Thursday, May 19, 2022
Virtual meeting held via videoconference on Zoom.
Present: President Randy Showstack; Vice President Dee Ann Divis; Treasurer Dan Kubiske; Corresponding Secretary Amy Fickling; Recording Secretary Kathryn Foxhall; and board members Julie Asher, Denise Dunbar, and Selma Khenissi.
Excused absences: Jacqueline Fuller, Ken Jost, and Celia Wexler.
Special guests: Region 2 coordinator Stephenie Overman; Deadline Awards Coordinator Laura Jane Willoughby; and Hall of Fame committee co-chair Steve Taylor.
Call to Order
President Randy Showstack called the meeting to order at about 6:48 p.m.
Minutes
Treasurer Dan Kubiske moved that the minutes for the April meeting be approved as circulated earlier by Recording Secretary Kathryn Foxhall. Board member Julie Asher seconded the motion.
Corresponding Secretary Amy Fickling asked for corrections she had sent earlier, including listing the three people who are running for board member positions.
Kubiske moved that the minutes be approved as so amended. The board approved the minutes as amended.
Treasurer’s Report
Kubiske noted that he had sent both the March and April financial reports to the board. He said the Holiday Inn bill for the Region 2 conference in Roanoke, Virginia, was paid from the Region 2 funds, which is listed as a separate line on the financial reports, so that is one reason the total funds line is lower for April.
He moved the board accept the reports for March and April. Board member Denise Dunbar seconded the motion. The board approved the financial reports.
Report on PIO Obstructions
In her report on work opposing obstructions to reporting by public information offices and other means, Foxhall noted she had sent a report to the board previously. She said SPJ and Society of Environmental Journalists officers wrote to the New York Times editorial board asking they look at the controls through PIOs as censorship. She also said communications had gone to the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis. However, the recent hearing of that subcommittee has been such a political “dogfight” there had been no discussion for substantive matters.
Showstack asked if there were ways in which the chapter could help with the work. Foxhall replied that the chapter might help in terms of doing daily kind of work such as contacting congressional committees and others repeatedly.
Vice President Dee Ann Divis suggested the chapter have a brainstorming session on what to do about the issue. Showstack suggested we hold off until after the Hall of Fame Dinner.
Dateline Awards
The chapter’s awards coordinator Laura Jane Willoughby reported that the Dateline Awards have been decided and the finalists have been notified.
She said she had been doing social media, including retweeting people who announce they are a finalist.
Hall of Fame Dinner
Showstack congratulated Hall of Fame co-chair Steve Taylor on arranging to have Kojo Nnamdi to be master of ceremonies at the Hall of Fame Dinner.
Board members discussed how the program at the dinner should be organized. Taylor and Kubiske agreed to continue to work out the details.
Board member Julie Asher said the final details on the dinner itself are being finished and the menu is being chosen.
Fickling said that she has emailed the National Press Club about the menu.
Discussion about settings on the Eventbrite dinner reservation page came up when someone reported not being able to complete their order earlier in the day. Different browsers may be causing a problem for some.
Board members discussed putting out a press release and Showstack urged that it be sent to as broad a list as possible.
Board members discussed the problems there had been with using the Eventbrite.
Showstack thanked all those involved for their hard work.
The board members discussed how to use audio visuals related to the dinner, now and in the future.
Divis spoke about videotaping parts of the dinner and the cost of doing so. She said that with some of the presentations, it could be good promotional material for us which we could post.
Separately, she said, we could hire a photographer to get pictures to put on the website.
Fickling noted the chapter had a photographer at the dinner in the 1990s. She encouraged people to look at the shots we have from dinners in the past.
Kubiske said we need both a video and photography. He said we should also be encouraging everyone going to the dinner to be taking photos and posting them. Board member Denise Dunbar said it was worth spending a few thousand dollars to have the video and publicize the event and have it in our archives.
Taylor questioned whether we have time to put together the work on the video.
Board members agreed we would like to have photographer. Dunbar and Divis said they would inquire about photographers they know.
Overman suggested we arrange to do videos of honorees before the dinner.
Taylor suggested that people will be more open for that kind of thing as the dinner is closing.
Board members and Willoughby talked about announcing a hash tag at the event.
They also spoke about having the incoming board members take their oath during the event.
Board members discussed what would happen if things got worse with the Covid pandemic and agreed it would be a matter of quickly turning to all video. Members agreed that an invitation to the dinner go to the Whistleblower groups that Marcel Reid is part of.
Photography Event
Dunbar discussed the arrangements for the session planned for May 24 with Dennis Brack Sr., an award-winning photographer who has covered 11 administrations in the White House and the Beatles’ first concert in Washington, D.C., at the Washington Coliseum.
National SPJ: Report, Conference Sessions, Other
Showstack said the annual report for chapters is due at SPJ headquarters on June 17, and he asked board members for input to the annual report.
Divis said the committee working on the national conference this October in Washington was currently looking at the proposals for sessions. Members also discussed a proposal for the conference that has to do with democracy and journalism.
Overman noted that SPJ is having a townhall to discuss recommendations made by an SPJ task force about whether the society governance should be by a one member-one vote system or retain the current delegate system. The board and regional coordinator elections are by one member-one vote annually, but other annual convention business is conducted by delegates under the current national bylaws.
Members applauded Dunbar, whose publication the Alexandria Times won nine awards from the Virginia Press Association.
Overman said she would be talking to Rebecca Snyder, the executive director of the Maryland Delaware and D.C. Press Association, who has previously met with the board, about things the chapter can do with that group.
Adjournment
Kubiske moved that the meeting be adjourned. Divis seconded. The board was adjourned at about 8:40 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Kathryn Foxhall
Recording Secretary
2021-2022