11/2/13
IRE WATCHDOG WORKSHOP COMING TO
HONOLULU
IRE
will bring its acclaimed journalism watchdog workshop series to Honolulu on
November 2. This is an affordable opportunity to sharpen your skills and stay
one step ahead in the changing news industry.
Hosted by the University of
Hawaii School of Communications in conjunction with the Hawaii Chapter of the
Society of Professional Journalists, this training will offer several of our
core sessions that will improve your ability to find information on the Web
quickly, point you to key documents and data that will help you add depth to
your daily work and produce quick-hit enterprise stories. In addition, this
workshop will give you tips on bulletproofing stories, digging deeper on the Web
with social media, search engines and much more.
These sessions are
designed for reporters, editors and producers from small, midsize and large
publications, TV, radio stations, Web-only news sites and news blogs.
Freelancers, students and journalism educators are also encouraged to attend.
Join IRE’s experienced trainers and a group of veteran reporters for our
Watchdog Workshop.
Expected speakers include: Michael Berens, The Seattle
Times; Brian Black, Civil Beat Law Center; Mark Horvit, IRE; Gerald Kato,
University of Hawaii School of Communications and Kendall Taggart, The Center
for Investigative Reporting.
Register to attend the optional
computer-assisted reporting hands-on training Sunday, November 3. These
skills are crucial in a time when more and more data is available. You'll learn
how analyzing information with spreadsheets can better inform your reporting.
The skills you'll acquire can be put to work right away to helping you be a
better watchdog.
Additional information including the schedule, pricing
and registration details can be found at http://ire.us4.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=53be429878cc9017c081f38b9&id=39fbb3662e&e=6d2fd8ec90.
Please forward to any colleagues who might be interested.
We look
forward to seeing you there!
IRE Office
9/17/12
Society of Professional Journalists and Asian American Journalists Association presents JOURNALISM CAREER CONSULTATION WORKSHOP
Monday, Sept. 17 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Hawaii Public Radio Atherton Studio
738 Kaheka St.
Honolulu, HI 96814
Cost: Free with RSVP via email by Friday, Sept. 14 at
aajahi@gmail.com Space is limited.Light refreshments served.
Parking: metered street parking in the area.
For more information log onto hawaiispj.org and aajahawaii.org
Panelists:
Kevin Bumgarner, Editor, Pacific Business News Mark Platte, News Director, Hawaii News Now Lucy Young-Oda, Editorial Page Editor, Honolulu Star-Advertiser Malia Zimmerman, Editor, HawaiiReporter.com
Moderator: Jason Ubay, Managing Editor, Hawaii Business Magazine
Consultants:
Kevin Bumgarner, Editor, Pacific Business News Bill Dorman, News Director, Hawaii Public Radio Oskar Garcia, News Editor, Associated Press Sara Lin, Assistant Editor, Civil Beat Steve Petranik, Editor, Hawaii Business Magazine Mark Platte, News Director, Hawaii News Now Lucy Young-Oda, Editorial Page Editor, Honolulu Star-Advertiser Malia Zimmerman, Editor, HawaiiReporter.com
5:15 to 5:30 p.m. Check in
5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Panel discussion and group consultations
Groups of attendees will have a few 15 minute consultation sessions with journalism professionals in television, print, radio, online and business. This workshop is geared for all career levels from professionals to freelancers and students. This is your chance to ask any questions you have about what to do to take your career to the next step in journalism, how to improve your chances of employment, what it takes to work in the industry, or whatever you would like to know.
Thanks to the judges of the Ohio contest:
Jim Borg
Bill Dorman
Susan Essoyan
Stirling Morita
Nikki Motson
6/10/12
Thanks to the
Judges
... of the Pacific Northwest Region 12
contest
Teresa Bell
Jen Tadaki Catanzariti
Mike Cherry
Teresa Dawson
Craig DeSilva
Olena Heu
Dennis Hollier
Mike Keaney
Keoki Kerr
Adrienne LaFrance
Nancy Cook Lauer
Stirling Morita
Nathan Nakama
Tina Ng
Teri Okita
Lennie Omalza
Chuck Parker
Brianne Randle
Christine Strobel
Chris Tanaka
David Thompson
Jason Ubay
4-16-12
Essay
Contest Winner
Out of 22 entries from
across the state, the local Hawaii winner for the SPJ High School Essay contest
is …. William Bowers.
