SPJ/LA to explore the give-and-take between journalists and PIOs

Government agencies bring on public information officers to make sure critical information reaches the public. But for those PIOs, can the obligation to serve their agency run counter to their responsibility to the public?

SPJ/LA will explore those and other issues on Thursday during the virtual panel “Just Doing My Job: Protecting the Agency vs. Serving the Public.”

The panel, which begins at 7 p.m.(PT), will feature journalists and public affairs experts from across the region.

The event will be moderated by Ben Davis, journalism professor at Cal State, Northridge. Appearing with him are:

• Lisa Derderian, Public Information Officer, City of Pasadena
• Susan Hirasuna, Anchor/Reporter, FOX 11
• Claudia Peschiutta, Daily News Editor, KPCC-FM
• Kerri Webb, Director of Public Information and Government Relations, El Camino College

For more information, contact Nathan Solis at njsolis@gmail.com.

To RSVP for the event, please click here by 4:00pm (PT) on Thursday, March 3.

Register HERE for this online session.

America’s public schools are coming under unusually strong attention from the general public — scrutiny communities typically rely on journalists to provide.

The issues are as disparate as masking mandates and COVID-19 testing; decisions around the spending of federal pandemic relief funds; the pros and cons of virtual vs. in-person learning; gun threats; and a rising trend of lawmakers and parents’ demanding that schoolchildren not be taught certain subjects such as human sexuality and the history of racism.

Journalists face multiple barriers, many government- or district-imposed, to covering these complex topics. Practices like filtering all interviews through public information officers seriously impairs journalists’ ability to cover these weighty subjects, while prohibiting teachers, school staff and other key education officials from sharing their stories. Add in policies that limit access to key education-related data-sets, and answering the public’s questions in a timely, thoughtful, and detailed manner becomes exceedingly difficult.

In honor of Sunshine Week, expert panelists will explore the impact of these government restrictions on press coverage of public schools and how to work around them. Produced by the Society of Professional Journalists and the National Press Club Journalism Institute, the discussion will offer strategies and tools to overcome these barriers.

Panelists include:
– Eva-Marie Ayala, Education Lab editor for The Dallas Morning News
– Frank LoMonte, professor at the University of Florida and counsel at CNN
– Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO
– Moderator: Delece Smith-Barrow, education editor at POLITICO

Apply HERE.

The Global Investigative Journalism Conference (GIJC) is the premier international gathering of investigative and data journalists, held once every two years. In 2023, the conference will be held in Gothenburg, Sweden, from September 19 to 22, and is being co-hosted by GIJN, the Fojo Media Institute at Linnaeus University, and Föreningen Grävande Journalister, Sweden’s national association of investigative journalists. The conference venue is the world-class Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre.

GIJC23 will feature over 150 state-of-the-art panels, workshops, and networking sessions, from cross-border collaboration and online searching to advanced data analysis. You’ll find special tracks on climate change, the threat to democracy, data journalism, crime and corruption, teaching and training, and sustainability strategies — plus the latest security tips and a chance to network and collaborate with your colleagues from 100 countries. Here’s where you can learn from the best in the field and return home with sharpened skills and the latest tools and techniques.

With the support of our sponsors and partners, the conference is offering more than 150 fellowships to both established and promising journalists in developing and transitioning countries, and for journalists from disenfranchised communities, to participate in this prestigious event. Competition is keen, so you need to convince us that you will make great use of the training that GIJC23 offers.

Eligibility Criteria

• Open to full-time print, online, television, video, radio, documentary, and multimedia journalists in developing or transitioning countries;
• Experience in investigative or data journalism a plus;
• Sorry, Western journalists based overseas are not eligible. For a full list of eligible countries, please check out this link.

Fellowship Requirement

Following the conference, fellows are required to either produce a story directly related to #GIJC23 or give a presentation based on the knowledge you gained at #GIJC23 to your colleagues or the journalism community at-large. Detailed guidelines and examples here.

You’ll need a working knowledge of English, as the conference panels and workshops will be conducted in English. Please submit your fellowship application in English.

GIJC23 Fellowship Includes

• Round-trip airfare to Gothenburg, Sweden
• Hotel room for four nights
• Transport between Gothenburg-Landvetter Airport and the conference hotel
• Reception dinner
• Breakfast and lunch on conference days
• Award ceremony dinner
• Conference registration fee

NOTE: The fellowship does not include a per diem, visa fees, or transport to and from your home country airport. This is a training conference, and fellows are expected to pay for these costs.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: February 28, 2023. Successful fellows will be notified via email by May 1, 2023.

Applications and all accompanying documents must be filed by midnight.

Pertinent info on scholarships can be found HERE.