SPJ officially has a new president.
Kevin Smith addressed Saturday night’s dinnergoers with a call to act as SPJ enters its second century.
Smith, who teaches at Fairmont State University in West Virginia, set a goal of adding 1,000 new members this year, to counter the 1,400 members that were lost in the past year.
He said it can be done if roughly 10 percent of the current 8,000-plus members each recruits one new member.
"It is going to be a united effort to turn the tide," he said, with his two sons watching him assume his new position.
Smith said he also wants SPJ to be part of the discussion on any important journalism issue.
Two new initiatives, he said, will be a task force on the future of journalism and another group that will figure out immediate ways to help displaced journalists inside and outside SPJ.