He is an 11th grader at Punahou School
under the direction of teacher Traci Young.
He gets the $250 from our chapter. His essay was sent to the National contest.
4-6-12
Pakistan-U.S. Relations: On
the Ground Perspectives
The United States and Pakistan share many common interests including the fight against terrorism.
Yet, the relationship between them is strained with a trust deficit on both sides. Please join us for a luncheon presentation with Pakistani and US journalists as they reflect on this complicated relationship following their field visits to each other’s country.
EWC Senior Fellow Shabbir Cheema will provide a brief overview of U.S.- Pakistan relations, one of America’s most important strategic relationships crucial to regional stability. Journalists participating in the EWC’s Pakistan-U.S. Journalist Exchange will discuss the economic and political factors that influence U.S. engagement in Pakistan and the reaction of the Pakistani people to U.S. policy toward Pakistan.
The journalists from Pakistan represent print and broadcast media from throughout the country including Baluchistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Karachi, Islamabad, Punjab, and Lahore. The American journalists represent the
Washington Post; San Francisco Chronicle; Christian Science Monitor; and PBS News Hour, and others. The journalists will have just returned from their study tour having met with key policy makers, and government and military officials in the two countries.Friday, April 6, 2012
East-West Center
Imin Conference Center
1777 East-West Road
(Garden Level)
Honolulu
Time:
11:30 AM -Registration
12:00 - 1:30 PM - Lunch &
Program
Registration Fee: $25
Please RSVP
by Tuesday, April 3
Parking
: Free parking is availableon the University of Hawaii
Campus, due to the holiday. All
stalls are open except those
marked “Reserved 24 Hours.”
Contact info:
Ph. 944-7111
Fax: 944-7376
EWCInfo@EastWestCenter.org
www.EastWestCenter.org
3/21/12
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Derek Ferrar
808-944-7204
Press images:
Former CNN Senior Asia Correspondent Mike Chinoy to
Screen New Film on Nixon’s Historic China Visit
What: Former CNN Senior Asia Correspondent and Beijing Bureau Chief Mike Chinoy screens his new documentary, Assignment: China – The Week that Changed the World, which tells the behind-the-scenes story of the journalists who covered President Richard Nixon’s historic visit to China in 1972, a milestone in both world and journalism history.
When: Wed. March 21, Noon – 1:30 p.m. Hour-long film will be followed by Q&A with Mike Chinoy.
Where: East-West Center’s John A. Burns Hall, 1601 East-West Rd., Rm. 4005
Info: The screening is free and open to the public. Attendees are welcome to bring their own brown-bag lunch. Paid parking available on UH Manoa campus.
RSVP/Contact: 808-944-7111; Email: EWCInfo@EastWestCenter.org
Web: http://bit.ly/y00Xwe
Sponsors: East-West Center, Parvin Journalism Program, University of Hawai‘i School of Communications, Society of Professional Journalists-Hawai‘i Chapter.
Background:
President Richard Nixon’s visit to China in February 1972 changed the course of history – reshaping the global balance of power and opening the door to the establishment of relations between the People’s Republic and the United States.
It was also a milestone in the history of journalism. Since the communist revolution of 1949, a suspicious regime in Beijing had barred virtually all U.S. reporters from China. For the Nixon trip, however, the Chinese agreed to accept nearly 100 journalists, and to allow the most dramatic events – Nixon’s arrival in Beijing, Zhou Enlai’s welcoming banquet, visits to the Great Wall and the Forbidden City – to be televised live.
The coverage was arguably as important as the details of the diplomacy. It profoundly transformed American and international perceptions of a long-isolated China, generated the public support Nixon needed to change U.S. policy, and laid the groundwork for Beijing’s gradual move to open China to greater international media coverage.
While the outlines of the Nixon trip are familiar, the story of how that momentous event was covered is much less well-known. Now a new documentary film, Assignment: China – The Week that Changed the World, offers a behind-the-scenes perspective from the journalists’ point of view.
