5 questions about EIJ19 answered by SPJ DC Pro delegates to this year’s national convention

While getting the most out of their 2019 experience, they had an eye on next year, too

The DC Pro Chapter’s four delegates to the national SPJ convention, EIJ19 in San Antonio, were tasked with attending the business sessions and voting on various business that came before the convention. This year, they also were on the lookout for ideas to continue or improve on for the next convention, set for Sept. 10-12, 2020, in Washington, D.C. (See other coverage about EIJ20 here and here.)

The four delegates were:

  • Kathryn Foxhall, chapter Recording Secretary and noted Freedom of Information advocate whose personal crusade against “Censorship by PIO” has become a signature issue for the DC Pro Chapter as well.
  • Stephenie Overman, a past chapter president who organizes a Freelance Group that meets monthly at the National Press Club and who co-coordinates the Freelance Community on the national SPJ level. She’s also now the Region 2 coordinator, succeeding Andy Schotz, following election during EIJ19.
  • Andy Schotz, a past chapter president and immediate past Region 2 director (the position title changed this year, per national SPJ bylaws on the reorganization of the national board of directors structure), was not successful in his bid to become the national Secretary/Treasurer at EIJ19. He’ll still be active on the national level as chair of the Awards Committee.
  • Randy Showstack, current chapter president who was sworn in at the June 11, 2019, annual Dateline Awards and Hall of Fame dinner. He is very keen to have a relevant and uber-successful EIJ20 in Washington, D.C.

After their return, Dateline Online asked them 5 Questions, to draw out impressions and a path to making the EIJ20 experience an historic one for the many journalists we hope will descend on the nation’s capital for that convention.

 

Roughly how many national SPJ conventions have you attended since you joined the Society, and where, in your experience, did EIJ19 rank among those conventions? (give a little explanation of your ranking system)

 

FOXHALL: I’ve attended five conventions. EIJ19 ranked high for me. I am biased because I focus on the “Mandatory Clearance” or “Censorship by PIO” issue. There was a lot of discussion of that in board meetings and passage of a good resolution, in my opinion (I drafted it!).

Resolution No. 2
Allowing Federal Employees to Freely Talk with the Press
Submitted by: SPJ Freedom of Information Committee
Delegate Action: Approved

 

OVERMAN: Easily a dozen. I co-chaired two conventions in the mid-1990s, which were much smaller because SPJ did not then partner with other journalism organizations. SPJ had two partners at EIJ19, so it’s hard to compare. It’s apples and oranges.

Stephenie Overman was sworn in as the new Region 2 Coordinator during EIJ19, along with other SPJ elected officers. (April Bethea photo on Twitter)
Stephenie Overman was sworn in as the new Region 2 Coordinator during EIJ19, along with other SPJ elected officers. Her head is framed by the light section of the wall sitting between two wider sections of wood paneling. (April Bethea photo on Twitter)

 

SCHOTZ: My first conference was Tampa in 2003. I have been to every one since, so this was my 17th.

I don’t think I can rank them anymore because of what has changed for me, rather than the conventions. As a member of the SPJ and SPJ Foundation boards, and because of other committee involvements, I spend a lot of time in meetings, rather than attending convention sessions. I’ve only been to a few sessions combined in the last two conferences. Also, I have spent a lot of my free time selling SPJ First Amendment T-shirts.

But if I had to rank them, one thing that sticks in my head was how great the Washington, D.C., convention was (in 2007), and that was largely because of the Watergate panel, which was one of my best SPJ experiences.

ANDY WITH Tshirts and BILL MCCLOSKEY WITH BYLAWS
Andy Schotz was selling First Amendment themed T-shirts at EIJ19 in San Antonio. DC Pro Chapter member and former national SPJ board member Bill McCloskey is on the right end of the sales table, set up to assist chapters with bylaws questions during a corner workshop.
EIJ18 Andy selling Tshirts
Andy Schotz was selling “I Back the First Amendment” T-shirts at EIJ18 in Baltimore. After that convention, he created a new design, “May the First Be With You,” which were also on sale along with the first design at EIJ19 in San Antonio.

