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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

For information about purchasing a ticket to attend, go here.

The New Yorker magazine’s chief Washington correspondent Jane Mayer, ABC News chief Justice correspondent Pierre Thomas and New York Times White House photographer Doug Mills will be inducted as members of the Hall of Fame of the Washington, D.C., Professional Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, on June 14, 2022.

The criterion for membership in the Hall of Fame is simply this: strong journalism over at least 25 years in Washington.

The three inductees will speak at the chapter’s annual Dateline Awards and Hall of Fame dinner in the grand ballroom of the National Press Club, 529 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C. ** Cash bar cocktail hour begins at 6 p.m., with dinner and the ceremonies beginning at 7 p.m.

Also during the evening, the D.C. Chapter’s 2022 Distinguished Service Award will be presented to Frank LoMonte, currently legal counsel at CNN, in recognition of his years as executive director of the Student Press Law Center based in Washington. LoMonte also will speak.

Jane Mayer is a staff writer for The New Yorker covering politics, culture and national security. Recently, she’s written extensively about Supreme Court spouse Ginni Thomas’ work with groups involved in cases, including abortion, before the Supreme Court. Previously, Mayer was The Wall Street Journal‘s White House correspondent. She’s written two best sellers, Dark Money: The Hidden History of Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right (2016) and The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned Into a War on American Ideals (2008).

Pierre Thomas reports for “World News Tonight,” “Good Morning America” and all other ABC News platforms: television, radio and digital. His Justice beat ranges widely, including (recently) the Supreme Court, Congress’s inquiry into the 2020 elections, the Capitol Riot and the Trump impeachment cases. Thomas also covered the death of George Floyd and protests against racial injustice and police brutality; the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando; and the Boston marathon terrorist attacks.

Doug Mills won multiple awards at last year’s Eyes of History Still Contest of The White House News Photographers Association. He was named Photographer of the Year and Political Photo of the Year for a shot of then-President Trump leaving Air Force One during a lightning storm. Mills, who has covered the White House since 1983, has two Pulitzer Prizes: for photo coverage of Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign and for the Clinton-Monica Lewinsky scandal. This year, Doug covered his 16th Olympic Games.

Frank LoMonte was executive director of the Student Press Law Center for nearly a decade, during which he responded personally to almost 1,000 requests for legal help from journalists and educators throughout the country, and taught educational workshops about the law in some 30 locations from coast to coast each year. He was the lead author of the SPLC’s reference book, “Law of the Student Press,” and his articles about media-law topics have been widely published in daily newspapers and legal journals.

Also at the June 14 dinner, SPJ DC Pro will present its annual Dateline Awards for excellence in local journalism, recognizing finalists and announcing the category winners.

The Sigma Delta Chi Foundation of Washington, D.C., the SPJ DC Pro education arm, has selected four students at area colleges and universities who have demonstrated a strong desire to make journalism their profession after graduation to receive a $5,000 scholarship each for the 2022-2023 academic year. They also will be recognized during the ceremonies. Professional journalists in attendance are encouraged to try to talk with these promising young journalists and contribute to their networking that is so vital to staying active in the profession.

Tickets for the dinner are now available at one throw-back price of $90 each, for members and non-members, until June 8.

After June 8, tickets will be $110 each. There will be a cut-off time (to be determined) on the day of the dinner.

Book your seats HERE on Eventbrite.

Contact SPJ DC’s corresponding secretary and Dateline dinner co-chair Amy Fickling at the chapter’s emailbox — spjdcchapter@gmail.com (ATTN: Amy Fickling) — if you have ticket questions or to make reservations for tables.

News contact: Steve Taylor at juxta747@gmail.com or 571-355-2536.

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** For those who plan to attend the evening festivities at the National Press Club, plan ahead:

Please be aware that the National Press Club currently requires proof of vaccination against COVID-19 before entry to the facility is allowed. Read here for more information about other measures in place at the Club to ensure a safe experience for all.

2023 Dateline Awards Final Submission Deadline.

Annual journalism contest deadline extended to 6 p.m. on March 10.

Apply:

https://betternewspapercontest.com/DCDatelineAwards

Details:

https://spjdc.org/2023/01/dateline-awards-2023/

Submission tips and how-tos for using the submission platform:

https://spjdc.org/2022/02/dateline-awards-2022-helpful-hints-tips/

More details HERE.

Save the date!

More info on tickets and Hall of Fame inductees coming soon.

Applications and all accompanying documents must be filed by midnight.

Pertinent info on scholarships can be found HERE.

Cash bar cocktail hour begins 6 p.m. Dinner and gala begin at 7 p.m. (For those on deadline, program likely to start around 7:30 p.m. as dinner proceeds.) Business attire. Cocktail or sun dresses appropriate for women. Tie optional for men, but no shorts please!