Reported and narrated by U.S.-China Institute Senior Fellow Mike Chinoy, the film contains previously unreleased footage of the Nixon visit, along with interviews with Chinese officials, Nixon staffers and many of the journalistic luminaries who accompanied the president. These include Dan Rather and Bernard Kalb of CBS, Ted Koppel and Tom Jarriel of ABC, Barbara Walters of NBC, Max Frankel of the New York Times, Stanley Karnow of the Washington Post, Dirck Halstead, who was a photographer for UPI, and many others.
Produced by the U.S.-China Institute at the University of Southern California, where Chinoy is a Senior Fellow, the film offers a previously untold perspective on one of the most important moments in U.S. diplomatic history.
# # #
The EAST-WEST CENTER promotes better relations and understanding among the people and nations of the United States, Asia, and the Pacific through cooperative study, research, and dialogue. Established by the U.S. Congress in 1960, the Center serves as a resource for information and analysis on critical issues of common concern, bringing people together to exchange views, build expertise, and develop policy options.
3/13/12 &
3/14/12
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
*MEDIA ADVISORY*
Hawaii Sunshine Week Events To Celebrate Open Government
"
Sunshine Week is a great opportunity for citizens to get together to talk about how we can make government more open and accessible. At these events, we’ll be be talking about new media and online information, and how citizens can advocate for better access and information in the future," said Nikki Love, Executive Director of Common Cause Hawaii.Media mergers have limited the number of professional journalists working in Hawaii today. Coverage of public offices and issues has suffered while citizen interest remains. Can social media and citizen journalism fill the content void and ensure we have the information needed for a healthy democracy? How can citizens use technology to promote government transparency and public engagement? Our esteemed panelists will help answer these questions and others on government transparency. RSVP by emailing
info@mediacouncil.org or call 275-6275.###
9/19/11
Society of Professional Journalists and Asian American Journalists
Association
present
JOURNALISM CAREER
CONSULTATION WORKSHOP
Monday,
Sept. 19 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Hawaii Public Radio Atherton Studio
738
Kaheka St.
Honolulu, HI
96814
Space is limited. RSVP with payment by Sept. 13
online at http://spjaaja.eventbrite.com
$5 for SPJ/AAJA members; $10 for non-members.
Make check payable to
Society of Professional Journalists
Mail to : Hawaii Chapter SPJ
P.O. Box
3141
Honolulu, HI 96802
(There is an additional charge if you pay online via credit card. All
attendees must register online.)
For more information, call
230-0255.
Light refreshments served.
Panelists:
Bill Dorman, News Director for Hawaii Public Radio
Jaymes
Song, Editor, Associated Press Honolulu
Steven Petranik, Editor, Hawaii
Business Magazine
After the panel discussion, attendees will be able to meet for a few 15 minute consultations with journalism professionals in television, print, radio, online and business. Consultations may be done one on one or in groups depending on participation. This workshop is geared for all career levels from professionals to freelancers and students. This is your chance to ask any questions you have about what to do to take your career to the next step in journalism, how to improve your chances of employment, what it takes to work in the industry, or whatever you would like to know.
Participating news organizations include: Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Hawaii
Public Radio, Associated Press, Hawaii Business Magazine, KITV and more.
Check back here http://spjaaja.eventbrite.com for updates.
@SPJHawaii and @aajaHI present Journalism Career Consultation Workshop Sept. 19 at 5:30 p.m. at Hawaii Public Radio. #spj #aaja
7/1/11
Thank you to the judges of the contest of SPJ Region 10 Pacific Northwest
Dave Briscoe
Jen Tadaki Catanzariti
Beverly Creamer
Linda Dela Cruz
Craig DeSilva
Dennis Hollier
Radley Kanda
Derek Kalani
Adrienne LaFrance
Nancy Cook Lauer
George Lee
Audrey McAvoy
Stirling Morita
A. Kam Napier
Lennie Omalza
Steve Petranik
Michelle Ramos
Terry Rollman
Jaymes Song
Dave Swann
John Temple
Jason Ubay
Lucy Young-Oda
April 21
Join us for a panel discussion and luncheon with
Pakistani and U.S. journalists led by
Dr. Shabbir Cheema
East-West Center Senior Fellow
Director, Asia Pacific Governance and
Democracy Initiatives
Dr. Cheema will provide an overview and
context on U.S.-Pakistan relations, one of
America’s most important strategic
relationships that is crucial to regional stability.