 

 

NEWSEUM Sept 21 2019 Kevin Allen photo ASchotz CGunty
Andy Schotz wearing one of his new design First Amendment T-shirts at the DC Pro Chapter’s trip to the Newseum on Pennsylvania Avenue on Sept. 21, 2019. (Kevin Allen Photography)

 

 

 

SHOWSTACK: The convention in San Antonio was the second EIJ I’ve attended, the first one being Baltimore in 2018. EIJ19 ranked higher for me because I was able to attend almost all of it whereas in Baltimore I was just there for a day and a half. Also, this year I knew the ropes and the issues much better, and I also had the opportunity to meet many more (very impressive) colleagues.

 

What was the general mood or vibe at EIJ19 that reflected the state of journalism today, or the state of our civil society in which journalists must do their work? For instance, was there a sense of unity of purpose, or a recognition that many voices make up the whole? Are we really seen as the enemy?

 

FOXHALL: I felt a lot of unity. The awards banquet with its recognition of the managing director and the staff, as well as some heroes of journalism, gave a feeling of, “We will overcome this challenging year.”

MAY 7 2019 happy hour with GU and UMd. SPJ chapters at NPC
Kathryn Foxhall

 

OVERMAN: I’m a part of the SPJ Freelance Community, which has been very active at the last several conventions. There’s a strong sense of unity among freelancers and the sense that we really are an important part of journalism’s – and SPJ’s — future.

 

SCHOTZ: I don’t know that I talked to people specifically about this idea at EIJ19.

There is definitely a feeling of being targeted in attempts to undermine journalism’s credibility, and journalists bond as they defend themselves and their craft.

There was some division heading into EIJ because of a controversy involving one EIJ partner, NAHJ, and its criticism of Fox, while the other two EIJ partners, SPJ and RTDNA, took a different approach. But I didn’t see any evidence that that specific rift led to a lack of unity in other ways.

From a tweet on #EIJ19:

In light of recent violence against Latinos in Texas, I found myself thinking about what kind of security measures would be taken at this week’s big #EIJ19 gathering of Latino journalists in San Antonio. I’m grateful to see this message from @NAHJ this morning:

EIJ19 NAHJ security message screen grab

 

SHOWSTACK: At the convention, there certainly was no sense that journalists are the enemy. Overall, I felt that there was a sense of purpose among journalists to do the best we can under the current challenging circumstances. I also felt a clear sense of camaraderie among attendees.

 

Did you sense that working as a journalist in the Washington, D.C., market gave you a different perspective than what you were hearing from other journalists from around the country who convened in San Antonio?

 

FOXHALL: With each SPJ convention, I get a wider perspective of the many struggles facing journalists, including economic tightening and a range of serious free speech issues.

EIJ19 Kathryn Foxhall on Resolution maybe RShowstack photo
Kathryn Foxhall, a DC Pro Chapter delegate, addresses the business meeting of delegates at EIJ19 in San Antonio on Sept. 7. (Photo by Randy Showstack)

OVERMAN: No, we all know we’re fighting the same battle.

 

SCHOTZ: No. I think people had connections based on their experiences and the work they do, and geography was not a factor.

 

 

Jonathan Make and Randy Showstack, chapter presidents past and present, as Make handed over the gavel to Showstack at the June 11, 2019, awards dinner
Randy Showstack

SHOWSTACK: I think that all journalists have their unique and equally valuable perspectives. We in Washington, D.C., are perhaps more savvy about national politics and some national issues. However, journalists around the country are doing important work, too, and we  in the D.C. area can learn from them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How do you think the D.C. Pro Chapter can contribute to a “vibe” for EIJ20 in Washington, D.C., and what might that “vibe” be, ideally? Any lessons from meeting in San Antonio that can help inform next year’s convention so that journalists from around the country get just as much out of coming to D.C. as going to a different region of the country to meet?

 

FOXHALL: SPJ needs to not miss the opportunity to focus on free speech issues as a threat to democracy as we meet in the nation’s capital at one of the most challenging times for the press ever.  The chapter can work to arrange that. One possibility would be a session with some of the top free press leaders in Congress, asking them to speak to specific issues we choose, not just give lip service to free speech.

EIJ19 Stephenie Overman at podium from front RShowstack photo
Stephenie Overman gives her campaign speech at EIJ19 before the opening business session on Sept. 5. She went on to win the election in Region 2 for the regional coordinator position and was sworn in during the closing business session Sept. 7. (Photo by Randy Showstack)

 

OVERMAN: It is going to be a journalism conference in Washington during an election year, so, yes, we can play up the nation’s capital angle. We can arrange for some Washington-specific social activities in addition to strong professional programs. But we want to be sure we listen to journalists from other parts of the country as well.

