresses of the organizations represented at the meeting, see this writeup by Mayo for BABJ.