Panelists will include leading journalists who
participated in the EWC’s inaugural Pakistan-
U.S. Journalist Exchange Program launched
this month. The discussion will focus on the
internal and external economic and political factors that influence U.S.
engagement in Pakistan and the reaction of the Pakistani people to U.S.
policy toward Pakistan.
The journalists from Pakistan represent various
Download flyer:
Pakistan_US Jour Sem 11
luncheon.pdf
Jan.
21-22
Online News Association two-day forum on
Online Reporting
Tiffany Campbell
of the Seattle Times guides SPJ and AAJA members through a
how-to about
online video Jan. 21-22 at the East-West Center.
The Online News Association
put on the two-day session.
The Online News Association, in partnership with the Hawaii
chapters of the
Asian American Journalists Association and the Society for
Professional
Journalists, is hosting digital journalism training workshops at
the
East-West Center, Jan.
21 – 22, 2011.
The sessions run each day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will
cover
mobile production, free web tools, emerging business models, and
legal
issues.
Click here <http://journalists.org/events/event_details.asp?id=135899>
for a
detailed schedule and list of trainers (more will be announced). The
event
is limited to the first 120 attendees. ONA members and non-members
welcome.
The $10 registration fee covers breakfast and lunch for
attendees.
Here are details on the rooms at the
East-West Center's Lincoln Hall:
Lodging, room block, parking:
Lincoln Hall: http://www.eastwestcenter.org/?id=927
12 rooms reserved from Jan.
15-23 at $52 a night (may need to adjust those dates). Those reservations must
be confirmed by Dec. 1. There are five more rooms available during the time
period we are considering. Each room has a double bed but an extra cot can be
added to each room. Parking is $5 a day and can be prepaid.
Report on 2010 SPJ Annual Convention
Next year’s conference: On September
25 - 28, 2011, the Radio Television Digital News Association (formerly RTNDA),
the largest association of electronic journalists, joins forces with the Society
of Professional Journalists creating Excellence in Journalism: 2011.
Our
convention in New Orleans will be more than a partnership; it will be a
gathering of professional journalists with shared interest.
Our goal is to
create the largest, most important national journalism convention of the year,
every year.
At the Region 11 business meeting, participants were most interested in fundraising projects. The most successful fundraiser for the California chapters, apparently, are paid sessions for PR professionals on how best to interact with the media, how to write a press release, etc. Not so sure that would fly that well here, inasmuch as most of the PR folks here come from the media. The group was most interested in Gridiron and how successful it is raising money for interns. They didn’t seem that interested in my attempts to recount our successes lobbying the state Legislature, or the progress of our shield law.
Resolutions:
The most controversial resolution – asking SPJ to define "Journalist" in anticipation of a federal shield law taking effect -- was withdrawn by the sponsor, Northern California Pro chapter, prior to a vote. It was obvious SPJ delegates were uncomfortable with this role.
A last-minute special resolution, asking the Obama administration to take steps to eliminate the PIO-as-gatekeeper and allow the free flow of information from administration staffers, and set up a model for states to follow, passed unanimously.
Another last-minute special resolution, urging SPJ to expand its membership and chapters internationally, also passed unanimously. As the Hawaii delegate, belonging to the chapter "that is about as international as you can get without leaving the United States," I took the opportunity to make the motion on this resolution. It was seconded by the New York City chapter, which also has an interest in an international SPJ.
Other resolutions that passed, in addition to a series of thank-you resolutions, were: Support of the free speech and free press rights of college journalists and their advisers, FERPA reform to open records of colleges and universities, Opposing checkbook journalism.(examples -- ABC paying for exclusive rights of a murder suspect for home videos and photos, NBC furnishing private jet to a source for exclusive interview, etc.), Support for federal shield law
Membership: Outgoing SPJ President Kevin Smith described the problems with membership. In a normal month, he said the chapter loses about 300 members and gains about 300 members for a relatively flat membership year. National SPJ earlier this year hit a two-decade low of 7,500 members, but it is slowly climbing again and is now higher than a year ago, he said.