 

SCHOTZ: The two parts to the “vibe” will be in programming and the neighborhood.

The 2007 convention in D.C. was filled with D.C. flavor in the sessions, speakers and guests. The D.C. Pro chapter can help make that happen again.

It also will help to have convention attendees see and experience D.C. when they are here. It will contribute to their impression of the overall experience.

Both the local chapter and the EIJ planning committee will think about ways to see pieces of D.C. The Newseum would have been a good one, but that’s going away.

EIJ19 DC Newseum bling LDF RShowstack
Arranged by Stephenie Overman and Steve Taylor, the chapter got donations of journalism-related items from the Newseum to take to EIJ19 in San Antonio to become part of the silent auction items for the Legal Defense Fund. It was one way to promote EIJ20 being in Washington in September 2020. (Photo by Randy Showstack)

I didn’t get any lessons from San Antonio on how to do this. I like to see at least some of each city where conventions are held, so I built in some extra time on Sunday to explore. I got to visit two things — the Riverwalk and the Alamo. I later read something online that those are the two main things to see in San Antonio, so I felt like my small window of exploration was pretty good.

EIJ19 Riverwalk RShowstack photo
Riverwalk in San Antonio during the time EIJ19 was underway Sept. 5-7, 2019. (Photo by Randy Showstack)
8285242171_1acdf56dcb_o
In 2020, EIJ comes to Washington Sept. 10-12.

 

SHOWSTACK: With the current threats to journalism, with the current state of our profession, and with the 2020 elections taking place just weeks after the upcoming EIJ20 in Washington, D.C., I view EIJ20 as having the potential to be one of the most important journalism conventions in decades. The D.C. Pro Chapter is fired up about EIJ20 as is the national SPJ. National is eager to work with the chapter on EIJ20 and national already has invited the D.C. Chapter to participate on the planning committee. We would love to have the active involvement of D.C. Pro Chapter members to help make EIJ a vital and successful convention. To D.C. members, please consider getting involved with a chapter committee and/or otherwise helping the chapter during this critical time for journalism.

EIJ20_Capitol-Logo

 

What is your pitch to the D.C. Pro Chapter and fellow journalists, not of the Society, working in the area to encourage them to attend EIJ20, and even to participate with the Chapter in what we are able to contribute to the planning and execution of that national convention, co-hosted with RTDNA?

 

FOXHALL: Tell them regularly we are doing stuff (which means we have to do stuff.)

Put out press releases a number of times saying what we are doing and mentioning that the convention will be in D.C. in September, 2020.

 

STEPHENIE OVERMAN headshot
Stephenie Overman

OVERMAN: Non-member journalists I’ve met over the years who have received Society of Professional Journalists awards seem genuinely honored. Non-member journalists quote the Society’s Code of Ethics and seek help from the Legal Defense Fund. But many don’t recognize that SPJ is a volunteer organization that truly needs their support. EIJ20 will be a great time to show them what we do and how they are needed.

 

CODE OF ETHICS SPJ

SCHOTZ: The 2020 convention has the potential to be one of our best in a while.

The place and timing are ideal — being in the capital at such an important time.

The SPJ board and staff have been talking about how to get the presidential candidates to the convention, which would add a different weight to the experience.

This would be a good time to get involved with the D.C. Pro chapter and its planning because it will have national significance within journalism. There will be hundreds of journalists convening her for several days and the local chapter can play a big role in how things turn out.

 

EIJ19 Andy Schotz at business meeting RShowstack
Andy Schotz addresses delegates during the closing business meeting in San Antonio at EIJ19 on Sept. 7. (Photo by Randy Showstack)

 

SHOWSTACK: Whether or not you are a member of SPJ and the D.C. Pro Chapter, we need your help in supporting journalism and journalists in this tough environment. I urge you to put EIJ20 on your calendar now and plan to attend this convention. If you can do so, it would be great if you could get involved in helping out with the convention itself. And, if you are not currently a member of SPJ and the D.C. Pro Chapter, I encourage you to join to help strengthen the chapter and support all of its work on behalf of journalism and journalists.

EIJ20_Capitol-Logo