Sessions:
Re-Imaging News and How to Grow Audiences Organically: Rob Curley, head of online arm of Las Vegas Sun, a newspaper that’s inserted into Stephens Media flagship, Las Vegas Review Journal, discussed how his company produces a 4-page daily print product and a hyper-local online product with a staff of "only" 30. His message was local, local, local plus utility, utility, utility, with a wealth of interactive useful features on the website. One interesting commonality between Curley’s session and that of Richard Gringras, CEO of Salon.com, was the way they handled anonymous posters on their sites. Both had a public area where posters had to have a verified account to leave comments. But both allowed anonymous posters to be diverted into a sort of "sandbox" where a staffer could verify them if they presented compelling arguments or seemed legit. The sandbox was viewable by the public, but comments were purged there often. Both Curley and Gringras recommended Facebook links as a valid way to verify posters.
Training: I attended a half-day workshop on Census data put on by IRE/NICAR. If anyone wants the PowerPoint and table we used in the workshop, (5mg file) shoot me an email and I will forward it. Basically, the 10-year data starts being available Christmas week, with the 50-state totals. Redistricting data will be parceled out by state from early February to late March. I am available to lead a training session on using Census data with some lead-time. I also attended a "It was the Best of Sentences, it was the Worst of Sentences," training session that turned out to be pretty basic grammar and sentence structure training.
Respectfully submitted by SPJ-Hawaii Vice President Nancy Cook Lauer, who thanks all involved for the opportunity to attend this worthwhile conference.
4/22/10
Thank you to the
judges
Many thanks to the judges of the Region 10 contest (Pacific Northwest), magazines and newspapers. Without you, we couldn't conduct our own contest.
PacificBasin Communications --Steve Petranik, Kathryn Wagner, coordinators
Lennie Omalza
John Heckathorn
Joanne Romero
A. Kam Napier
Michael Keany
Tiffany Hill
Kathryn Wagner
Hawaii Medical Service Association—Craig DeSilva, coordinator
Chance Gusukuma
Marlene Nakamoto
Jonathan Tanji
The Honolulu Advertiser—Christine Strobel, coordinator
Curtis Murayama
Stan Lee
Christine Strobel
Star-Bulletin—Stirling Morita, coordinator
Helen Altonn
Richard Borreca
Susan Essoyan
George F. Lee
Seth Markow
Stirling Morita
Charlene Robinson
Rob Shikina
Lucy Young Oda
West Hawaii Today
Nancy Cook Lauer
Associated Press
Audrey McAvoy
Dave Briscoe
Honolulu Weekly
Adrienne LaFrance
9/25/09
P.O. Box 3141
Honolulu, HI 96802
Sept. 25, 2009
From David Briscoe, president
(808)674-1836
Society of Professional Journalists condemns Honolulu TV
merger
The Hawaii Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists
strongly opposes the planned consolidation of TV stations KGMB, KHNL and KFVE.
This so-called "shared services agreement" not only violates federal regulations
but will eliminate an important source of news and information for the people of
Hawaii.
Among other steps, SPJ-Hawaii will assist Media Council
Hawaii in its legal challenge of the merger.
"SPJ-Hawaii is dedicated to
fostering and protecting a free press and diversity of voices, which are
essential to preserving liberty and democracy in our islands," says chapter
president David Briscoe. "We find it especially outrageous when media
organizations themselves hinder the public's access to news and
information.
"While we recognize the financial pressures media owners
face, this merger is the wrong solution. It reduces the number of local
journalists covering the news, reduces the diversity of media voices, and is bad
for democracy and bad for Hawaii."
The merger is not only morally wrong, it is a clear attempt
to circumvent Federal Communications Commission rules that prohibit such joint
ownership in TV markets like Honolulu.
TV stations are granted the privilege of using public
airwaves, which obligates them to serve the public with news and information.
They should not be allowed to violate this public trust.
10/15/09
Hawaii SPJ needs you
These are interesting and challenging times for journalism. The future of news is unclear, but you can have an important local role in shaping that future by joining the board of directors of the Hawaii chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
The chapter is accepting nominations for the board until Monday, Nov. 16. Anyone who is a current member of Hawaii SPJ is eligible; you can join now and be eligible for the board immediately. Go to
www.spj.org to join; your national membership includes membership in the Hawaii chapter.Nominate yourself or a friend by sending an e-mail to Steve Petranik, Hawaii chapter treasurer, at
stevep@hawaiibusiness.com. (Of course, make sure your friend is willing to serve before you nominate them.)The board consists of four officers – president, vice president, treasurer and secretary – a Neighbor Island director, and four at-large directors. The board meets eight to 12 times a year, usually on Thursday evenings. Hawaii SPJ’s major issues have been media ethics, local media ownership and coverage, training and mentoring young journalists, preserving and enhancing the quality of local news coverage, media access, shield laws and related issues.
Hawaii SPJ organizes the annual Gridiron show and the proceeds pay for summer journalism internships for students. The chapter also sponsors annual awards that recognize the best of Hawaii journalism, and organizes training workshops, seminars, discussions and other events. It also helps with legal and other challenges over media issues.
Please post this invitation in your newsroom
10/10/09
Tough Times, Tougher Choices
Ethics and Excellence in the Newsroom
A Workshop Series
with
Jon Ebinger
Radio-Television News
Directors Foundation
Former Producer
ABC’s Nightline
& ESPN’s Outside
the Lines
Saturday, October 10, 2009
9 am – noon Campus Center
307
Presented by the Carol Burnett Fund
for Responsible Journalism Ethics Programs
& Society of Professional Journalists Student Chapter
University of Hawai‘i at MaŻnoaJon Ebinger is an experienced Washington
based news producer and editor who for nine
years worked for ABC News Nightline as a
researcher and producer. While with ESPN
he launched the weekly investigative program
Outside the Lines and led the show’s
production team. Since 2001 Ebinger has
also been part of production teams for the
BBC, CNBC, PBS, and The National
Geographic Channel. He has worked on
extended projects as an editor for National
Public Radio, as well as for the special events
unit for ABC News.
For the past five years he has administered
media projects for the Radio and Television
News Directors Foundation, including an
ongoing journalist exchange program for
American and German journalists, and
presents workshops across the United States
on how communities and journalists can
respond in the event of a terror crisis.
Ebinger has been honored with 8 Emmy
Awards, including 6 national news Emmys
with "Nightline" (ABC News), one national
news Emmy for "Inside Base Camp" (National
Geographic Channel), and one local Emmy
for "World Talk" (WETA-PBS). He also
received a Dupont-Columbia Award for
"Nightline" Special Programs (1995-1996).
5/23/09
Hawaii Chapter
Society of Professional Journalists
Video Journalism on the Web
When: Saturday, May 23, 2009
Where: University
of Hawai’i-Manoa, Crawford Hall
• 8:30-9:30 a.m. - Interactive panel chat on the
future of video and online journalism (free and open to public)
• 10
a.m.-3 p.m. - Hands-on workshop covering basic shooting/editing video for the
Web (registration limited; workshop cost: $5 for SPJ members; $10 for
non-members. Includes lunch. Registered participants must bring their own
digital video camera with standard firewire cable and be familiar with its
operation.)
Workshop registration deadline:
Wednesday, May 13,
2009
For information and registration,
e-mail: spjvideo@gmail.com or
call: (808) 525-8063
Parking $3 in lower campus parking structure off Dole Street
4/5/09
Thanks to contest judges
Greater Oregon Pro Chapter 2008 Nondaily Contest
Region 11
2008 Northwest Excellence in Journalism
Awards
1/23/09 The Newspaper Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde And newspapers haven’t done a good job of telling
their own story. She noted that she has yet to see a newspaper report about
advertising revenues include comments from a local advertiser about what
advertising has done for him or her.
Newspaper journalism faces an
almost Dr.-Jekyll-and-Mr.-Hyde scenario these days due to a promising future
online but unsettling present in print, Sacramento Bee Editor Melanie Sill
said.
The Dr. Henry Jekyll part is: The Internet
holds so much promise for newspapers and other journalists to reach
readers. But the Mr. Edward Hyde counterpart is: The economy
and advertising declines cast a pall over the newspaper industry.
But still there are things newspapers can do to communicate
with the communities they serve, she told about 45 SPJ members and others at a
reception at the Plaza Club downtown on Jan. 23.
Newspaper are feeling the economic effects of an advertising downturn,
but still serve a large audience, Sill said.
"The
issue is how will it affect the quality of reporting and how we will fund it,"
she said.
Her newspaper underwent "a significant
staff cut, but "we worked on making coverage better," Sill said.
One way to offset the declines, Sill said, is to find subjects that
newspapers do well and then do them even better.
She
opened "lines of communication with the community. "Our
future rests with the future of the community; we really are in it together,"
she said. "Try to be cognizant of what the community needs,"
she said. "We have to be as good at listening as we are at
telling."
Newspapers should be aware that "we can’t
do everything," she added.
Even with a smaller
staff, a newspaper "still can do a good job," she said. Her
paper had "to make some tough choices."
It did away
with a regional weekly sections because it didn’t have staffing to "sustain
them," Sill said.
But because Sacramento is the
state capital of California, the Bee has done well in government reporting. It
started a column and blog on state employees that have proved popular.
The Bee has done database reporting, posting information
such as notices of layoffs or plant closures from companies so people can find
out details for themselves.
Still, people expect
investigative reporting from their papers, and she said it needs to be done even
in times of staff cuts. It all comes down to holding
government officials accountable for their actions and why they did things the
way they did, she said.
The Bee runs
house ads about how effective its advertising is.
Melanie Sill is a Waipahu native and once was editor of Waipahu High’s Cane Tassel paper. She led an investigative team for the Raleigh News & Observer that won a Pulitzer Prize.
7/11/08
Thank you for joining us for the 2007 annual SPJ Hawaii chapter Awards Dinner.
This is our first year in the Dole Cannery ballroom. So I hope you will be pleased with tonite's dinner.
Tonite, we recognize the best in Hawaii journalism in the areas of print, broadcast, and internet.
The awards dinner is one of the many programs sponsored by your SPJ Hawaii chapter.
The Society of Professional Journalists is the nation's most broad-based journalism organization, dedicated to encouraging the free practice of journalism and stimulating high standards of ethical behavior.
The Hawaii chapter is here to support local journalists and foster excellence in our profession for the benefit of our communities and its people.
I'd like to take a moment to recap some of the many programs and initiatives SPJ's Hawaii chapter has been working on for you throughout the year.
* During this year's legislative session, we worked on crafting a shield law to protect journalists from having to reveal their sources. Hawaii is now one of 36 states in the nation with a shield law. SPJ will be sponsoring a discussion on the shield law with attorney Jeff Portnoy Aug. 21 at noon at the Honolulu Advertiser building. You're all invited to attend. I believe Jeff is here tonite if you want to meet with him.
* We continue to be involved in open government issues. This year, we questioned why crime logs at the University of Hawaii weren't made available, and why the city wanted to keep a mass transit technology panel from meeting in public.
* We also foster the next generation of journalists. Every year, we provide professional opportunities for college students by placing them in paid summer internships in print, broadcast and public relations. We'll be introducing this year's lucky interns to you later this evening.
* We provide opportunities for you to meet and hear the nation's top journalists. We co-sponsored a talk by Sheila Coronel, an award-winning Filipino journalist at Columbia University's investigative journalism program. Also, local boy Byron Acohido, a USA Today reporter, was here to talk about his Pulitzer-prize winning investigative stories.
* And we can't end the year without poking fun at Hawaii's news events, politicians and other newsmakers at the Gridiron, scheduled for Oct. 24-25 at Diamond Head Theatre. Gridiron regulars know how much fun the show is. If you've never seen the Gridiron, I highly recommend it. All proceeds from the show go to fund our internship program. Due to the show's popularity, we'll be adding a Saturday matinee this year for the first time ever. Mahalo to KITV's Keoki Kerr and the Advertiser's Robbie Dingeman for again leading the show's production, and showing us that it's OK to laugh at each other and ourselves sometimes.
We hope to continue with programs that advocate for you and good journalism in Hawaii.
As we recognize the best of Hawaii journalism tonite,
we'll also be saying goodbye to a woman who represents the very best in
journalism. She laid the foundation for many journalists, many of whom are in
this room tonite. She has also dedicated her career to advocating for more open
government and accountability. Later this evening, we will recognize University
of Hawaii professor Bev Keever, who will be retiring after 26 years of
teaching. The Hawaii chapter of the Society of Professional
Journalists is pleased to announce its Annual Awards Dinner and Presentation and
a tribute to retiring University of Hawaii Journalism Professor Beverly Deepe
Keever Date: Friday, July 11, 2008 Time:
6 to 8:30 p.m. Place: Dole Ballrooms (Lanai room)
Please join in celebrating our industry’s successes.
4/1/08
Thank you to the judges of the Region X (Pacific
Northwest) Newspaper Contest
Helen Altonn
Laurie
Au
Dave Briscoe
David Butts
Alex Da Silva
Susan Essoyan
James
Gonser
Gerald Kato
Nancy Cook Lauer
Marsha McFadden
Stirling
Morita
Sandra Oshiro
Gene Park
Robert
Shikina
3/17/08
By Robert Shikina
Chapter Member
Around the world, the news media have never been freer than it is today, but there is a high price to pay for that freedom, said award-winning investigative journalist Sheila Coronel.
Hundreds of journalists have died or remain behind bars because of their work.
Meanwhile, in the United States investigative journalism faces a threat from a business pressures that favors entertainment over quality reporting, she said.
"Journalists are having a heyday in exposing crime, corruption. The bad news, of course, is we pay a price for such exposure," Coronel told dozens of people Monday afternoon at a Freedom of Information Day luncheon on the University of Hawai'i campus as part of Sunshine Week.
The Honolulu Community-Media Council, Hawaii chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, and several other organizations sponsored Coronel's speech as part of the Ah Jook Ku lecture series.
Coronel is director of Toni Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism - Columbia University and the 2003 Ramon Magasaysay Awardee for developing investigative journalism in the Philippines. She helped found the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, which became the premier investigative reporting institution in the region.
"Investigative journalism has flourished … in many transition countries," Coronel said. In those countries, competing in crowded markets "has made journalists more aggressive in exposing wrongdoing and exposing corruption."
But along with grown of the press, more journalists -- usually local citizens -- have been killed around the world in the post-democratic era than in eras with more governmental control.
"They're being deliberately targeted for their work," she said. "They can make change possible. They become a danger to the powers."
At the end of 2007, 127 journalists worldwide were imprisoned, facing charges against a government or sometimes no charges at all, she said.
During her speech, "Endangered Watchdogs? Investigative Reporting in Troubled Times," Coronel said the news media have grown in developing countries because of so many new avenues for news and a hunger for information. The boom in media has been largely in Asia where China and India were ranked first and second respectively in newspaper circulation, compared with the rest of the world, she said.
In some cases, governments have fueled the media expansion after realizing the media can prevent corruption at the local level and educate businesses, leading to greater national profit.
In China, media market reforms have also led to media growth. When the Chinese government cut subsidies to newspapers, companies were forced to become aggressive in investigative reporting, despite the socialist system, she said.
"The need to survive in that market has forced newspapers to be more aggressive, more expose-oriented in their reporting," she said. The result is a "vibrant media environment in China."
Journalists have also gained press freedoms through freedom of information (FOI) laws around the world. In 1996, when the United States passed its first FOI law, only one other country had a FOI law. Today, 70 countries around the world have FOI laws, half of them having passed them within the last five years, she said.
But there's a downside to the new press freedoms.
"The rise of commercial media has also meant the rise of dumbed-down news and 'infotainment' throughout the world," she said.
In the United States, the problems of investigative reporting are different than in developing countries, Coronel said.
She said income from advertising and circulation is not sustaining newspapers, especially as more people get their news online. While advertisers have moved online, the profit is not enough to sustain news production, leading to a decline in investigative reporting, she said.
In addition, journalists in the United States have faced more pressure to reveal confidential sources, hindering investigative reporting.
However, she sees a possible solution – nonprofit groups, which can fund in depth reporting without commercial pressure, are stepping in to do investigative journalism, and citizen are making contributions as well.
"Citizens
are filling the gap in watchdog reporting, providing needed information," she
said. "Increasingly, the line between citizens and journalists is becoming
blurred."
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